Dvan, I'm telling you from experience and from presently looking... Nothing compares. I feel like I chose the right car hands down, except for this stupid issue. I'm literally all over the place - 550, GS 430, A4, TL/TSX... Nothing would I want more than my M.
I took a good, hard look at the BMW 5 series before I decided on my M and ever since then, it's like I wonder what I ever saw in it. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful car, but it doesn't have the same... umm...
(wishing for a ninja icon...) You know what I mean?
EDIT: It still might be next...
Modified by jazzy m45 at 8:00 PM 2/4/2010
New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can?
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (jazzy m45)
I got an interesting response to my engine clacking sound video (see below). Its a reason that I havent heard before so I thought id share....Steve, what do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQeCOJZcDM
Response on video page: "Same thing happened to mine, #7 rod was bent due to water getting sucked up in the intake. Rod is like $160 from the dealer. Don't drive through puddles!! The intakes are really low on these cars!!!"
And an e-mail response from the same person: "your clacking noise sounds like what happened to mine. my number 7 rod was bent (i have pics). If you are handy with mechanic work, its not that hard to change out. buy yourself a manual on cd rom off eBay and follow the directions. Took me 6 hours with the engine out of the car. you can do it with the engine still in the car. even if its a bad piston, you can probably get one for less than $200. make sure you have some sort of gasket maker, thats what infiniti used.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQeCOJZcDM
Response on video page: "Same thing happened to mine, #7 rod was bent due to water getting sucked up in the intake. Rod is like $160 from the dealer. Don't drive through puddles!! The intakes are really low on these cars!!!"
And an e-mail response from the same person: "your clacking noise sounds like what happened to mine. my number 7 rod was bent (i have pics). If you are handy with mechanic work, its not that hard to change out. buy yourself a manual on cd rom off eBay and follow the directions. Took me 6 hours with the engine out of the car. you can do it with the engine still in the car. even if its a bad piston, you can probably get one for less than $200. make sure you have some sort of gasket maker, thats what infiniti used.
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jazzy m45
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:51 pm
- Car: 2006 Infiniti M45 Umbria Gray Adv. Tech
- Location: Rock Hill, SC
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (jazzy m45)
All right... After much research and thought... I've decided to ride this out. I got the car back on Friday and the dealer's explanation - "We did find some condensation in the exhaust, causing some smoke upon startup". I replied "What I saw was a huge puff of smoke, it wasn't condensation, I know what that looks like." My service advisor then simply told me "Well, our service manager has checked it out and drove it and he assures me that the car is fine to drive. The oil level was where it should be."
So I took it and promised myself for that tank of gas, I was going to drive the ___ out of the car (not abuse it, but push it some). That, I figured, would give me a good chance of either making the issues come back, comforting me in knowing that it wouldn't come back, or at least help me make a decision on keeping it (I hadn't decided at that point). So I drove it, and I drove it hard.
The verdict: I LOVED IT! It really made me remember how much I love the car. I actually ended up getting rid of my "heavy" feeling during the drive, so I guess I hit it hard enough for the rings to seat as they should. The car just feels more like it did before the engine swap. I had no blue smoke all weekend (except for the "normal" little release - looks like it's from a low powered smoke machine). I was checking by hitting the button and running to the back of the car. LOL
Anyway, I had full intentions Saturday of test driving a couple of other cars and to be honest, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't want another car at all... I just want this one to work. I talked to my dealer and the dealer while I was out of town (absolutely no help) and I've decided that I'm just going to take a more active role in watching this issue and harping on the dealer until the end of my warranty, then installing a catch can.
On another note, adding insult to injury, on my drive back up Sunday, the Nav screen went blank out of nowhere! It was like somebody just turned off a tv (went to a little line with a star in the middle like -----*-----) and then a few seconds later, it popped back on, settings still intact. Me and my wife just looked at each other like
So I took it and promised myself for that tank of gas, I was going to drive the ___ out of the car (not abuse it, but push it some). That, I figured, would give me a good chance of either making the issues come back, comforting me in knowing that it wouldn't come back, or at least help me make a decision on keeping it (I hadn't decided at that point). So I drove it, and I drove it hard.
The verdict: I LOVED IT! It really made me remember how much I love the car. I actually ended up getting rid of my "heavy" feeling during the drive, so I guess I hit it hard enough for the rings to seat as they should. The car just feels more like it did before the engine swap. I had no blue smoke all weekend (except for the "normal" little release - looks like it's from a low powered smoke machine). I was checking by hitting the button and running to the back of the car. LOL
Anyway, I had full intentions Saturday of test driving a couple of other cars and to be honest, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't want another car at all... I just want this one to work. I talked to my dealer and the dealer while I was out of town (absolutely no help) and I've decided that I'm just going to take a more active role in watching this issue and harping on the dealer until the end of my warranty, then installing a catch can.
