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Pathfinder Guzzling oil!


Guest jkimes
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My pathfinder recently started using 2 quarts of oil a week! :o I would think that this much oil being burned in a week would make the pathfinder smoke like crazy, but I don't notice any visible smoke while driving, and I can't find a leak anywhere. Is my engine a gonner, or is it possible I have a leak somewhere I can't see?

Edited by jkimes
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2 qts a week is an insane amount of oil to be losing ! It would leave a smoke screen behind it if it was burning it !! You must have a leak. Maybe down low ? Oil pan ? Oil filter ? Drain plug ? Rear main seal ? Does it run any different ? How long has it been doing this ? What year and how many miles on it ?

 

B

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The problem started after I had my last oil change. My pathy is a black 91 with 225,000 miles. I noticed about a week after my oil change that my oil pressure dummy light was flickering occasionally. I checked the oil and the level seemed OK. I checked it again the next day and it looked OK at first but then I checked the back side of my dipstick it was bone dry! :confused: I took my pathy back to the speed lube shop where I had it changed (my friend Rob is the manager) and he Topped it off for no charge and told me to watch for leaks. As far as changes in the way it drives, I have noticed a little more engine clatter than normal and she likes to fluxuate rpms between 1500 and 2000 rpms at idle (speed sensor?).

Anyway, Here I am 2 weeks and 4 quarts of oil later and still haven't seen it leave any oil stains or smoke behind. I would think 2 quarts of oil a week should leave an exxon valdez size spill on my driveway or have my pathfinder billowing smoke down the road like cheech and chong. I guess I'll keep looking, but I'm completely confused at this point.

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after I had my last oil change

That is the issue I think... It may not leak unless it is running, but it would probably leave a few drips in the driveway. Me thinks the oil filter is not on right/sealed properly or they cross threaded the drain plug or some such nonsense. Double check their work. You can't be burning that much and not know it !

 

B

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That is the issue I think... It may not leak unless it is running, but it would probably leave a few drips in the driveway. Me thinks the oil filter is not on right/sealed properly or they cross threaded the drain plug or some such nonsense. Double check their work. You can't be burning that much and not know it !

 

B

thats what i was going to say in my last post but forgot to, lol :rolleyes:

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check the filter, it may be double gasgeted and it only spills when its runnin, but you would notice it on the road and driveway

definitely possible...do an oil change yourself, and check the filter's mounting surface to see if the old gasket is stuck to the engine.

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That is the issue I think... It may not leak unless it is running, but it would probably leave a few drips in the driveway. Me thinks the oil filter is not on right/sealed properly or they cross threaded the drain plug or some such nonsense. Double check their work. You can't be burning that much and not know it !

 

B

that's true, i don't know on how many foriii have i seen this type of thing done at quicklubes.. it's the most DIY thing there is.

Edited by mzxtreme
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  • 2 months later...

Well,

 

apparently im not very observant. It was burning quite a bit at startup, but it would stop after she warmed up a bit. So, I changed the oil and filter and ran some seafoam through it and it hasn't used any more oil since.

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Seafoam is an all around automotive system cleaner. I've poured it into my throttle body to clean the intake and just last oil change (the big 200,000 BTW) I poured 1/3 cup in before I drained it. It didn't get rid of the tapping at start-up, but it quieted it down some so far.

The product I will recommend 100% is BG 44K fuel system cleaner. Nothing else I've ever used even comes close. Kinda pricey @ $22.00 a can or so, but worth it.

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