one tough nissan

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Hey everyone, been a weird week a work, first had a 2004 bmw come in. no oil change for 64000miles sludge city. I took pics of the mann filter will post soon(viewer discretion advised lol). But yesterday I had a 2006 maxima come in. About 70xxx miles on it, just straight oil change nothing special. So I wrench the drain plug off, and not a drop of oil, not a sliver, not a ounce of that addictivly interesting subject we call oil. I swear I probaly just drained dust. i have a question for the experts, how is this possible? No knocking, no oil pressure lights.ran smooth too. A couple ounces of oil did come out the filter tho. We filled with new oil and filter. It was like nothing happened. Customer had no idea and she really did not care. And oh Check engine light was on.

P.s glad I drive a nissan lol
 
Had this happen to several cars when I worked in a garage. No idea how they held up...

Change the filter and refill, pull the dipstick and the oil is already black.

A badly abused Dodge Spirit that was about 5 years old and had 50k on it at the time is my most vivid memory. We were shocked at what horrible condition it was it, and several of us just happened to be there when the plug came out, and not even a drip.
 
as an engine rebuilder i ask myself the same question i mentioned on here a while back about a mini that i had to add almost 5 quarts and that is all it holds...I see this from time to time there is still a little oil splashing around inside maybe a 1/2 a quart but again i dont have an answer
 
Let me ask this, you never mentioned checking the level before draining, but did you check it after refilling? It's possible there were a couple quarts trapped by sludge inside the engine.
 
I wonder how that Maxima would take a Kreen treatment?

Maybe 2 or 3 short runs with MMO and oil for 2K would help before a Kreen treatment or 3.

Did the owner request Premium Synthetic Oil for the Oil Change?
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Let me ask this, you never mentioned checking the level before draining


Wondered about this myself. I've heard most quick lube places won't touch a car that doesn't have liquid oil showing on the dipstick.

(I wouldn't know - I do all my oil changes myself.)
 
My question is this: How could the engine come to lose this oil without the driver knowing? Did it all just evaporate, or burn off? Valves need replacing, black caked tail pipe???

I can see possibly the car the OP mentioned as having some oil even without any draining out of the drain plug, but perhaps sludge is indeed a factor. It's just, how on earth could it be so near to bone dry?!
 
Is there any chance that the drain plug had sludged over, and working a screwdriver in the hole would allow some oil to drain out?

I guess the dipstick would read very overfilled when replenished though.

Wouldn't the oil idiot light be illuminated if it were dry?
 
I know. How can oil pressure be kept without oil?
crazy2.gif


IMO, that's plausible to some extent that if enough sludge had settled and enough time were allowed for it to cake where the plug was, it may be part of 'the problem'. Really, though, how could the rest of the oil's weight on top and it being hot oil keep any from coming out? Most sludge seems to form around the engine valvetrain or near the bottom-end, so not necessarily would it form on the pan...so.
 
One of the worst ones I ever saw was a very old Golf deisel that came in for an OC when I worked at WM.

Filter weighed a ton, and when I pulled the plug, maybe 1/4 cup of thick, thick, ink-black oil trailed out really, really slowly.

Car ran the exact same after the OC as before.
 
Originally Posted By: finalyzd
Hey everyone, been a weird week a work, first had a 2004 bmw come in. no oil change for 64000miles sludge city. I took pics of the mann filter will post soon(viewer discretion advised lol). But yesterday I had a 2006 maxima come in. About 70xxx miles on it, just straight oil change nothing special. So I wrench the drain plug off, and not a drop of oil, not a sliver, not a ounce of that addictivly interesting subject we call oil. I swear I probaly just drained dust. i have a question for the experts, how is this possible? No knocking, no oil pressure lights.ran smooth too. A couple ounces of oil did come out the filter tho. We filled with new oil and filter. It was like nothing happened. Customer had no idea and she really did not care. And oh Check engine light was on.

P.s glad I drive a nissan lol


Either the drain hole was plugged with sludge or you removed something other than the drain plug.

What was the oil level before and after the OC?
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Is there any chance that the drain plug had sludged over, and working a screwdriver in the hole would allow some oil to drain out?

I guess the dipstick would read very overfilled when replenished though.

Wouldn't the oil idiot light be illuminated if it were dry?


I poked a little screw driver threw the drain plug hole but still nothing came out. I did check oil level before drain and it was bone dry but we see that a lot. I just don't get how the pressure light didn't go off either
 
Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Originally Posted By: finalyzd
Hey everyone, been a weird week a work, first had a 2004 bmw come in. no oil change for 64000miles sludge city. I took pics of the mann filter will post soon(viewer discretion advised lol). But yesterday I had a 2006 maxima come in. About 70xxx miles on it, just straight oil change nothing special. So I wrench the drain plug off, and not a drop of oil, not a sliver, not a ounce of that addictivly interesting subject we call oil. I swear I probaly just drained dust. i have a question for the experts, how is this possible? No knocking, no oil pressure lights.ran smooth too. A couple ounces of oil did come out the filter tho. We filled with new oil and filter. It was like nothing happened. Customer had no idea and she really did not care. And oh Check engine light was on.

P.s glad I drive a nissan lol


Either the drain hole was plugged with sludge or you removed something other than the drain plug.

What was the oil level before and after the OC?


I've been running a repair shop for a long time. Were not a ignorant quicklube. It was the oil drain plug. I know it sounds impossible and I myself was perplexed all day after I saw that.
 
Originally Posted By: mongo161
I wonder how that Maxima would take a Kreen treatment?

Maybe 2 or 3 short runs with MMO and oil for 2K would help before a Kreen treatment or 3.

Did the owner request Premium Synthetic Oil for the Oil Change?


I offered a suggestion to the lady. But she was not having it. She asked for our most basic oil and filter change. First time customer so oci is unknown. I would have loved to open up the valve cover.

Also the pics of the mann filter sludged. I am using internet off the phone. And I won't be near a real computer for a day(off of work). If someone would like to post them for me I could email them to you. Pm me
 
Reminds me of the old dura lube commercial were they ran a car that had a treatment.... drained the oil and ran in city traffic. It ran great.
 
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