I want to do a real poll to determine: a) if this is problem is universal or just a few of us loudmouths. b) around what milage does it hit, and c) if there's enough of us to bring about any real change. Thanks.

George

 

I will tell you this, from what I have read, it is NOT mileage specific. I seen many engines replaced under warrenty--VK45DE(2002), QR25DE, VQ35DE(2002-2003)

 

do you think its worth making this poll sticky, so we can track the issue as people do oil changes and can tell consumption accurately?
moderators???

 

I'm wondering the same thing....

 

today i went in to try to trade my max for a 2002 6spd. now after looking at this thread, i'm not sure if it's worth it! my vq30 is running strong

 

I wouldn't let that stop you from getting your 6-speed. Its a minor issue if that, i could see if we were all throwing rods from this consumption of oil, then thats a major issue. Trust me, if you drive short distances , you will hardly even notice it. But guys that put on the serious milage week after week like myself a Gbauer, we notice it.

Get that 6-speed before somebody else beats you to it!

 

Agreed. Don't let this stop you. There still isn't enough proof to worry about it......Get the 6 speed its awesome.....

 

Yep, please realize this is not a scientific poll and should have little influence on decisions you make.

 

nice, i drove it and cherped it pretty hard to second gear. it is much smoother than my 5 speed and the tranny feels tight. but i dunno if it's worth it. i told them to give me 10-11G's for my car (ahahaha) and to sell me the 6spd for 15-16gs (lololol) and they seem to want me as a buyer. they prolly won't make money off me if i keep my interest!

 

I have an 2002 with 91k currently not burning any Oil...

 

i am at 41k miles and burning no oil...as far as i'm concerned...i am missing about half a quart when I pour my old oil back into the containers....but i know this is normal becuz not every single ounce of oil is drained from the engine when the plug is pulled...

i check my oil by pulling the dipstick in the morning....is this an accurate way of measuring the maxima's oil? i've tried pulling the stick when it's 1-2hrs cold and oil is all over the stick....

btw Torco SR-1 5w-30 100% synthetic & nissan 9e000 filter here...

 

Like I have stated before this engine has no manjor problems including oil consumption. No matter how efficient something is people will always find a way to tear it apart. It is an award winning engine and better than most engines made in cars under 40K

 

It is expected that some engines will burn oil naturally. The BMW M3 burns oil right out of the factory. As long as it's not excessive then you should be ok.

 

how many quarts do the bmw m3's burn? and what is their oil capacity?

i believe the maxima's oil consumption isn't normal...I mean 1quart every 1k miles? that is nowhere near normal if u ask me...by the time you go do an oil change at 3k miles, you'd only have 1quart remaining which is not a safe limit

 

I agree 1 quart per 1000 miles is excessive. This is the same amount my late '98 Isuzu Rodeo used to burn. It was indeed annoying, but not a difficult problem to deal with.

Oil burning in any vehicle these days is greatly exasperated by the fact that nobody checks their oil until they go in for their 3000 mile oil change and by then major engine damaged may have already occured if excessive oil burning is taking place.

A good way to protect yourself from this ever happening is to check your oil during the 10 minutes you wait for your tank to fill at the gas station. That way you are not only protected from your normal rate of burn, but also any other problem such as a pcv valve failing and causing massive amounts to be lost. I would be willing to bet its just about impossible to burn up more than a quart in between the 400 miles between gas stops.

 

I don't know about your Maxima, but on every 4th and 5th Gen I've seen, its impossible to check the oil level right after the car has been driven. The dipstick will have oil all over it - making it impossible to tell the true level. I almost always have to wait 10-15 mins after driving to get a true reading. But your point is a good one and anyone who can get an accurate oil reading right after having driven the car would be prudent to follow your suggestion.

 

If your car is burning that much oil

1) You screwed it up by driving into the ground
2) Assembly from the factory was defective

Chances are #1 is true for most engine problems on the maxima. These are almost bullet proof engines that receive praise from around the world. 1QT of oil has absolutely nothing to do with normal 3.5L behavior. I would be surprised if my car burns .5 quarts of oil over 7K miles. This thread belongs on a GM or Ford forum not here. BTW: 02s were the last year built in JAPAN and assembly errors are very rare. They are not perfect people (Quality control wise) but they are about as close as they come.

 

I thought 03s were the last of the japan builds?

 

100% incorrect

All VQ35DE 5.5 gen maximas have engines built in japan. The 6gens and newest gen Altimas got the ones built in the USA.

 

Yea, If I wait 10-15 minutes after I drive my car, I still can't get a reading as the oil is all over the stick, its a pita.

