DaInFaMMuS1

add some lucas oil in there (it's pretty damn thick) and keep monitoring it. Eventually I'd say buy a junkyard engine for it once it really starts consuming oil

I hate cars

Please don't put Lucas oil treatment in. It's almost pure VIIs. It will stop the smoking but at the expense of engine life. Been there done that before I knew what it was made of.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

No Lucas products for me. I went up to a 10w30.

bgsm1th

I know this is a pretty subjective question, but I vacuum port injected Seafoam into my VQ35 not too long ago. Does that make me any more or less susceptible to this issue in the near future?

TS_eXpeed

Imaginary reps for Ravi.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Not sure but I don't think so. I have never used Seafoam on any of my cars.

I just think that the VQ35 engines are susceptible to this problem. The engines are strong, but even Superman had a weakness.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Thanks.

Is it because I plan on really driving this til it dies or I get bored?

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

If it really craps out in the next year I will look into a different engine. If I get another solid year out of it then I will get another car. If I keep at the pace I am going now in a year that car will have 200K miles. I will probably keep it as a third car and get something else.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

The thing is I really do not see the smoking.

I hate cars

I honestly think you have nothing to worry about. The consumption is not excessive. You'll probably get another 100,000 miles out of it. Have you checked the PCV system?

HondaFan81

I read this entire thread and linked articles.

If this VQ35 engine has valve guide seals they are probably shot on exhaust side. This would cause oil leak into combustion chamber, carbon build on on exhaust valves resulting in cylinder leakage and burnt valves eventually. This would also be cause for oil consumption.

I wonder if anyone has had their cylinder heads reconditioned with quality valve guide seal replacements.

TS_eXpeed

I have a certain 'respect' for those that drive their cars till the wheels fall off.
I plan on doing the same for my baby.

86K and going strong.

DaInFaMMuS1

What's so bad about lucas oil? I know plenty of people that have used it and their engines run fine

I hate cars

It does what it's supposed to do really well. I've personally seen it stop my friend's van from smoking that smoked so bad he would get pulled over by the cops. It did require adding more every week or the smoke would come back.

The bad part is what it's made of and how it stops the smoke. It's nearly pure VIIs and the old formula at least contained metallic additives. It's fine for an old car that you want to nurse along for another year or two. But if you plan on ever pushing it hard once in a while, you live in a hot climate or very cold climate, or you have a nice vehicle that you plan on keeping for a while, I would not recommend it until every other method has been exhausted. The VIIS make the oil bahave like it's several grades higher when hot. Instead of Lucas, I would get a no VII laden oil like Redline that will accomplish the same thing but with no downside other than price.

In the OP's case, there's no visible smoke and it's not using oil *that* fast. It's still on the high end of normal. IMO, the benefits don't outweigh the risks.

Nothing bad will happen in the immediate future, most of the effects won't show up until years later.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

It seems like I really have to think about pulling the rear plugs and see if any oil is in there. There seem to be a big issue with the rear valve covers. I really have not seen any leaks. I need to do the plugs anyways, so I think I am going to pick the following items up:

6 plugs
Left and Right Valve Covers
Valve Cover Gaskets
PCV Valve
Intake Manifold Gasket - usually needs to be changed with the plugs.

If I do not see any seepage from around the valve covers I can return those and the gaskets.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

You're still going to owe me a dollar.

Shift_Acura

This is off topic but how well did your tranny hold up?

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Tranny is solid as a rock. Never had a problem.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Just had to replace calipers this past week. One of the rear ones seized up.

Shift_Acura

Good to hear

Ive had a lot of problems with my 03 Max but I plan on keeping it for a while

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Interesting. What problems are you having?

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

pokin - you owe me a dollar.

Shift_Acura

MAF sensor
Cat converter
passenger side window motor
driver seat motor
warped front rotors
driver seat heater not working
steering wheel shimmy despite new tires and alignment
led for cel replaced
front motor mount blew out
ECU replaced

thats all i can think of the top of my head... Most of this stuff has been fixed exept for the steering shimmy...Most Nissans from 02-07 were plagued with similar issues

dallison

keep it. I was waiting for a pic to load until i scrolled down

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I have the shimmy but that is probably due to 166K miles. Other than that, my windows don't move as fast as they once did.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I plan on it. I just need to start buying oil in barrels.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Where is my f-ing dollar?

dallison

If you could get that thing to run on hydrogen, i could get it cheap for you.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

SodaLuvr

Those valve covers might be expensive. For some reason the prices can vary significantly depending on the VQ35 application. For instance the ones for the V6 Altima are dirt cheap while the ones for the G35 are over $100 for some reason.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

They are over $100. But what I have been reading is that the ones for the 04 Maxima fits and are a lot cheaper. I need to look into it a bit more.

SodaLuvr

I wonder if you could use RTV in place of the spark plug tube seals. Then you'd be able to reuse the cover.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

To be honest, I am no even sure that they are compromised. I can only check the front ones without doing a lot of the work. I was thinking of buying them and having them on hand. If I didn't need to replace the covers that I could simply return them.

MrX123

I wish I couldve said the same thing.

I loved my I35. It was old, but looked damn good. I always said that I thought the I35 was one of the best looking Infiniti's ever, certainly the best looking of it's era IMO. I think it's the very clean (to some boring) styling, with those sharp rims that make it look expensive and classy. I guess the car has aged extremely well.

I bought mine in 07 (it was a 2002) w. 90k. It was in fantastic shape, but unfortunately, it started falling apart about 2 years after I got it (125k). I replaced 2 motor mounts, a cooling fan, and some other crap before the transmission started going. It was a pretty solid car, though. All the switches, controls, etc. reeked of quality. I was really quite shocked to see it start needing repairs like it did; I'm well aware of how good of a car that is, and I did all the services and took damn good care of it. My buddy who worked at Infiniti as a service advisor told me that it was probably the best car Infiniti made, from a reliability standpoint.

Sorry I'm rambling, but what I meant to say originally is that my car consumed oil too. I would just drive it til the wheels fall off or the engine quits, which will be a very long time.

I love my TL, but my I35 was paid for, and still looked fantastic.

That VQ motor was a ripper! Even the night I traded the I35 in for my TL, despite the TL's higher power output, it was easily and immediately apparent that the Honda J-series motor sure didn't have the grains that my I35 did. That car was quite fast; sucks that the gearing killed it. The VQ may not have been quite as buttery and flexible as the TL motor, but it had much more low end torque.

I would just forget about it and enjoy the car.

I'd still be driving mine (and be $300/mo richer) if the tranny didn't go on it!

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Nice post AJ.

I think a big part of why mine may be fairly solid is that I got it at a little more than 54K. I don't typically baby my car, but I didn't abuse it at all. I put a shitload of miles on it and quickly. It is tougher with a car at 90K. That is when stuff are supposed to start breaking especially if one of the earlier owners did not really care for it.

MrX123

Ahh see the thing is, it was absolutely flawless, literally not a scratch on it. I mean I take good care of cars, but I honestly don't know how people keep cars for 5+ years with no door dings, scratches, scuff marks, etc. It was really "like new". The owners manual was literally overflowing with all the services it had, like clockwork. My other friend at Infiniti knew exactly what car I was talking about when I called with the VIN, and even knew the guy's name who had it before me.

I guess I was a little hard on it, but no more than I was on my other Nissans and they all held up just fine. I loved that car, and still miss it sometimes. I

Oh well, that's why when I saw the TL, I immediately bought it(well, that and the fact that it was black/black 6spd). I figured the only car more reliable than a Nissan is a Honda.

But yeah, I always was a fan of the I35.