ok so i just changed the oil annnnd after around 5k miles i had a little less then 3 quarters left....maybe 2 & 3/4 left...my driving style is spirited at times but the rest of the time i try to be really gentle on the car...and i know that many of you have had this same problem but WHY does it lose so much oil? is it leaking or just burning it up? annnd can i fix the problem? or is it a serious issue the dealer needs to help me with?

 

i can't answer your question because I'm not a mechanical engineer but I would suggest:
1. change your oil more often. less than 4000 miles per change is good
2. check your oil frequently in between changes so as to notice if there is any need to tip off the oil.

3rd please tell us your vin number so no one buys your mistreated engine 2nd hand lol...

 

I doubt that the motor is leaking oil: you would see spots in the driveway. There is only one place where oil can be burnt. In the cylinder. Most likely it is getting inside the cylinders because...

The valve seals are not functioning properly.
The piston rings are not seated properly.

And yes this is serious. Oil consumption will not get better over time - just worse.

 

What year is your car? Im guessing 06. Call your dealer and get a consumption test. Dont let them make you beleive that its normal, because there is no way that it is. Im calling this week to make an apt. for my car. Hopefully you can get a longblock

 

Get a compression test done. I just changed my oil and after 3500 miles I still had almost 5 qts pour out Good luck!

 

You are in good shape then. I just checked mine after 500 miles of synthetic and it is down a half a quart. I agree with the above individual(s). It is not normal to be losing oil. Especially when it is not leaking. I'm curious, how did you break yours in? I simply followed the guidelines in the manual, but there are so many opinions it would be interesting to look at this from a "How did your car in and are you having consumption issues?"

 

i've had my share of oil consumption test from my local dealer... of course no problems found according to my dealer ... this morning i checked dipstick and found no oil. so i put in my extra qt i always have and drove to near shop and filled up 4qts. i only drove about 2200 miles since last oil change. i even got a oil cooler to see if that would help but seems like its not helping at all... i have aftermarket headers and don't know if they would hassle me with that and oil cooler...

 

for the first 1,200 miles I painfully didn't rev past 4K, I'd also WOT to 4K just to help seat the rings. At 1,200 I changed the oil to Mobil1 full synthetic and started romping on it

 

I used the other method. I methodically revved the engine up to redline in 3rd and 4th gear, once up to redline, I let go of the accelerator, then again and again. Stopped doing it once the car had reached 200 kms and just drove it normally.

I used this method precisely because I wanted good piston ring seal. The 350z is the fourth brand new car I've used it on. In every case, I get zero oil use...

Also, Nissan does not recommend any break-in for its new cars, just like every manufacturer I know of. Break-in is a myth, as are 3000 mile oil changes (1 year or 15000 kms oil change recommended for my Z)

 

check your oil more often

 

Actually, the Owner's Manual DOES specify a 1200 mile "break-in". And I also ignored it.

My car used 1 quart from 0-1000 miles, 1 quart from 1000-3000. I changed the oil at 3000 (5-30 Mobil 1), and now at 7000 (4000 miles) it has used 3/4 quart.

I expect oil consumption going forward will not exceed 1 quart per 5K.

bill

 

i had a 97 prelude and always did the oil changes around 3500-4k miles. it always had 4 quarts left...exactly one quart low each time.

i always thought a little oil usage was normal for high compression engines. granted, normal would be no more than a quart over 3-4k miles. who knows? i could be wrong and it could have just been because of having a second set of cams in that vtec motor.

 

8k miles for me, and 0 consumption issues.

 

oh, and i forgot...my 06 ZR has about 4k miles on it and no oil consumption so far

 

It was a painful process, that is for sure.

 

Thanks for the info. I agree with the myths, but at this rate I will have little to no oil at 3000. Certainly seems some us have problems. I am just trying to determine if it is a faulty engine or something we are doing wrong.

 

I think that is the big question. What is considered normal for these cars? I think 0 for 5000 miles should be normal with synthetic. Depends on how the car is driven also of course, but I drive 90% highway. I should certainly not have any consumption after 500 miles, now 800 miles.

 

0 issues as in 0 lost?

 

My manual is in German, and I assure you, it makes no mention of a break-in period. I've read a French one, same thing. The official stance of Nissan Switzerland regarding break-in is that it isn't necessary.

 

I have no idea what instructions the European manuals may or may not have. But the US Manual sez:

BREAK-IN SCHEDULE


During the first 1200 miles (2000 km) follow these recommendations to obtain maximum engine performance and ensure future engine reliability and economy of your new vehicle. Failure to follow these recomendations amy result in shortened engine life and reduced engine performance.

Avoid driving for long periods at a constant engine speed, either fast or slow. Do not run the engine over 4000 RPM.

Do not accelerate at full throttle in any gear.

Avoid quick starts.

Avoid hard braking as much as possible.

Do not tow a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km)

bill