Oil Consumption PARANOIA?!?!?!?!?!

vivid2012 · 07-26-2011, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

How did you break the car in and seat the rings? What driving method did you use? This business about the car already being broken in when you get it, I have found to be total BS based on my experience with my Z06.

Tail-pipes were sooty as hell for 2-300 miles, and I didn't check the oil from the factory (should have

) but when I finally did at 585mi, it was 1/2 qt low. By then I had seated the rings properly, changed the oil, and in 2000 miles since it hasn't burned an amount that could be seen on the dip-stick and even after hundreds of miles the tail-pipes are not sooty.

My method:

Gentle around-town stop and go driving until I got to the freeway.

On the freeway: Cruised up to speed limit, put it in 4th gear, let it drop town to 20 under (with noone around) and then accelerate strongly, but without flooring it, to 20 over (I don't advocate this...). Let it coast back down.

Anyway, I did that a good bit over a few hundred miles, passing people, playing with it, etc. and after a while began using 3rd gear, etc.

The main thing is to load the rings through acceleration and deceleration in-gear without going much over about 4-4500rpm or so. This is plenty sufficient to seat the rings.

Yup, that's might be the way to go.

FromG2Z · 07-26-2011, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

Oil cools and contracts, collects in an oil-pan, etc.

I have adopted a method with my 'vette that is more strict than most because of the dry-sump.

I check the oil at EXACTLY the same temp/time after shut-off every time. If I do not, the variance can be huge. As in, a quart, easily.

With the regular cars I have owned, the difference was usually 1/4-1/2 quart or so.

I suggest checking the car 1 hour after shutting it off from running it with the oil at a certain temp.

Record temp and level.

Then next time you check it, make sure that you shut it off at roughly the same temp (+-5*) on a similarly ambient temp. day, and wait the same amount of time and check it.

Make sure you part in the same spot in the same orientation.

This should eliminate any variables attributed to anything but consumption/lack thereof.

*With a dry sump system, you are to wait 5-15 minutes, not an hour, but I presume your Z has an OEM oil system. I would wait 1 hour to let a decent amount of oil drain back into the pan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

How did you break the car in and seat the rings? What driving method did you use? This business about the car already being broken in when you get it, I have found to be total BS based on my experience with my Z06.

Tail-pipes were sooty as hell for 2-300 miles, and I didn't check the oil from the factory (should have

) but when I finally did at 585mi, it was 1/2 qt low. By then I had seated the rings properly, changed the oil, and in 2000 miles since it hasn't burned an amount that could be seen on the dip-stick and even after hundreds of miles the tail-pipes are not sooty.

My method:

Gentle around-town stop and go driving until I got to the freeway.

On the freeway: Cruised up to speed limit, put it in 4th gear, let it drop town to 20 under (with noone around) and then accelerate strongly, but without flooring it, to 20 over (I don't advocate this...). Let it coast back down.

Anyway, I did that a good bit over a few hundred miles, passing people, playing with it, etc. and after a while began using 3rd gear, etc.

The main thing is to load the rings through acceleration and deceleration in-gear without going much over about 4-4500rpm or so. This is plenty sufficient to seat the rings.

Thanks Import.

Yes, I will also record oil temps before I check the dipstick, and check it 30 mins to an hour after I park. And yes, I park the same way all the time, so no issue there.

As for the engine breaking-in period, I followed what the manual said, and tried not to rev about 4k rpm for the first 1200 miles. In fact, I set the rev limiter light at 4k rpm. Occasionally, it would jump to 5k rpm just because it's impossible to keep it under 4k ALL the time. I did that probably a handful. When I drove on the highways, I downshifted a lot, to pass, etc... so I let SRM do its magic. So the revs were varied throughout. Could I have done this MORE? yes... probably.... but I think for the most part, it was sufficient.

I also downshift when coming to a stop light/sign, so again, SRM does its magic. So I would *think* that my rings are seated pretty well, but since I only have 1800 miles, I'm sure there's still some "seating" going on in there. So I will continue to vary accel and decel / engine load as much as I can, and avoid using cruise control.

Any other suggestions?

ImportConvert · 07-26-2011, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromG2Z

Thanks Import.

Yes, I will also record oil temps before I check the dipstick, and check it 30 mins to an hour after I park. And yes, I park the same way all the time, so no issue there.

As for the engine breaking-in period, I followed what the manual said, and tried not to rev about 4k rpm for the first 1200 miles. In fact, I set the rev limiter light at 4k rpm. Occasionally, it would jump to 5k rpm just because it's impossible to keep it under 4k ALL the time. I did that probably a handful. When I drove on the highways, I downshifted a lot, to pass, etc... so I let SRM do its magic. So the revs were varied throughout. Could I have done this MORE? yes... probably.... but I think for the most part, it was sufficient.

I also downshift when coming to a stop light/sign, so again, SRM does its magic. So I would *think* that my rings are seated pretty well, but since I only have 1800 miles, I'm sure there's still some "seating" going on in there. So I will continue to vary accel and decel / engine load as much as I can, and avoid using cruise control.

Any other suggestions?

