2004 Infiniti I35 oil consumption

[Edzo]

My oil light came on yesterday. Car performance was good and no visible or audible signs of a problem. Since it was pouring out I waited to this morning to check the engine oil level. The dip stick registered about 1/2 the way up the marked area. Never had the oil light come on. Just had the oil changed within 1000 miles. Used Jiffy lube! Hope that wasn't a mistake. No signs of either an oil leak or burning oil. The oil on the dip stick looks clean. Jiffy lube changed the filter and used synthetic oil. I bought the car new about 10 years ago and have about 125000 miles on it. Any and all thought on this would be appreciated. I am going to add some oil bring the dip stick read up to full. Wonder if I need to carry a quart of oil in the car from now on. I do know that if you overfill these high compression engines it can be a serious problem. I am sure low oil or low oil pressure is just as bad. After topping off the oil I might drive down to my local mechanic - extremely honest and knowledgeable - and have him give the engine a look. Before I do that your advice would be appreciated. Thanks Edzo

[szh]

Never, never use Jiffy Lube! Many people have had poor experiences with them. Things like not replacing all the screws in lower engine covers, forgetting to put the drain bolt back on, not using a new copper crush washer that is needed on our engines, not actually changing the filter, not putting in enough oil, putting in too much oil, etc. Too many possible issues for me to trust them!

Since you have a local mechanic that you believe is honest and knowledgeable, use him! Have him do oil changes if you don't want to do your own. This is perfectly fine ... I don't do oil changes either! No lift at home and it is easy enough to get a local guy - with tons more experience than the Jiffy Lube folks - to do it right.

Just buy your own OEM filters and copper crush washers from an Infiniti dealer (or in bulk from www.everythinginfinti.com), oil from an auto parts store if you want to use your own (I use Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-40 so buy it myself) and have a local place with a lift do the oil change for me while I watch the work.

Measure oil with the car on level ground, cold engine (overnight in a garage is fine), and fill it up to at least half-way (or a bit higher) between the two marks on the dip-stick - doesn't have to be at the full mark. Of course, checking immediately after adding oil will not give it a chance to settle lower, so just do a good estimate and add enough oil for that - and just check the next morning. On your car, going from the low mark to the high mark is probably 1 qt - that will allow you to estimate how much you need right away if it is low

And, instead of keeping a quart in the car, I'd just check it every other morning for a while and see if it goes down. Having your local mechanic check your engine would be good too.

Final point: if the oil level on your car is good (halfway between the Low and High marks, the oil light coming on is not related to the quantity of oil per se. Have your guy check the engine for issues.

Z

[Edzo]

The pip stick oil measures to the half way mark. Based on what you advised i will not add oil. Just started the car. No loud noise and no oil light. Hmmm, I wonder if the torrential rain and deep puddles I was in yesterday somehow set off this warning light? Is that a reasonable possibility?

[Edzo]

Its been 6 days since my oil light came on and went off next day. No unusual signs noticed. Have driven the car every day on short trips around town. Will bring into my mechanic and explain it to him. See if he suggests any creative ideas. Thinking about flushing out the motor oil. Has anyone put about a 1/3 cup mystery oil in and run the car for a short time and then getting the oil changed? I remember doing this, in the old days, too my lincoln town car and dodge caravan.

[DrewH]

Use a high quality oil. They have detergents in them that should be keeping the engines free from buildup. This is just my .02 but I'm not a Mobil fan and UOA's from the VQ would agree with me. Also there's really no need for a new crush washer every time. Understanding the point of it and not over torqueing the plug is key.

If it were my car I would just continue doing what your doing by keeping an eye on the level. As far as the that goes its quite possible they didn't fill it all the way. The light is another story but if it hasn't returned it could be a couple things including water related issues.

[szh]

Also there's really no need for a new crush washer every time. Understanding the point of it and not over torqueing the plug is key.

Ummm ... your choice, but remember that copper crush washers cost between 50 cents and $1. So, this is a penny-wise-pound-foolish issue, IMHO, to not use a new one every time.

