Oil Consumption Question - Infiniti 2003 M45

[BaltimoreM45]

Hey Man I'm new to the forum Ive read every post including the ones about the oil consuption problem I want to know all there is to know about this also if you were a potential buyer would you buy it knowing of the oil issue.I need to know how yall deal with it Thanks in Advance

[szh]

Hey Man I'm new to the forum Ive read every post including the ones about the oil consuption problem I want to know all there is to know about this also if you were a potential buyer would you buy it knowing of the oil issue. I need to know how yall deal with it Thanks in Advance

Well, if the consumption is 1 qt every 1000 miles or less, the typical approach is to get Infiniti to replace the engine and then break the new engine in properly. Which Infiniti will do if pushed hard enough, although I do not know how successful this effort would be if the car were to be out of warranty!

With more miles per quart than that, the only solution is to check the oil level and feed it a diet of engine oil as needed. On my car, I check at the halfway point between OCI's (at about 1750 miles or so) and add about 1/4 to 1/3 qt that it needs to get it above the mid-point - at the 3750 miles mark, it has usually dropped below the mid-point again, but at that point, I just change the oil and filter so adding a small amount is kinda pointless.

BTW, I check the oil at least every 3 to 4 weeks to avoid any unusually high use - has not occurred, but I prefer to be careful.

Now, would I have bought my car if I had known about this before hand? I am not entirely sure. OTOH, I love the unique looks of my 2003 M45 and if I knew bofore i bought it, that the oil use was about 1/2 qt per OCI, I might still have gone for it.

FWIW, in both my older Q45's, there was never a need to add oil between changes.

Z

[maxnix]

The first thing any potential Infiniti purchaser should inspect is the Infiniti dealer performed service history. Verify 3,750 OCI. Have a master Infiniti tehnician inspect the car prior to purchase.

Purchase the Nissan extended warranty if purchasing from a dealer.

[szh]

Purchase the Nissan extended warranty if purchasing from a dealer.

Yes! Absolutely essential ...

Z

[BaltimoreM45]

I would love to have the warranty but I'm not buying from Infiniti.The car Im buying has 82,000 miles so I'm thinking it might not have the oil problem I have a few more questions when y'all say oil consuption do y'all mean this perticular engine needs more oil to operate or it's actually burning oil. Thanks for the replies guys

[szh]

I would love to have the warranty but I'm not buying from Infiniti.

Certainly your choice! However, some extended warranty is highly recommended - less due to the engine than the expensive electronics in all modern cars (not a unique issue with this model, btw).

The car Im buying has 82,000 miles so I'm thinking it might not have the oil problem

Ummm ... why would you think that? Burning oil is not an indication per se of not being able to go to high miles ... it may be running perfectly fine, but just uses oil in-between OCI's regardless. If it uses between 1 to 1.5 to 2 qts every 3750 miles, that is probably near-normal for this engine.

I have a few more questions when y'all say oil consuption do y'all mean this perticular engine needs more oil to operate or it's actually burning oil. Thanks for the replies guys

Well, there is no effective difference between those two phrases really. Needing more oil means that it has to be consuming oil ... which is typically because it burns the oil.

Basically, the new engine has looser piston rings fitting than the older V-8 design used in the first-gen Q45, and there is oil blowby into the cylinders and this gets burned during normal combustion.

Z

[BaltimoreM45]

Whats the percentage of the cars with the oil problem?

[szh]

Whats the percentage of the cars with the oil problem?

I don't know for sure ... as I recall, some estimates have it around 10 to 15%. Particularly on earlier (2002-2004) Q45's and the 2003/2004 M45. But that is a SWAG.

Z

[BaltimoreM45]

I'm going to get the car regardless Im a person who likes to know every aspect of a car this forum is great thanks for the answer guys.

[candymanfb]

Take your time ...... you seem to be rushing!

If there is an oil issue - use it to lower the price if you can! I looked at 2 other M45s and was willing to sign on the dotted line, but was very happy to get my current M. These cars are great to look at but can be a pain if yours has problems.A warranty would be the smartest thing you can do, but read the fine print.

Good luck to you!