Sounds like you did it right.

FWIW, the GM tech that took my car onto the rollers at Bowling Green got it up to 4400rpm, and he wasn't a weenie about getting it there, either. Got it up to 83mph, too, from what I recall (in my manual, some BS about 55mph=max for break-in).

You did all you can do to "do it right" it sounds like.

Don't forget though, perhaps even more than the engine, you are breaking in the axles, wheel-bearings, clutch surfaces, brake surfaces, rotor surfaces, flywheel surface, transmission internals, etc. This is all important, too. Whatever you do, do NOT "shock" the drive-line until it is worn in. My Z06's manual says "No HPDE's until 1500+ miles".

Good advice imo.

___________

If you determine that you are using too much oil for your taste, by all means, begin the process with Nissan.

FromG2Z · 07-26-2011, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

Sounds like you did it right.

FWIW, the GM tech that took my car onto the rollers at Bowling Green got it up to 4400rpm, and he wasn't a weenie about getting it there, either. Got it up to 83mph, too, from what I recall (in my manual, some BS about 55mph=max for break-in).

You did all you can do to "do it right" it sounds like.

Don't forget though, perhaps even more than the engine, you are breaking in the axles, wheel-bearings, clutch surfaces, brake surfaces, rotor surfaces, flywheel surface, transmission internals, etc. This is all important, too. Whatever you do, do NOT "shock" the drive-line until it is worn in. My Z06's manual says "No HPDE's until 1500+ miles".

Good advice imo.

___________

If you determine that you are using too much oil for your taste, by all means, begin the process with Nissan.

I agree with all you said. I "hope" I don't have an OC problem... the master techs I spoke said that the OC problem is very very very rare. Most folks will go through some OC, but goes away... just need to monitor it. I hope I am not the statistical outlier....lol.

alcorrea · 07-26-2011, 11:51 AM

I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again.

FromG2Z · 07-26-2011, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcorrea

I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again.

Ouch... that's a little extreme in both your situation and comments!

How did you end up with no oil? You must not have been checking the stick often... granted yes, you shouldn't lose oil like that, and it sounds like your car was one of the OC issues. And if replacing the shortblock didn't work, they will have to do a long block swap.

Are you still under warranty? Have them take care of it.

UNKNOWN_370 · 07-26-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcorrea

I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again.

And how is it you ended up with no oil? How did you drive to the shop if you had no oil? Where did the problem begin? What did the dealer say?

09's had some issues. It was the first year and those are the chances you take. If you still have warranty then get it fixed. If u have an 09. Why are you still in this issue in 2011. Be more proactive

11Thumper · 07-26-2011, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromG2Z

hi Thumper... I changed at 270 because that was 6 months after I bought it... since it sat over winter. I just wanted to start fresh with Mobil 1 right away for this driving season. Planning to switch to Amsoil/Redline within a month or so tho...

Good idea on the oil change at 6 months.

MJB · 12-17-2011, 08:32 PM

Looks like I have OC problems as well. I have an 09 with 13k miles. I bought the car almost 3 months ago, did an oil change with Mobil 1 the day I got it home. After about 1k or so miles I noticed I needed to add about half a quart. Decided I would keep an eye on it before I jumped to conclusions. So I drove my Z to Cali (live in Texas) to visit family for the holidays. My mom has a garage so I'm going to leave my car here while I travel for work the next few months. Anyways, before I left on the trip, I checked my oil and was about 3/4th the way full. Drove 1k miles, got to Cali and checked oil again,.. was about 1/4th about the low mark. Needed to pour an entire quart in to bring it back to full. I'm going to the dealership on Monday and see what happens.

BrianMSmith · 12-19-2011, 08:21 PM

Between 6-7k oil changes, Redline (engine & tranny), I probably top up 1.5 quarts total, if I've been driving it hard. Higher loads will increase consumption. Not a concern at all, only must remember to check and top off once a month. I had a Camaro SS that burned quite a bit more the whole time and it ran wonderfully to 160k miles (when I sold it) and never got worse. So, even with usage on the high end, if it never gets worse I would not be concerned. Keep a quart in the car somewhere, in a plastic bag, and you'll never need worry.

BrianMSmith · 12-19-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcorrea

I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again.

Wow, I've pretty much decided to never buy another car EXCEPT a Nissan again...good thing they offer the GTR for my next purchase, as I've found the car to be by far the best quality and well engineered product with wheels I've ever owned. My car has 37k miles and not even a bad squeak has gone wrong. I've never had another car that did not go back to the dealer at least 3 times during the warranty.

Mecinoid · 12-19-2011, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

How did you break the car in and seat the rings? What driving method did you use? This business about the car already being broken in when you get it, I have found to be total BS based on my experience with my Z06.

Tail-pipes were sooty as hell for 2-300 miles, and I didn't check the oil from the factory (should have

) but when I finally did at 585mi, it was 1/2 qt low. By then I had seated the rings properly, changed the oil, and in 2000 miles since it hasn't burned an amount that could be seen on the dip-stick and even after hundreds of miles the tail-pipes are not sooty.

