No matter how I word this, I will sound stupid and get flamed most likley but I have other things to be concerned about right now, so here it goes.

I was driving (highway speed) and noticed my oil PSI which I keep an eye on regularly, was now just below 30 when normally it is at about 60 and goes higher than that at higher RPM's. When the car is ideling it is/was normally at 30 but today at idle it was at almost 0 PSI about 3 PSI.

I noticed going around turns that the needle on the guage would fluctuate, so I imeediatly stopped and let it sit for 15, then checked the oil.

I was looking at the side of the dipstick with the high and low lines and the cross hatch pattern in between the hi and low lines and I got no reading on that side of the stick at all WTF!!!

So I poured 1 quart of oil in it started it up and the PSI went to where is suppose to be. I drove for 2 minutes, from one gas station to the next one, then shut the car off for 15 minutes and re-checked the oil again.

MF'ing thing was not registering any oil reading on the stick at all but I did notice that there was oil on the non marked/backside of the dipstick. The backside actually has an H mark on it but has no low or cross hatch pattern.

So I put in that one quart of oil and it brought the PSI back to normal but the dipstick is indicating that it's not even touching the dipstick where the hi low measure marks are, so I put in a half a quart and drove it a couple more mintues, pulled over again, sat for 15 minutes and re-checked it. STILL not registering on the MF;'ing marks. SO in fear that I was over filling it and somehow the dipstick for whatever reason does not read or catch oil on it where it is suppose to, I put in the other half of the second quart.

Again I checked it and I was not getting a reading on the hash mark side of the stick.

The owners manual says the thing holds 5 quarts of oil, including the half of quart in the filter. I added 2 quarts of oil and it was not reading on the marked side of the stick. Since I have now added 2 quarts of oil and it's STILL not giving me a reading on the hi/low side of the dipstick. Is that suppose to mean that there was only like 2 quarts of oil in the engine?? BS the thing would have blown up with only 2 quarts.

When I look at the back side of the dipstick the reading is beyond the full mark that is on the opposite side of the stick.

So now I don't know if I'm still low on oil or now it's over filled by about a quart.

WTF? Has anybody had problems with the oil only being accumluated on one side (backside) of the stick? Or was I driivng around with 2 or less quarts of oil in my F%$#ing car?

I find it hard to believe that I would have lost 3 quarts of oil or more??? in 3.500 miles. It does not leak a drop.

I'm not putting another drop of oil in it, or driving it till I figure out WTF is going on.

Guess I may have to drain it all out and measure what all came out.

This is nuts.

 

Take it to the dealership. I wouldn't just keep adding oil - putting in too much oil can be almost as bad as not enough.

 

Our dipsticks suck...period. I think this is one of the many things Nissan engineers need to look at when designing the 07s.

 

Do the other VQ family have this much problems?

 

yes the dipstick on the g sucks as well.after i change my oil ill run it awhile,then shut it off and check.i only get the on side to the middle level also.but i know it takes 5 qts so i dont worry.but there have been a few instances of z,s burning oil excesively.

 

Why not just do a full oil change so you would know how much oil is in there before you bring it to the dealer?

 

The second oil change is due in 500 miles, so I am going to have it done a little early.

I have never had a dipstick only register oil on one side before, Unless the thing really only had about 2 quarts of oil in it, which I just can not believe the car had less than 50% of it's oil capacity.

Guess I will have to have the oil changed at the dealer this time.

Great lets see how bad they scratch stuff.

 

I'm not sure what drugs they were doing when they designed the placement of the dipstick, but it's freaking aweful.

 

+1,

I had the same results when I was trying to check my oil level. I think the problem is when you pull the dip stick out the "reading" side of the stick rubs against the inner metal tubing and basically squeegees the oil off.

