45 oil issue

1

1yakini

Member
Location
norfolk va
Linked to another thread: https://www.infinitiscene.com/searc...hell-Rotella-5w-40-T6-oil?p=415238#post415238

Had some oil consumption issues I thought, but it changes quite a bit with driving habits. Maybe its nothing but I switched to Mobil 1. Definitely a small amount of white smoke on start up, also under heavy accel i get a small bit of WHITE smoke. This is even after changing the plugs. Nissan tried to tell me the valve covers suck so I pulled them to prove there was no sludge. Changed the plugs, pcv valves and examined the top end for sludge. Absolutely clean. If it was a head gasket it would be constant, dont know why I would get white smoke if the valve seals leaked. Maybe its carbon cooking off I dont know.
Here are pics

IMG_20130608_131054_876_zps7af29ee3.jpg

IMG_20130608_124713_658_zps8521137e.jpg

IMG_20130608_124657_934_zps58f5f57f.jpg

IMG_20130608_124649_790_zps4258d7d1.jpg

Absolutely no sludge or anything up top so that is ruled out. So after talking to the Infiniti tech he agreed its probably valve seals except theres really no way to check. The warranty company wont cover anything oil consumption related so it puts me in a bind trying to get it covered. He also said Nissan does not rebuild the heads, their repair is to simply swap out the whole thing. Those plugs look like shit, but who knows if there was something else going on. I switched to synthetic, changed the plugs, and the pcv valves. Im going to keep driving it and see if the start up smoke goes away. I dont know if im making something out of nothing but I am getting real tired of this engine. None of you 45 owners have any ideas?
 
So, before the white smoke and switch to synthetic, the only problem was oil consumption?
I lose about 1 qt per 3k miles. I just watch it, top it, and go.
I would think new plugs would certainly help.
 
Internals look spotless, As P&B said above, oil loss is an expectation not a curse. Try new plugs and a tune? What does it smell like?
 
The smoke could be from oil that pools inside the PCV system in the valve covers after the engine sits overnight. I read somewhere that the PCV system traps oil inside the valve covers and it burns off when the engine is first started. However, I would think that the smoke would be a bluish color not white. If you have used the AC lately, maybe the white smoke is from water condensation in the tail pipe. My FX45 have a little white smoke in the morning if I used the AC the day before. I am looking at your old sparkplugs pic and notice that you have burnt oil residue on the threads and maybe on the electrode, which probably means that you FX is burning oil from somewhere that oil enters the combustion chamber, I would guess the PCV system.
 
Last edited:
MTN FX said:
Sounds like head gasket to me.
Click to expand...

I thought so at first, but it would be constant, or at least more than just at startup. There was no coolant in the oil whatsoever.

---------- Post added at 02:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:12 PM ----------
porkandbeans said:
So, before the white smoke and switch to synthetic, the only problem was oil consumption?
I lose about 1 qt per 3k miles. I just watch it, top it, and go.
I would think new plugs would certainly help.
Click to expand...

See, thats what I wanted to know. If a quart per 3k is normal then im right in there except when I spend a lot of time on the highway at high speeds, but I expect it to burn more then.

---------- Post added at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 PM ----------
Logan said:
Internals look spotless, As P&B said above, oil loss is an expectation not a curse. Try new plugs and a tune? What does it smell like?
Click to expand...

Honestly, it smells like water vapor. Maybe I'm getting water in the pipes overnight... jsut that my cadillac does not do this at all and i dont remember the FX doing it before this summer.

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 PM ----------
carguy75 said:
The smoke could be from oil that pools inside the PCV system in the valve covers after the engine sits overnight. I read somewhere that the PCV system traps oil inside the valve covers and it burns off when the engine is first started. However, I would think that the smoke would be a bluish color not white. If you have used the AC lately, maybe the white smoke is from water condensation in the tail pipe. My FX45 have a little white smoke in the morning if I used the AC the day before. I am looking at your old sparkplugs pic and notice that you have burnt oil residue on the threads and maybe on the electrode, which probably means that you FX is burning oil from somewhere that oil enters the combustion chamber, I would guess the PCV system.
Click to expand...



You know, instead of valve seals maybe it is the pcv's. I just replaced them in case they were sludged (which they werent) but when I replaced the vacuum hose I did notice oil inside. You might have a good point, its staying in the lines overnight and burning at start up. Maybe I'll add a catchcan.
 
My numbers could be off. I don't really track my replenishing routine. Maybe 3/4qt @ 3k, maybe 1qt @ 4k? Something like that though. I just check it more often than I would on other cars. (OT: wasn't that an old school recommendation from decades ago, "check your oil at every fill up". We're so spoiled in comparison. And well deserved!)
Sometimes when I check, I don't need a top off. That's when I'm surprised!
 
I have a VK45DE, when I fire it up in the morning I get something like water vapor coming out of the exhaust, it is not white smoke like the cigarette's, it is as light and transparent as water vapor, I do not lose oil at all, well maybe I do but it is unnoticeable at least over oil change intervals. I am thinking this is perfectly normal.

I used to lose something like 1 liter noticeable whenever I change oil so it means 1liter per 6,000 km, that was because of bad oil filter contact seal, I replaced the filter and never had that loss rate again.


Sent from my iPad

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 PM ----------

By the way, what get is like water vapor but it is not water vapor because it smells and sometimes it is suffocating, in my old house I used to park my car last in the raw after my wife's and close to the gate door with rear of the car facing it, this "vapor" accumulates in between the car and gate and then strongly smells. Soon as the engine temperature stabilizes it stops.


Sent from my iPad
 
Ataher said:
I have a VK45DE, when I fire it up in the morning I get something like water vapor coming out of the exhaust, it is not white smoke like the cigarette's, it is as light and transparent as water vapor, I do not lose oil at all, well maybe I do but it is unnoticeable at least over oil change intervals. I am thinking this is perfectly normal.

I used to lose something like 1 liter noticeable whenever I change oil so it means 1liter per 6,000 km, that was because of bad oil filter contact seal, I replaced the filter and never had that loss rate again.


Sent from my iPad

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 PM ----------

By the way, what get is like water vapor but it is not water vapor because it smells and sometimes it is suffocating, in my old house I used to park my car last in the raw after my wife's and close to the gate door with rear of the car facing it, this "vapor" accumulates in between the car and gate and then strongly smells. Soon as the engine temperature stabilizes it stops.


Sent from my iPad
Click to expand...

This same thing happens to my 45. I think you're good man!
 
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