OR99.5Speed Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 A few days ago I took a right turn hard and the low oil light flashed momentarily. I had a lot of things on my mind and didn't think much of it. A day later I started the Pathfinder and heard a bad tapping at startup. I didn't think much of it, just thought it was the lifters getting a little loud. I turned up the music and went on my way. A bit later into the drive I still hear this tapping! I think "oh hell, my engine is gone!" I go to the Nissan dealer where my favorite tech was waiting. The tapping was really, really loud. We shut the engine off, and check the dipstick. The dipstick was bone dry! So that means the engine is at least a quart low. We put in a quart and check the dipstick. Still dry! So he gets another quart and checks the dipstick. BONE DRY! So I'm like, oh crap, lets try a third quart. Finally the dipstick reads full. I was three quarts low! I don't know why because I got an oil change at the Firestone place about 800 miles ago. I park the truck in the garage and there are no oil drips. Today I was in my car and my mom was following me in her Murano. I had to goose it to pull in traffic. Under full throttle my truck left a huge cloud of blue smoke! Same at speed; if I pretty much floor it blue smoke comes out of the tailpipe. There is no smoke at startup. What is the cause? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 (edited) A few days ago I took a right turn hard and the low oil light flashed momentarily. I had a lot of things on my mind and didn't think much of it. A day later I started the Pathfinder and heard a bad tapping at startup. I didn't think much of it, just thought it was the lifters getting a little loud. I turned up the music and went on my way. No offense pal, but ignoring that low oil pressure light is about the worst thing you can do to an engine, and while turning up the radio will make annoying noises go away, it doesn;t fix them. unless of course its you girlfriend next to you that you are trying to ignore. I see two distinct and possibly seperate problems you have. first: why were you low on oil? i cant think of any vehicle i have ever known or owned that would go from burning little or no oil to burning 3qts in 800 mi. So either you have been burning oil for quite some time and did't notice (I think this is unlikely), or your oil has been dripping out (at the filter, or drain plug, or evn filler cap) and you didn;t notice (I doubt this also since you park in a garage and say you have seen no oil drips), or (I'd put my money on this scenario) the pimply faced 17 year old getting paid $7/hr at the firestone place -alcohol- somehow forgot or neglected to put the proper amount of oil in when he changed it. He did however put enough in to create pressure at the oil pump and sensor (unlucky for you), but not enough to provide pressure throughout the whole engine (really unlucky for you) Now while your idiot light didn't come on warning you of the low oil pressure no doubt you were running with inadequate pressure on behalf of a lack of enough oil in the pan. Second: what damage did you cause? The tapping you heard and now the excessive oil burning are in my mind no doubt the result, not the cause of the lack of oil in the engine. The large puff of smoke on acceleration is probably bad rings caused by lack of lubrication, and the tapping could have been a lifter. Go to a trusted mechanic and have him do a compression check and general survey of the engine. good luck my friend. PS Ive heard similar horror stories about quick lube places ot putting oil in, or leaving the insp plug out of the diff etc etc. so if you are going to frequent these places (its ok not every body has the time, place, or know how to change their own oil, or the money to pay the stealership to do it) just be sure to check your fluids as soon as you leave. Edited January 1, 2006 by oilman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 OMG, you went to Firestone for vehicle work? That in and of itself is asking for trouble. Those people couldn't fix an unscrewed nut if it fell off and landed IN the proper size wrench in front of them. GO back to Firestone and kick some ass. It's only obvious they underfilled it, if they even put any in at all. ...I can't believe your oil light flashed and it started audibly ticking and you still drove around on it like nothing was wrong. That's insane, man. It was probably smoking because it had no oil and what was left in the oilpan was fuming up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabod7 Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 dang, i think this means its time for you to crawl under ur pathy and change your own damn oil and not rely on anybody else to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 (edited) OMG, you went to Firestone for vehicle work? That in and of itself is asking for trouble. Those people couldn't fix an unscrewed nut if it fell off and landed IN the proper size wrench in front of them. Unfortunately, it is not just these types of places. On another board I frequent, there is a post about no oil being put in by a Subaru dealer. And the driver drove the vehicle without oil for (by his own admission) 20 km at highway speeds, also ignoring his oil light (can't be anything wrong, I just had an oil change!). Fortunately, he does not seem to have suffered any short term damage unlike OR99. The warning lights are there for a reason, ignore them at your own peril. If only one person who reads about your misfortune takes heed, then you have done a great service by posting. Hope everything works out in the end, good luck. Edited January 1, 2006 by Trainman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 I've got stories about Firestone.... Went in for new drums on a bucket truck, they installed 'em without test driving the truck, both drums were WAY out of round and required removal and replacement. When I stepped on the brakes it about vibrated my teeth out...and they're full-float rear axle drums with studs in them, not little slip-on ones. Different bucket truck, needed an EGR valve replaced. Truck came back with a new EGR, but also