I think when they were making the VQ they were paying attention to only the performance aspects of the engine and then on the final day of production they said ... "oh ****! ... we forgot to add a hole for the dip stick! ... let's just jam it in right here"

 

I had the first oil change done at a drive thru 15 minute place. Which is kind of funny because the car has to sit for at least 10 miuntes before you even check the level according to the manual. Anyway that's another story. I babied the engine the first 1,200 miles, then gradually used higher RPM's from time to time to about 2,000 miles. After about 2,000 miles I drove it like it was meant to be driven. So for about the last 1,700 miles before that first oil change the engine made it's way to 7,000 from time to time whenever I felt like it. When they checked the level at the first change, it was normal. Break in from what I hear is when it may burn more than normal according to the manual.

I'm wondering if they maybe somehow bent the stick trying to put it back in, seeing how some people have a hard time getting it in and out and that's why I'm only getting oil on one side of the stick. I admit it is a weird design but it's not that tuff to remove and insert. My problem is I'm only getting oil sticking to one side of the stick. That's just weird and as of now, I have no idea if it is still insainly low or if it's overfilled. It all depends on what side of the stick you look at.

Well if the engine was about 3 quarts low or so on oil and it didn't blow up, then with the 2 quarts I added, it shouldn't blow up now.

I will tell the dealer all this weird stuff when I bring it in.

This is the 7th car I have owned and I have never had oil only show up on one side of a dipstick. And the wrong side at that.

 

the VQ dipstick is not gonna win any design/innovation awards, but i've never had any trouble checking oil with the dipstick in the Z. Just don't do it in the dark.

 

Just a note on the subject: the vq was originally designed for front wheel drive cars (maxima, I30, etc.) and thus the dipstick was situated at the front of the engine, which was mounted sideways in the engine bay. Since the dipstick is on the right side further back now, they added a small "funnel" to help with inserting it back into the block (IMO a great idea, as the hole is real small and you would never get in back in without it). I learned from many years experience on my wife's 1995 maxima and on my 1996 I30 to twist the stick back and forth before trying to pull it out, and to put a thin coat of oil back on the rubber before reinstalling it. Makes it come out easier next time but you will still need to twist it before pulling. Other than that, have had no trouble with the dipstick yet. When the oil is new, it is kinda hard to read the dipstick, but just check it cold and it clings better for a better read.

 

Now I am really getting worried, scared and about to puke.

I found this thread by another member in here (registered 2 years ago) who seemed to have about the same thing I have. I was reading some of his other threads and this guy is on at least his 3rd motor. The only real difference between what I encountered and what he did, is that his oil light came on but mine never did, just the low PSI.

I just ordered a set of 19" wheels, which will be in next week. I will be selling these wheels ASAP if this turns out to be one of those "oil burning Z's" I will be selling my car as soon as finacially possible, which unfortuantly wouldn't be for a whole year from now.

This was his post.


"""This exact same thing happend to me today. I was about 3 miles from home when the oil light came on briefly. I immediately checked the oil preassure and it was going down to 0 when I came to a stop, then hovered at 10-15 when idle. I checked the oil later (after the engine cooled) and it wasn't even registering on that funky dipstick. I added a couple quarts just so I can safely get to the dealer tomorrow. It's time for an oil change anyway (about 3 months and 3200 miles), but why did the oil get so low in the first place? There's no sign of a leak anywhere and my Z isn't quite a year old."""

 

+1. The dipstick is a simple (albeit poor) tool. Replace the oil and filter with 5 quarts.

 

Mine reads just fine. Yeah, its a little hard to get in and out smoothly, but there is oil on the dipstick and it has always been between the markings. I dont see how some engines can have problems and other ones do not.

 

put the dip stick in a bottle of oil and take it out.. if the oil sticks to one said, as it did when it came out of ur engine, then there is a substance in the metal/ coating of the dipstick that wont let oil adhere to it

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. Kinda laughed when I read this since during the first week of ownership, I made the mistake of pulling out the dipstick in the garage with the ceiling light blocked by the hood. For the life of me, I could not locate the insertion point in that mediocre light. Had to drive it out and back in facing the other way just to get enough light on the engine.

 

LOL!

 

the rx8s have the dip stick in the worst place.. behind the engine, and under the big *** plastic engine cover.. pretty stupid considering you gotta check it after every few gas fill ups.

 

Then engines are the same. Its the owners that are different.

bill