New Motor

[blackdog]

Hi here again with the same oil consumption problem, still don't have a smoker, but the oil is going, so my question in used engine world, which years will fit in my 03 mo, and if anyone has done a swap anything to look out for ?

[zebelkhan]

I imagine as a long block (head and lower engine block) all VQ35 engines for Altima, Maxima, Quest, Z, and Murano will interchange but before doing the swap, ask yourself what guaranty will you have that the used engine will not have the same oil consumption issue? As a former wrecking yard owner I can tell you that we could only bench test the motors which included running the motor to look for smoke, as well as taking compression tests. If it did not smoke and compression test results were acceptable then it would be offered for sale as a good engine. If I remember correctly, your engine passes those tests already.

[blackdog]

yes this is the dilemma , and i wonder am i risking a break down if i always keep my oil topped up ? a friend of mine has an rx-8 that goes through a liter every fill up and mazda considers this normal, my mo has used oil since i got it and in the owners manual it said be prepared to add oil between changes so i always checked it and topped it up, it wasn't until i read about oil consumption problems with nissans that i recorded the levels, to me if its not leaking and not smoking its not that bad of a problem. a used engine change dose not sit well with me and the dealer and other repair shops say not to rebiuld , what to do, dump it at a lot for a newer one when i have repaired so many other things. oh man.

[larry1960]

I had a 2005 with 105000 and never used oil ever between oil changes

[blackdog]

you are a lucky person, don't wish bad things on anyone and god bless.
but those who have suffered understand suffering.

[Pilgrim]

Blackdog, don't panic. But give us information. Exactly how many miles do you travel before needing to add a quart of oil? That's critical info. I don't worry about any motor until it's using more than a quart every 1000 miles.

IMO you are not risking a breakdown if you keep the oil topped up...all you are going to do is burn oil. Big deal (although you're not going to pass an emissions test if you are burning a lot of oil.) I don't know whether excessive oil use will confuse the computer, but I doubt it. To me, "breakdown" means stranding you when the vehicle won't run. Whether this could damage the catalytic converters is not clear to me.

I had a 1966 GTO that (when I got it) used a quart of oil every 50 MILES. It never ran badly, never let me down, never fouled a spark plug. But of course I rebuilt it as soon as possible, because the oil usage was crazy and the blue smoke was pretty excessive.

In the 60's, it was very common for Chrysler V8 motors to burn the first quart of oil very quickly, then use no further oil between changes. We just ran them on the add oil mark and didn't worry about it.

Of course, that was pre-cat and pre-engine computer.

[zebelkhan]

Mazda rotary engines do use oil and it is normal for them. Not necessarily so for piston ring engine types which Murano has. However, I agree with Pilgrim. Simple oil use should not be a big problem. More details will help us help you better.

[blackdog]

hey guys , i did mention the volume in an earlier post and pilgrim i do respect your advice. using a liter every 600 km's , can i still just keep it topped up ? and believe me it is not smoking and not a leak under car in morning, and i know the oil gremlins are not eating it and man....................

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by blackdog

hey guys , i did mention the volume in an earlier post and pilgrim i do respect your advice. using a liter every 600 km's , can i still just keep it topped up ? and believe me it is not smoking and not a leak under car in morning, and i know the oil gremlins are not eating it and man....................

For those of you who are metrically-challenged, 600 kms rounds out to 370 miles, and one liter is very close to a quart.

So, consuming one quart of oil every 370 miles is alarming.

Assuming you are averaging 20 mpg, you are consuming 18.5 gallons of fuel over the 370 miles. The fuel to oil ratio is 75:1. Some two-strokes run that mixture!

Oil in the exhaust stream can foul a catalytic converter. On the flip side, a damaged catalytic converter can cause excessive oil consumption.

-njjoe

[Pilgrim]

If you're burning at @ 1 quart per 370 miles, that's definitely heavy oil use...and it tells you that there is an engine replacement ore rebuild in your future.

BUT - there's no reason to think it's going to make anything drastic happen or cause a breakdown - it's just a lot of oil to burn.

Keep it topped up and keep on driving.

One thing to try just for grins....

While driving maybe 40 MPH (or 50 KPH), put the gear selector in the #2 position, accelerate hard for 3-4 seconds to wind the engine up, then take your foot off the gas and let it decelerate as hard as it can...and decelerate until you're moving fairly slowly. When you lift your foot off the gas, watch your rear view mirror for blue smoke. If anything will make a car produce oil smoke, that kind of deceleration tends to do it.

This may not tell you a lot, but it can be fun to make smoke.

Seriously, my guess is that although you can drive this car for at least another year just by keeping the oil filled, I doubt you will pass any emissions tests, and the situation is not going to get better.

You need to be planning a rebuild or vehicle replacement in a year or so. When that event will take place may depend on whether you have to get an emissions test to renew your vehicle license.

Remember - if the vehicle is in good shape otherwise, rebuilds are cheaper than replacement cars. Only you know whether the economics of putting the full value of the car into a rebuild make any sense to you.

[blackdog]

no emission testing here. and yes money fixes everything......never had the check engine light on and just had it at the dealer for another reason and they ran all the codes and charged me, that was great, they mentioned nothing. used motors scare me and a rebuild is very costly...............oh yeah

[Pilgrim]

Where is "here"? You can help us all out by adding information to your profile.

[blackdog]

i am in canada near kelowna bc

[Pilgrim]

Thanks (don't forget to update your profile with a location...)

My read on the situation is that you have some time and can keep it running with regular attention to the oil, but the clock is ticking and you should plan for either a rebuild or your next vehicle.

[njjoe]

blackdog-

Are you still around?

I was reading akaGreg's post regarding his experience with changing spark plugs, and he mentioned he saw evidence of oil traveling through his PCV valve. Then it dawned on me that the PCV valve may be partly responsible for your oil consumption problems. A search of the net supports my suspicions. It might be a long shot, but changing the PCV valve is a whole lot cheaper than a new motor.

-njjoe