On another note, adding insult to injury, on my drive back up Sunday, the Nav screen went blank out of nowhere! It was like somebody just turned off a tv (went to a little line with a star in the middle like -----*-----) and then a few seconds later, it popped back on, settings still intact. Me and my wife just looked at each other like
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (jazzy m45)
Told ya you just needed to push it hard for a while and the transmission logic adaptsjazzy m45 wrote:
So I took it and promised myself for that tank of gas, I was going to drive the ___ out of the car (not abuse it, but push it some). That, I figured, would give me a good chance of either making the issues come back, comforting me in knowing that it wouldn't come back, or at least help me make a decision on keeping it (I hadn't decided at that point). So I drove it, and I drove it hard.
The verdict: I LOVED IT! It really made me remember how much I love the car. I actually ended up getting rid of my "heavy" feeling during the drive, so I guess I hit it hard enough for the rings to seat as they should. The car just feels more like it did before the engine swap.
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (dvan)
My catch can has been on for about 4200 miles. It's the Jegs unit. I've emptied it twice from 1/3rd full. It seems to fill up to about 1/3 and then it seems not to add any more.
Unfortunately, I'm thinking that the 1/3rd full is the point where the oil in the can is creeping up the side of the can and getting into the intake anyway.
The solution would seem to be a bigger can such as installed by (IIRC) Ken.
...or more frequent empty cycles. The only problem with increasing frequency is that the threads on the container are starting to cross thread and though I can "chase" them smooth a little at a time with a file, it's plastic and not up to really frequent removals...
Unfortunately, I'm thinking that the 1/3rd full is the point where the oil in the can is creeping up the side of the can and getting into the intake anyway.
The solution would seem to be a bigger can such as installed by (IIRC) Ken.
...or more frequent empty cycles. The only problem with increasing frequency is that the threads on the container are starting to cross thread and though I can "chase" them smooth a little at a time with a file, it's plastic and not up to really frequent removals...
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jazzy m45
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:51 pm
- Car: 2006 Infiniti M45 Umbria Gray Adv. Tech
- Location: Rock Hill, SC
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (Double E)
Stupid question, but one for my understanding...
With a catch can, it stops the oil from being "consumed" by entering parts of the engine to which it is not welcome...understood. But, with that in mind, doesn't the oil that is "caught" need to be replaced? It seems to me, trying to think logically, that if you catch the oil in the catch can, it's still "leaving" the engine, therefore still needing to be replaced, right?
With a catch can, it stops the oil from being "consumed" by entering parts of the engine to which it is not welcome...understood. But, with that in mind, doesn't the oil that is "caught" need to be replaced? It seems to me, trying to think logically, that if you catch the oil in the catch can, it's still "leaving" the engine, therefore still needing to be replaced, right?
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (jazzy m45)
That would be correct.
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jazzy m45
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:51 pm
- Car: 2006 Infiniti M45 Umbria Gray Adv. Tech
- Location: Rock Hill, SC
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (Double E)
Thanks for the help, Double E. I think I'm at a good level of understanding now. I'm not going to do one until the end of the warranty, but it looks like a good idea for me. Nothing, however, seems to be more important than keeping a good constant check on the oil level.
Re: New Engine Coming...Proper break-in? Catch can? (jazzy m45)
all NISSAN/INFINITI can last well over ur Hyundai. I had NISSAN/INFINITI vehicles for 14 years STRAIGHT. They were all "MADE IN JAPAN" models. All of them had over 100k plus and one had over 200k+ and never had any engine problems as far as I know. U just have to take care of it properly. Its not just NISSAN/INFINITI engine might burn oils. I know MB/BMW they all burn oils cause the newer high HP high performance engine do get some oil buring sometimes so live with it. My VK45DE is currently just passed 140k miles mark. I never had issues on the engine so far even tho I am not the original owner but I can say sometime I do get tiny bit smoke out tail pipes. When I see that then its time for oil change and after that it goes away. I understand where u M45 ower coming from. remember these engines are high performance and racing spec engine that need to be proper care and maintain at all time. That can be bit challenge for average guys. if u r a "car" guy that might be fine but regular people just really dont have the time or the knowledge to deal with the hassels. Like I said, just take care it bit more then ur other cars and enjoy the torque of the M if not then u should consider something like Corolla/Camry where those cars has obsolute no connection to the road but yet very reliable. Opps correction, maybe not TOYOTA right now. U know what I meant.