Interesting info i found on the history on my car (please read)

[fiveliterbeater]

well, when i went to the Infinity dealership the other day for a transmission service, i asked the service girl if there was any history in the system about services done to my car and she said "yes". i was like "cool! can i get a copy?" , so she gave me about 5 pages worth of services done to the car. on it was the usual stuff done to it, like oil changes, and warranty replacement items like "cupholder broken, replaced with new one", or "weatherstriping on passenger door loose, replaced with new one" and so on and so forth. what really caught my attention, was at 34k miles, the notes read "oil pressure low and eratic (12-15psi) bearing noise from upper and lower - replace long block assembly" ....... and then again at 43, 653 miles " cust reports engine making a knocking noise. piston slap present. replace long block assembly"

at this point i'm like "wow! did i make a wise choice in purchasing an Infinity M with the VK45?" "is this motor going to give out within the next year or what?" so i called the dearlship where the work was done and coincedently , i spoke to the service guy who actually remembered my car being there and the problems that it had. he proceeded to inform me that the motor in this car had a very unusual problem with oil consumption and was burning oil a little faster than normal which over time caused the motor to run "dry" at times causing internal damage. so they replaced the whole motor under warranty. the second time the engine was replaced is because of a faulty engine from the factory. piston slap was present almost right after the time of the install and was again replaced with a new one. my car now has 51k miles on it but i guess the motor which was replaced under warranty has only 7k miles on it. which is good in a way because i guess my motor is practically brand new, but also scary because maybe it wasn't broken in properly.so in the end, my question would be, have any of you experienced excessive oil consuption on your M's equipped with the VK motor or have any of you heard of motors being replaced due to excessive oil consuption? please chime in and let me know.

[M4T5]

Wow....that is a serious repair! Oil consumption on the 06' and up models? I thought that was addressed after the 03 & 04 models. Maybe your 06' recieved a left over engine... I just can't see that though. That is a big find! At least the entire long block assmbly was replaced, and not just an overhaul was performed.I should check my service records too! Maybe I have a new engine and transmission!!! I sure hope not. Not at 18K mi when I purchased it. Guess you never know unless you check.How does your M45 run now? Any problems?

J

[fiveliterbeater]

it runs like a champ; especially since i did the airbox modification and TB bypass. the engine runs as smooth as can be and i haven't done an oil change yet but i will soon and try to see if there is any excessive oil consumption. have you been monitoring your oil on your M? does yours use any oil?

[M4T5]

Actually, I have not. It looks like I will be now. I still don't get the TB mod. What power increses will that actually give? I don't see much of an increase if any at all from doing that.

J

[DashingMax]

Check your car's Carfax report. If it indicates "new engine" on it, there goes your resale value.

[New2Import]

MT45

On GM models they run the coolant thru the throttle body for northern part of the country so the throttle body wouldnt freeze up. Well us down south dont need that and it makes the TB as hot as the coolant. Bypass it and cooler air is going in. Only net around 5-10hp. Now feed that link to me for the TB so I can get it done. Thanks'

[M4T5]

Why did you state GM models to start with?? Just curious. I'm not sure thst I will do this mod. I'm just not seeing the gains. Even if the coolant is bypassed, the under hood engine temps and the engine itself are going to get it pretty close to the coolants temp. Now, I haven't really looked under the cover yet, but is the TB separated from the intake with a composite plastic spacer, or is it bolted directly to the aluminum intake manifold? If it is bolted directly to the intake, then I don't see the TB temps getting any cooler with the TB bypass. JMHO.

J

[jankenpo30]

This car didn't happen to come from an auction did it?? Did it say anything about it ever being in Canada. There was a guy on another forum that had the EXACT same problem with his. He found out after he purchase from an auction...had the block replaced twice...I find it hard to believe there are 2 out there with the exact same scenario....gonna see if I can dig up his post.

[New2Import]

B

Why did you state GM models to start with?? Just curious. I'm not sure thst I will do this mod. I'm just not seeing the gains. Even if the coolant is bypassed, the under hood engine temps and the engine itself are going to get it pretty close to the coolants temp. Now, I haven't really looked under the cover yet, but is the TB separated from the intake with a composite plastic spacer, or is it bolted directly to the aluminum intake manifold? If it is bolted directly to the intake, then I don't see the TB temps getting any cooler with the TB bypass. JMHO.

J

I dont want to thread jack here so Ill leave it at this. Because Ive owned high performance GM models all my life from 300hp up to 650hp and Ive done the TB bypass to all of them. You do see gains test have proven it. Its one of those first mods you can do that cost nothing to do. To get the full benefits you need all supporting mods exhaust, CAI, headers and cooler thermostat. Ill find the site that done TB test. It has to do with the PCM and timing and everything. Its just simple the cooler the air the hp comes up. Im sure the M has alot more to give but from reading here guys would rather just leave it alone..Ive even read guys say a CAI is worthless. Im learning more so maybe that will change.