Yes, I'd rather use a new inexpensive copper crush washer and ensure a properly sealed bolt. Remember that this is a very hot region of the car, and a previously crushed washer (now in a new orientation to the bolt and the engine) might expand and crack in ways that could cause a leak. On a new car, if your do experience any engine damage (not very likely, I admit), and if it could be attributed to not using a new washer (as required by Nissan) every oil change, then your warranty claim could be made more difficult.

Agreed that the probability of an issue is small, but why risk it for such a cheap part?

Finally, how many people do you know actually use a torque wrench and get that bolt tightened to the specified value? Most would not even know the correct value to set! I have never seen an oil change where the person used a torque wrench on a drain bolt! FWIW, I think the torque happens to be 20 ft-lbs for my car, but I have no idea if this is different for other cars.

In regard to the type/brand of oil, this is also your choice for sure! I use Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-40 because it has been tested to be one of the best around - better than their 5W-30, but this is not the only choice, agreed. As I have mentioned in other threads in the past, almost any high-quality oil (dino or synthetic) with the correct viscosity and detergents (particularly for an older car) will do fine as long as it (and the filter) is changed reasonably regularly.

Z

[DrewH]

I didn't say to never change the crush washer, I just said that every time is unnecessary. Considering I've always turned my own wrenches and I'm still driving my 4th Nissan as well as my first Infiniti I'm confident in saying that. I'd actually go as far to say that, if one wanted to find out, a single crush washer could potentially outlast the lower oil pan on a VQ driven in the north.

Torquing can be defined simply as a twisting force and does not automatically mean that a torque wrench is used. Just as someone, who does their own work, should know how tight you should make an oil filter they should also be aware of how tight the drain plug should be. While the consequences of an overly tight filter are more of a PIA the same action can be rather detrimental to the oil drain on some engines.

My oil comments come from used oil analyses and while I agree that Mobil 0w40 is the best choice in the VQ when it comes to that brand even the cheaper Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 routinely performs better. The differences are small as it is a good choice in oil but there are differences nonetheless. No harm, no foul and to each their own.

[szh]

I didn't say to never change the crush washer

I did not take it that way either.

I just said that every time is unnecessary. Considering I've always turned my own wrenches and I'm still driving my 4th Nissan as well as my first Infiniti I'm confident in saying that. I'd actually go as far to say that, if one wanted to find out, a single crush washer could potentially outlast the lower oil pan on a VQ driven in the north.

You may well be right too - I will not argue the point too strongly.

Given its low cost, I guess I just find it easier to do the change every time than to try and remember whether it needs to be changed or not ... particularly since I don't do my own changes.

My oil comments come from used oil analyses and while I agree that Mobil 0w40 is the best choice in the VQ when it comes to that brand even the cheaper Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 routinely performs better. The differences are small as it is a good choice in oil but there are differences nonetheless. No harm, no foul and to each their own.

No particular argument per se here either ...

Do you have a reference to a comparison between Mobil 1 Synthetic (particularly the 0W-40) and the Pennzoil Platinum? I would like to read that!

My reason on why I use the Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-40 is based on the research done by Fred Palmer (a chemist and oil expert - one of the early Moderators here at NICO) and my own experience with using it for my 3 Infiniti's so far. I also did an oil analysis many years ago (on my wife's Acura though) and it had good results after 7500 miles on her car, so I figured doing a 3750 OCI on mine would be equally good!

Of course, I am okay with using good dino oils too - like the Castrol GTX (which is what I used for the first 10k miles on my M) and Chevron Supreme in 5W-30 weights. Using them, or the Pennzoil Platinum too, is okay as far as I am concerned. When the oil is changed often enough (and this OCI can vary - so use an analysis to be certain), then almost any good oil is likely to be perfectly fine.

Like someone once said in a post: "New oil is good oil".

Z

[float_6969]

It's quite possible that the oil light came on from being wet. The grounds to the block to activate the light IIRC. If that's the case, and it got really wet, it could have turned the light on.

[Edzo]

Thx, that is good info.