 

this is true...except mine is more like a 2hr wait until I can get a "GOOD" reading....checking it 15-30 minutes after a day of driving will only yield an oil covered dipstick...the most accurate readings I get, are in the morning, right before you go to work...

 

Corrections here.
If you put in 4 quarts and finality drain only 3.5 quarts out, then your motor DID consume 1/2 quart during current OCI. Your assumption there was not valid cause how could you assure you had gotten every single drop out of the engine the last time you change the oil with the same method??

 

huh? what are you talking about?

if you pour in 4qts of oil...and u drain it through the drain plug...u are NOT going to get 4qts back...just common sense...some of it will be stuck on the engine internals...u might get damn close to 4qts, but in the end, u will be missing some...that is

 

I changed my oil a little late..grrrr.... like 3600 miles and i only got about 3 quarts back. i use mobil 1 synthetic oil and fram oil filters. but my engine has 115,000 miles, i do all highway driving, i drive hard, and the engine sounds healthy and runs amazingly well. I have not done a tune up on the engine yet though...what should i get done for 115,000 miles?

 

if you run mobil one synthetic I would not change it for 6K miles. What is the point of using synthetic if you change as frequently. There are people that would contest that conventional oil can be used longer than 3K miles on modern engines.

Also highway miles are the least taxing on your engine by far. The most damage and wear is done in stop and go traffic. BMW has it right. They put the blend in that is made for 15K miles and leave it be. Some of the best car engineers in the world are not wrong.

 

Just a little clarification: 03's were the last ones built in Japan. In fact, my 03 was entirely built and assembled in Japan per all my documentation.

 

agreed. I don't believe there is anything wrong with the 3.5 VQ. Just because a few cars up here are burning oil, doesn't mean all VQ's burn oil....

 

Time will tell. At this point in the poll, 12% of the 3.5's are burning excessive ammounts of oil. If it was only a fluke or result of poor maintenance, I'd expect around 1% or less. I guess we'll have to see in a few years.

 

BTW: 62.5% of the people who answered the poll with over 75k miles are burning more than a quart per 1000 miles. I'd say that's pretty darn excessive, wouldn't you? Come on here, pull your head out of the sand and just admit that there may be a problem!

 

So 17% burn oil? I guess thats not too bad considering different driving habits.

 

Just changed the oil on my new engine with 32k, and only 3 quarts came out. But then again when I had my oil leak it probably leaked that other quart out..

 

Look at the ones over 75k. over 60% burning more than a quart.

 

u know what? with all the 3.5 oil consumption threads floating around....i think this isn't normal...

 

Where was it leaking? Fill me in please.

 

Front valve cover gasket, not leaking, more like pouring.

But this was ONLY due to me not installing the gasket correctly.

 

Thanks. Look out for a leak on the rear valve cover gasket. If you see oil when you remove your rear plugs, you need to change the gasket. Just an FYI.

 

Yup, I found oil when I received the engine, so both VC gaskets are new.

EDIT: I remember buying a new rear vc, because the spark plug gaskets weren't removeable

 

I had to change mine at 100k when I did my plug change. It doesn't leak much there when the gasket goes, but still any little bit...

 

Ok, I am trying my best to make you clear here.

Let's suppost you have a brand new engine installed without any oil. Now you put 4.5 qts in, which is the total oil capacity of the engine. You get 4 qts out for the 1st oil change cause the engine still hold 1/2 qt as you aware. Now this time you only can put 4 qts in, then only can drain 3.5 qts out at the next oil change. Is that mean your engine now can hold 1 qt of oil if your engine doesn't burn any??? If after draining you still manage to put 4 qts in, and get another 3.5 qts out at the next oil change. Is that mean your engine now able to hold 1.5 qt if your engine doesn't burn any? It is not possible, right? So, where does all those extra oil go? They got burned, dude. The simple fact is that after 1st OC your engine should drains out exactly same amount of oil that you put in if your engine does not burn any oil. In your case, your engine consumes 1/2 qt per OCI. Plain and simple.

 

are you talking about? I've been changing my **** for over 20k miles now...i already KNOW how much oil is in my engine...why? cuz i check my DIPSTICK....my oil is on the full side of the criss cross spectrum...what does that mean? it means I have 4.25 qts of oil as what the owners manual says....and it stays that way for 3.5k miles until I change my oil...but u know wut? I dont get that whole 4.25 quarts back when I drain it out....I only get about 3.75-4.0 ish.... but my dipstick reads full everytime I check it...and I do moniter it VERY frequently...so what gives? my dipstick reads full EVERYTIME but I only get 3.75qts back? that means some of the oil is still in the engine...