| Fstrnu |
I was out giving the MO her once over on Thursday and noticed that the oil level was down to about 1/2 way on the dip stick. So I called the dealer to ask what was up and why would a brand new vechicle (2700 kms, 1700 miles) be so low on oil.
He said
"because of the pressure that builds through the engine (which supposedly is excessive in the 3.5 because of the high performance) , all Muranos will only be filled up with 4 ltrs (4.2 quarts) of oil no matter where is goes on the dip stick".
I asked him if that was the case in all 3.5's as we have an 03 3.5SE Altima as well. He said it was and sure enough, I went home and checked. It was at the half way mark as well.
I am not a mechanic but it sems strange to me?
Anyone else notice this? |
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| senza |
There definitely is some innaccuracy re the reading of the oil level on the dipstick. After changing the oil/filter, adding 4 litres produces a reading in the half to 3/4's area on the dipstick. The important thing is to check from time to time to make sure the oil level doesn't drop below the initial reading; if it does it means there is an oil consumption problem.
The "excessive pressure" explanation is BS....if that was the case, all sorts of gaskets would leak, the dip stick would be "blown" out of the hole it sits in etc. A HP engine(high rpms) like the 3.5 due require protection from the oil in the oil pan being sucked into the turbulance of the crankshaft; I'm sure the oil pan has a windage tray that keeps the required separation. |
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| Mr. A |
| Does this sound stuiped,:confused: Maybe make a dipstick that would be at the fill mark when the level is correct. |
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| CVeeT |
| I look at the range as MAX and MIN, as long as you are within the limits you are OK. |
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| Gonzo |
| I can't explain it but I found the same issue after my first two changes. However after that putting the same amount of oil in the MO (4qts) showed almost full on the dip stick. :confused: |
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| Eric L. |
Only way to tell if you are burning/losing oil is to do check the oil first thing in the morning with a cold engine and top it off to the top of the hash mark region on the dipstick. It is possible your Murano was filled with 4 quarts at the factory instead of the 4.2 qts to spec. As long as its within the hash region you are fine - just make sure it doesn't go down dramatically.
BTW - any dealer saying its normal for an engine to burn any oil is completely wrong. Maybe it true for the ancient 2.0L engines in VW's, but not Nissan's VQ. My 97 Maxima never burned a drop, and neither has my Murano over 16,000 miles. |
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| EdMPT |
| I agree Eric, I had a VW with the 2.0 and it burned oil for about 18 months before it stopped. but with the Murano, I haven't had any problems at all.... |
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| CopperKat |
How hard was it to remove the plug? Mine seems to be welded on. Are you
turning it counter-clockwise? I can see that a crush washer wasn't used after my last dealer oil change. Could that be why it's so hard to remove? |
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| Eric L. |
The plug specs call for it to be torqued down 20-25lb/ft. Thats "hand tight" with a 6" socket wrench.
I doubt that not using the crush gasket would cause it to be extra tight. The drain plug goes on normal ways - "righty tighty" and "lefty loosey." |
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| CopperKat |
| Thanks for your help Eric. Once I knew I was turning it in the right direction, I gave it all my strength and it finally loosened. So much for "hand tight". |
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| Gonzo |
| Ah but how hard was yourfactory filter screwed on? Mine (like other cars I've owned) had the filter screwed on sooooo tight. Of course this is explained since the robots can read the sign on the filter that states not to over tighten filter. Geesh. |
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| hfelknor |
There obviously is a bit of a communications problem in a plant that can overtighten an oil filter and hand tighten a steering rack.
:)
Homer |
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| Eric L. |
| I wish nissan could also reprogram the robots to get the service managers heads screwed on right as well. |
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| jaak |
| That's because they're like Murano's without the Navigation System... There's a few wires missing in the harness! |
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| Stoker |
quote:
Originally posted by Fstrnu
I was out giving the MO her once over on Thursday and noticed that the oil level was down to about 1/2 way on the dip stick. So I called the dealer to ask what was up and why would a brand new vechicle (2700 kms, 1700 miles) be so low on oil.
