Thread: B15 Oil Consumption

I know, I've just never heard of an SR20 in good running condition mysteriously losing oil. I mean, the oil must be going somewhere. I don't know if something is wrong, or if it's just normal wear and tear. The reason it worries me is the Spec Vs with the 2.5L have pre-cat failures that cause oil consumption. Actually, all Nissan 4 cylinder motors from that generation have pre-cats, but only the 2.5L are listed as having problems. I know that the RR pistons and rings are different and higher up the skirt. I'm not sure if this effects anything in the long run. Also the fact that the #1 spark plug has a little bit of oil on the threads worries me, but that cylinder produced 210psi compression. I still want to do a leakdown test to see if there's something amiss.

You changed that gasket for the spark plugs? I see you said you changed the vc gasket.

No, I have not changed the spark plug gasket or the valve cover gasket. When I look into the spark plug hole on cylinder one, I don't really see any oil trails down to the spark plug itself, but somehow oil is getting onto the spark plug threads. That will probably be the first thing I try and replace.

Just FYI, 00-01 SE doesn't have the precat issues like the 02-03 SpecVs.

I have, albeit probably not what you're experiencing... Missing Oil Syndrome

No, that's not what I'm experiencing. My oil level gets lower over the course of driving between oil changes.

Thanks for clarifying.

The oil consumption in the 2.5's with the pre cat failure is significantly greater than a half a quart every 3k. A half a quart is almost normal with an engine with this mileage on it. Unless you have driveabilty issues, deposits on the plugs, excessive smoking or more that a half a quart oil consumption or noticeable smoke, it is not an issue. I have seen brand new vehicles use a small amount of oil between oil changes.

It's possible maybe the car has always lost oil between changes since the beginning, but I'm the second owner and can't vouch for that. Most likely, the rings have a loose seal attributing to the oil loss. I just know that I take care of the car, and have begun to notice this recently (I never used to check between oil changes).