bofa

iTrader: (23)

First sign of consuption I was about 2 qts down at 1200 miles or so and that's when the test started.

I took it back in 1000 later and the tech forgot to measure.

I took it in 1500 later and was down 4 quarts. This is when I called NNA and started going through the svc director at the dealership. This time they claim the tech didn't measure the mm on the dipstick... now that's scientific...

I just took it back after another 700 per the director and this time they said the oil level "wasn't too low" on the dipstick and to go another 1000.

I just want to know what the hell is going on so I can enjoy he car and start installing my mods...

dbasal

I was told that Nissan wants three measurements for validation. I know some dealers actually measure it in terms of mm and others just say how much it is down by looking at the dipstick and saying 1/2 or 1qt, etc.

4qts down!

I would think that would be an automatic replacement of the engine. I suppose that does not even register on the dipstick?

diablo25mn

iTrader: (5)

To be honest my car has 15,000 miles roughly on it. I bought it January and I did my last oil change, I don't seem to be burning any more oil than typically considered normal. Now I was used to a turbo car previously and that used a burn a 1 quart minimum since I was running an oil cooled turbo.

350Z_LMS

mine goes thorough like an extremely OLD and clapped out turbo car with a million miles on the clock!

bofa

iTrader: (23)

Do you have a revup motor with the 6MT?

bofa

iTrader: (23)

You'd think. Yeah it measures on the dipstick by it being bone dry.

Brocken

iTrader: (3)

I don't know if you have a reason for not pursuing the lemon law but I really think you have a strong case for it.
Sounds like the dealership and NNA is jerking you around(even worse than they did me). After I gave them their 4 chances to fix the problem I got tired of their crap and pursued the lemon law.
Your consumption problem is about as bad as mine got. I went from 1 quart every 900 miles to 1 quart every 500. If you were at 4 quarts down after 2500 miles that's pretty close to what mine has gotten to.

Nissan and the dealer are going to continue jerking you around if you let them. If you're still really excited about the Z, demand a replacement Z. And make sure it's one without the oil consumption problem.
From information I've gotten it sounds like they've tracked the consumption problem down to bad rings.

bofa

iTrader: (23)

Yeah, I'm trying to give them a chance to fix it and make me happy. You'd think they'd understand that the real money in the car business is repeat customers...

Anyhow.. my concern is that I have some mods on the car already and I don't know how that would play out (rims and exhaust are pretty simple swaps- although a pita to do in the garage... but I have springs and tint too). The rest of my mods are just sitting in the garage.. so no biggie there.

This is the last interval I will do for this issue. Another response anywhere near "bring it back in 1000 miles" and I'll pick up the phone and call a lemon law attorney from the dealership.

dbasal

I am wondering if that is why we do not see as many of these oil consumption issues. People may be thinking the mods are causing it or are afraid. Then I think there are others that probably just figure it is normal for a car like this.

For me, it is an every 1000 mile ritual to go to the dealer. They were supposed to call tech line, but I have heard nothing since last week. Just documentating the failures of Nissan at this point. I'll get them in the long run.

bofa

iTrader: (23)

I'm not worried about my installed mods affecting the outcome since I just have the exhaust on. But, yeah, I see your point... once you go screwing with stuff, especially engine components, a dealer can make your life hell.

On another note, and this could be coincidence, but I've caught myself rev-matching more lately and I wonder if this lessens the consumption rate. If the VVT theory is true then perhaps rev-matching as opposed to regular downshifting is affecting how the valves react to the shift (I'm sure it is but I dont know enough to get that deep into it). Either way it needs to be fixed, but I thought it was interesting.

dbasal

That is a good point on the rev-matching. Would certainly be an interesting test, but yes Nissan needs to fix it. I have found that it does not matter how hard I run it. I actually went through more oil taking it easy versus intentionally running harder more often. We'll either have an answer or Nissan will have a lot of vehicles to test with soon.

