I get this too- when I'm in 1st moving slowly and disengage the clutch there's a slight metallic "thud" sound- but it only happens sometimes and only when turning. Any one else hearing this? Tranny feels and operates fine. 1300 mi on my car.

 

I have the same "thud" sound after disengaging from 1st. Time to visit the dealer...

 

I am also hearing a rattling-ticking noise from the Z when idling in neutral with the clutch out. It disappears when I depress the clutch. Also have the ocassional clunks when depressing the clutch while rolling to a stop. After reading through all these posts it sounds like both of these behaviors are common. A few owners have had their clutches and/or tranny's replaced and still have these noises. For now I have to assume that these noises are normal. My 2000 jetta vr6 5spd made similar sounds.

 

Just brought my car to the dealer and he told me that the clutch noise is NOT normal. He has already replaced the trany for another Z for the same thing and the noise went away. He is waiting for a phone call to confirm to get a new trany for my Z. Also I don't have any grinding problems, just the the noisy trany when the clutch is out and goes away when pushed down.

 

Not for me, the tranny was replaced and the noise didn't go away. Let us know how it turns out.

 

hmmmm... just checked and i'm having the same noises too. My car was manuf. on 9/02 BTW. from reading the previous posts.. there isn't a definate fix yet?? I think i might go with one user.. just let warranty take care of it in the future. My dealship is kind of a pain in the butt to work with.

 

The "thud" sound I used to hear when putting the gear into neutral coming to a stop disappeared after I changed to Redline tranny and differential oil. Whining sound also is not as loud anymore. But I do still here the rattle with the clutch out idle in neutral inside the garage after ive used the car for awhile

 

The sound everyone is hearing is definitely the throw-out (release) bearing. It is quite common. Depending on the
noise level, it is also normal. Had a 2000 Mustang GT and
had to have the bearing replaced three times within a span
of 50,000km's due to excessive noise, and ultimately there
was nothing that could be done. The Z's clutch noise is very
mild in comparison.

It the bearing noise is combined with a loud and deep whining sound whenever the clutch is activated, then there is a bearing problem. Sometimes the clutch plate can be warped causing
quick wear on the bearing and the entire assembly may need
changing.

 

Don't have the dealer (or anyone else) do anything as major as dropping the tranny to replace your clutch until unless there is a real problem.

 

Why not? Its the dealer's and Nissan's call if they decide to take the hit and do something major. They're not going to just pay for a new tranny and clutch because any customer tells them to. If they decide to swap them out, obviously they feel its the best thing to do. What makes you think dealers aren't looking out for their own monetary interests?

 

Why not? Don’t you think your dealer is making a profit when he pulls your transmission, under warranty, and makes a repair? Their service bays feed on our paranoia while we are under warranty. After the dealership sells you a car they only make a profit for “service”. Factory warranty service is bread and butter for these guys.

My point is…. Do your homework and be sure that your car has a “real” problem before you let them tear your car apart. I have learned by experience that anytime they rip into a “warranty problem” they manage to mess up and create other problems while on their way in and out. All this adds up to more trips to the dealership and profit for them.

 

What are you talking about?

First off, if there is a problem with the tranny, Nissan doesn't allow a dealer to repair or rebuild them or contract out for a rebuild/repair. They're required to ship them back to Nissan and simply replace the unit.

Secondly, if THEY deem its necessary, what's wrong with that? They're not screwing anyone but themselves. They make less money for warranty work but they're obligated BY LAW to fulfill the warranty agreement.

I'm sorry you've had such terrible experience with dealers performing warranty work, but most people choose to take advantage of the new car warranty that they've already paid for. If they screw up warranty service, they are OBLIGATED to make it right. If they don't, that's what consumer protection services are for. Most service departments have great incentive to fix things properly and make their customers happy. If you're not happy, find a better dealer. The lemon law is also a GREAT consumer protection law.

