Hey guys, I've been hearing this noise for quite some time now. I have an 08 enthusiast with 14k miles. I notice whenever i start my car and i take my foot off the clutch as it idles i hear a weird i guess you can say rattling/vaccum sound. but once i push the clutch pedal down, the sound disappears. then once my foot is off, the sound comes back. after i drive the car harder on the road the rattling gets even louder. I only hear this when im in neutral and my foot is off the clutch pedal. Not when im in gear Any idea what it could be? something loose? clutch dying? car idles around 600rpm without any check engine light or problems..

 

if it's the same noise i hear, i think your throw out bearing is going out... like i think mine is... sad, expensive sound, for sure... when i push in the clutch, no noise... but when i have it in neutral, the sound is awful... like a grinding, rattling sound...

haven't talked with the dealership about a fix yet, but i have an 07 with about 27k miles...

 

It's your throw out bearing. The Z is notorious for it. Don't worry tho, the only thing that'll happen is the noise you are hearing. At least from what I've heard and experienced. Mine has been doing it forever and i haven't had any issues.

 

yeahh thats pretty accurate, i still want to get it fixed. it sounds so annoying, saudi do you plan on bringing it to nissan?

 

i know how you feel. i remember posting a thread about it awhile back and i got the same answers what zer0cool mentioned. i never drove my z hard but the noise did worry me in the beginning(i thought something was going to break). i've gotten used to the sound over time, so it doesn't really bother me at all anymore. i have around 33k on my 06' and it runs perfectly fine since the day i bought it new.

 

It is the throw out bearing, but not necessarily because it is going bad. It is one of those noises the Z makes. If it makes you feel any better, I have an 03 touring that I bought with 34k miles on it. The clutch, pressure plate, flywheel and entire tranmission were replaced before I bought it. My car has made this same exact sound since I have owned the car, I just rolled over 110k, and the clutch works fine. Keep drivin!!!

 

If it's the throwout bearing and it makes the noise in neutral with the clutch pedal up, it HAS to be making the noise any time you're driving with your foot off the clutch. It'll be drowned out by the road and wind noise, but it still adds to the overall noise level.

I just cannot fathom how Nissan would let this slip by. I've owned and driven lots of MT vehicles, including a several Nissans. The 350Z is the only one that made a noise like that. The noise sucks, and Nissan calling it normal sucks even more.

I found it unsettling to hear a brand new car making a sound like that while it's idling in neutral. It was definitely something that I considered when deciding to go with the 5AT. So far, the scowls and derision from the guys who messed up and bought the 6MT are the only downside of that decision.

 

my question is... can it be resolved?

 

The noise is a common noise for the Z, nearly all of them make it. There is not anything you can do without spending a lot of money and possibly swapping in a new transmission, like a Z32 box or maybe a T56. Like I and many others have said, it is not a big deal, mine has been making the noise for 80,000 miles, big deal, turn up the radio.

Or I guess you could hold the clutch in all the time, but this is not exactly good for the throw out bearing either.......

 

alright i guess, guess i just gotta make up for the noise in the future with twin turbos spooling!

 

Honestly, the only time I hear it anymore, is when I am in a drivethrough, or next to a wall, otherwise, the passenger seatbelt rattling against the b pillar is much more aggrivating to me.

 

i hear it when im in the garage or when im at a stoplight late at night with no one else around.

 

Its a sports car fellas... its going to make some noises.

 

Sure, my other sports cars and the other sports cars I've driven made some noises, but nothing like this.

I don't see how changing the transmission is going to affect the throwout bearing. You'd probably do better designing a little pad that would touch the bearing when it's in the released position. That wouldn't affect the operation of the clutch or the transmission, but it would probably stop the rattling noise.

Of course, it could be a clever marketing plan to get people to opt for the more expensive 5AT. It worked on me.

 

Honestly I would bring it to the dealer and have them check it out. When I got my flywheel and clutch done the tranny did get louder. But over a year or so it got louder. I brought it to the dealer for a Crank Position Sensor and made a complain about the tranny noise. They replaced the tranny with a brand new one. Now I have the rattle noise but more how it should sound with a light flywheel.

 

I seem to recall a thread where people were getting some relief by squirting lithium grease on it through one of the holes.

 

"clutch rattle" is very common on this platform, and is harmless. if you were to search the forums you'll come across countless members on here who have heard the "clutch rattle" in their cars from 10k miles to 150k miles, all with no issues aside from the noise. dont worry about it.

 

Guys, this is hardly a big deal.

 

Mine did it before my new clutch.. and after my new clutch. Its not a deal at all... it has to do with the clutch engagement on the Z/G plateform.

 

Yeah, I was afraid when I first heard it; especially because I bought mine when it was maturing over the age of 100k miles. It happens on practically all of them though, every single one of my friends that has a manual Z makes the same sound. Don't worry about it.