My 04 noticeably started burning oil after about 9 months of ownership. I took it to the dealership and eventually got the engine replaced with a short block. Apparently the new engine was damaged during shipping because it was cracked and leaked oil faster than the original burned it. So they replaced the engine again with another short block. I only have about 1800 miles on the engine and decided to check the oil yesterday. It barely registered on the dipstick even after letting it sit for an hour. Back to the dealership, where I'm told that the rings may not be broken in yet. The master tech is checking into other tech bulletins but I have my doubts he'll find anything.

- How long does it take to seat the rings?

- What else could possibly be going on?

- Is there a simple solution to this? Synthetic oil perhaps?

- Has anyone else had their engine replaced and what are your results?

I'm trying to be patient here, but this has been a 9 month process, over 20 trips to the dealer and about 7 weeks total that my car has been in their shop. We're essential back at square-one doing oil consumption tests again.

Any thoughts or suggestions - I'm open to anything at this point.

Joel

 

Time to contact a Lemon Law attorney.

 

Did you check the oil after they changed the motor the last time?
I would top off the oil, after the second gas tank after the oil replacement, check the oil in the same conditions when you topped it off. If you are still loosing oil, take it back to the dealership! I find that the oil reading is different if you check right after she is hot than if you wait for 5 minutes after she is shut down!

 

Yes I did check the oil after the engine was replaced. I wanted a bench mark for this reason. I try to check the oil cold or if recently driven, let it cool down for about an hour before checking it.

Do you guys know what the L-F levels on the dipstick represent? A quart, 2 or more? I'm just curious, but either way, I get freaked out when it barely covers the tip of the dipstick.

J

 

I filed a complaint with the BBB Auto Line service. I'll go through the motions if I have to, but I would really prefer that they just fix my car.

The whole experience makes me feel ill. My passion for the car has been tarnished because on some level, it [my car] represents a huge burden. I just want to get back on the road and enjoy the car which is the only reason I bought it in the first place - for the enjoyment.

J

 

damn man that's a lot of engines to go thru!

 

The rings seat rather quickly, in fact I would say the first couple hundred miles. Are you sure that the oil is blowing by the rings? Is your bumper caked with burnt oil, or is the smoke out the tailpipe discolored? I'm sure this is what caused the first engine change, but maybe when they reinstalled they goofed something up and your losing oil another way now.

I feel for you though. I can't imagine going through that. I would have an attorney in their face 24/7 just to try and motivate them to get your car corrected NOW. If they weren't responsive enough, I'd sue under the lemon law and have them buy it back. You may be able to get some attornies fees included in the settlement if you're persuasive enough.

Good luck

 

I understand. The 350Z is supposed to be fun: start the engine and take a ride. Not spending half the time in the shop. Maybe one out of every 1,000 Zs is a Dead Lemon. I understand your frustration about a permanent fix, but its sounding less and less possible.

 

L=low
F=full

 

From experience with my old SpecV the difference between the low and high marks on the dipstick was 1 quart. Maybe it's the same w/ the VQ.....

 

yeah, it's about one quart between L and F

during break-in the engine can burn 1 quart per 1000 miles easily

it should stop after break-in

After breakin, I was burning 1 quart every 3000 miles with mobil 1, I changed oil and now I'm burning almost none. Mobile 1 is known for burning off a lot.

LEMON laws are also there for a reason if everything fails

 

check the car early in the morning without starting the car up yet..

and the 3rd time the same problem arises, i believe it gets a lemon title

 

The rings take longer to seat than a couple of hundred miles.

Many of the SPEC-V's that had oil consumption problems, had their rings seat several thousand miles later. Just keep an eye on the oil level, and it give it a few thousand miles. If you are still having problems then, your warranty should still cover it.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Great I also might have the oil problem....currently in the "test" phase

 

I heard using the synthetic burns faster but is the synthetic suppose to last longer than regular oils. I was told this by 3 service writers when I had the problem but amazingly everything is ok.

 

Not that you can properly read the oil with the chity dip stick we have anyway.

 

Rings, especialy the super tight fit, factory OEM rings, should seat almost immediately. And with the piston to wall clearances of .001 or less, your engine should consume almost zero oil right off the bat.

Under no circumstances should you burn nearly 2 qts of oil in 1800miles, unless you are beating the living crap out of your engine, or if you have an oil leak...which I presume you have checked for. Maybe you have leaky valve stem seals, rather than a ring problem. Did they do a compression and leakdown test on the motor? That way, you can determine if your rings are bad, or your valve stem seals are suspect.

Best of luck....hope it works out.

 

whats a SPEC-V?

 

^^Sentra Spec-v

 

+1 anyone know onthe synthetic oil question?

Here might be some insight. My dad's Porsche has only about 2k miles on it. I believe he already had to add 1qt of Mobil 1.