No Oil on dipstick

[Elite D22]

Hey Guys,

I'm new here. I'm from Melbourne and am looking at a D22 3.0 6 Cyl 4x4 interstate. I had a car inspection done on the car and when he went to check the oil, there was a only drop of oil on the dipstick. Besides the car needing a good tidy up and a few minor things here and there, that was the main thing that he picked. Also the fact that it has done 200,000 KM's He started the car and it sounded fine (no rattling) so he said. The car is owned by a company and has missed a service and is (almost 9,000 KM) over? Is this natural for it go through a fair bit of oil over say 19,000 kms without a service. I guess my main question in which im hoping someone can answer this for me is that at what level does the dipstick stop reading. The guy that had the car for the last 8 months or so said he never noticed any lights come on. I like the car but dont want to be stuck with problems (although even a new car can give you problems). Any Help would be appreciated.

Thanks guys

James

 

[googs]

Personally I would let it go. There are plenty more trucks out there. The fact they have run the oil right down and missed the last service suggests that the vehicle may not of been cared for. Generally speaking work vehicles get flogged(consistant with oil consumption) However if he is asking a really low price then it could be worth considering. Would want to be quite cheap though!

 

[Elite D22]

Thanks for the reply googs. I have negotiated to under $10g and it is a 2003 model. I guess the question is, what implications that has got on the engine??

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome to the forum.

If I was out shopping for a car and came across that one I'd walk away from it.

Diesels need regular oil changes because they have a LOT of blow-by, which introduces combustion gases into the crankcase oil, contaminating it.

That said, going 9,000km past the service is not good but is not going to be the engine-killer Nissan try to make it out to be.

However, having just a smidge of oil on the dipstick does indicate that either there is a LOT of blow-by (which turns some of the oil to mist, passes it up through the Positive Crankcase Ventilation - PCV - and into the intake manifold) or there's another leak somewhere, that you may not have seen through casual inspection or through a recent cleaning of the engine.

Larger-than-normal amounts of blow-by can be caused by a greater gap between piston and cylinder wall. This could just be sticking piston rings (perhaps caused by dirty fuel, overheating etc) or it could be worn rings, or a scored/worn bore. Either of the latter will cost a significant amount to fix, and needs to be - they will reduce the efficiency of the motor, increasing fuel and oil consumption.

If the vehicle is an absolute bargain you might consider it, knowing that you have to spend the extra (several thousand) to get the rings/cylinders done.

For me, I'd add the cost of the vehicle to the cost of the repairs and go looking for a younger vehicle that came in at the new figure, reasoning that the extra I spend on the newer vehicle is money I don't have to spend on the vehicle just to keep it on the road.

 

[Elite D22]

Hi old Tony, Thanks for the in depth reply. The car in question is actually a 3.0 litre 6 Cyl, im not sure if theres a difference between the two with blow by

 

[Elite D22]

also he has said it must be serviced before i buy and to me from what i have researched this is what the 200,000 km service will invole ( included in the sale price under $10 g)
Change engine coolant & check cooling system.
Check fuel and vapour lines.
Replace air cleaner filter (viscous element).
Replace fuel filter.
Replace spark plugs.
Replace p.c.v. filter & check system.
Replace timing belt.
Check all fluid levels.
Change brake fluid.
Check steering & suspension components.
Check front and rear brakes.
Lubricate locks, hinges and hood latch.
Check seat belts, buckles, retractors, anchors and adjuster.
Check foot brake and parking brake(for freeplay,stroke & op.).
Change oil in manual transmission.
Repack front wheel bearings.
Check air conditioner operation ( if applicable ).
Carry out a diagnostic inspection (consult tester).
Test-drive & check all systems.
Check vacuum hoses and connections.
Check exhaust system and gas sensors.
Replace transfer and differential gear oil.
Carry out service as per manufacturer specifications.
Change engine oil & oil filter.
Check drive belts.

 

[KraftyPg]

One missing service in 200K wouldn't worry me as long as everything else checks out. I don't know what the going rate for an 03 petrol is but I've seen Toyota engines do 120K between services (admittedly that's a wild extreme) and I know there is people out there who would forget servicing on cars after they get to a certain age.

You've had an inspection, you've got a report, by the sounds of it they are throwing in the 200K service in the cost, I say if this is the car you want go for it. Chances are there is others out there just as suitable but one missing service is no reason to knock it on the head.

 

[googs]

If you have a really good mechanic see if he can give it a really good going over (not just the RAC safety inspection). Let the mechanic know about the history of the vehicle and they will generally be able to give you a good idea of whether the vehicle is in good shape. Also see if this company will do the service before you agree to buy, in case the servicer picks up any problems. In this case you would want to have all the details and be fairly certain there are no big problems about to rear their ugly head before handing over the cash. If the seller isn't willing to accomodate you in getting the vehicle thoroughly inspected then walk away.

