Arrtus

Wuddup!

It's been really bugging me out lately. Every time I'm starting from a stop and shift into 2nd gear, it doesn't feel smooth. Like the shifter feels like it gets stuck a little (as I'm shifting into second) and then it goes into gear. Sometimes I'm able to shift into second gear perfectly fine though. I've been experiencing this for as long as I've had the car. I've noticed at lower RPMs it's rougher and at higher RPMs it's even worse.. like I have to man handle it into gear. I've also noticed that when I'm accelerating at a slower rate in first and I try to shift at my ideal RPM (3k) it doesn't feel smooth. When I say it doesn't feel smooth, I mean the shifter; the car is perfectly fine and it doesn't jerk back and forth or anything like that. As for the other gears, It shifts into them perfectly.. third, fourth, fifth, downshifts are also fine.

Does this happen to anyone else? Is it normal?

CNunes_95

I think this could actually be normal with any Z. My Z is sort of the same way. Of course, I may not know exactly how the shifting in your Z/G feels, but my 03 is somewhat stiff going into 2nd gear, typically from 1st to 2nd. When I step on it from a dig, thats when I really notice the shifter tighten up. I have to literally rip the shifter down into 2nd. No issues involving the transmission or clutch (i.e. slipping, grinds, etc). I recently also installed a brand new oem nissan shifter in my Z. So in my opinion, I think this is normal, as the feel of any sports car will be more stiff in general when compared to any other general car.

MatthewBouchard

iTrader: (2)

Mine is the same way and for whatever reason I find it smoother to shift at 3.5k rather than 3k from 1st -2nd DD'ing.

Suffolk350z

Have an 2004 roaster very notchy some shifts some times like butter,I would say dump tranny fluid and put in fresh mine seems a bit better after I do that so I change tranny fluid every 10 to 12,000 miles. You would think for such a renound sports car the clutch and tranny would be much better. I hear we all have the notchy tranny in these cars.

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

Mine has been the same way since I bought it. 60k miles later (114k on the car) and it still shifts the same way. Kind of a 2 step shift. When racing I don't notice it but daily driving gently I feel it.

No griding or slipping so I don't worry about it. I'm just glad the shifter has feel instead of being a mush box like lots of the newer stuff. I test drove a 2012 Focus ST and brand new the shifter had no feel to it. Same for the 2003 STI that I drove. I actually missed a couple shifts in it because of it.

zacav8r

iTrader: (2)

I recommend getting redline MT-85 for the tranny, best fluid out there for our cars.

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

I don't think it's safe for human consumption.

I put MT-85 in my transmission and couldn't tell any difference.

Arrtus

Thank you everyone for replying. It's such a relief knowing that it's a normal thing.

Frank_White

i heard the 07-08 shift smoother but i have no clue, only ever driven my 03

Jah70

Pretty normal. When I first got mine it would do this especially if it was cold. I did put in MT-85 but I didn't notice much of a difference. I always have to shift at a higher rpm or extremely low rpm from 1st so 2nd would be smooth. Besides that, for normal driving I normally avoid shifting into 2nd. Sometimes I just jump from 1st to 3rd then 5th and just have the rpm sitting just at 1k and cruise with barely any gas. I found shifting is a lot smoother when the car is warmed up and you've been doing some driving.

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

1k rpm cruising?

How can you do that? I would get pissed off from it being so gutless and I'm sure it gets terrible fuel mileage from wasting all that fuel lugging the engine.

winchman

Look at the ratios:

1st -3.794
2nd -2.324
3rd -1.624
4th-1.271
5th -1.000
6th -0.794

You can see the ratio difference between first and second is huge (1.47) compared to the others (0.7, 0.35, 0.27, and 0.21). It takes time and effort for the synchronizers to bring the rotating parts up to a speed where they'll mesh together.

billydabiller

Mine does the same thing. I find when it warms up it doesn't seem as bade. I think once the fluid warms up it then feels a lot better. Also that is the most Jammed gear if your going from corner to corner 2 will be the most used and just be a wore 2nd gear

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

And that's why I generally skip 4th. It's a pointless gear.

ksuberk54

iTrader: (2)

Pretty normal. 1st - 2nd has always been way rougher than all the other shifts. Once I changed to the RJM adjustable clutch pedal assembly it made it a lot better but it still is rougher when shifting at higher RPMs

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

This is normal. I find that shifting really smooths out once the tranny warms up. I replaced my gearbox fluid as well, hoping for an improvement and honestly there wasn't any. It's just the way these things are built.

MicVelo

I think the takeaway from the MT-85 comments should properly be "When you change your tranny fluid, use MT-85 as it is the most highly recommended fluid to use in the Z's CD tranny as it has the proper amount of friction modifiers for our cars. Using generic fluids can and will cause "too much lubrication" for the cone synchronizers to function at peak capacity."

Not "I didn't feel a difference". Fluid changes produce only nominal "through the pants" changes in feel. Sure, the car feels fresher after an oil change or flushing the sawdust out of the rear diff with fresh Nissan gear lube but... I'm willing to bet no one would notice if one didn't know it had just been changed.

Unless it's the first one in 100k miles.

On the 1-2 shifting, I've never experienced any shifter bind or gronk going 1-2. Now third gear.... whole 'nother story. The notoriety of said third gear gronk is legendary. Oh, and I use MT-85. Heh heh.

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

I used MT85 and whatever redline fluid is suggested for the diff at the same time. I think I was somewhere around 90k miles and I had never changed the fluids since I bought the car with 55k miles. I was kinda hoping the dealer changed them before I bought it. I felt no difference in the car by switching to redline with that many miles on it.

Everyone always suggests Redline because it makes the shifts smoother etc... I couldn't tell.

Spike100

The original transmission in my 2003 was “notchy,” and would even grind going from 6th to 5th. The transmission was replaced under the drivetrain warranty with the newer version. There was a huge difference; the new transmission shifted more smoothly and felt much better.

Jah70

I average 26mpg with that driving style. Keep in mind I am barely even on the gas if not at all if I'm in 6th gear so there is no lugging. Sometimes I even throw it in neutral and let the car roll where I want it to go if there's a decline or if I picked up enough speed to just roll to the next stop light or stop sign etc. If I need more power, I just change to a lower gear depending on how much power I need. I've been playing a game with my car to see if I can beat my highest mpg from the week before lol. 26 seems like the best I can get out of it.