woogie12

My downshifting from 6th to 5th does the typical synchro issue, grinding when shifting quickly, not when doing it slowly (this is what i've read to be typical). however, the dealer said that my clutch is going as well, and this is more than likely causing the problem as the clutch is not disengaging the transmission causing the grinding.

they had said that if it were a synchro, it would do it coming from 5th to 6th as well as 6th to 5th. they refuse to replace it until i spend 1600 on clutch and flywheel parts alone. i would love to just buy a god damned aftermarket clutch and flywheel for almost half the price, but i'm worried my warranty will then be voided. I have a feeling they are just saying it is the clutch without taking any other consideration, since I told them my throwout bearing is going. The car has 60,000 miles on it and is an 03.

Also, my brother had the issue shifting from 2nd to 3rd, only then, and infiniti replaced his g35 tranny that day. I'm thinking about just taking it to another dealership, it's just a pain in the ***** to have to leave work and such.

any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

R-TuneZ

first of all, you do realize we live in america right? if you dont like the way one dealer treats you, there are a thousand others. i have about 6 dealers near me and i go to the farthest (over an hour away) because they have done a lot of work for me without bitchin' over bs. seeing that you live in jersey, you might want to take your car there. its called Eisenhauer Nissan in PA. i had my trans replaced due to the same issues not a week ago. they did a great job and charged me 400 for a clutch and pressure plate (a little high but they did give me a free trans without problem)... most of the dealers in jersey are f*cking garbage and will bust your s*it until you give them money, even for issues that are clearly covered under warranty.

also, installing aftermarket parts will NOT void your warranty unless the dealer can prove (and this has to be verified by NNA) that the part you installed is what caused the malfunction. so it really should not be a problem. in fact the dealer had asked me if i wanted to wait and look around for some aftermarket parts before they put it all back together. i declined though due to $$$ issues. anyway, good luck.

woogie12

thanks a lot, i plan on taking it to the other dealership the next town over first. also, i'm worried the original dealership may try to pull a fast one and say an aftermarket clutch caused the issues. then again i have the date of the issues in writing, with the stock clutch.



i was also given the idea to call nissan directly. thanks for the response.

R-TuneZ

wait, if your car is an 03 with 60k, it is out of warranty for sure (unless you got a certified car...?). btw the stock clutch replacement was not 400, i paid 282 for parts and 41 for labor (scuffing the disc and placement). the other 40 is from tax and a 1/2 hour of diagnostic fee for an oil leak.

woogie12

i got it certified. but what the ****? why were they trying to charge me 1,240 for a clutch plus flywheel without labor? (i just found the write up)

R-TuneZ

the stock flywheel on our cars has an MSRP of $1,079. it is completely outrageous, i know. you will get better performance, and a much better deal, going aftermarket. here is a reference.

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/350z12b01

woogie12

haha well there it is then, thank you.

i plan on going all out act. i'll be ordering a clutch asap regardless of what the second dealership says.

Spike100

As you state, this is clearly a synchromesh problem with the Z’s transmission that has been reported many times. The fix is replacing the transmission.

For sure the dealer is wrong when he said it was the clutch causing your grinding issue. In fact the dealer’s diagnosis is outrageous. If it is the clutch, you would grind in all gears, but more likely before this, you would notice slipping. A clutch problem is not specific to a single shifting problem as you are experiencing going from 6th to 5th hard and fast. Your problem is clearly a faulty transmission.

When the dealer replaces the transmission under the drivetrain warranty, they get little profit. That’s because Nissan won’t pay the dealer for a profit on the parts, and cuts the labor charge significantly. The only way the dealer can make this up is getting you to buy a new clutch plate and flywheel (where the dealer makes money on parts and installation labor).

When I replaced my transmission in my 2003 Z, the dealer recommended replacing the clutch components. The argument was that the car was apart at that time, and it would be less costly on the labor side to replace the clutch during the transmission replacement. The estimate was $1,800 for a new clutch. Of course I declined. My car had less than 30K miles. I certainly did not need a new clutch.

Your situation is a little different since you are nearing the point where a clutch replacement is prudent. But, if the dealer is going to take this as an opportunity to cover lost revenue on a transmission replacement, you might want to let them just replace the transmission. It is more costly doing this (transmission replacement and clutch replacement) in two stages, but it prevents the dealer from taking advantage of you. I’m about 99% certain that after the transmission is replaced, you won’t think you need a new clutch for at least another 15-20K miles.

Question (just asking): What are the “symptoms” that make you think the throw-out bearing needs replacement?

--Spike

woogie12

Severe squeaking when depressing the clutch pedal. My brother originally came to the conclusion after driving my car.

woogie12

And I am fuming, I wish there was a 24 hour phone service. If this other dealership diagnoses a synchro problem I'm going to do me best to put in a bad word for the original dealership.

R-TuneZ

new throw-out bearing included with the 009 transmission replacement.

2004Black350z

iTrader: (37)

Clutch is a wear item. If there are signs it has been abused and trust me they will say that then its not covered n n e warranty. That's like havin a warranty on ur tires or breaks ya know. Cost me 3k plus for my rps clutch and flywheel and new tranny n my 05.

Spike100

Here is an easy way to evaluate the condition of your throw-out bearing (crude but simple).

Park the car, and with the engine running, put the car in neutral. Then fully depress the clutch pedal. If you hear a difference when the engine is running and the car is in neutral with the clutch pedal fully depressed vs. the clutch not depressed at all, you might have an issue with the throw-out bearing.

When running this test, roll the window down and stick your head out, or have someone outside the car listen for any difference.

And, as R-TuneZ states, the throw-out bearing shares an intimate relationship with the redesigned synchromesh on the new transmission and is part of the replacement, so it’s a non-issue here.

--Spike

woogie12

ehhh aware. but you had to pay for the tranny? ouch, how much did the tranny alone run?

woogie12

thanks, i'll check it out tomorrow since i have to drive my car. apparently i only have a few miles left on it by the dealership's eval.

Spike100

^^ From reading your problem report, I am 99% certain you have a defective transmission. This is replaced under the Z’s 5 year 60K mile warranty. So if you are near this limit, you need to get on this quickly. If you are slightly past the warranty, you might still be OK if you have any previous service orders on which this problem is listed.

I would forget about the clutch for now, and deal with this after you get the transmission replaced. I’m guessing, but think a new transmission would cost somewhere around $3,500.

--Spike

R-TuneZ

err... i just had my trans replaced and i can clearly hear the transmission spinning while the clutch is engaged, as opposed to not when its disengaged. i am not sure if this is an accurate way to determine such an issue. you are making me nervous though lol.

Spike100

^^ A slight noise that you need to listen somewhat carefully to hear clearly is normal. A significant difference that is obvious (distracting) when you are not trying to hear something is abnormal.

Also, the new transmission whines (some would say even emits a whistling sound) while driving and shifting. Although it isn’t something you heard in the original transmission, it’s normal in the new transmission and it not an indication that something is wrong.

--Spike

R-TuneZ

ok, great. i am very ocd about my car and the noises it makes, you made me worried. thanks for the clarification though. yea the new trans def makes a whining noise under acceleration and deceleration though it does not sound bad or weird. i am not concerned. but damn, there is a HUGE difference in performance. 009 ftw.

Spike100

^^ I agree. The new transmission is smooth and silky with sure shifting gates. Its predecessor was “notchy” and much more difficult to shift quickly. Actually, I didn’t really dislike the original transmission until I drove its replacement. I’d hate to go back.

--Spike