[M4T5]

This car didn't happen to come from an auction did it?? Did it say anything about it ever being in Canada. There was a guy on another forum that had the EXACT same problem with his. He found out after he purchase from an auction...had the block replaced twice...I find it hard to believe there are 2 out there with the exact same scenario....gonna see if I can dig up his post.

Well, if it came from Canada you would bwe able to distinguish it by it having DRL's (Daylight Running Lamps) right? Just thought I would mention that.

J

[jankenpo30]

Well, if it came from Canada you would bwe able to distinguish it by it having DRL's (Daylight Running Lamps) right? Just thought I would mention that.

J

Not really...if I remember it right, he bought in the states & brought it over to Canada. That's why I asking if it come back. Still trying to dig for that post.

[jankenpo30]

Found it...May of 2008...I PMed the poster to see if he still owns the car...ut here was his story

"I just bought M45 2006 with 36K miles on it in CA from the auction. The car was delivered to the boarder and I brought it to Canada. While driving from the border after about 100mi MIL light briefly came on and when I slowed down at the traffic light the loud knocking sound started to come out from the engine. I then towed the car to the dealer in Calgary by calling road side assistance and so far it has cost me anything yet.Before the purchase I called infiniti for the recall letter and confirmed that the warranty is active and the car is fully covered. Now Calgary dealer says without any further inspection the issue is most likely mechanical and the warranty won't cover if the engines oil is or was ever low. When the car came to the Calgary dealer the oil level was ok. They confirmed that the oil is good.I called infiniti US for maintenance records and after long query they told me that the car was brought to the dealer in CA with low oil, knocking sounds and after market oil filter about 300mi ago. I guess this is the reason infiniti decided to put the car to the auction and wouldn't want to do anything with the engine. Although at the same time they did something to get rid of the sound temporary."

Post #2"I discovered some new info today. I started calling infiniti US and they gave me the list of dealerships the car was brought in for service. At last dealer they spotted problems with the engine. So I called the dealer and they told me that the car came with similar problems to what I have with low oil and aftermarket filter. So what they did is replaced under warranty the short block (the bottom part of the engine). That info made my day."

Post #3"Here's what's happening now. After a month of phone calls I managed to achieve the warranty to cover short block (bottom part of the engine). Now local Canadian Infiniti dealer says that the top part of the engine needs to be replaced too, and should have actually been done by US dealer in the first place to do proper job. I am currently waiting for warranty approval for the top part of the engine.The full engine has finally got approved for warranty replacement! Now I have to wait another 4-6 weeks because the gaskets are on back order."

[M4T5]

What does that come down to??Lack of quality maintenance! There is not other reasoning. It was more than likely never the engines fault, but instead the owners.It is amazing to see that Infiniti decided to honor the warranty when they probably knew it was neglect.Run them low or too long on the same oil change for too long....and there's your results. The 06' & up M45's are not known to consume oil between regular oil change intervals.

J

[fiveliterbeater]

MT45Now feed that link to me for the TB so I can get it done. Thanks'

you know what bud....i lost that link, but it looks like you are a Gm owner just like i used to be (i had a 96 Z28, 99 Z28 and 02 SS), the setup for the modification is just like the TB on an LS1. just remove the airbox and look closely at the TB. i know it may seem confusing, but what i did is look at the thermostat housing, and then follow one of the hoses back up to the TB and then look at where it goes in and then look at where it comes out. i just used 2ft of coolant hose and bypassed it from the entry point, and then went over the TB and connected it to the other side. reading my own post may sound more confusing, so if you need pics, let me know.

[Double E]

Any benefit to getting air to circulate through the unused coolant pasages in the TB?

I wonder if there would be any temp drop if outside air were driven through the passage in the TB?

I'm thinking about doing this mod...I'll probably take off the TB when I do as I'm pushing 64K miles & want to clean it as well. Is there a gasket I'll need to replace in the process?

[fiveliterbeater]

Actually, I have not. It looks like I will be now. I still don't get the TB mod. What power increses will that actually give? I don't see much of an increase if any at all from doing that.

J

....well there is a gain, just not enough to make you go "wow!!", but it is enough for you to notice it on a cool evening. now actual rwhp may be around 3-4 at the wheels and it is a quick little fix to a setup that can be improved. all the mod does is cool the intake charge going into the intake manifold. as you already know, cool air is more dense and hence, has more OXYGEN. you probably know most of what i'm about to tell you so this is a quick rundown for those who don't know.hotter air is less dense and obviously, less OXYGEN. have you noticed that on a really really hot day, your car doesn't perform as well. that's cause the air entering the combustion chamber isn't packed with enough oxygen and causes our engine to start "pre-detonation" or "knocking", meaning the fuel and oxygen is exploding before the piston reaches TDC (top dead center) . luckily modern technology has most modern motors equipped with sensors called "knock sensors" that pull timing from the motor when engine knock is detected.now after all that said, by doing the TB bypass, all we are doing is making it harder for the engine to "pre-warm" the air entering the combustion chamber and keeping the air as dense as possible. again, the mod isn't a tire shredder; but it is a mod that will give you a smerk when you floor it.