leaking coolant visibly from a heater core hose, the air cleaner lid was HALF ON with the nut screwed down tight. (old round-style Chevy aircleaner) Had to fix that one myself because we were leaving town. Little bro's S-10 Blazer went in for alignment. All they needed to do was adjust the UCA cam bolts and re-camber it, maybe change the toe a little. They sent him home with the front tires still visibly off-camber, said they couldn't get it back into spec. They didn't even try, I checked the bolts. Still covered in grime and dirt. No wrench ever touched those bolts. I don't mean to be too harsh about this, OR99.5Speed. Sorry if I came off too accusatory. Those Firestone people piss me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 1, 2006 Author Share Posted January 1, 2006 (edited) Well, what I meant when the oil light came on was that it flashed momentarily in a tight tire-squealing turn. This has happened to me before in our old E30 BMW so I didn't think much of it. I hadn't heard any tapping or any other odd noises until a couple of days ago. And when I heard the noise at startup it subdued, so thats why I just went on my way. I feel like a dumb blonde! The only other time the light came on it also flashed momentarily a block away from the Nissan dealer. That was the day I heard the noise. Either this is Firestone's fault or the unsavory mechanic who replaced my starter's fault. Not to have a defeatist attitude or anything, but I think it would be a little hard putting another 1,000 miles on the truck to get back to the Firestone place two months and 3,000 miles later and get on their case about underfilling my oil when they changed it. The odds just seem too much against my case. The only reason I went to Firestone instead of my trusted mechanic was that I needed a reciept to get my tags renewed, kinda a long story there. I'll have to get it compression tested by my mechanic in Bloomington. So if it's burning oil it's the piston rings are shot? How big of a job is that? Edited January 1, 2006 by OR99.5Speed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 1, 2006 Author Share Posted January 1, 2006 And if the motor is still tapping after you refilled it with oil. You fried the rod and main bearings. It's not. It drives fine with the exception of the blue smoke under throttle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 What the hell is Nissan doing? These cars should be idiot proof by now. Not calling you an idiot at all. Low oil pressure should result in your engine shutting down, as my '93 Holden engine will do. I find that not having such safeguards, especially in a 4wd, in this day and age un acceptable. Picture this if you will....... You are low on oil but not quite low enough for it to trip the warning light. You go 4wding and are negotiating a very steep, heavily rutted track. With your car on an angle only a 4wd can claim to opperate at, the oil pick up is no longer reaching the oil as it has ran to the back of the sump. You fail to notice the warning light because your head is out the window looking for good footings. You fail to hear the knocking noise now present because you are trying to get up this steep mother and the motor is revving hard. By that stage, the dreaded knock, it is too late anyway. Shame on Nissan. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME! My fuel pump works only because the oil pressure switch supplies power to it. No pressure = no fuel and the engine stops. It's that simple! Sorry to hear about your loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 3 quarts low and the light only came on going around a corner?! Yet another reason for an actual oil pressure gauge (reminds self to install one pronto, right after trans cooler). Did the car burn oil before this? If not going from burning no oil to burning three quarts doesn't make sense, or it means that something is seriously wrong. Check under the car for places where this oil could be pooling up, maybe near the exhaust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Did the oil filter get changed for sure at Firestone? If they just drained the oil for a short while, plugged it and let it go with the old filter on it still, it could concievably have up to a quart of oil left in the block/passages/oil pump, but the chance is slim... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 It took 3 Qts? The motor only holds 3.2 qts, WOW. Most likely you hurt your rings running that low on oil. The wifes pathy burns a little when getting on it cause of the same problem of low oil. Hope all turns out ok since you could have hurt a number of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 It took 3 Qts? The motor only holds 3.2 qts, WOW. Most likely you hurt your rings running that low on oil. The wifes pathy burns a little when getting on it cause of the same problem of low oil. Hope all turns out ok since you could have hurt a number of things. I dont think 3.2 qts is correct. anyone clarify? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUELER Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 wowza!!! The pathfinder oil pan is so small, that it is IMPERATIVE that you always have a good amount of clean oil. VG engines run HOT in our cars and they need to be taken care of. I hope you didn't do any damage.... but if you did, you could technically blame it on Firestone. Always check your @!*%. PS Just a few weeks ago, I also went to a Firestone type place to change my oil (can't beat $12). I was watching the monkey working on my truck to make sure he did everything cool.... everything looked good. I rolled out of there, checked my oil level first thing, and that stupid asshole overfilled it hardcore. The oil level was about an inch above the "High" mark on the stick. I drained it correctyly myself and i am not going back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 I dont think 3.2 qts is correct. 3.5 or 3.75 depending on the year (88-95) and that stupid asshole overfilled it hardcore Odds are he just put in the 'fill amount'+ when it wasn't fully drained... Damn near have to remove/disassemble a motor to get all the oil out !! I never trust the fools and usually do it myself, regardless of specials... The number of times I have seen oil streaks comming out of those places !! