Oil Overheat IMPORTANT UPDATE
 

Alright, this could be big news. Today I received a call from Bill Hayes of Nissan North America. Apparently he is the Field Quality Engineer for Midwest division and is based around the Chicago area. He has given me his number and we'll be scheduling a test drive on the next hot afternoon so I can demonstrate the overheating issue. He'll be hooking up an engine monitoring system to record the problem.

He expressed that NO dealers have reported this issue to them at the Nissan North America headquarters. Thus, he's very interested in documenting the problem. I'll let everyone know what happens once I meet with him on our next hot day.

These idiot dealers....

Nice update spearfish.

Mr. Hayes cannot say anything different for legal reason, but this is potentially big news.

Serious rep point given :tup:

I believe the dealers HAVE reported this issue, it has just taken Nissan this long to slog through their legal department to get to this point.

good good - i was just about to buy one :p now ill wait

Cook that MF.

Nice. Be nice to him and he'll be our best inside ally. Once you meet him in person for the test drive, you might want to mention this board and our experiences/threads here as well, so he's fully aware of how this is not just an isolated problem with 1-2 cars.

Could you bring every document from every magazine that states the car over heats?

Print out documents from different websites also that state it.

Soon as i get time i will try to search them out for you and link them, i am a tad bit busy right now but maybe by tonight i can get it done

+5

Excellent idea!:tup:

And the Edmunds Inside Line long term test blog entry that says:

"Back in November we ran our first Full Test of a 2009 Nissan 370Z. That test car was a short term loan, it was red, and, unlike our long-term test car, it wore aftermarket, Nissan developed oil and differential coolers. During extreme usage, especially track use, oil gets hot. If the VQ in our 370Z senses things getting too hot-- which can happen in as little as 10 minutes-- it sends the car into limp-home mode limiting revs to only 5,500. Limiting this car to 5,500 is like limiting Barry Bonds to bunting, we've never experienced limp-home mode, but we never want to. "If you plan on doing any track driving" our contact at Nissan said, "you'll need one."

Complaints or no, they know it's an issue.

ok so this is what we need to do aside from gathering reports and mags that claim the issue is widespread...

People on this board need to chime in and say that their car is getting to high temps.. so if the op will allow it... we should start a list of all the ppl who have seen this issue in their cars and their ID so the nissan folks can ask us questions if they need more proof...

Nissan reports 1st annual loss in a decade:

Nissan reports 1st annual loss in a decade - BusinessWeek

I wonder if this might have a little bearing on how quick they are to:


*"recall" and give us all an oil cooler
*give an oil cooler to only those that scream about the overheating issue
*make us pay for an approved oil cooler that doesn't invalidate the warranty
*none of the above

John

You would have to buy extra ink for the printer. But your idea is an excellent one!

Correct me if I'm wrong but the z doesn't go into limp mode when driven on a hot day. The z does however go into limp mode when driven on a race track. I don't see nissan doing anything for us if it only over heats on the track.

I agree this is very exciting...we have Nissan's ear now.

The only thing that will hold up progress here is waiting for a 75F or hotter day in Chicago so I can do the test drive. IMO, the worst thing that could happen to us is that I get him in the car with his onboard diagnostics setup and I don't get the Z to overheat. So, he knows that I'll call him when the weather warms up a bit more and then he's onboard for the test drive. Just please be a bit patient so we can ensure a good showing of my car turning into a blazing inferno. If the temp is 80F or better, I can certainly make the gauge hit 260 on the streets.

When I spoke to him on the phone, I brought up the extensive overheat issues noted on this forum. He really wasn't interested in the details and wants tangible hard evidence...he asked that we focus on my car and redemonstrating the issue while he has his computer hooked up.

However, I absolutely DO think it's worth while to print some of the threads and articles that demonstrate an oil cooler solves the problem. Also, please continue to post any ideas or suggestions you have as it seems I've become the ambassador of our oil problems. More news to follow as soon as I have it...

If you'd like to email me your name, email, telephone...I can bring him a list so he can contact you if he needs more info or proof.

Hey man... do you know of any closed courses and/or dragstrips near your house? just take him there with you and run it hard a couple times after she warms up ... should be easy to repro even if its not too hot outside...

If Bill doesn't already know that oil temp is the No 1 issue confronnting 370Z owners then he has no right being employed in the position tha he is in.

that's like a lung doctor today saying "I've never heard that smoking is linked to lung cancer"

We all know that there are enough oil temp issues out there that have been documented by reputable car mags, z owners and track heads to qualify it as a legitimate issue.

