Reference my other post if you want the full story.

If any other 04 Z owners have had problems, please post away under this thread, I'm going to take it to my dealership that's hasteling me about my tranny.

My car?

2004 Nissan 350Z

Transmission replaced at 8,000 miles and now 20,000 miles.

Thx,

J

 

I hate to tell you but I kind of agree with the service advisor. I just don't understand how people could kill multiple transmissions in less than 20,000 miles while others have no issues ever. I gotta believe some of it is driver and shifting methods. I do understand that there might be some bad transmissions out there. You didn't really explain your tranny problem anyways. You just said it slips. Normally clutches slip, not transmissions.

 

Well there goes me using this for giving it to my dealer.

All I can say King Tut is, I wish you had my car. I've never taken it to the track, and pretty much baby it overall.

There's something that makes me furious about being warned by the dealer, because the fact of the matter is, I drive my car like every other car I've ever owned.

By the way, a tranny can slip to. There's also a 5th to 6th grind.

Why do you automatically assume it's the vehicle driver that kills the tranny?

 

Because we all have transmissions and I have noticed that there are quite a few people that have had 2 or 3 new transmissions which makes me immediately think driver. I mean one bad transmission okay, 2 maybe a rare day, 3 and maybe it isn't the transmission causing the grinding but instead the way the person is driving. I have ridden with a couple other 350Z owners and couldn't stand the way they drove the car feathering the clutch on every shift. I feel sorry for guys with bad transmissions, but I also feel sorry for Nissan for having to replace so many of them. I just hope these people learn how to drive before 36,000 miles and they find out how much it costs to replace a tranny.

 

Yeah, how dare someone feather the clutch, what are they thinking!

 

I have to go with King Tut on this one: I too believe that many of the tranny issue experienced by 350Z drivers are due to improper shifting and/or abuse. Manual transmissions are not for everybody. Some drivers are better off with automatics...

 

I have a 5th to 6th grind.

And listen people. Its a friggin sports car, not a econo-hybrid. If he wants to redline, the Fing warranty should cover it. Unless you can show me where in the warranty it disclaims that driving the Z like a sports car will void the warranty I raise the B.S. flag on the dealer and anyone who agrees with him.

 

And furthermore, what about those with feathering? Multiple times? OBVIOUSLY that was defective manufacturing, NOT bad driving... and no one can argue that... so why cant you admit that perhaps some transmissions are defective?

What about the gas tanks?

What about the seat clicks?

Are all those related to how I drive?

If the dealer EVEN THINKS of giving me that weak argument he is going to regret it severely when I give his boss an earful.

 

I've been driving cars with manual transmissions for 19 years, and the Z is the only car that I have ever had the transmission changed (@ 6000 miles). I don't abuse the car or any of my previous cars either. In fact, I didn't even think my transmission had a serious problem because it was just whining and howling in 5th gear. The dealership recommended a transmission swap...I didn't even request it.

My new transmission seems to work fine, but to speculate that a second transmission swap is due to bad driving habits is equally baseless to speculating that the new transmission is defective.

Your transmission is under warranty, so they should honor it. There are honest people on this board to that don't deserve to get shafted. On the other hand, if you're taking your car to the drag strip every other week, you deserve to pay for your own tranny and clutch after you've burned though it.

 

Okay here is my post from the other thread.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Guys,

Any '04 owners have their tranny replaced?

Sometimes I get this "teeth" hitting as I shift to 3rd gear. Doesn't happen all the time. If i shift from 2nd to3rd and do it slowly (more like a split second pause in netural), it will be okay.

But if I shift from 2nd to 3rd straight, the "teeth" grind occurs once in a while.

I have been driving manuals for 14 years (4th manual cars).

When my car was in for an oil change at 3k mile, I mentioned to Perf. Nissan. The tech told me I have to have my manual break in (wtf). Now I have almost 12k miles.

Btw, my built day is Feb '04


Tony

 

You guys don't understand. You can redline it all you want. The issue is the shifting and clutch techniques ruining the transmission. Maybe getting excited and grabbing a gear before you pushed the clutch in enough a few times. Also all those other problems you are comparing don't compare. We are talking about total replacement of a part and claiming that you got 3 bad trannys in a row when others first one works great.

 

Wow everyone is intitled to their opinion. I rarely drive my car. I have an 04 track my trans was replaced at 5800 miles! Iam nearly 50 years old had alot of cars in my time but there is a problem with the trans or Nissan would'nt replace them.
Here is an example remember my Z is an 04... My tires are feathering Nissan says there isn't a recall for 04's so there isn't a problem. But when my car wouldn't go in second gear...bam new trans! Every TBS Nissan has had i have to bring my car in. Exampleome lights,Cd player,Trans,axles,and now the famous tire feathering!
I still love the car but come on open your eyes.One problem but five?
Just my 2 cents.

 

Well the other thread discusses the dealer saying that he drive his car too hard and he abused it. Not that he didnt know how to drive. If he was starting from 6th and burned up the clutch, then sure, warranty shouldnt cover that. Or if he poured acid on it or something dumb then obviously warranty shouldnt cover that.

But this gentleman has not mentioned any of that nor has the dealer shown any proof af that (as far as we know).

By the way my seat has been fixed once, and is bad again. the wole rail was replaced, often a bad component can be replaced with another bad component...

And this guy is absolutly not alone in having a grinding transmission.

Just because yours works doesnt mean they all do.

And yeah, a seat shifting and gas tank are not as sever as a transmission.. as tranny is 100 times more complicated and prone to failure!

 

The Zs Tranny is a pile of junk.....Im on my 2nd tranny workin on my third in 20k miles right now. And to disclaim the notion that I "cant drive"...I also drive a '99 Acura CL 5mt which has had no tranny issues in the 50k miles Ive put on it. Furthermore, the Acura sees more wear, tear and traffic abuse than my Z ever will. The Nissan 6mt is just a piece of s#it no matter how hard you drive it. If that werent true, it wouldnt be such a widespread problem.

 

I didn't say that there aren't some bad transmissions out there. I am saying the laws of probability say that people shouldn't be getting 3 bad transmissions in a row without the help of some outside influence. The fact that many of us have perfect transmissions means that not all of them are bad. I know that I am bucking the trend of feeling sorry for everyone, and I know that no one wants to admit to missing a gear every once in awhile, so I am going to stop replying.

 

lol

 

Maybe they had a bad run of parts...?

 

I do have to admit I have driven cars have the price of the Z and their trannys shifted smoother.

But then again, I am getting over the notchyness cause it could be worse

 

Does anyone have a 2nd gear grind on a 04? I have taken my car to the dealer 2 times already and they tell me its normal and that its suppose to shift like that. I think that i will take it to another dealer next time and raise hell.

Also does anyone know what parts they changed on a 05 to reduce the clutch pedal travel?

 

pansoik,

I get grind in second all the time when it is cold. Once I leave a few blocks away from my house, then it would be fine.

But 3rd gear is the pain.

Tony