Interesting failed 2018 Nissan 5.6L video

[JTK]

You may have seen some posts online as to how bad the 2017+ VQ35DD engine is in terms of sludge build-up. Lots of pics online of people who have claimed to have done synthetic 0w20 oil changes every 5-7K miles on them, only to have the engine fail as early as 40K miles, choked with sludge. I owned one from 24K to 103K when the timing chains began their death throws and got out of it while the vehicle still had some value. I did my OCIs every 3000-3500 without fail.

Here's a video on a ruined VK56VD. I'd love to know how many oil changes this rig saw in 60K miles.

IMO, You can thank GDI for these nissan engine woes.

Interesting that these engines are basically not rebuildable due to cost. I know new VQ35DD's are around $13K.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

IMO, You can thank GDI for these nissan engine woes.

What does GDI have to do with varnish and sludge, which is caused by excessive heat and oxidation of the oil?

 

[OVERKILL]

What does GDI have to do with varnish and sludge, which is caused by excessive heat and oxidation of the oil?

GDI engines are harder on oil, so I'd expect the added soot and fuel increases the rate at which the lubricant degrades.

 

[cptbarkey]

IMO, You can thank GDI for these nissan engine woes.

No, in this video it was owner neglect.

 

[vpr5703]

Wouldn't this be mainly due to poor engine design or lack of maintenance? GDI has been around for a while now, and we aren't seeing massive industry-wide issues with sludge build up on engines. We've seen sludge issues on non-GDI engines as well. IIRC Toyota in particular was well known for sludge issues on it's 3.0L V6 engines in the late 90's.

 

[JTK]

What does GDI have to do with varnish and sludge, which is caused by excessive heat and oxidation of the oil?

I say this because Look at the previous port injected Nissan 5.6L. I don't want to call it bullet proof, but that was a darn good engine that would tolerate extended OCIs w/out issue.

Same with the previous gen port injected 3.5L. Plenty of those with 200K even close to 300K miles.

 

[vpr5703]

If the difference between a long-lived engine and a problem is GDI vs SFI, that sounds like the engine design wasn't all that great to begin with, or Nissan should've done more work on updating the engine design when they swapped to GDI.

 

[twX]

What does GDI have to do with varnish and sludge, which is caused by excessive heat and oxidation of the oil?

Fuel can contribute to sludge and varnish. The Sequence VH sludge and varnish test used by API uses fuel containing sludge precursors, and special piston rings to increase blowby, which probably increases fuel dilution as well. Oil temperature in the test ranges from 45 to 100°C, and the engine isn't operated close to full load, so there's no excessive heat and oxidation involved. Oxidation may be part of the process, but it isn't really the cause.

Varnish can also be caused by excessive heat and oxidation, but this mainly affects piston deposits, where oil temperatures can get very high. In the rest of the engine, I believe sludge and varnish buildup is more of process involving lower temperatures, heat cycling, fuel dilution, and NOx contamination from blowby.

 

[JTK]

... or Nissan should've done more work on updating the engine design when they swapped to GDI.

It really seems to lean this way.

I've been following folks over at a Pathfinder forum. It's to the point you can't find good used VQ35DDs and new ones are in such short supply they are not available.

The owners who have pulled their 35DD's apart to change timing chains found the areas under the timing cover to be choked with sludge, regardless of a ~5000mi OCI.

 

[vpr5703]

It really seems to lean this way.

I've been following folks over at a Pathfinder forum. It's to the point you can't find good used VQ35DDs and new ones are in such short supply they are not available.

Sounds like one of those things that lab testing might not be able to discover, unfortunately.

 

[Brian123]

The owners who have pulled their 35DD's apart to change timing chains found the areas under the timing cover to be choked with sludge, regardless of a ~5000mi OCI.

What is causing this Sludge?

 

[JTK]

What is causing this Sludge?

The engine oil gets very sooty, very fast in that particular engine. It also seems as if it doesn't get good enough manifold vacuum, thus poor positive crankcase ventilation. IMO, the newer GDI 5.6 is suffering the same thing.

 

[nascarnation]

Back in the late 60s we'd pull junkyard 265 Chevys for cores for a specific hydroplane racing class. This looks like that same kind of sludge. Wish we'd have had a parts washer like the video guy, that thing is awesome.

 

[Dave Hess]

I love Dave’s channel.

Yes, that’s a very expensive engine to replace.

 

[JTK]

I love Dave’s channel.

Yes, that’s a very expensive engine to replace.

I just did a quick search though various Nissan parts sellers online. Looks like a 5.6L replacement "bare engine" is around $10200, with an $800 core charge. It's cheaper than the new V6's.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I say this because Look at the previous port injected Nissan 5.6L. I don't want to call it bullet proof, but that was a darn good engine that would tolerate extended OCIs w/out issue.

Same with the previous gen port injected 3.5L. Plenty of those with 200K even close to 300K miles.

It is possible that rolling over into a new generation of “hands-off” owners who know nothing about their vehicles and are happy with it that way also plays a part. Most people who have come of age over the past 10 years aren’t mechanically inclined in the least, and if the book says “10k changes” that’s all they’re ever going to do, if even that much. I’m not giving Nissan or GDI a free pass, but there is plenty of evidence that there are extenuating circumstances at play…

 

[JTK]

It is possible that rolling over into a new generation of “hands-off” owners who know nothing about their vehicles and are happy with it that way also plays a part. Most people who have come of age over the past 10 years aren’t mechanically inclined in the least, and if the book says “10k changes” that’s all they’re ever going to do, if even that much. I’m not giving Nissan or GDI a free pass, but there is plenty of evidence that there are extenuating circumstances at play…

This could very well be the case.

The oddity of it all is, I've been active on Nissan boards since about 2017. This uptick in sludged engines and very short lived timing chains began with the GDI era for Nissan, where you don't see these problems with the port injected V6s or V8s. I haven't seen a problem with Nissans GDI 4cyl engines.

 

[Rand]

Its not that GDI is the devil exactly
But it definitely contributes when people arent keeping up on their maintenance..
ie it suffers worse from neglect.

 

[wwillson]

I want his parts washer!

 

[edyvw]

I say this because Look at the previous port injected Nissan 5.6L. I don't want to call it bullet proof, but that was a darn good engine that would tolerate extended OCIs w/out issue.

Same with the previous gen port injected 3.5L. Plenty of those with 200K even close to 300K miles.

GDI has been a mainstay since 1998. GDI is more taxing on oil. But it is ABSOLUTELY Nissan's or OWNERS' fault for inappropriate design or neglect, not GDI's.