 

[Elite D22]

Car is already booked in for a service, the seller has also said that the dealer will call me when the car is there to go through it all over the phone. The car will have its service either way. The only thing that the inspector picked on the car was that it was low on oil and was too scared to test drive it but started it and said there was no noises at all and everything was satisfactory on idle. he has said not to but the car based on the fact that it was run low on oil and although it has a full service history it has been a bit irregular. are the D22 engines a strong engine? I have also also enquired about a complete recondition, remove and refit (just incase) and it came back with $4000-$5000. So I guess incorperating that how much roughly would a 2003 D22 DX 6Cyl Navara be worth?

Thanks so much for your help guys

 

[KraftyPg]

How do you know any car of that sort of age has never been run that low on oil before. If your inspector had come along after the salesman had topped it up you'd never have known it was low on oil to begin with. The Toyota I know that did 120K between services was traded in with no service history in the book, yet a month later sitting on the lot as a second hand car the book had been stamped by the dealer for every service it missed so that any prospective buyer or inspector would think it's been well serviced.

At the end of the day if there was little else wrong other than low on oil and you have no evidence that it's been driven that way for the last 10K then I still say if all else checks out and it suits you don't let the oil thing get to you. Nissan make decent engines just like any other company do and there is a number of D22's with 200K on them on this forum. Simply suggesting a car sitting is a sales yard with low oil is going to need a rebuild is impossible to predict, just like it would be if the car was sitting there full of oil.

 

[Elite D22]

Thanks Krafty, your right. I think its just getting to me. It is currently a company vehicle and the person in charge of selling the car has told me that I can have any inspection i like on the car. He said that it has been a strong car and even the inspector said that there were no engine problems evident (besides the coolant being dirty and low on oil). Just what could occur as a consequence of being low on oil. I will speak to the mechanic once he has the car at the workshop whilst servicing and take it from there I guess. This forum is a great resource thanks for all your help guys

 

[digbyj]

Hey mate, I'm a bit surprised your buying this car without knowing how much they are worth? The price sounds pretty good IMO without knowing anything about the vehicle, but you mentioned it needs a good tidy up etc as well, would you be better off looking at something that you can see for yourself rather than taking someones word for it?
Don't rush into it, do research and look around, don't let them try and rush you into buying this one without doing all your research first. There's plenty of cars out there, maybe not that cheap, but there's usually a reason they're cheap. I'm not saying dont buy it, just realize that you won't know what your getting into until you've already bought it.. presuming you haven't seen it already?

 

[terryc]

Value, try redbook.com.au

 

[Elite D22]

Almost looked at a book of pics had 2 mechanics look over it body if fairly neat. Actually still had 3 ltrs of oil in it mechanically it is fine pretty happy with the price. Haven't really seen one for less than 13-14000 (need white) it's gonna have plugs changed and timing belt too so overall not as bad as first thought

 

[KraftyPg]

As you've just found out no reading on the dipstick does not automatically mean none in sump, sure I wouldn't want to run it for 10K with no reading on the dipstick but with your mechanics looking it over and giving it a good bill of health I still think if it's the ute you want at the price you want then you should go for it.

 

[digbyj]

Sounds like its comin together James, let us know what happens and then
Jump in the vnog section and see wots goin on...

 

[Dave]

The VG30E is a good motor, its a old design so might burn a tiny bit of oil.

If the coolent is dirty, how long ago was that changed ?

My ZD30DDT coolent needs to be changed, however its still pretty clean for 40,000km's.

 

[Aido]

Company cars rock.
I have had three toyotas as work vehicles that have missed services, been driven daily. Driven from cold. Never babied. Parts have been replaced as required but never anything too serious - clutch, wheel bearings, discs etc.
I would rather buy a high mileage company vehicle than a low K private. Company vehicles are driven as intended and generally run for long hours and long kms per day. Most damage and wear to engines is done when cold. Most of the kms will be done at highway speeds also instead of low speed shopping runs or similar.
Having said that though my van did a clutch a few weeks ago and also went into limp mode when it threw up a fault to the turbo servo somethingawhat ( I dont care its a company car )
Both fixed and as good as ever.

 

[Peter ST_R]

Get it compression tested and compare to factory specs to see if lack of service has had any effect.

 

[Elite D22]

Had it all done everything checked out fine from the mechanic Coolant was a little dirty but all checks out. Well guys I bit the bullet and left a deposit so I'm a new owner of a d22 navara. Thanks for all your help guys so much