dragon11689

iTrader: (3)

Hey what's up guys? I am getting a lot more used to driving the car around now. I haven't driven a manual in a while. I have a question though. Why is it that everytime I want to shift into 2nd, I have to muscle it through. It doesn't feel natural. This is like everytime. I mean is it because the car is fairly new and needs to get used to going into gates? Or should I worry that the gearbox is faulty? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

dan_csulb

Same thing happen to my Z.
When I bought it new.......it was not getting into 2nd easily.......from first.
I thought because the car is new....but now I have 20k miles on my car...it's the same thing....it makes kinda grinding noise getting into second....especially engine is cold..I can hear the clattering noise....getting into 2nd.

I bring this up to Nissan dealer when I change oil... I'll keep you followup.

gatti-man

iTrader: (2)

lol its the tranny sincros. Get ready for a fight with nissan about replacing your tranny. Mine is starting to be tough to get into second unless i let the car warm up for five minutes and i only have 6k miles on it. When the car is warm its great when its cold it feels like 2nd isnt even there sometimes.

Z_Driver

iTrader: (3)

You might want to try this. When you first start it cold. Let it idle in neutral with the clutch out for 10-15 secs. Then take off. You might also make sure you are not backing completely off the gas going from first to second gear. If you are going slow we sometimes do this. You should always have just a crack of thottle at least when going from first to second. This allow the syncros to line up better and keeps wear down as well. I know, I know that is what syncros are for. However, you might find much smoother shifts this way.

I can close the thottle between first and second I only feel like one or two syncro teeth as I go into second. If I use the method above I can't feel a thing and it goes in like butter.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

dan_csulb

Nissan wont replace this?....
I'll let the Nissan mechanic test.
From what I heard, Nissan dealer is more than happy to replace this for you. They make money off nissan.

Z_Driver

iTrader: (3)

We'll the 350Z is known for a slightly knotchy 1-2nd shift. If it grinding hard of course they will fix it or, at least they should. I have heard of a few people that get grinds in 5th and Nissan tries to tell it's normal. This car doesn't grind, or shouldn't grind between gear changes. However, you still have to drive it like your supposed to or you will wear the syncros and it will eventually grind. You can mess up a tranny in six months or less if you don't know how to do it smoothly. Most people get it pretty darn close. You can actually up shift a manual tranmission if you know how to rev match without the use of the clutch. Downshifting without a clutch is much harder however.

I try to get 150K or more out of my tranmissions. I do this with proper driving, clutch adjustments as needed, fluid change in the system and clutch replacement sooner than later.

DAYTONA-ZED

Ditto. Always rough/clunky shift in to 2nd when its cold.

dragon11689

iTrader: (3)

Thanks guys. I'm going to try to bring this up to my dealership.

Tattude

Man, I sure hope I don't have to deal with this...?
LOTS of people had problems with 2002 Nissan Sentra Spec V's and I didn't. (thank god)
My car feels really good except a very slight click every once in a while from the clutch.
My gears feel VERY smooth though. 05 Enth 6MT with 5K on the odo
I've never owned anything but MT though. About 13 cars now and counting...
My dealership here is pretty cool though if anything does come up

visionboy

iTrader: (7)

my tranny is hard to get in in ALL gears, but mostly 1-2. Damnit. Im afraid to take it to replace it, only to new problems. I am waiting till there is an actual grind before i take it in.

Also i tried replacing the tranny with royal purple fluid, and it help for like couple days...now its back to hard shifting again.

xephiron

my original gearbox eventually grinded into 3rd, at 23k miles. My new tranny seems a bit more notchy, and 5th/6th are often kinda hard to shift into. Don't know why we can't just get a smooth, reliable tranny... was ours just a bad design or something from the beginning? I have driven many many cars and never had one with shifting issues. Yet Nissan can't/won't get ours right.

TeCKNeiC

I think my tranny may be going too. Do you all have to feather the clutch while shifting or is that the usual. I find myself first dropping the clutch to the engagement point then easing off the clutch for all shifts before 4th. Does that cause more wear or should I look into a tran replacement?

Tattude

Feathering causes damage to the clutch and tranny... Shouldn't have too except for 1st -2nd every now and then. Not the norm though...

DAYTONA-ZED

Seems like the clutches on these cars engage too high.

TeCKNeiC

Feathering is easing up off the clutch slowly, correct? (Sorry to thread-jack, please return to normally scheduled programming after the answer to this Q.)

Z_Driver

iTrader: (3)

No no more than I would expect. 1st gear normally whines a bit more since it is the lowest gear. Not exceptionally loud however.

Z_Driver

iTrader: (3)

On fifth and sixth there is a guide that needs to be adjusted properly. If it isn't 5th and 6th are a bit difficult to find at times.

In 5th and 6th the guide should be 2-3mm off of the natural position in that gear.



Mine was wrong from the factory. Too large a gap 6mm or so. I found it during the short shifter install. Problem with that was the short shifter vibrated a lot. So, I switched it back adjusting the guide and now I don't really see any need to get a short shifter. It shifts smoothly and short enough for me. It is much easier to find 5th and 6th now.

Maybe the guide needs to be adjusted in your car. Pretty easy after you get the shift **** off.

Z_Driver

iTrader: (3)

It could be a bent a syncro or, there is a bind on the crush washer that hold together the gear stack. I do not know the 350Z internals as well as others but, from my battles with screwed up trannys sound like it might be bad. If you still have warantee get it to the shop. If not, change your fluid and make sure it is filled properly. Sometime it is as simple as the gear not getting enough lube or contaminated. Filter the oil and see if there is any metal chunks or chips in there. That will give you an idea if something busted off or if it is just normal wear. Normal wear is a fine dust of metal, broken parts are generally, chips and chunks of metal.

Hard to say without hearing it and looking at the oil and levels etc...