I can't believe that Nisssan itself doesn't have boat loads of documented cases that Nissan itself created while developing/testing the car. They know the issue is there and that it is a legitimate concern.

Question is, what are they going to do about it?

They should include oil cooler as standard on all future production runs (and replace that fuel guage and add a digital speedo while they are at it) and simply issue a recall to all existing owners to have the cooler installed.

....fat chance

Glad to hear things are moving forward, about to be out of my break in period and hitting hotter weather in Texas.

I would recommend you guys continue calling Nissan North America and get your respective Field Quality Engineers involved. Bill Hayes is the Midwest person, so I'm sure there is a Southwest, Northeast, etc etc. Hopefully someone in a hotter location can get their respective quality engineer on the phone too.

Lets hope we get good results! :tup:

Maybe, . . just maybe . . .
 

Maybe sales are slowing on the 370z
and Nissan is linking the slow sales
to the oil overheating problem.

People are waiting for an oil
cooler before buying ?

Just a thought.

Just point him to all of these threads...we aren't imagining things, the car overheats.

This was posted 04/30/09 in another oil temp thread:

"Taking the suggestion from this thread I called Nissan customer affairs at 1.800.647.7261 this Tuesday. I talked with Jennifer Irwin, extension 41622, and voiced my concern about the high oil temperature issue. I also told her I was thinking about cancelling my 370Z order due in July because of the very hot summers we get in Texas. She open up file #6479687. I got a call back from her this morning. According to her supervisor, Nissan is aware of the problem and that their engineering is currently working on an oil cooler kit that is to be available in two to three weeks. Of course doubting this I asked if she was sure and she said that it was a fact and she had been authorized to tell me about the kit.

We shall see..... "

Now I am happy that this "Bill" is getting involved, any happy for some new positive developments, but don't these two approaches just seem to be a little out of sync with each other? Like the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing? Also, for "Bill" to state that to date, no dealer has called in with the problem, when we know good and well some of us have had the service department log this? All of this "different information" coming out of Nissan smacks of the initial treatment all of us were experiencing with the 2006 oil consumption cars.................... no real straight answers. One person says one thing and someone else another. Are they really aware of the issue with a cooler coming in 2 weeks as Jennifer says? Or are they "in the dark with no dealers reporting this" as Bill says. And yes, I fully believe they are reading this forum. Deja VU all over again as Yogi says ...............

John

Yep, that was me. I was seriously looking for a new car earlier in the Spring...for track duty. This immediately and irrevocably put me off the idea of a new 370Z. If the car can't do a few track laps as delivered in std dress form, I have little faith in any other engineering on the car. It's basic stuff, so what else is potentially in the same de-engineered state is anyone's guess. I don't want to be the one to find out the hard way.

This particular item may be easily fixed, but then again maybe not, and with almost guaranteed bad effects on any factory warranty w/3rd party parts & patches.

Roger over and out Nissan....til it's fixed...by the factory fessing up and putting the necessary fix(es) in place.

For what it's worth, Bill gave me the sense that he is very involved and invested in this car. He clearly had a strong reaction to a possible problem and gave me the feeling that when it comes to engineering issues, he's a player in sorting them out. If I recall correctly after I explained the problem, he said something along the lines of "well, no dealer has told me about this. I need to see this first hand. Here is my cell phone, call me any time during the week so we can meet. I'll have my computer and diagnostic system so I can log the vehicle information while we go for a drive."

I certainly see him as an ally in sorting out our situation and will be nothing but cordial and helpful in demonstrating the issue. Now just get us some hot days here in Chicago so I can meet up with Bill and move things along!

While I'm sure that would do the trick, he appears most interested in the daily, street driving aspect of the problem.

I would be happy to provide my contact info if he could hook me up with an engineer here in Phoenix. It would be easy to demonstrate, as we're already seeing 100+ degree days.

I can replicate in a matter of a few minutes.

Same. We can provide some of the worst heat tests North America can produce.

i asked my dealer yesterday and the service advisor told me that he is not aware of any temp issues and no one has ever came to complain..:mad:

hey spearfish, where did you get your z from? and is this oil issue that bad? I mean if I decide to take a mini road trip (lets say Iowa) on a 90 degree day, am I going to have problems? Thanks!

