350Z Delay due to Computer Chip problem
 

No idea if this is true.... but I heard through the 'grapevine' that there has been a major hold back with 350Z's as well as G35 Coupes coming out of Japan. As in, 30-60 delay wait sort of thing.

I was told that the company that makes the chips that converts the engine from Japanese to American settings (I asked what chip, cause I hadn't heard of this before myself but the guy didn't know the name, pretty sure it's not the ecu) are basically out of stock. They can't make them fast enough or something.

I heard how it works is that the cars are sent over here, then the chip is installed and all is well. There are cars on boats coming over here that will sit waiting until the chips get to them.

Again, I heard this from a source with Nissan, but not with NNA so I am not sure if the guy was misinformed or what. If this has been talked about already, my bad.

Do you know if this affected cars that are already at the ports? mine came in last Monday to Jacksonville and nothing still even after talking to NNA they just say it hasn't been released and is getting options installed like splash guards!! I wonder if the chip is the problem???

I know this boat all too well. However, this begs the question of what does this specific chip actually do? If there are cars coming over minus the chip, then that suggests that it is not required for "normal" operation of the car, as the Longshoremen drive the cars off the boats (not ROLL them off! :p )

Hmmm. If I had one wish, it would be for someone from inside Nissan to be able to tell us:

• How the selection was done to determine build order
• Was there any logic behind the tracking number?
• What's up with this "chip" problem?

I realize some things will just never be discussed, and I'm OK with that. But talking about these things would be an interesting discussion to say the least.

Ok, I'm going to ask a stupid question, but I'm already on the brink of insanity here. If VIN #'s higher than mine are already in dealer inventory, could my car be affected by this?

I am sorry, but this sounds like a load of crap. Quite simply, a chip that contains settings or information is usually an eeprom. eeproms are common and universal and they can be copied very quickly. It is not as if it is a proprietary processor. Out of all the components that could run short, this would be one of the last.

If there is simply a conversion from japanese to american standards, this would be a change in a programed ROM.

There is no way that a chip that has settings programed in it is the hold up. If this were so, nissan would ship a 200 dollar eeprom burner and some of the 20 cent blanks to the dock where they can do it. Total FUD.

well.....my car is coming Sept 3rd...they made there promise of last week august first week september.....although I would like them to go in VIN sequence...since I would have mine now if they did....ANYWAY the reason why i'm posting on this he is that the chip scare had me going for a minute...NOW its all good. Sorry for the second allocation guys though.

Checked with a nissan source, It's true, about a 30 day delay.

Now the big question is what cars did this affect (i.e. after what build date or vin #)?

ZISME's post from earlier this week seems to indicate this is out of date information:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....8144#post48144

This sounds pretty suspicious to me. We're talking what? 5,000 chips here? Not much by Nissan standards.

I agree, Rob. A few thousand chips should have been in the hopper waiting to go. However, I've had the chip theory confirmed by a few reliable sources. I'm not willing to say it's the defacto 100% reason for any delays, but it seems that there's some truth to this being part of the slow-down.

I know my order was affected by it (which sucks for me), and I'm trying to get info on the total # of orders (and types of cars) affected by this.

Chip shortage...huh?
 

Sorry I just don't believe it. While I'm not a semiconductor expert I happen to follow the semiconductor and semicondutor equipment industry with a watchful eye. I don't buy it since most of the fabs throughout the world, Japan, Taiwan, U.S., etc. are running nowhere near capacity.
Take a look at this announcement from Intel just this week.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/020827/technology_intel_3.html

I'm not suggesting that Intel is the manufacturer of the semiconductor in our 350Z but they are the largest manufacturer in the world and an excellent bellweather. I'm not buying it. There is NO CHIP SHORTAGE!

I SMELL A RAT
:icon10:

If those who have posted before me are shooting straight...NNA has confirmed this then I want NNA to tell us the WHOLE story.

I can believe that NNA could have a problem with the chip but NOT a shortage. If someone from NNA is a frequent contributor or occassional lurker please step forward with the FACTS. Your forthright information would go along way in securing a long term customer relationship.

no_jalopy

that's very refreshing

OK, my dealer has already called me and confirmed delivery next week? Doesn't that mean my car is on a truck or rail car already making its way to me, or should this potential 'chip shortage' issue concern me? Because frankly if my dealer calls me and tells me its going to be another 30 days I think my head will explode!
:icon11:

Re: Chip shortage...huh?
 

[
I can believe that NNA could have a problem with the chip but NOT a shortage. If someone from NNA is a frequent contributor or occassional lurker please step forward with the FACTS. Your forthright information would go along way in securing a long term customer relationship.

no_jalopy [/B][/QUOTE]


Yeah... ZISME....can you hear me now??

Yea you should still worry, it means that if in fact it is not a shortage (as some would say), then it's a probably a defect which needs to be modified & tested; i.e. perhaps a first recall for all cars already delivered....

Of course, I am just saying this out of the blue...as I have no information what so ever; just found your post amusing...

My original expected delivery date was Oct 2002. Just a week or so ago I spoke to an NNA rep and their sheet now shows Dec 2002. Seems to fall in line with the 30-60 day delay in production. However, they didn't give me any details on why the date had been pushed back.

Was told it's a chip problem, not a shortage, either way there is a delay.

Yeah, some type of chip respin sounds more likely.

I've seen chip shortages, but usually on only really complicated stuff, like CPUs. Simple proms and asics usually aren't in short supply.

did you read think link to what zisme said earlier? The "chip" problem is old news and no longer concerns us. Stop trying to sh!t in my wheeties!:D