He said
"because of the pressure that builds through the engine (which supposedly is excessive in the 3.5 because of the high performance) , all Muranos will only be filled up with 4 ltrs (4.2 quarts) of oil no matter where is goes on the dip stick".
I asked him if that was the case in all 3.5's as we have an 03 3.5SE Altima as well. He said it was and sure enough, I went home and checked. It was at the half way mark as well.
I am not a mechanic but it sems strange to me?
Anyone else notice this?
Which dealer in Calgary has such a uneducated service manager?. Usaully the service advisors are not mechanics and seem to talk off the top of their heads. There is no way pressure is allowed to build up in the engine, if it does the PCV (positive crankcase vent) is sticking close and should be replaced. The compression on the Mo is 1275 Kpa (185 PSI) per cylinder, if the pressure is getting high you could blow the oil dipstick out of it's hole on the engine block and have oil all over the place.
I change my own oil and use 4.5 liters when I change the filter with it and at this time I am not burning any oil. And for the service manager knowledge the manual for the Mo states that you wait 5-10 minutes before you check the oil level to allow all the oil to settle back into the oilpan for an accurate oil reading.
:29: :29: |
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| rjardine |
Just had the 12000km (7500ml) service today. Decided to go with synthetic and took my own oil - 4 litres as per the manual.
As I waited for the car, the service manager comes by to let me know that the requirement is 4.46 litres, (yes 4.46!) and should they top it off or will I look after that myself. I indicated the latter then asked where 4.46 came from. According to him that is what their tech papers state, but of course they round to 4.5 - and yes the owners manual is wrong! Without doing the math I am assuming that 4.46 is the precise metric equivalent of either a US quart or Imperial quart measurement.
Anyway got home and let the MO sit for a while and then checked the oil level on the dipstick - right at "L". Added .5 litre and let it sit again - now it is right at the "F". |
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| Eric L. |
| The official requirement is 4 quarts without filter change, 4.25 quarts with filter change. I do find however, that the actual capacity varies between 4-4.5 quarts depending how long I let the oil drain. |
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| SugarRushMurano |
and the service manager never return the oil to me...
SO i guess, they always keep the 0.5qt leftover for themselves :p Or they indded fill my murano up with all 5qt.
But i always check the level using the dipstick after i came back from dealer service, it always right 3/4 way to the max line |
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| nipsirc |
Granted that the technician for whatever reason overfilled the oil (say put in 5 liters or more...) into it.
What kind of problems would one have?
Also can some please tell me if it is mandatory to have your oil changes at a Nissan dealership for warranty purposes or is it okay if you can have it at one of those quick lube places.
Will the warranty be void if you had it done in those Quick Lube shops? |
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| Gonzo |
Anyone can change your oil even yourself and NOT void the warranty. Just keep ALL your reciepts for oil and filters. I would also keep some sort of auto maintenance log as well.
If oil is over filled it is bad. Better to under fill than over fill. When its over filled, it can create exessive pressure within the engine that can damage the seals. Also when its over filled the oil can't circulate well and can begin to foam. When this happens your engine isn't lubriated well as the oil doesn't flow well when its foam.
I change my own oil and fill it 3/4 up the dip stick. |
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| Eric L. |
| Something to keep in mind is that a certain level of tolerance is built into the engine design such that underfilling and overfilling, to a point, would probably not damage the engine. The dipstick range is usually around 1 quart, and you can probably go 1/2 quart above or below the min and max without an issue. It won't be best for an engine, but I'm sure many many engines out there run a 1/2 quart low or 1/2 quart full without ever experiencing any issues. But then thats just my guess. |
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| nipsirc |
quote:
Originally posted by rjardine
Just had the 12000km (7500ml) service today. Decided to go with synthetic and took my own oil - 4 litres as per the manual.
As I waited for the car, the service manager comes by to let me know that the requirement is 4.46 litres, (yes 4.46!) and should they top it off or will I look after that myself. I indicated the latter then asked where 4.46 came from. According to him that is what their tech papers state, but of course they round to 4.5 - and yes the owners manual is wrong! Without doing the math I am assuming that 4.46 is the precise metric equivalent of either a US quart or Imperial quart measurement.