I'm always amazed at the ppl that stumble across this issue and post in random places without realizing there's a ~30 page thread on it with like 20,000 hits... ppls please go skim this http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...mp-issues.html

Chris, please print the latest oil temp survey out for him too... we've got 68 completed surveys now zsurvey and about 1/3 experiencing oil >260F

I just want to say THANK YOU spearfish25 for taking this to the right people and being the spokesman for us. I hope that you efforts help everyone and things get fixed. I have not seen this issue yet but its not that hot here and when I move to KY I am expecting to see the issue first hand then make a complaint.

I'm amazed at people that complain about someone that post a question regarding oil temp problems under a oil temperature update forum topic, yet they, themselves can't just skip the persons post if they find it redundant......sorry justin, I am pretty new to the board and am deciding on if I want to buy a Z and deal with this trouble and was asking someone with first hand knowledge and seems to be taking a lot of initiative on this subject.

Okay i am trying to find these as i go So they may not be in order, may try to order them when i can.
#1Inside Line Throws a Party for the 2009 Nissan 370Z
I would spin this like so "Nissan adds oil cooler to cars that will be tested so the public will not know the cars flaw."

#2 http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=136547
possible usefull contact information, By Michael Jordan, Executive Editor editorsIL@edmunds.com
#3 http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....&page_number=2
Contact "By Jonathan Elfalan " Could not find a email.
Threads here
#1 Thread owner and contact information http://www.the370z.com/members/travisjb.html
http://www.the370z.com/track-autocro...eally-bad.html

#2 Thread owner and contact http://www.the370z.com/members/rcz.html
http://www.the370z.com/track-autocro...pressions.html

Okay this is best i could do for now. Could you please provide this information? i tryed to source it best i could.

7sudden and AARC51, go ahead and PM me your name, contact telephones and addresses. I'll call Bill and see if he has the info for his counterpart in the Southwest. That will surely expedite the demonstration, and perhaps you could demonstrate the issue during more 'normal' driving. With the 60-70F weather here in Chicago now, I'd have to drive like a maniac to make it happen and he may just wave it off saying I'm being excessive. I think less is more during the demo...take 30 minutes, drive it sporty but sanely and show him 260+. Then it's a done deal.

I'll wait for your info until I call him just in case he asks for it directly.

I'm in NY and the temps only get high in the summer. But it happens to be that I will be getting a car around august(hopefully the 370z). The car will never be tracked and I will get it in automatic. This would be my daily driver and would be driven aggressively on occasion. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Spearfish,
I am a software engineer and I had the same worry that you did. In this 'I need to replicate the problem before fixing' age that really could throw a wrench into the problem (no pun intended... or maybe it was?).

Anyways, I would suggest taking the car out yourself and documenting (via digital video) the heat of the day, the Date/Time, and the temp of the oil gauge at start up, 10 mins in... 20 mins in.. etc.

I have a digital camera with an 8GB HCSD card (high capacity secure digital). It can take up to an hour and a half of video constantly.

This would be great evidence to show him. If you were to take someone out or set up the camera to run continuously then there would be no denying that this is an issue.

I like what I'm reading... Spearfish, may I suggest that you plot a course for your ride? It could ensure that you will have oil temps pushing past 260. I think everyone must understand you can't go flogging the car. That's why a planned route could be important.

My Midwest CS manager called me as well on Monday. I was also told that the Nissan Motorsports cooler is just about out. She said they'd like some of us to try it and monitor it with them to "have it available for future models." Don't worry. Nissan's on it. I've owned Nissans and Infinitis loyally for a lot of years. They will make sure we're happy. With my experiences, I know they are very, very serious about things like this. Cars are cars. Things can go wrong with any brand. Look at Bimmer with all of their TT V-6s. Same thing, and that's "German engineering." Yeah, would we have liked them to resolve this before the car was released? Of course. They're machines, and aren't always perfect. Think about a lot of other products we know that have problems and noone at the companies do a thing about flaws. (eg. bad refrigerators, washer/dryers, furnaces, computers, TV's, home problems... etc.) My CS person couldn't have been nicer, and is going to let owners know when this product is available. She said just a few weeks, and it will be here. The engineering department is now well-aware of the problem. Not all of the CS people know. Think about all the other people calling them b**ching about the door handles on their Sentras and Versas thinking they have serious issues. Be nice, and we all will get a long way. Have some faith in this company. They usually come though... And in my case, they do better than most companies on the market. This all is my perspective on the issue, and you can deal with it the way you'd want, so take it easy.