Hi all, I need advice on problems that some of you may be experiencing with your 350z. I am one of the original s2000 owners, have had mine for 3 years now. I am thinking of selling the S2000 and getting a performance 350z since I need something I can drive through Canadian winters...

So what are the problems that I might experience?

I have read the forums, I have read about the window grease, the fluid changes after break-in etc...

Also, has anyone here gone from an S2000 to a 350z? Any comments?

Help me out please.

Thank you.

Sev

 

The main problem is just the tires. The stock tires are worthless in the snow. If you get a model with the 17" wheels, you can find a set of Blizzaks for it. Finding a set of Blizzaks for the 18"s is a little tougher, because they are supposedly more rare. Here is one of the many threads on the subject:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....hlight=Blizzak

 

Cupping or feathering should be normal for a car that is heavy and prone to pushing (understeer)

Increasing front tire pressures whith proper cornering technique should improve this, coming in too hot and trying to make the car go around a corner will cause this...

These are just basics that apply to most heavy sports cars, I don't know if this is normal or not, I guess I'll know when I change.

As for winter, with all the snow we get here, it's guaranteed death if you don't have winter tires on. I am going to try and get some 17s for winter...

Thanks

 

My two biggest problems:

1)Grease on the passenger window
2)BOSE BOSE BOSE!!!!!

I'm at 3400 miles and no tire problems "yet"....

 

I've been lucky enough not to have any problems so far (fingers crossed) but the 350Z is not a car you want to buy specifically to "drive through the Canadian winters". It is a fantastic car - I love my Z track and I would recommend it every time but I live in Upstate NY and when the first hint of winter comes my Z will be put away until spring.

 

I agree with you but compared to the S2000:

-Small Interior
-Tail happy
-No traction control
-Rag top

It is a winter car made in heaven.

It should be fine for my winter driving purposes, I won't be towing too many farm animals.

 

uh, if you like your winter cars to fishtail everywhere then I guess the Z would be for you. You can also add to your list: more torque to get the rear loose.

yup, the bose audio system sucks ****. I personally also don't like the exhaust note between 1500 and 2400 rpm, and brake modulation wasn't that great... but that may be a plus for your type of winter car.

 

Don't worry about the window grease: the fix is effective and reasonably painless, at least if you go to a qualified service place.

-- Mark

 

Torque is easy to manage with proper throttle application and traction control. A car that is tail happy like the s2000 that is built to oversteer is not...

Anyways, I am confident it will be ok in the snow, I even read a few threads about it being ok...

Any other problems encountered?

 

zero problems here,

Car was built in 1/03, no window grease, rattles, or flaws what so ever.

This car is perfect in every way, no tire problems, either.

E

 

Mine was built in 2/03 and DEFINITELY had the window grease, driver's seat click in hard cornering, and probably tire feathering though it's still a little early to be sure.

Only the tire feathering is a big issue though, and I think it's likely that they'll have a fix!

-- Mark

 

Umm, yeah. That's great and all, but we're talking about feathering that happens to people just DRIVING THEIR CARS TO WORK IN TRAFFIC.

People who track their cars have NO RIGHT to complain about any abnormal tire wear. I've shut up as of two weeks ago and don't care one bit anymore.

 

Whats the treadwear on the Re040s and how fast are they going down to 2/32nds or so?

 

the BOSE thing shouldn't be an issue, since the first couple years S2000 had horrible Bose systems as well, supposedly they made it better recently though.

 

I have to agree with some of the above posters. The Z isn't really the car you'd want to get for serious winter driving. Maybe if you invest in some snow tires, but I would figure that the S2000 would probably be fine with snow tires also.


Other than that, if you're looking for a new car, go for it.

 

140 tread wear on the 040s. My rears were at 2/32nds at only 7100 miles...

 

Lets see:

S2000 doesn't have traction control, it is very tail happy and is a convertible, furthermore the s2000 interior is small, made to be tracked...

ANyways, please, enough with this winter issue, I am confident that with some good winter tires I will be ok with the Z in winter, I don't do heavy winter driving (i'll stay off the road if there are heavy storms).

I'll be ok for winter. PLEASE tell me other issues with the car, so far we have:

-Tire wear
-Window grease

If that's it for a first year production model then nissan has done a great job.

One very important question, how is the service and warranty issues being treated by nissan dealers. One of the weakest points of the s2000 is the crap service, bad attitude and overall lack of knowledge and competence of Honda service departments. How do you guys find your dealer service? If an engine blows or a tranny grinds, do they jump on you and claim abuse even before they see the car? Some a$$ honda dealers have gone this far. Apparently Honda's never break and the S2000 is no exception to this rule, or so they portray. How are nissan dealers treating people who AutoX or track their cars? I am not talking about any abuse here, just regular autoX and lapping days.

Thanks

 

Are you an aggressive driver?

7100 miles is reasonable for a 140 treadwear tire. With the stock S02s, s2000s which are 500 pounds lighter do 8,000-12,000 miles.

I now ride on Toyo RA1 tires and they last about 5k-8k miles but the grip they offer makes me do

 

Do not attempt to drive this car in snow or cold temperatures without very aggresive snowtires....actually just don't even consider it at all!
I put mine to sleep for winter and enjoyed my mobility with my pathfinder.

 

2 Track Days
3 AutoX
14,000 miles, about 7000 of which are twisty roads on which I drive fairly quickly.

Rear tires fine (about 1/2 way worn)
Fronts about to reach wear indicators. Probably should be replaced in a couple weeks, but it's almost summer so I figure that I'll be fine in "slicks" for a while.

Problems in my car:
1. Driver's seat shifts in turns (I'm going to try and get a new seat under warranty)
2. Rattles in many places and when I tried fixing one of them, I found that my interior door panel was assembled wrong and a screw won't come out.
3. Shifter clunks when going into second on occasion (only when cold, though)
4. Very minor grease streaks that I wipe off when washing my car.
5. A little choppy on cement highways.

The only real issue for me is the rattles. They tend to make the car feel much less solid than it really is. I drive pretty bumpy roads, so maybe my car is worse than others, but the suspension is pretty stiff so over time I think most will get some rattles.

Also, the Z will definitely understeer compared to the S2000, but depending on your goals for the car, that may not be a bad thing. Also, there are plenty of suspension kits that will fix that if you decide that it really bugs you.

-D'oh!