Anyway got home and let the MO sit for a while and then checked the oil level on the dipstick - right at "L". Added .5 litre and let it sit again - now it is right at the "F".
I had my 24,000 KM oil change today at Mr. Lube and they put in 4.0 liters of Mobil1 with the oil filter changed as per manual. I insisted that they put in 4.5 however they would not do it. I was really mad but they showed me my own manual's specs and also from their computer. They would not budge even when I threatened that I will complain to their higher management.
So how do I prove them wrong? |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by nipsirc
So how do I prove them wrong?
Why do you assume they are wrong? Just pull out the dipstick and check the oil level. That is your best indicator.
-njjoe |
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| Eric L. |
| Also since its a quick lube, they might not have let it drain long enough, so you might have only needed four quarts. Its pretty stupid for them though, to just fill according to what the computer says - don't they check the dipstick when they are done? |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by Eric L.
don't they check the dipstick when they are done?
Are you KIDDING? They don't even spend the time to VISUALLY check the air pressure in the tires (I've tested them on several occasions), why would they take the 10 seconds to read the dipstick? |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
Are you KIDDING? They don't even spend the time to VISUALLY check the air pressure in the tires (I've tested them on several occasions), why would they take the 10 seconds to read the dipstick?
C-
That would be the absolute last time I would take my car there. Not pulling the dipstick is absolutely idiotic.
If they were working on an assembly line filling identical dry engines then I can understand not pulling the dipstick. But in a quick lube place where they are working on hundreds of different models that is just crazy. What if your car had an aftermarket oil pan with an enlarged capacity? What then? They would be under-filling your engine.
Find another place.
-njjoe |
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| Corin |
Exactly my point. I stopped going to these types of places quite a while ago.
I originally used fast-lube places because:
1) it was convenient
2) I didn't have the tools or space to do it myself
3) I liked the fact that a "21 point check" would catch potential problems before they became a problem.
Then I started suspecting that they were not checking everything. I kept going a few more times, but each time I would let a LITTLE air out of a tire (like down to 28lbs) and quite a bit out of another one (just to the point where you could visually see that it was a little low).
5 separate times, 5 separate shops, 3 different companies (QuakerState, Jiffy-Lube, and Formula-1 FastLube). ALL of them marked off on the sheet that my tire pressure was fine, but after accepting the car from them and before leaving their parking lot I checked the pressure with my own gauge, and EVERY TIME the pressure in each of the tires was EXACTLY where I left it.
On top of that, then they got pissed at ME when I raised a stink about it (except Formula 1, which was very apologetic and said it would never happen again).
If they won't bother to do such a simple and VERY IMPORTANT check, what makes you think that they're checking anything else?
From then on, I do as much stuff as I can myself, go to the dealer for warranty work, and for ANYTHING else I take it to an independent shop (I thankfully have a good one).
Oh, and did I mention that the first time I changed the oil in our two cars, the total cost of buying all my tools (ramps, wrenches, creeper, gloves, funnel, pan) plus the oil/filters/washers came out to be just under what I would have paid to take them in to Jiffy-Lube? :rolleyes:
I have also convinced several of my friends to change their own oil because of my story. Even taught a couple of them how to do it, and let them borrow my garage/driveway/tools when they need to.
I hate fast-lube places. |
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| craigster |
I, too, have become quite wary of these quick lube places. For our '96 Maxima (which I have had since new), the last place I was going to had not been sure they had the right filter. After a bit of apparent checking down below they said they had one. No problem, then, I thought. I returned to this shop (a Jiffy Lube) for another change...and then another. Then one time, needing some repair work at a different shop, I asked the mechanic to change the oil at the same time. Minutes later he asks when my last oil change was. 3 months ago, I said. Well, this oil filter has been on your car for about a year, at least, he says. (Very experienced mechanic by the way)
The Jiffy Lube guys weren't even changing the filter!!!! But they charged me for it. Needless to say, no more Jiffy for me. |
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