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 perish the thought of ever allowing anyone but myself (ok.. dave maybe) to change my oil is unthinkable! hell.. even with $12.. i coulda bought a bottle of jack n got drunk waiting for every last drip to come out of my pathy while in the comfort of my own driveway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 Okay y'all here's the deal: It's been about five days since I found out my car is burning oil. Since then I have driven 400 miles, most of it at around 80 MPH and 3500 RPM today on a highway trip. I FOUND OUT IT BURNS A QUART EVERY 100 MILES!!! -alcohol- My rear bumper above the tailpipe is black. I think the rings are shot, and the oil in it looks sludgy and black. I have no idea of what Firestone did to my truck, not sure if it was them or if it was some freak occurance. Before all of this I did not ever notice the truck burning any oil. The motor runs pretty smooth. I haven't gotten it compression tested yet, but before I get the problem diagnosed a compression test is in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 :o i would head straight down to firestone and the crap outta someone... but yeah.. in reality a compression test would be wise first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 Yeah, I just don't have any proof that it was Firestone's fault. Hell, I don't even know what is wrong, other than the fact that I burn a crazy amount of oil. I mean, this is insane. I have a 600 mile drive back to school coming up, so I have to buy a case of oil! Is there any viscosity or weight that I should buy that may help slow the consumption down? Just looking to get max miles out of these quarts. Also, has anyone heard of Auto RX? I have seen rave reviews on other boards and knowing that my engine has sludge I need to try it. At this point I have nothing to lose. So is it just the piston rings that could be bad? How much $$$ is it to replace these, paying a mechanic? It sounds like a daunting task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 I FOUND OUT IT BURNS A QUART EVERY 100 MILES!!! If you are burning it and not dropping it (I know you have looked) you prob have 1 or more bad cylinders... the answer would be a top end job... Honed cylinders, new rings, valves and guides/seals. Figure $2500-3000 is my guess. Hopefully nothing in the bottom end has been compromised... It may be cheaper (initially and in the long run) to get a used motor to drop in... Compression check is #1 All I can say is sorry Bud !! There are some super guey additives you can get, just look around... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 If you are burning it and not dropping it (I know you have looked) you prob have 1 or more bad cylinders... the answer would be a top end job... Honed cylinders, new rings, valves and guides/seals. Figure $2500-3000 is my guess. Hopefully nothing in the bottom end has been compromised... It may be cheaper (initially and in the long run) to get a used motor to drop in... Compression check is #1 All I can say is sorry Bud !! There are some super guey additives you can get, just look around... B HOLY CRAP!!! Oh my God! Dad was thinking more along the lines of $300 for new rings. Oh my God! F#CK! Sorry but that's quite a lot of money on top of needing a new A/C compressor, OME suspension, some sort of pulley up front, failing sunroof, and new tires in the future! So this thing is gonna cost me around $4,400 to fix. How much would this thing sell for with the bad motor? Think I could get $5,000? I just got offered $4,500 on trade, but that was before I knew about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 If you are burning it and not dropping it (I know you have looked) you prob have 1 or more bad cylinders... the answer would be a top end job... Honed cylinders, new rings, valves and guides/seals. Figure $2500-3000 is my guess. Hopefully nothing in the bottom end has been compromised... It may be cheaper (initially and in the long run) to get a used motor to drop in... Compression check is #1 All I can say is sorry Bud !! There are some super guey additives you can get, just look around... B Yeah, I had no idea it was this bad. Also take into consideration that it has been run with a quart of oil in the motor for around 50 miles at highway speeds. This is bad! On another note, I have a 600 mile drive up to school. It is mandatory that I get on campus or else I can't go to college, so I don't really want to risk a breakdown on the way. Do you think with constant topping off oil I could get there or should I just let it sit at home and fly to school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR99.5Speed Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 Another thought: Would the 3.5L be a bolt-in deal? Would my manual transmission would bolt-on to the 3.5 without issue? Is the transmission the same? If I had to replace the motor I would look at this route. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Dad was thinking more along the lines of $300 for new rings. Sorry Bud, I was talking having a shop fix it, not price of parts... Yes, it should make it to school, but definitely watch topping it off and no speed racer crap !! You don't know it is the rings yet and I have NO idea about the 3.5 replacement... Where do you live ? Maybe I'll make you an offer... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Dad was thinking $50 for rings and $250 for labor. More like he was hoping that was all of the damage. Err, hate to be the bubble burster, but most of the top of the motor has to be removed, incl intake manifold, exhaust manifold and heads, then the heads/valves inspected (repaired), rings installed and everything reassembled. does this sound like a 3-4 hour job ? Sorry, no... I just had a 4cly Honda redone. Head gasket, rings, cylinder honed, head milled, new valves, seats and guides (+full tune up)for $1800... Thats an easy 1 bank 4 banger, not a V6... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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