I was changing my spark plugs today (the first time I've ever done so - 97800 miles) and noticed oil on the two rear spark plugs and the middle passenger's side plug. The rear plugs were drenched in oil and inside the "hole" the spark plugs pop into I noticed a decent amount of gunk. Luckily I have an extended warranty, so I'll be heading to the dealer. Does this warrant a new motor? I am burning oil regularly.

Pics are Attached.

 

You need new valve cover gaskets. They are leaking.

JET

 

Thats what I was thinking, this is a known Z car issue. What year is your Z?

 

Common problem on a lot of cars. 98k miles and still have warranty? Nice. I doubt they will give you a new engine, but they may fix it for you.

 

That looks terrible. Maybe the piston rings or cylinder walls are badly worn. Or valve stem guides, or badly worn valve stem seals. If the PCV valve is plugged or inoperative, it can cause a buildup of crankcase pressure.

I am surprised that the plugs fired.

 

Gross

 

+1

 

After explaining the whole situation to my advisor and showing them my plugs I said I believed I was losing a substantial amount of oil in between changes and I wanted an "oil consumption" test performed. My service advisor, who I've been dealing with since day one and have a good exp with, informed me I would have to pay $30 (the price of an oil change), to have the test performed.

This seemed incredibly unfair, why should I pay for a test to gauge the obvious issue with my car? After much arguing and debate I finally gave in and paid the money, hoping the test will come back showing significant oil loss so my vehicle can be repaired.

In hindsight I feel very ripped off and cheated. I just recently (last week), changed my oil as part of a tune up. And now I am forced to pay for a test that will tell me what I already know... The motor is losing oil.

After paying for the oil change/consumption test, I walked to the work bay and spoke with the mechanics and a gentleman I will assume was their supervisor. My car is lightly modded and they were pointing at everything as a potential source of an oil leak that was obviously a factory defect. We have seen this oil problem in many 2003 Zs, it's almost as common as feathered tires and bad transmission syncros! First my exhaust then my intake, then they even went so far as to question my wheels. I explained to them I am not mentally retarded and have a decent enough knowledge of cars to understand that none of my modifications have any impact on the oil leak issue. I also discussed my understanding of the Moss Magnuson Act.

Just to be clear, when I purchased the car I paid for the dealer's extended warranty. This does cover major things like the engine. I am having an engine problem, why am I being charged?

I'm getting to the point of being done with this car. And that fact pains me more than anything else. I bought a Z because as a child my neighbor used to drive me around in his 300ZX Turbo (Z31) and those fond memories carry on with me to this day. But I feel as though something is constantly wrong with my car. First the transmission, then the undertray, then the radio *which is AGAIN having an issue with picking up FM stations*, and finally motor troubles.

I would just like to be treated right, fairly and honestly. I have definetly lost alot of love for a car company that has inspired me my entire life.

Thanks for listening guys. I'm just really bummed out, I love my car alot. :/ *sigh* I'll keep you updated. Oh and if anyone knows someone at Nissan Corporate who helped them out, please give me their contact info.

Best Regards,

Agustin "Gus" Gracia III
agustingracia@gmail.com

 

your car has almost 100k miles...don't you think you might encounter a few problems along the way?

 

hey man i am having the exact same problem you are i have a 03 350z although mine only has 54000 miles on it but i was using 2 quarts of oil a week and they are suppose to replace my engine but they have had it for 2 weeks and not done anything. They did a oil comsumption test but i didnt have to pay for anything so far. They tried to get me to pay for the compression test but i told them i would contact the media lol aka don johnson and i didnt have to, but i bought mine through carmax and they are giving me a hell of a time with all this so i feel for you man, but i have had my transmission already replaced so i have had some problems from mine to but i still love it..

 

Goal 1: get a new engine
Goal 2: get your $30 back, only after goal 1 is complete.

 

...looks like your answers here have been answered

 

you are getting mad that you have to pay 30 dollars ?

 

had the same prob with mne, im at 91k miles

 

I had this problem once and it was a valve cover gasket leak.

 

You may as well sell your car if you are apalled by 3 problems in almost 100k miles. IF and thats a big IF the motor is bad, you are looking at a good few weeks that your car will be in the shop or more with nissan. You better look at your ext warranty to see if they provide a loaner vehicle or not.

if you arent buring a considerable amount of oil each change then I would side with everyone here and say it is a valve cover gasket issue.

I had my motor replaced due to oil consumption at 30k miles, under warranty, free. it took 8 weeks start to finish, and I was burning around a qt every 500mi, and it smoked like a chimney.

 

The symptoms are obvious but the diagnosis is not. The “oil consumption” test is part of the diagnostics to identify the problem. That said a problem is obvious. Not sure why the dealer wanted a lousy $30 to investigate an obvious problem.

I assume if this is a warranty fix you get the $30 back. If this is NOT a warranty fix they keep the $30.

 

Expecting them to wipe your *** and change your diper on an engine that has 98k miles is a little overkill. Be glad it was only $30 and they are willing to look at it considering the usage. Most dealerships would give you the run around before admitting to the possibility of an engine replacement on an engine that has nearly 100k miles. $30 is seriously chump change to a guy taking the bus... hope things turn out for you, stay positive.

 

i mean motors vary from one two another and depending how it is drove, but 100,000 miles is alot, u never know what will need to be replaced around that mileage, prob just the gasket and yeah, expect more problems as u rack up more miles, Not from Nissan defects but from wear and tear more then anything. Thats why when looking for a used car many people look for low miles cuz if u buy one with high mileage u know the possiblities of putting money into fixtures is alot greater.

 

Replace your gaskets, clean things up, bump your oil viscosity up one notch and put in a new set of Platinums at the standard #5 heat range.

Then keep an eye on things