Sasha350

For what it's worth, my 06MT was consuming about 1 quart per 1000 miles for the past 10 months (at 19000 miles now). I switched to synthetic at 6000 miles.

I mentioned this to the tech at the dealer last time i was there. They did the consumption test, but the oil they used was a regular oil, not synthetic.
I figured, if it's gonna break let it break now so i ran the car very hard
I mean shifting at redline, rpm's hardly ever bellow 4000 rpm, agressive downshifting, and of course I allways revmatch. Ran it like this for the 1000 miles, then took it back. The car used only about 1/3 of a quarter

So of course the tech said that this is not bad, and i had to agree.
The funny thing is that when i was taking it easy on the car, i was burning 1 quart per 1000 miles ( approximately ). When i ran the car super hard, redlining, hard acceleration all the time and revmatching on every shift, my oil consumption went down significantly.

Conclusion ? Drive it like you stole it, at least you'll have some fun !!

ZPHILE

iTrader: (13)

I've been chasing this oil consumption thing for awhile and following this post. Have currently 10K + on the car using Mobile 1 fully syn 10-30. Get about 1qt/1k of driving. Feel like I'm driving an oil consuming moped! Car seems to have good power and all. I drive it hard some with most miles just regular highway crusing. But, enough is enough! Will be going to Valencia Nissan soon. Will post here what I go through. Will call NNA if the dealer/service department is lame.

2006 ZR 6MT

Chad68

iTrader: (1)

I had the same results.

My 1st test was a mixture of freeway and country roads and driving kinda hard, as I was trying to get the car to gulp oil.

In 1,000 miles it dropped .6 of a quart

Next 1,000 mile test, was 90% freeway miles and not driven hard and it dropped 1.5 quarts (though the reading I got with the car sitting for several days showed that it was only down 3/4 of a quart).

My average at this point was just above 1 quart per 1,000 miles, so on the 3rd and final consumption test, I drove the $hit out of it and it dropped 3/4 or a quart according to them and it showed me it only used about 1/2 a quart.

It actually does seem like it uses morer when you baby it-

dbasal

This is all very interesting. Same exact results for me. So the best test would be to hop on the freeway for 500 miles and turn around and see what happens. hmm. Sounds like an excuse for a road trip to me. Thanks for sharing all the info.

hunter6

iTrader: (3)

Just want to add to the record. I've got an 06 6MT Z. I've had the oil changed by the dealer 3x thusfar. I've got 9300 miles on it. I had the oil changed last time at 8100 miles. I just checked the dipstick after reading this post (car sat all night) an it was completely full. Perhaps I don't have the issue (yet). It would be interesting to see the percentage of folks on this forum who are burning and who are not. Is this issue important enough to set up a poll?

350Z_LMS

Anyone had the combustion chamber inspected? I mean, take spark plugs out and take a look inside BEFORE taking the whole motor apart? Friend here has a totally black chamber with thick muck on the cylinder head with 50k on the clock and high oil consumption (just like mine). Anyone did this at all? What is thing wuth driving it hard reduces oil consumption? This is an absolute first!!!
I have a suggestion: take the car into a dealer for a documented oil change, Then don't bother messing around with that stupid dipstick and drive it HARD until oil runs out almost completely. Return to dealer (1 quart per 1000miles, so 1000miles later) and ask for a new engine. Period

cox

iTrader: (3)

+1

slinksZ

ok they started my consumption last wednesday. They had me drive 500 to 700 miles which I thought was strange because every other dealer has you go 1000 miles according to this thread. I checked the oil when they did the first oil change and it was right at the high mark. I let the car sit all night and checked it this morning and it was a little more than than a quarter of the way down from the H mark. I do not know for sure how much this is. What killed me was the dealer told me that it did not burn any oil at all, lucky I checked it and service manager and I went around. Does any one know how much oil actually registers on the dip stick itself?

rkd350z

iTrader: (3)

interested