2002 pathfinder oil consumption

[SherryG]

This is my very first post ever and I'm hopeing someone else out there can help me. I own a 2002 pathfinder witch I bought new. It has had all maintenance and oil changes done by dealer on regular basis. One year ago around 45,000 miles my oil light flickered, when I checked the dipstick it was bone dry. It has been in and out of the dealer service dept. since. They told me oil was slow to drain back down in this motor and should check oil when cold, they have replaced the pcv valve and the problem seemed to be fixed, for awhile. A couple of weeks ago my oil light flickered again, promptly returned home and parked, let sit overnight and checked oil. Bone dry again.
Back to the dealer. They changed oil and kept vehicle for a week and had a tech drive it with no oil loss. With less than a 1,000 miles have lost a quart of oil, went back to dealer and they topped of oil. Now I'm waiting to hear back as to what is next. Has any one else had this problem? What should I expect from Nissan? This is my 2nd pathfinder, I drove a 1988 for 14 years and my husband drove a 86 Nissan PU untill we replaced it with a 2006 Frontier. I expected to get 10-15 years out of this one. Thanks

[NissanTech]

to Nissanhelp.com forums!!

Your are in a tough situation. The dealer will probably do a oil consumption test, then they will make the decision on what to do next, either replaced a part and start another test or replaced the engine. The test will probably take a few months. I recommend calling Nissan Consumer Affairs and open a case with them. Make sure you let the dealer know you already call NCA. Here is the number: 1-800-647-7261

[momud]

you didn't really mention if it leaks anywhere... does it maybe smoke? something is definitely off here. good luck and keep us posted. in the mean time check your oil level more often (daily or at least weekly).. try not to ever let it be bone dry again.. it's not healthy for the motor at all.

[SherryG]

Thanks for the response. No we can't find any leaks and no we have not noticed it smoking other than a little when it is cold. As for checking the oil, I've been driving a Nissan for 20 years and have never had to add oil before this one. After I noticed the problem the first time I was checking my oil almost daily. After they changed the pcv I thought the problem was fixed, it went for one oil change with no problem. I was caught off gaurd and am now checking my oil almost daily. I don't go very far from home because I don't trust it. Is this just a fluke or are there other ones out there with this problem?

[momud]

never really heard of this issue with nissans before. i sure hope your dealer helps you out quickly. good luck.

[dre351]

i've seen this before. the valve cover that has the pcv valve gets oil trapped in the baffles and pulls oil through the pcv valve and will cause high oil consumption. 1qt. every 1000 miles is about the amount i have seen with this problem every time. just replacing the pcv valve will not fix it. the valve cover will have to be replaced. i've seen this on all the 3.5 engines.

[SherryG]

By replacing the valve cover this will fix the problem. Has my engine been damaged? I'm no mechanic and don't want to be, but I know this couldn't have been good on my engine. If the oil is getting trapped in the baffles where is it going? By adding oil when the dipstick shows it is low, am I actually overfilling with oil? That can't be good either. My dealers service dept. does not seem to be aware that this is a problem with this engine. They will now. Thanks again for your response.

[momud]

from what i gather from that responce by dre, the oil get's sucked out through the PVC valve.. probably why the dealer changed it.

[dre351]

you are not over filling. the oil that gets trapped in the valve cover is sucked into the intake and burned by the engine. the problem is as the oil is pulled out of the valve cover through the pcv valve and it pulls more oil into the valve cover at the same rate it is leaving the valve cover. it does not take much oil being trapped in the valve cover to cause this. think of it like a house fan it pulls air in one side and blows air out the other. the pcv acts as a syphen after oil gets trapped in the valve cover. sludge building up in the valve cover can also cause this. i would say if the engine is not smoking or rattling or noisey in anyother way it is probably ok. but i would get the valve cover changed to avoid a bigger problem later.

[Gmann]

dre351

You have described what's going on with my 03 Pathy as well. What does it run to have this work done? Replacing the pcv valve and valve cover? Can I do it myself?

I also read on another forum that replacing these items only temporarily fixed the problem, any truth to that?

Thx
G

[dre351]

you have to remove the upper and middle intake to get to the valve cover. you have to replace the upper and middle intake gaskets as well as the valve cover gasket. if you are good with engine work it is not hard to do just time consuming. i do not recomend that most people attempt this them selves. you can cause severe damage to the engine. usually runs about 3 to 4 hours of labor. alittle less on some cars.

[momud]

Originally Posted by Gmann

dre351

You have described what's going on with my 03 Pathy as well. What does it run to have this work done? Replacing the pcv valve and valve cover? Can I do it myself?

I also read on another forum that replacing these items only temporarily fixed the problem, any truth to that?

Thx
G

unless the design of the cover has been improved then yeah, temporary.

DIY, depends on your skill level. not that hard but lot's of bolt turning and some precission is necessary. if you've never done anything like that before then either have someone help you that has or study and mark everything twice or don't diy.

[Gmann]

Thanks momud. I've got a mechanic bud who can help, but if doing all that work is only a temp fix, then it looks like I'll be keeping a couple of quarts in the back and keeping an eye on it all the time.

This really sux as I drove a 94 XE for 12 years, 261K miles and never had a lick of problems with it. I bought this 03 SE used last year and then have this. I drove too many trucks in high school that burned oil to have to put up with this crap again.

Sorry for the rant. . .

Thanks for the info
G

[momud]

well, it's been 3 years since that model... maybe nismo has something improved for it or someone else.. it may be worth some googling.

[mydigitalself]

I have had my engine short block replaced under Nissan warranty due to oil consumption exactly like you have described. It is too soon to say if the problem will return for me. They had me perform 2 oil consumption tests, because they said the first one was not valid. This did upset me a bit. I am glad they honored the warranty and did the repair. There was no talk at all about PCV or valve cover problems. Interesting to here of these issues though. I live in Victoria B.C. Canada and deal with my local dealer in town. Hope this gives you some more information.

[kelopi]

HI.. everyone.. I'm new here and have same oil consumption problem as other people here. Is it ok to just clean the valve cover with engine degreaser and reinstall it? Also, how do you change pcv valve without removing intake manifold? thanks...

[dre351]

no. you will need to replace the valve cover due to oil getting trapped inth baffles in the valve cover. i have tried before and it does not work trying to clean it.

[kelopi]

Thanks.. Andre..

[kelopi]

I just ordered the valve cover (right side), cover gasket, top PLENUM GASKET right and left. I'll let you guys know with more update info after installing them.

[hophog]

I've been checking this thread for any results of replacing the valve cover as a possible fix for the oil consumption. Everything I read is old and no updates from the people who actually own one of the vehicles using >1qt per 1,000 miles. I see posts of confident people who have seen this in other vehicles but no updates from the people as to whether or not it solved the problem and if it did, for how long. I think I'm hoping against hope that it isn't just a bad engine. Could someone let me know if they have actually solved the oil consumption problem without replacing the engine? Thanks for any responses. My mechanic who specializes in Nissans does not seem concerned or interested in diagnosing the problem. They don't seemed surprised about the problem but I get the sense they don't have any solutions either.