I just brought home a 2008 350z with 48 miles on the clock this weekend. After driving it for the last 3 days, I have noticed that 2nd gear goes in kind of clunky compared to the rest. No grinding or anything, but it doesn't just slide into gear smoothly like the rest.

Typical of a Z?

 

nevermind. found a bunch of posts with the same issue. I still haven't driven it over 7 miles 1 direction, so I probably haven't gotten it warm enough yet. =)

 

I run Royal Purple tranny fluid. Ive run it in every MT car Ive had, and it always feels a little smoother with it in. Easy and cheap to do, and it cant hurt if you wanns try.

 

I haven't owned a stick that isn't "clunky" going into 2nd. It's pretty much the nature of physics. If you're grinding, that's one thing, but just being clunky is another. How high are your revs generally when you shift?

 

My 08 has the exact same issue. It's kinda annoying.

 

my 08 does it also, but so did my 04 and 03

 

i wouldn't touch royal purple with a ten ft pole..

 

My 04 does it an it always makes me feel that people will think I am just not shifting right....dont like it.

 

Low rpm shifts typically clunk more. Shifting at a higher rpm will reduce it some. Also using different fluid helps.

 

It must be. I picked up an 08 6spd a couple weeks ago that has ~400 miles on it now (56 when I picked it up), and it does the exact same thing.

Sometimes it will slide into 2nd smoothly, and sometimes the shifter will report back a noticable "chirp" as it slides past the syncro. I've found if you hold onto 1st a little longer it often shifts smoother, and of course make sure you're fully disengaging the clutch.

Possibly the right gearbox oil could help the issue, but in my experience crappier shifting action is just kind of a hallmark of Japanese econo-sportster transmissions. The one in my old MR2 sucked, so did the one in my AWD DSM.

 

'O4 Touring Coupe: FLAWLESS AT! NO feathering! NO oil-consumption issues! NO PROBLEMO!!!

 

I found one huge problem there.