Oil burning question. Always bad?

[bullittandy]

I was reading another post about the 2002 Q's being oil burners, 1-2 quarts between changes. My question is:

Is burning oil always bad? I mean, as long as its not fouling plugs, clogging the pvc or draining the engine dry, does burning a couple quarts really matter?

Also, do the 2002 Q's get worse with miles, or does the ring just not seat that tight and oil seeps past?

Burning oil is such a common high mileage problem that I wondered if it was a knee jerk reaction for any car to burn oil.

[qship96]

burning oil is oil getting past the rings or valve seals into the combustion chamber,so obviously the ability to maintain compression{power} is compromised-the worse the oil burning gets the weaker the engine power will become ...a progressive disease

[Skibane]

as long as its not fouling plugs, clogging the pvc or draining the engine dry, does burning a couple quarts really matter?

Those are pretty big "ifs"!

Also, how does a constant diet of burnt oil affect the cats and O2 sensors?

[maxnix]

Burning oil is such a common high mileage problem ...

Not in well maintained VH series. A compression test will tell a lot about engine wear and conditon.

Oil burning is never good unless you drive a diesel.

[brymax]

Hey wait a second, I resemble these remarks!

I look at it this way.....

If you're constantly putting oil in your car, you are assured that the oil in the system is always new, fresh and clean.

Always lookin at the bright side, I am.

[qship96]

yeah,and soon due to the leaking oil and lack of compression,it will have all the power of a 4 cylinder! A mosquito fogger Q in the making,you can start a side business! Always an upside to a serious problem!

[StarPD]

As I understand it, a redesign of pistons and rings in the VK engine to reduce friction and improve fuel mileage and output are responsible for increased oil consumption than the VH. I further suspect that less than ideal break-in contributes to this, whereas in the VH it's not as critical.

My 94 Q45t used SOME oil between cdhanges until I made a high-speed run from Phoenix to LA and back at 135 MPH all the way. That was at around 35k miles. Afterward, it didn't use enough oil to measure, and fuel mileage and power were phenomal. I suspect that run seated the rings perfectly.

I agree that burning oil is NOT a good thing, so I'd like to improve my oil consumption even further. My 2005 Q45 doesn't use as much oil as some guys though, about 6 or 7k per quart, okay for 3,000 mile OCIs. I haven't yet done any long high-speed runs with it though. Maybe that would improve it, I dunno. I might try it one of these days, without my wife in the car of course.

How about a separate thread on F50 oil consumption, with owners chiming in on how much oil is used by them, or posts to this thread? What say you, F50 owners?

[AlabamaDan]

I would say that regardless of the car you own, burning (using) oil is bad.

Now, if I'm hijacking the thread just let me know and I'll post elsewhere, but what about an oil leak. If you keep it checked and refill often, other than making a mess does it hurt anything?

[ddrumman]

............Burning oil is such a common high mileage problem that I wondered if it was a knee jerk reaction for any car to burn oil.

Mine has 146K and it doesn't burn or leak.

[bullittandy]

As I understand it, a redesign of pistons and rings in the VK engine to reduce friction and improve fuel mileage and output are responsible for increased oil consumption than the VH. I further suspect that less than ideal break-in contributes to this, whereas in the VH it's not as critical.

My 94 Q45t used SOME oil between cdhanges until I made a high-speed run from Phoenix to LA and back at 135 MPH all the way. That was at around 35k miles. Afterward, it didn't use enough oil to measure, and fuel mileage and power were phenomal. I suspect that run seated the rings perfectly.

I agree that burning oil is NOT a good thing, so I'd like to improve my oil consumption even further. My 2005 Q45 doesn't use as much oil as some guys though, about 6 or 7k per quart, okay for 3,000 mile OCIs. I haven't yet done any long high-speed runs with it though. Maybe that would improve it, I dunno. I might try it one of these days, without my wife in the car of course.

How about a separate thread on F50 oil consumption, with owners chiming in on how much oil is used by them, or posts to this thread? What say you, F50 owners?

This is what I mean. It sounds like the later cars were designed to burn some oil and I was wondering if we've all been conditioned to see that as a terrible problem form the mass media conglomerate that also told us that there were weapons of mass destruction.

[AlabamaDan]

My Q45 has 147k and my QX4 has 168. No oil consumption/burning.

[Dodgeyaussie]

Doing some work on an '02 at the moment. She states that goes through a quart every 3 weeks or so. Est 1000 miles perhaps?

No leaks. Car performs great otherwise...

[Q451990]

Well... if it's not leaking, and it's not under warranty, I don't see much of an option other than living with it... It's pretty well documented that the engine was made too loose (rings) to tweak every ounce of HP out of it.

Given the situation she's in, careful monitoring of the oil level and keeping it topped off is probably the best option.

Heath

[loystock]

The oil burning issue is more common on the 02Q45. I have an 03Q and I have no problem like that. The same applies to other Infiniti cars we have.

[seldomseen]

The dealership may tell you that burning 1-2 quarts within a 5k interval is "normal' because the car has a V8; and if you don't notice any leaking or oil residue in the engine compartment.

[elwesso]

I think if you have to add oil once in your OCI its not a big deal. My 94 (engine has about 120k on it) uses maybe half a quart over its OCI, basically by the end of its OCI its down from the very top hatch down to the very bottom hatch, but i'd reckon a guess that my engine has been run harder than most everyone elses here..

At any rate, in my opinion is it good? Ideally you would rather it did not use oil, but id rather ask... Is it really something worth taking corrective action? not really, just live with it and keep an extra quart somewhere in the car..

I could understand an owner complaining after they just spent 60k+ and they have to add oil to a brand new car, but with something over 60k miles (warranty) then its hard to complain.

[bullittandy]

the reason i'm curious is because the next car I buy will be a 03/04 M45 and would be fine with adding oil-but only if it stays constant. I don't want the rings to slowly be getting looser and looser and looser. . .

[elwesso]

I bet if you start driving the hell out of it, it will consume less oil. Carbon buildup on the rings has a lot to do with oil consumption issues!!!! Real common on cadillacs with northstar engines because grandma doesnt ever get over 60MPH or 3000 RPM

[qship96]

I think if you have to add oil once in your OCI its not a big deal. My 94 (engine has about 120k on it) uses maybe half a quart over its OCI, basically by the end of its OCI its down from the very top hatch down to the very bottom hatch, but i'd reckon a guess that my engine has been run harder than most everyone elses here..

At any rate, in my opinion is it good? Ideally you would rather it did not use oil, but id rather ask... Is it really something worth taking corrective action? not really, just live with it and keep an extra quart somewhere in the car..

I could understand an owner complaining after they just spent 60k+ and they have to add oil to a brand new car, but with something over 60k miles (warranty) then its hard to complain.

just a F.Y.I for 90-96Q owners.......from top hatch mark to lowest hatch mark on the dipstick is 2/3 quart.