# 2000 Altima burning oil after intake gasket repair



## jessed (May 14, 2007)

Hello,
New to this site. I have a 2000 altima gxe with about 100,000 miles. About 2 months ago, the Engine light came on. No problems with the car, no shuddering or stalling. The shop I go to said I needed to replace the intake gasket. I've read that it's a common problem, and by the sound of it, 100,000 is a little high in terms of how long one usually needs to go before replacing one. $500.00, got it done. A couple of weeks later, Check engine light comes on. Take it in. They tore a hose when replacing the gasket. Fixed me up for free.

Sorry about all the back story. I want to be thorough.

1 week later, car sounds a bit rough, oil light comes on, low by 2 quarts. Take it in. They look at it for about 4 hours. They replace the PCV valve. Free, but wrong. It's still burning oil. About a quart in the last 700 miles. Prior to the gasket replacement it never burnt a drop. Now, it's chewing it up pretty quick, and immediately after the oil change, the oil was pitch black. 

I'm positive that they made a mistake. Anybody have an idea regarding what that mistake could be? I'm a very laid back guy, so I've been told, but if they don't fix me up, I'm going in there steaming. The more educated my rants are, i feel, the more results I will be able to get.

Any help?


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

Jessed-
How do you kow that your car never burnt a drop of oil? Did you check it every week for this?
I would suggest you jack up the car and look underneath for any oil leaks. All so check that the valve cover gasket is not leaking. All so do you smell any burnt oil as you are driving? I doubt changing the gasket or pvc is the root cause of your problem and it might be coinceident. If you see no leak then I can think of two issues:
1. the rings on the cylinders are worn and your burning oil. I would do a compression test
2. There is a slug build up in the passageways, You can add a motor flush product per manufactures instructions.


Good luck 
Frank


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## jessed (May 14, 2007)

Frank, thanks for the quick response.
"Never burned a drop of oil" may have been an exageration, but I did check once between each oil change and it was always full. Also, the color of the oil was never pitch black. Since the last change, I ran 700 miles and was down 1.5 quarts with black oil. We've had the car 3 years and not had this problem until after the gasket repair. We have a brand new driveway and park the car there every night. Not a drop of oil. The mechanics looked at the car for 4 hours today and could not figure it out. They did a flush "as you mentioned" and want to see it back in 400-500 miles.

They state that 1 quart every 1000 miles is acceptable and want to guage how much oil is burnt between now and 500 miles. I think they want this case closed. So, I checked the oil when I got home and it's about 1/2 inch over the full line.

They probably figure it'll be at the full line in 500 miles, and then they can bid me farewell.

I guess I'll see where it pans out, but I'm calling them on the over-filling issue.


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

Just because the oil is black does not necessarily mean its bad as lots of folks think. A true test of "bad oil" is to send it off to a lab for what is called an oil anlysis. Do you smell any oil burning as you drive the car?


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