[fiveliterbeater]

This car didn't happen to come from an auction did it?? Did it say anything about it ever being in Canada.

.....no. as far as i know, the car isn't from canada eh! lol. the car was purchased as a 2 year lease from Discover Infinity in San Diego CA. the car was then given up at auction and bought buy CARMAX. i purchased it along with a 4yr/48k mile warranty.

[fiveliterbeater]

Now, I haven't really looked under the cover yet, but is the TB separated from the intake with a composite plastic spacer, or is it bolted directly to the aluminum intake manifold? If it is bolted directly to the intake, then I don't see the TB temps getting any cooler with the TB bypass. JMHO.J

you are correct, the TB is bolted directly to the intake manifold and hence, as the engine heats up, so will the TB. all the mod does is delay the inevitable heat transfer from the motor to all the components of the motor, namely, the TB. what you are descibing is called "heat soak". that happens as you drive the car hard for a while and then let it idle for a few minutes. as the car idles, weather you are going through a drive-thru, or sitting in traffic, the heat from the motor literally "soaks" everything in heat and the performance of the vehicle is affected. but that's why they make really cool ice packs that sit and chill on top of the intake manifold and keep it cool right before a race.

[New2Import]

you know what bud....i lost that link, but it looks like you are a Gm owner just like i used to be (i had a 96 Z28, 99 Z28 and 02 SS), the setup for the modification is just like the TB on an LS1. just remove the airbox and look closely at the TB. i know it may seem confusing, but what i did is look at the thermostat housing, and then follow one of the hoses back up to the TB and then look at where it goes in and then look at where it comes out. i just used 2ft of coolant hose and bypassed it from the entry point, and then went over the TB and connected it to the other side. reading my own post may sound more confusing, so if you need pics, let me know.

Yes please forward me some pics. My email is linked thru here. I havent looked at the engine yet. But Yeah Im a GM guy at heart. Ive own couple models with the TB bypass. Keep me informed if you find any more quickie mods.

[ken in az]

zerothread?id=396803

[fiveliterbeater]

Any benefit to getting air to circulate through the unused coolant pasages in the TB?

I wonder if there would be any temp drop if outside air were driven through the passage in the TB?

now don't be confused, the coolant doesn't pass through the air. It just passes through the TB to keep it hot. passing air through the ports where coolant used to flow through will not improve the mod. at that point, it's just unessary.

[ken in az]

There was a guy that had some leftover parts and actually made a separate radiator and electric pump to circulate coolant through the TB as a separate system from the engines cooling system.

I don't recomend to go that far because the gains are minimal, but he actually called his system the intercooled throttle body mod and it actually made power.

This was done on a Nissan Titan yup - vk56de - and i'm sure if you spent as much time searching for it as I did writing about it you'd find it....the write - up is on a different forum than this one so google or yahoo away!

the TB bypass mod is worthy, only if it costs less than $20 and no more than 2-3hrs of your own time. If it's more complicated than that then who cares.

It is super easy on our car so it's a no brainer ~

[fiveliterbeater]

that actually sounds pretty cool and now that i think about it, if you had some way of running some super cool fluid through it at all times, it would keep the air entering the TB, very cool at all times. interesting. hey i sent you an email asking you about where did you get your wheel spacers; i want some, where can i get some?

[maxnix]

Oil consumption on the 06' and up models? I thought that was addressed after the 03 & 04 models.

Essentially the exact same engine. Just depends on the vagaries of things like all the oil control ring and compression ring gaps lining up on a particular cylinder.

Looser fit for less friction and more power does not increase longevity. Break in procedure seems to have some bearing too, as well as busing OCI. Look at problems with VQ37HR is right oil is not used.

[ken in az]

Sorry, my em

that actually sounds pretty cool and now that i think about it, if you had some way of running some super cool fluid through it at all times, it would keep the air entering the TB, very cool at all times. interesting. hey i sent you an email asking you about where did you get your wheel spacers; i want some, where can i get some?

il is essentially off after 4pm

wheel spacers can be had from ebay or from project kics - i don't have the website. I had mine left over from an old project I havent finished yet.

If you do get wheel spacers make sure they are HUBCENTRIC or you will get vibrations....they need that little lip machined into/onto them. you'll see what I mean. If you wait till tomorrow I'll post some pics and a link or two.

My opinion is 20mm at stock height and 25mm lowered. another forum called "blank" has lots of links and pics for the spacers so ou can see what they look like. unfortunately this board doesn't let you even type in the name of the website let alone allow direct linking - same for the other website.

I'll see what I can do tomorrow