Everyone: Check Your Oil!

[SuperGee]

Originally Posted by safil

I need help bad!!! Just got off the phone with service rep and they said they won't cover the repairs!!! I'm going crazy now. My dad says I should get a lawyer and sue! But, I know its gonna take a few months to resolve. Should I dish out the money to repair it while I get a lawyer after them?
I want my car back a.s.a.p. Also, do I get it done at the dealer or my other mechanic? They say I need a whole new engine but, I don't think so. They just turned it on, heard the noise and said I need a new engine. I'm pretty sure its either the head/heads or the short block, not both. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! And, if anyone else this has happened to, please post up and let me know. I goona need to show that this is an ongoing problem. Thanks!!!

Saw your other posts in this thread. If the engine was starved for oil -- you did say the light came on -- then it doesn't take long to cause extensive engine damage. All the bearings, pistons, cams, etc can get damaged from lack of proper lubrication.

Man, every car I've ever owned I make it a point to check the oil very often and get a feeling for how much oil the engine uses so it doesn't run too low on oil. No faster way to smoke an engine than with a super low oil level.

It sounds like the Service Rep knows it was ran low on oil and that's why they are refusing to cover it under warranty. Hope you get it fixed

[avs007]

Originally Posted by safil

She said that the last time she sees that I got my oil change there was at 14,000 miles and that now my car got 22,400. Really? No ****!!! I'm a mechanic, I change the oil myself. She said ok, as long as you have proof. Great, now what do I do? I bought the oil from Pep Boys and don't have the receipt. I bought the oil filter always from Nissan or Infiniti. Maybe they have some records of me buying the filters. Nope, we don't hold records for that. Even though they take down your name they said they don't keep the records. So, I went to my friends garage and asked him for a receipt for the last oil change I got there, which I really did. Brought it to my service rep and she said, it has to be computerized receipt and where's the others.

You need to call BS with your dealer.

1.) They need to prove what you did/didn't do, not the other way around
2.) Owners Manual/Warranty book does not say that you have to have Infiniti perform the maintenece.
3.) Owners Manual/Warranty book does not require that you keep receipts for any service items to keep warranty
4.) Maintenence Guide actually lists the items as "should", "recommended", etc. These have different legal ramifications than "Must", "Mandatory", etc. Therefore even if you didn't change the oil, they still can't void your warranty, because going by the letter, the maintenence Guide/Warranty didn't explicity require that you do. It only recommended that you do.

(My profession is rooted in international standards, so I deal with this kind of crap all the time, and have an army of lawyers at the ready telling me how to interpret this stuff )

In fact... Ask the service writer to show you where in the owner'smanual, maintence guide, and warranty booklet where it says you have to have all the stuff she is asking for. Tell her if she can't find it, you'd be glad to have an attorney look it over with her. (Acura tried the same crap on me when my tranny blew up. I didn't even have to threaten an attorney. I just stated the bullet points above, and they re-instated my warranty on the spot and agreed to replace my transmission free of charge).

While you're at it... Mention the low oil pressure and/or low-oil level lights. Since they never illuminated while you were operating the car, it is basically telling you the oil-level is within factory specifications. I don't know the court cases off hand, but one of our lawyers was saying something to the effect (in an analogy) that if the warning lights did not illuminate, then either the warning lights were malfunctioning, or there was not a condition that warranted warning. In either of these cases the fault lies with the manufacturer if damage is sustained, because either the warning system was malfunctioning, or a condition deemed to be within safe/normal parameters was actually not.

ie, if it's damaging to be low 4 quarts of oil, the low-oil light damn well better be illuminating, otherwise the ECU is basically saying the oil-level is ok.

[GforceI]

Call Infiniti corporate and start a complaint. They will actually help you in getting the work done. Also make sure the dealer knows that you have a file with corporate and they might step up to the plate a little.

I had my engine replaced at around 20k and the first dealer I took it to assured me that burning a quart of oil every thousand miles was perfectly normal.

