I have a huge problem

[FoxApe]

Started my M today and what did I hear?..........a clanging noise which was followed by a slight burnt oil smell. .........I listened for about 3 sec and shut it off. ...........Checked the oil level and noticed it had dropped but nothing drastic and the oil was dirty. ....... oil & filter changed 1500 miles ago and i check every month ........No sign of leak so some part isnt getting enough oil..........just hope its a bent pushrod or something on the top-end(which of course is still pretty bad)......... Any ideas? .............If there are any Vegas guys out there that know of a good shop let me know

[Q45tech]

I doubt there are many in US familiar with the internals of newer 4.5 even dealers are undertrained.

There are no push rods in 32v V8 and heaven't been in last 18 years.

Modern all aluminum engines don't get repaired they get TOTALLY REPLACED.

[slownrusty]

Before panicing...A couple of things:

Go back out and start the car and let it run for a few minutes, you will not make anything worse. Does it seem like the engine is smooth, on other words, is the idle steady, these cars purr so it is easy to tell if something is off. Is the idle constant or erratic?

If you gently rev the engine keep it at say 2000rpm, does the metallic sound become worse, what about the oil smell does it prolong? If it does shut off right away.

It could be something as something like a bolt, dowel, etc coming loose..and working its way around the motor, oil pan..

Let us know.Yasin

[Mark Linkous]

FoxApe,Really sorry to hear your engine is giving you cause for concern. Do you have any sort of extended warranty? If not, your best bet might be to purchase a JDM motor. If the price is anywhere near as cheap as the VH45 is, this might not be silly expensive.Cheers,M.L

[DaleHeller]

Wow, my condolensces on this one...I'm getting more and more nervous about my M.

Last time I went by the dealer, there had to be 2-3 engines pulled and laying out on a dolly on the floor - yikes...

[xerexabante]

I had the same problem last week did not use the car for 9 days. It is the hydraulic lifters. This is a common problem for these type of lifters. Not to worry.

[maxnix]

I had the same problem last week did not use the car for 9 days. It is the hydraulic lifters. This is a common problem for these type of lifters. Not to worry.

No HLA in the VK.

[FoxApe]

Added 2 qt oil just to be safe........engine is a little hesitant upon starting but has a smooth idle after that. Reved to 2k and the metallic sound did not become worse.............sound seemed to lessen after bringing it back to idle and running it for a couple minutes and naturally lessened when i went into R & D

Waited 10 min and started it up again...........No hesitation during startup although I did feel a little rumbling after startup. Engine sounded normal with a very slight clanging in the background......when I brought it up to 2k the clanging sounded like it did when it was idling during first startup. Oil level was fine

Sounds like a f-250 deisel. I think I might just roll with it

[auditech10]

Was it 2 qts low or did you just keep filling it until you felt better??? Having too much oil can be almost as bad as having not enough.

[Q45tech]

To get the extra 50 HP/ 40 lb/ft from the same displacement [vs 90-96 Q45] the engineers were forced to use a few tricks that might greatly reduce the longevity unless the engine was treated very well. Few owners are/were meticulous about 90 day oil changes and proper breakin and waiting until oil is warm before driving away. Creating excessive wear, tolerances, and noise.

Same thing happened to Lexus when they increased power in 98 and 2002, what was a rock of extreme reliability just became better than average.

After all so few new buyers keep them beyond 100k why waste the money on extreme longevity.

Important to measure the 32 shims which set the clearance for each bucket lifter and replace those that have worn out of spec.

[FoxApe]

Well last night it started up and idled fine. Even drove around the block and sounded completely normal.....But on a cold startup this morning It made the same sound as previous startups.

Funny....I can build SBCs but when I look under the hood of the M all I can do is give it a blank stare followed by me going inside and watching tv.

I hate it when I cant fix something myself but guess its time to take it in and pay the price. Oh well......

Thankyou for the input and I'll let you guys know what happens

[szh]

I think that like you may have the classic carbon buildup issue that these engines occasionaly exhibit.

Try a BG-44K session (the Nissan Infiniti dealers have a supposedly equivalent product too) as described in one of my earlier posts. If that does not work (two sessions maximum), go in for a powered rail flush - make sure to tell the dealer that you want more than them just putting in the injector cleaner again!

Z

[xerexabante]

Select Vehicle | New TSBs | Technician's Reference Component Search: Conversion Calculator 2002 Infiniti Q45 V8-4.5L (VK45DE) Vehicle Level Technical Service Bulletins All Technical Service Bulletins Engine - Knocking/Tapping Noise on Cold Start Engine - Knocking/Tapping Noise on Cold Start Notes Classification:EM02-006a

Reference:ITB02-049a

Date:June 21, 2004

TAPPING / KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE AT COLD START

This bulletin amends ITB02-049. This version amends the Applied Vehicles. Please discard all paper copies of the earlier version.

APPLIED VEHICLE: 2002 - 2004 Q45 (F50) 2003 - 2004 M45 (Y34)2003 - 2004 FX45 (S50) with V8 engine.