My method:

Gentle around-town stop and go driving until I got to the freeway.

On the freeway: Cruised up to speed limit, put it in 4th gear, let it drop town to 20 under (with noone around) and then accelerate strongly, but without flooring it, to 20 over (I don't advocate this...). Let it coast back down.

Anyway, I did that a good bit over a few hundred miles, passing people, playing with it, etc. and after a while began using 3rd gear, etc.

The main thing is to load the rings through acceleration and deceleration in-gear without going much over about 4-4500rpm or so. This is plenty sufficient to seat the rings.

In the Z it's recommended that we don't go over about 4K during break in for the first 1200 miles. If you varied your driving during the first 1200 miles your rings / break in should be just fine. You'll probably notice a quart or two of oil to be burned during break in. I noticed about 1/4-1/2 quart when I replaced the Ester Oil at 1800 miles. Waiting to get 5K on her now for some Am / Redline Oil / Mobil 1 stuff. My Maxima with 35VQHR went through the exact same process.. as did my 350Z and Pathfinder. All vehicles burned less than a 1/2 every 3000-4000 miles. I replace the oil at those mileage marks because it's cheap insurance and only takes about 15minutes to do at home. ;-)

With owning turbos and superchargers early on in life I realized that clean oil is the best thing you can do for your car and it's less than a tank of gas every 3000-5000 miles. You really can go 5000 miles on syn changes... even longer... But, I like doing oil changes because it gets me under the car to check out all the other stuff while I'm there waiting the the oil to drain.

gleonard · 12-20-2011, 04:21 AM

I have about 24k miles on my 09. Put 2 quarts in between my last oil change and the one I had done yesterday. Told the dealership about it and they are having me come back in 1k miles to check oil levels to determine if there is an oil consumption issue. I was told they'd replace the engine if it's eating oil.

Mt Tam I am · 12-20-2011, 12:27 PM

OP: As someone who has had his short block replaced, just drive it for awhile and if it needs a replacement Nissan will. I may have a second OC problem, as I am still using oil. It slows with time and mileage. I still have months to go on my warranty.

onzedge · 12-20-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mt Tam I am

OP: As someone who has had his short block replaced, just drive it for awhile and if it needs a replacement Nissan will. I may have a second OC problem, as I am still using oil. It slows with time and mileage. I still have months to go on my warranty.

Do not forget that the engine warranty is 60,000 miles (I think).

07-26-2011, 11:51 AM	#20 (permalink)
alcorrea Base Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach CA Posts: 17 Drives: nissan 370z white Rep Power: 16	I have a 2009 and when I had 2,000 miles I had no oil then I took it to the dealer they did the oil consumption test. At 10,000 miles they changed the short block, now I have 18,000 and still same problem and they said is normal to burn oil. I can't wait to get rid of it I will never buy a nissan again. __________________

12-20-2011, 04:21 AM	#28 (permalink)
gleonard Base Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 196 Drives: 370z Touring/Spt 6sp Rep Power: 16	I have about 24k miles on my 09. Put 2 quarts in between my last oil change and the one I had done yesterday. Told the dealership about it and they are having me come back in 1k miles to check oil levels to determine if there is an oil consumption issue. I was told they'd replace the engine if it's eating oil. __________________

12-20-2011, 12:27 PM	#29 (permalink)
Mt Tam I am A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 10,709 Drives: 370Z T/S/N 6MT & XKE Rep Power: 3843	OP: As someone who has had his short block replaced, just drive it for awhile and if it needs a replacement Nissan will. I may have a second OC problem, as I am still using oil. It slows with time and mileage. I still have months to go on my warranty. __________________ "Does the carpet match the drapes? NO!!! I don't date bald women." Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

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MJB A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Age: 41 Posts: 1,498 Drives: a POS truck Rep Power: 496	Looks like I have OC problems as well. I have an 09 with 13k miles. I bought the car almost 3 months ago, did an oil change with Mobil 1 the day I got it home. After about 1k or so miles I noticed I needed to add about half a quart. Decided I would keep an eye on it before I jumped to conclusions. So I drove my Z to Cali (live in Texas) to visit family for the holidays. My mom has a garage so I'm going to leave my car here while I travel for work the next few months. Anyways, before I left on the trip, I checked my oil and was about 3/4th the way full. Drove 1k miles, got to Cali and checked oil again,.. was about 1/4th about the low mark. Needed to pour an entire quart in to bring it back to full. I'm going to the dealership on Monday and see what happens.

12-19-2011, 08:21 PM	#25 (permalink)
BrianMSmith Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: secret Posts: 267 Drives: 370Z, Ducati 748S Rep Power: 15	Between 6-7k oil changes, Redline (engine & tranny), I probably top up 1.5 quarts total, if I've been driving it hard. Higher loads will increase consumption. Not a concern at all, only must remember to check and top off once a month. I had a Camaro SS that burned quite a bit more the whole time and it ran wonderfully to 160k miles (when I sold it) and never got worse. So, even with usage on the high end, if it never gets worse I would not be concerned. Keep a quart in the car somewhere, in a plastic bag, and you'll never need worry.