I then took her to competition like Ducatiguy and they did an oil change and had me drive it to see that it was burning then they replaced the long and short block. Before you call a lawyer call Infiniti consumer affirs and see where that gets you.

[vjquan]

Of all the oil consumption threads I've read, they've all been to 6MT models. Has any heard of oil consumption on the 5AT?

[MISTIKMACK]

Damn! THis sux! I guess I should have an eye on my oil whenever I drive my ride. It only has ~7K on it!

[lelg35]

Originally Posted by vjquan

Of all the oil consumption threads I've read, they've all been to 6MT models. Has any heard of oil consumption on the 5AT?

Not here. Got a 2005 5AT, broken in according to the manual, synthetic at 3750, and am now at about 25800. My last oil change was at 22500. I just checked the level and it was still at the H.

ResIpsa...sorry to hear about your oil woes. Hope something turns up for you.

[SuperGee]

Originally Posted by vjquan

Of all the oil consumption threads I've read, they've all been to 6MT models. Has any heard of oil consumption on the 5AT?

If it's due to piston ring "flutter" then the 6MTs that are driven hard at high RPMs will show the most oil consumption. The 2001 Vettes had this same issue, and the rings were redesigned with more tension.

If it was a ring issue, I would suspect Infiniti would know this and chance the ring design to cut consumption.

Doesn't sound like all G35s (probably not many) suffer from oil burning.

[dofu]

Originally Posted by SuperGee

Doesn't sound like all G35s (probably not many) suffer from oil burning.

Is 4 quarts in 4k miles "normal"? Although this has only happened once... I've always had at least a quart and a half left when I did the other oil changes...

[skeleton_cru]

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

Last week my G had a strange vibration/rattling noise at start up. My first thought was that my throw-out bearing finally went bad. However, I noticed my oil light flash while pulling into my garage. It turned out that I was 4 quarts low on oil. All my oil changes have been at the dealership and within the 3750 mile interval. The car does not drip or leak a drop of oil.

After a little research and a call to Pat Goss (automotive guru and host of Goss’s Garage on 106.7 JFK) I found out that a percentage of our cars have problems with their piston rings. He told me that Nissan refuses to admit the problem and that I should be looking for a new engine.

At least I have only 15,000 miles and the warranty should apply. Let’s hope that Infiniti owns up to this problem and does not give me any s$#* for the MREV. There may be some of you out there with the same problem who (like me) can’t get a good reading because of that damn dipstick. Make sure you get this problem on record before your warranty period runs out.

Good luck.
HELP! Engine Failure!

[SuperGee]

Originally Posted by dofu

Is 4 quarts in 4k miles "normal"? Although this has only happened once... I've always had at least a quart and a half left when I did the other oil changes...

I'd say a qt every 1000 miles is very excessive consumption for this engine.

[RBull]

Originally Posted by dofu

Is 4 quarts in 4k miles "normal"? Although this has only happened once... I've always had at least a quart and a half left when I did the other oil changes...

C'mon now this is a serious issue.

[RBull]

Originally Posted by SuperGee

I'd say a qt every 1000 miles is very excessive consumption for this engine.

i agree. My engine has started using oil now with about 13k. In the last 2500 I've used about a half quart.

[SuperGee]

Originally Posted by RBull

i agree. My engine has started using oil now with about 13k. In the last 2500 I've used about a half quart.

That's good -- 1 qt in 5000 miles. Not many (if any) car engines do any better than that.

[Andy2434]

I had an engine oil consumption issue during the first 1200 miles. After the 4 tests, the engine was consuming some 1/2 pint at 1500 miles. Now, at some 21k miles, I add a quart of oil between every oil change, which is every 2.5k. I check my engine oil level weekly if not more often. I installed the makeshift oil catch can that DaveO presented . . . And I have noticed that when the G is driven moderately to hard, the catch can fills up quite quickly.

[RBull]

Originally Posted by SuperGee

That's good -- 1 qt in 5000 miles. Not many (if any) car engines do any better than that.

It's acceptable right now for sure. All of my most recent vehicles have used none - 0 however throughout their lifetimes of between 25k and 85k- mazda, acura, jeep