I really don't understand what you're getting at here. These guys and girls who've had trannies replaced had them replaced because of failed synchros or worse. What homework should someone do when their tranny grinds into gear consistently? That's a problem that needs fixing. If Nissan makes their dealers swap out transmissions, that's the dealer's problem.

Note that I specifically asked you if you didn't think that dealers were looking out for their own monetary interests. I don't think they'd be so anxious to pull entire transmissions if it was killing them at the bank. They're going to make money from Nissan on warranty work, albeit not as much as from Joe Shmoe consumer for non-warranted service.

 

Sorry to irritate you. I agree with you that if my transmission is grinding while changing gears there is a real problem with the clutch or transmission and the dealer and Nissan have to fix my car. No question about it!

My message here is be sure that the symptoms I am experiencing indicate there is a real problem.

Last week my Z started making a new noise with the air conditioner on. It freaked me out and my first impulse was to charge over to the dealer for answers. In fact I hear 2 different noises from the car with the air conditioner on in the last few days. I have always had the climate control set to 74 and now I am hearing new and different noises. Is there a problem with my AC? Should I race over to the dealer and insist on an immediate solution to these new noises? Have them replace my AC? The compressor or the condenser? Maybe the onboard computer.. I held back my on my immediate impulses and watched my ambient temperature gauge and noticed that these new noises manifest themselves only when temperature gets above about 85 degrees. Is this a real problem or normal behavior? Right now I don’t know but I don’t want the dealer to mess with my car and fix a perceived problem and in doing so create new problems.

Have you noticed any new AC noises with the onset of summer?

 

BROKE,

There is a TSB for noise with A/C on. You should check it out to see if it applies to you.

As for the possibility of dealers wanting to replace someones tranny so they can make money, Nissan is stingy when it comes to this procedure. If I remember correctly, Nissan only pays for 4hours of labor to do the Tranny Swap.

JD

 

What does the AC noise sound like? Whever mine is on, I just hear the compressor, though I did think it was kinda loud. Of course, its a stretch to get to 70 here in Chicago lately...

 

i just heard this tranny noise yesterday for the first time, i had the car since sept and never had any problem with it. i was dropping off my gf yesterday, as i pulled my car into the garage with window open and radio off, i heard some kinda of metalic sound coming from underside of the car. it wasn't very noticible, and it only happens when idle with the clutch engaged and going in to 1st slowly. i hope thi s is normal. iif the sound persists, i'll be taking it to the dealer soon.

 

I am now convinced that the "new" noises I am hearing with the air conditioner on when ambient temperatures are above 85 degrees are the radiator cooling fans. They must kick on full time when the air conditioner is turned on when ambient temperatures get above 85.

 

I just noticed it the other night. I push the clutch in and it stops, let it out... it came back, in / out, in /out. Exact same thing everytime.

Sounded like a blender chopping ice cubes. WTF????!

Got the pulling to the right problem too and ****ing paint chips galore!

Going to dealer Tuesday...


So much for waiting until later in the year to "work out the bugs". Cause mine is a late year model.... *sigh*

 

The noise is normal only if you have a worn"throw out bearing". I had the same noise until the clutch exploded and damaged everthing including the flywheel. Nissan is covering everything. I should have her back Monday. You better get it fixed!

 

My Z is doing the exact same thing. It's louder in the morning when it's cold. It's very loud if I pop out the clutch in neutral, but if it's in gear there's no problem. It was broken down today by Nissan. Once taken completely appart, there are some bearings around a main shaft that are supposed to be packed in. When the casing/ cover is taken off the front of the bearings, they're all supposed to stay in place. Two of them dropped out meaning that there's slack. He said this is enough to cause that spinning shaft to rattle around and cause noise. I never had the problem initially, but after 20k on the car it's very obvious. A new tranny is on order at the moment. I have an aluminum flywheel on the car as well. Anyone with some experience know if this could cause any extra wear or vibration on the tranny and cause problems? The mechanic says there's no dampner on it like the factory one. Just wondering how much of a difference it's going to be if I go back to the stock flywheel since I bought used like this and any other advice. Thanks