exunaja

I did change my oil @7000 miles to synthetic oil and did the 7500 miles service at Trophy Nissan, Mesquite TX. a couple months ago.
Today at 7000 miles later the oil level on the dip stick showing very little oil left. I was confused, suprised and upset. Is it a typical problem for any engine when you convert from mineral to synthetic oil there will be some type of oil consumption/burning/lost, or is it sny othe factor such leak or something else?

I did believe that max oil dip stick is a little bit weird, but there is no way the oil only showing below L mark.

There is no indication from the oil warning light either???

any clue.. please help.. now I need to delay my trip because of this.

If any of the forum members can help me with some answer I really appreciate it.

thank you

MS 2K1 AE

exunaja;

I always get the best and easiest to read results when the engine is cold (first thing in the morning). If you are only one quart down, the engine oil light will not come on. These lights are designed to protect in the event of a catastophic failure that would cause immediate damage(ie, oil pump failure). A slow oil leak, or burn off, would not trip this light immediately. The light will only come on only when enough oil is lost to cause extremely low oil pressure. By this point in time, your engine is fried anyway.

I don't use synthetic oil, so I can't say if this is normal for certain. I doubt it very highly. I would check your oil pan plug and filter to be sure there are no minor leaks. Also, have somebody sit and rev your engine while you watch your exhaust. Make sure there is no bluish gray smoke coming out - the sure sign that you are burning oil.

Also, if you are only a quart down after 7000 miles, I don't think you need to stop driving the car. Add oil to bring it up to Full and monitor it on a daily basis.

exunaja

It is not a quart down because the oil dip stick showing below lower level.
I did check this morning before I started the car and it is showing low. I did check the exhaust pipe and doesn't seem to be any oil burning or oil leak from underneath the car.

so I have no clue.
thank you

sascuderi

I have used Synthetic in two of these engines (95 Max & 2000 I30) and never have to add oil. Are you sure it was filled correctly at the last oil change? I would suggest you keep a close eye on it and bring it to the dealer if you see an unusual drop again>

theMax

Was the oil good after you changed it and then it suddenly dropped low? or was this the first time you checked it after you changed it? Did you do alot of driving it the hot weather maybe towing a heavy load?

mdeal

iTrader: (2)

I would have to guess they didn't fill it properly if it is way low. Leaks around the drain plug and filter should be easy to spot, if you suspect it might be leaking.

Have you been driving it really hard as in flooring it all of the time?

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

I drive my car hard and have a few WOT runs each day in hot weather... I have never lost a drop of oil. I check it regularly as well as the other fluids.... I am due for an oil change, but it has not lost a drop as far as I can tell... either your oil was not filled up to the right level, or something is wrong.

young1976

did you find out if they replace your oil with 4 1/2 quarts including the oil filter? If they did, then there may be some leaks somewhere, new cars shouldn't be burning oil. If they didn't put 4 1/2 quarts then it's their fault. But then it may require a little more depending on how much was drained....

Paul6speed

When I switched from dino oil to Mobil 1, I saw no consumption. I think they didn't put enough in. I drive my car hard. Even in hot weather I'm seeing no oil loss. I change mine every 4000 miles. (severe duty schedule)

TimW

iTrader: (6)

no 'make-up' between changes.. I would change the oil and send a sample to Blackstone labs ($18). they will tell you whats up with your oil... and if they will recommend whether or not your driving style is suited for extend drain periods. I use mobile1 but they suggested I not go over 4000 miles without changing the filter, even tho the oil was still perfect. There were insolulables that get past the air filter (normal).. so while you get superior oil and it will last 12500 miles just fine, that doesnt mean your oil/filter will be ok.

again, the only way to know is to test your oil.. plus you can see if damage was done. I try to check levels ever 1000 miles anyway (3-4 fillups).
my cars recent results

http://www.adpub.com/tim/oil-max1.jpg

TimW

iTrader: (6)

they send a sheet that I dont have scanned that tells you what each metal means, such as ring wear, bearing wear, antifreeze and so on.. they lay it all out for you and even do that little summary for you.

Paul6speed

Maybe I'll send a sample in for my next change.

I guess you would lose a lot of oil if you changed your filter only.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

lose one qt with filter change.. at least I remember someone saying that.

bill99gxe

iTrader: (1)

The oil analysis stuff is all explained here:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=100060

The spreadsheet breaks down what all the metal terms mean.

TimW's and Russ's will be added next week, along with a couple of samples I'm having done.

It looks like oil filter life is vital to those such as TimW that make frequent stops and short trips.

The VQ filter is fairly small, so 1/2 to 2/3 qt. would be more in line with how much oil you would lose on a filter change.

exunaja

I have filled up my oil yesterday before I left from Dallas with 2 quartz of oil, after 350 miles I checked again, this morning and the oil kind of normal .. I don't understand and I did drive it hard sometime in the hot weather, but the oil shouldn't dissappear just like that.
anyway after that 5 hour drive I check and it seems to be normal.

It is really that tricky to use the dipstick in maxima?
Thank you for all your suggestions and for sure I will pay more attention next time.
I will bring it to the dealer next week for 15000 miles service and also I'll tell them about it.
Thank

TimW

iTrader: (6)

max dipstick is a pain in the ***... just wipe it clean, go do something else for 5 mins, then check it.. you'll get a good mark. Oil gets in the tube and needs time to drain down when checking hot.

Proceedbob

The Max dipstick is a POS, poor design. The auto industry standard is one quart per thousand miles. Most cars manufactured after 1962 will do much better, although that is what the service department will claim. A car will consume more oil during prolonged highway driving due to the lower cylinder pressures at constant throttle. I use Mobil One and change at 7500 miles, it is common to add one half to one quart between changes.

azylstra

The oil capacity for 2k Max/I30 per the book is 4.25 quarts (including filter), 4.5 quarts is for the J30. I measure my oil precisely when changing it, never under or over.

mike-777

Well I've done my own oil changes on various cars for 20 years. I recently did a no-brainer and forgot to tighten the drain plug. It was in, but finger tight. This cause a slow drip and when I noticed the spot on the garage floor I caught it. But in 3 weeks I only had to add 1/4 qt.
The point is, your oil is going somewhere. Changing to synthetic should have no infuence on this. Check for spots under the car,and any oil slinging inside the engine bay.
Other than that, change the oil again and watch it. Use your warantee if it continues, you paid for it.

exunaja

I am sure we are not the only group with this oil dipstick reading problem. Everything else back to normal after I filled it up with 2 quartz of oil. Is that mean I am losing 2 quartz of oil or is never there at the first place anyway?
need to confront the dealer and see what they say!
Is that a common problem that dealer/any oil change places always under fill the oil in the vehicle? Happens to a friend of mine as well at the local oil change place.

regards