New owner paranoia and oil consumption problems...!

[Francis]

..

[Sarnie]

I think indeed you are paranoid

 

you are correct that the MY06 HR engine had some oil problems. Some cars drink a far bit of oil some not at all.

 

I've done about 40k in two zeds and never had to top the oil up once. Some have reported excessive oil consumption to Nissan but their response was usually 'that with expected tolerance level' etc etc.

 

I not heard of any actual problems arising from this, just that you may need to keep an eye on what your car consumes, as per any car

[bronzee]

The main issue I'm concerned about is the rate at which some Z's seem to burn oil, with no leaks, assuming the engines basically stuffed. I know the problem is mainly with the MY06 engines but does anyone have a 2002-2004 car that drinks oil too?

 

Obviously I really don't want to buy a lemon, and a new engine is pretty expensive so I just want to know what to look for really and if it's unlikely to get one of these oil burners if I go for a 2003 car.

If you're looking at 2002-2004 I've yet to hear of an oil burner from these years. 2006 is the main year for that, if you check here:

http://my350z.com/forum/engine-drivetra ... ssion.html

 

If you're looking at a pre-loved Zed, do all the usual checks, or take the proposed Zed to a trusted mechanic for a full check over.

 

All brands have their little niggles. If you're looking at 02-04, any kinks should have been ironed, if not you'll know as soon as you test drive. Probably obvious things to check for are clutch, gearbox, and also the windows, as motors to have a tendancy to stuff up, but that's normally early on.

 

Or keep an eye on the for sales on this forum, as most of these cars are known to other members, so you'll have a few clues as to the history.

 

Good luck and keep us posted.

[lomoto]

my very early 2002 car doesnt need topping up at all between changes

[Chris`I]

my very early 2002 car doesnt need topping up at all between changes

+1 - I have a 53 reg @ 52k miles, 26k of which has been me driving and havent had to give it a drop of oil yet.

 

The problem with the 06 Rev up engine was a relatively isolated incident, so just ask the owner how often they have to add oil. If they say never, then you are on to a winner, if they say every few months/thousand miles then look for another. And as Bronzee says, keep an eye out for sales on here as they are all loved and cherished

[Digsy]

As above I've never heard of a Zed other than MY06 drinking excessive oil.

 

Bear in mind also that many cars other than Zeds will need a top up between services but many people don't realise or check. If checked and topped up it doesn't mean there's something wrong and the engine is going to go pop. Engines do this - its why we have a dipstick!

[nixy]

Yep, I agree - I keep checking my 2003 to see if it needs a top up but nope - never has! Unlike the type R which I had to top up every now and then. I haven't had any problems with mine yet - other than the tyres which I'm just in the process of getting sorted.

[martinmac]

55 plate, no oil issues at all.

[cgomez1978]

Ive got a 53 plate and have never had to top up the oil

[Trev-the-Rev]

Just to buck the trend, I have an 06 rev-up model and it uses oil at at the rate of around 0.5 ltr per 1k miles. It has done this from new and has not got any better or worse over the 22k I have now done. The dealer states that it is within manufacturer's tolerances of up to 1 ltr per 1k miles. As has already been said though, it's this particular model that appears to be effected and it doesn't really present any problems so long as you check the oil on a weekly basis which any self-respecting owner of a high performance car should do anyway.

[Ian]

I have a 53 plate & never had to top it up either

[Zummertor]

54 plate and not burning oil.

 

issue appears to be limited to certain 06 as discussed and you can see above it isn't a big issue when compared to a few other cars out there.

 

I think you are indeed getting paranoid, the problems appear few, those that exist have fairly simple fixes but worth checking for before you buy of course.

 

You've got so close now just do it, it makes sense out of fun

[M13KYF]

no issues with mine, only heard of one issue which had an engine change and only a very few which used a pint semi regularly

[lomoto]

to put it in perspective I have owned a couple of Porsche,s in the past , and they both drank oil !!! in fact there was warning labels all over the car,s to check oil at every opportunity

[Beavis]

Used a tiny little bit during the first 8k miles on my rev-up but since i switched to Amsoil fully synthetic i have used none.

[sunset350z]

I think the main thing to look out for is the oil pressure gauge. If thats reading unusually low then you need to check it out. I bought my car with this problem, but didn`t notice it at first. When i did, panic set in i can tell you. I took it to a local garage and even though there was plenty of oil in it, the oil was totally passed its use by date. A simple oil change cured the problem and its been fine ever since and at £25 a oil change i get it done every 4000 miles. No topping up needed at all.

[Francis]

...

[M13KYF]

do a search, been covered a few times before

[MrLizard]

ive got the HR engine, the pressure when cold is about half but soon drops a bit when idle (as you would expect) it never goes above where the symbol on the dial is, about 1 oclock ish?,

 

if that made any sense at all :/

 

also, +1 on the change of oil, i swapped to motul fully synthetic having been advised to by Opie Oils (site sponsor) and had much the same result as Beavis, no oil used, i also track/drag the car periodically, so i check quite often.

 

Ive just been sensible with it, waited until the temperature is sat where it should be before 'making progress'

[Francis]

...

[MrLizard]

it does but to be honest we have all given these cars some fairly significant amount of 'stick' from time to time and there are hardly any posts about engine failure or high oil consumption,

 

buying a 1.0 corsa thats been ragged to an inch of its life is another story but buying a sports car designed for the speed it might possibly have been driven at is another, i know there are obviously still warm up etc to consider but if you test drive a couple im sure you will be able to tell if it still feels right.

 

guess there is no sure way of knowing what a previous owners done, we need a stig from the forum to go an test drive all the zeds for sale, wheres sarnie when you need him...

[H5]

Why has everything been deleted?

[M13KYF]

something Francis has done.

[Digsy]

Weird