Missing Oil. Where'd it Go?

[Haitian_King]

I'm not an Altima owner, but my friend is. I'm a member of the Q45 forums.

I told him I'd ask you guys about his Altima problem. He has a Silver on black 2003 2.5 Altima. Told me that upon starting it the other day, he heard some sort of rattling from his engine. He said it sounded like beans in his engine. He turned the car off and restarted it and the sound ws gone. The car was fine afterwards. He then drove from Atlanta to NJ. After the drive, he said he heard the noise again. He added 2 quarts and it went away. There's no sign of oil leaking or burning. He's worried that he might have wrecked something driving from Atl to Nj with a low oil quantity. He said that he gets regular 3k oil changes, sometimes even @ 2.5k.

All the info I gave was what he told me. Can you guys shine some light on the problem?

[SHIFT_COUPE]

It has a QR engine. Most likely the famous pre-cat issue which leads to major oil consumption. There are many recalls on this which should help make sense of it for you. Have your friend call the dealer.

[Haitian_King]

Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I'll do that. Are there threads here about it? I'll take a look in the search. Thanks again!

[UNVMY240]

Needs a motor. Been a Nissan tech for 6 yrs and now moved to assistant parts manager for the dealership. I got tired of dropping 2.5s in Altimas and Sentras. IMO the 2.5l is junk, its a 100k mile motor at best. I have put new motors in cars that had both the best of maintance and the worst. Alot of 2.5 had problems with the Cat convert coming apart, others the screws would come out of teh secondaries in the intake plentum flaps, and last but not least the rings on the pistons where not position correctly from the factory causing excessive oil consumption. I'm a die hard nissan lover not only cause it has gotten me where I am today (house,wife and a daughter) but because they make a very reliable product. Get a motor put in and drive it for another 100k miles.

[Haitian_King]

Thank you. I'll pass the message along. New motors for it aren't expensive are they?

[Dexion]

Gotta get a new QR25DE put in, then imo once he does that tell him to get a 3.5 with the VQ35DE. I dont think anyone has had any serious problems with the 3.5L motor.

[Haitian_King]

Did not know that the 2.5 and 3.5's were different motor classes. I thought it was just a displacement difference. Damn. I'll talk to him and see what he says. Is the 2.5 to 3.5 swap a complicated affair? Or would it best for him to just get a 3.5 Altima?

[Lurchdubious]

that is not good news. so this is pretty common then? i'd like a 2.5 for the price & fuel economy, but it sounds like the 3.5's the way to go...

[SHIFT_COUPE]

that is not good news. so this is pretty common then? i'd like a 2.5 for the price & fuel economy, but it sounds like the 3.5's the way to go...

Bear in mind that the original poster has a 2003, the earlier of the 2.5's

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Bear in mind that the original poster has a 2003, the earlier of the 2.5's

Yeah, those were riddled with problems.

[Lurchdubious]

Bear in mind that the original poster has a 2003, the earlier of the 2.5's

aaaaahh. i missed that.

i do have an acquaintance with a 2.5L 2006 and he loves it, no problems at all... but i don't think he lets his wife drive it...lol.