well, i checked my oil a few weeks ago. it had been almost two months since my last oil change and i almost cried when i saw she was down below the "low" mark on the dipstick! in case any are wondering the motor was hot and had been sitting for almost 20 minutes when i checked. i always use Mobil 1 5W-30, every 3K miles. this freaked me out. so i added some oil and checked it a couple weeks later, its low again!!!! what the hell is going on? the car is not dripping and is bone dry underneath. why is this happening to a babied 98 Max with less than 70K miles? do you guys think that some oil is getting by the rings? god, i hope not. does anyone have any ideas on whats going on?

 

Well....

for what it's worth my 1998 SE 5spd with 80k on it uses about a quart every 3-4k miles. I've had it since new and always used Mobil 1 5w30 with Nissan OEM filters... No leaks either...

From past experience, some engines just use more than others. Luck of the draw. As long as it isn't more than a quart or so every 3k and your plugs are clean you have no problem...

Make sure too that the oil isn't milky and that you don't have anything funky in your antifreeze. I've never heard of a blown head gasket though on a Max that hasn't been driven by an idiot.

-RMB

 

My 97SE with 70K has the same problem. I've had it checked and everything turned out within spec. My understanding is that synthetic oil tends to burn a bit quicker because it's thinner. I've just switched from Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic to conventional in hopes of slowing the problem. From what I can tell thus far it hasn't really helped but the car's still running fine. As long as you're not blowing smoke on start-up everything should be fine as long as you make sure to keep an eye on your oil level.

 

Hmm.. isn't switching from synthetic oil to conventional oil a big no no?

 

Nope... both are compat..

-RMB

 

There's nothing wrong with switching back and forth, you just won't get the benefits of the synthetic anymore.

Have you tried using a higher viscosity synthetic, like a 10W-30 instead? Depending on your temperature conditions, that may be a better option.

 

Do you have blue smoke coming from exhaust when you get on the gas? That is a sure sign of oil burning

 

i have 107k miles on mine and i've been using mobil 1 10w30 synthetic. i don't see any blue smoke or leaks under the car. i lose a lot when i drive long distances.

turbo97se, i envy your turbocharged numbers...

 

Agreed. Also, the best way in my opinion to check a leak is to lay down wood or something under your car and see if there are any stains. I use cardboard when the car hasn't been driven in a while.

On another note, yours might burn oil...mine burns rubber (Sorry I really wanted to say that!)

Good Luck,
Erik

 

man my 2K is about to pass 70K miles...my god where have I been driving ?

 

You should really be checking the oil level on a cold engine, I don't think 20 minutes is enough time to let an engine cool down. The level you see on the dipstick will not correctly reflect your oil level when the engine is still hot.

Check your car in the morning before you start your car. Letting it sit overnight is probably the coolest the engine can get.

 

Losing a quart of oil isn't normal for a very well engineered engine like ours.Do some plug reading and see if it shows signs of oil burning.Else there must be a leak somewhere else.The oil just cannot disappear like that!!

 

Sometimes it's hard to tell by the exhaust gas if the oil burning is minor. One way to find out is to let the engine sits idle for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then press the throttle wide open to see if blue smoke comes out from exhaust.

 

you should have your car checked out - its not normal at all

 

It can be...

The only definitive way to make sure though aside from checking for any external leaks is to do a compression test.

Mine is buring 1quart or so every 3-4k and the compression is within spec and even on all cylinders. There is never any blue smoke and the plugs always look clean... Emissions tests are also well within spec...

VW has this variable oil consumption problem a lot on it's engines, and they've actually officially said that 1 quart every 3-4k is ok... My last Jetta diesel had 340,000 miles on it when it finally died of a warped/cracked head due to someone running it without coolant.... It always used lotsa oil....

-RMB

 

Gently stick your fingers up the tail pipe to check carbon residue. If its sticky and not chauky you've found your oil. I had this problem in my 98se max. It was burning a quart every 3 thousand miles. Even the dealship couldnt figure it out. after 3 oil changes they finally decided to pull the motor and break it down. Turns out the O rings stood up and gouged the pistons

They replaced the motor under the factory warantee, lucky me...

Good luck

 

1 quart in 3-4K is hardly excessive, but it is unusual in the VQ. Nissan wouldn't even start to worry unless burned more than a quart every thousand.