IF YOU CONFIRM:

A tapping or knocking noise (similar to a piston or valvetrain noise) when starting a cold engine.

NOTE :The engine is considered "cold" when it has been OFF (not running) for several hours.

ACTIONS:

1. Dislodge and remove any carbon deposits that may have caused the noise and confirm that carbon deposits were the cause of the noise.

^ While the noise is occumng quickly rev the engine several times to approximately 4,000 RPM. Then release the accelerator quickly as soon as the engine reaches 4,000 RPM. ^ The noise should disappear immediately if carbon deposits are the cause. NOTE :

^ If the customer reported a noise that exactly matches the symptoms listed above but you cannot duplicate it the cause may still be carbon deposits. Go to step 2. ^ If the noise does not stop after revving the engine or you observe any other noise that doesn't match one described above go back to ASIST for further diagnostic and repair information. 2. To prevent this incident from occurring again add a bottle of Nissan In-Tank Fuel System Cleaner P/N 999MP.FSCOOP to a full tank of fuel (in the vehicle's fuel tank) according to the instructions on the label.

^ This product is proven to reduce carbon deposits on pistons and combustion chambers as well as cleaning other components of the fuel system.



PARTS INFORMATION

CLAIMS INFORMATION



Submit a Primary Operation (P0) line claim using the claims coding shown.



Disclaimer

[xerexabante]

Thank you I double check and you are correct. I thought I had HLA. Well in my case it was just the car had drained oil to the bottom from no use for 9 days.

[szh]

2. To prevent this incident from occurring again add a bottle of Nissan In-Tank Fuel System Cleaner P/N 999MP.FSCOOP to a full tank of fuel (in the vehicle's fuel tank) according to the instructions on the label.

^ This product is proven to reduce carbon deposits on pistons and combustion chambers as well as cleaning other components of the fuel system.

That Nissan part is their equivalent of the BG-44K that I mentioned in my posts!

The Infiniti dealer is not allowed to sell it to you normally, but some friendly service guys (you need to develop a relationship with them!) might do so. Regardless, you can get BG-44K from eBay sources pretty easily and at half the price of the Nissan bottle ...

Z

[FoxApe]

In a last ditch effort to avoid the dealership I decided to take Szhosain's advice so I changed my oil and added some Schaeffer Nuetra(couldn't find any 44k) to the fuel............. After this the engine ran very well & had a smooth idle. After letting it sit for over 8 hrs, I started it up on a cold night(40 degrees) and everything still ran perfect.

Thanks for the input guys and I hope this solved my "huge problem." lol ...............Sorry to disappoint those who were waiting to hear what the dealership had to say about it.

[szh]

In a last ditch effort to avoid the dealership I decided to take Szhosain's advice so I changed my oil and added some Schaeffer Nuetra(couldn't find any 44k) to the fuel............. After this the engine ran very well & had a smooth idle. After letting it sit for over 8 hrs, I started it up on a cold night(40 degrees) and everything still ran perfect.

Thanks for the input guys and I hope this solved my "huge problem." lol ...............Sorry to disappoint those who were waiting to hear what the dealership had to say about it.

Yay!!!!

I do not know what Schaeffer Nuetra is (i.e., the active cleaning ingredient), but if it is similar to what is in BG-44K, it may indeed help. The Chevron Techron (including the Techron Plus concentrate bottles) at Kragen and other auto parts stores are the same ingredient as BG-44K, but are not the same concentration!

I get my BG-44K in multiple packs from eBay sources mostly. An 11 ounce can (for one tankful) costs about $10 to $12 per can, plus shipping. One of them about 500 to 600 miles (thus going through about 2 tankfuls of gas) before any oil change - so that whatever gets into the oil gets removed - works wonders!

Z

[mazz]

Will that BG-44K in M35 V6 motor as well?

[FoxApe]

Schaeffer Nuetra is what the guys at So-cal speedshop use. Probably not as concentrated as BG-44k but still a good product

[szh]

Will that BG-44K in M35 V6 motor as well?

Most definitely!

It will work in any engine that has fuel injectors.

Z

[szh]

Schaeffer Nuetra is what the guys at So-cal speedshop use. Probably not as concentrated as BG-44k but still a good product

Good! I had simply not heard of it, so I do not know how to compare it or comment on it per se. If it seems to do the same kind of cleaning that the BG-44K and Nissan product do, then that is good!

Z

[Mark Linkous]

FoxApe,That is great news. So glad your motor is running well.Cheers,M.L

[maxnix]

That Nissan part is their equivalent of the BG-44K that I mentioned in my posts!

The Infiniti dealer is not allowed to sell it to you normally, but some friendly service guys (you need to develop a relationship with them!) might do so.

Z

Joe will!

http://www.infinitipartsusa.com

For BG44K

http://www.bgfindasihp.com

BG44K is 4x as strong as Techron, and everything else is just weak solvents, not detergents.