mdracer76

iTrader: (1)

I was wondering if anyone else may have this issue:

My Z has 3700 miles and a 6spd manual trans.

When I pull into my garage, I put the car in neutral, with the car stopped, I release the clutch, and viola... a grinding noise from the engine area. I push the clutch in... and it goes away.

It does not occur all of the time... that is what concerns me. I totally baby the car when I drive it (I dont race it).

If anyone else has noticed this and raised this concern to their dealer please let me know. If there has been a Technical Service Bulliten for this could you please post a link to it, so I can download it.

Thanks in advance.... Other than that the car is PERFECT!

XBS

iTrader: (29)

happens to me too and i dont know what it is usualy after the engine is warm

WashUJon

It sounds like the clutch throw-out (release) bearing chatter that just about everyone has. Considering the prevalence of the noise, I'll bet its just the way the clutch and bearing are designed and its probably a normal condition. Some people seem to get it worse than others but I've yet to hear about a failure of the bearing, so its hard to tell if its a real issue or not. My clutch chatters all the time when the bearing is spinning (clutch enganged) and I can hear it rattling pretty good when starting out in first. It bugs me, too, but if its "normal", I think we may have to just live with it.

LBSOHK

i just droped off my car to a dealer yesterday because of this rattle.. he called me back today saying its definately tranny problem , he couldnt tell me exactly what was the problem cause he was still waiting for the " autorization from nissan " to take my car apart my car only has 2000 miles on it , i broke her in properly and now this , i'll let u know when i hear from him again

WashUJon

They told me the clutch noise was "normal". It may be normal, but I don't trust them...

vancitydude

this is my third Z ('87, '90, '03) and every one of them makes this noise in neutral with the clutch pedal out... seems like a normal nissan tranny trait to me, so i'm not worrying about it.

noel48

My 2001 Miata had the exact same problem.

LBSOHK

ok so i got the call from my dealer , he said the noise is not normal , they are aware of the noise and as for now he ordered a new tranny for my car.... couldnt tell me exactly where the noise was coming from .... im a little worried , my Z is the first one they will do the major service on... also little strange that they cant tell me what exactly is wrong , his words were " there is definitly a strange noise coming from the tranny we will replace it "
well i guess they are fixing the problem so i shouldnt *****...
thumbs up for my dealer

optimist07

My 350Z just hit 1800 miles and I am having this same problem. It sucks when you're sitting at an intersection or showing your car off and it starts rattling like hell. Definitely not normal. I can hear the noise over the radio on mine... time to call the dreaded dealer and see how bad they can screw it up... Good luck to all with the same problem!

Pitlizard

At 7500 miles my 350 has a grinding noise when out of gear and clutch out. I also have a small vibration in the clutch pedal, it feels like you have a bee between the clutch pedal and your shoe. Anybody else have these issues and have you had them fixed?

jehjr68

I have the SAME vibration. It's actually like a foot massage. It seems to get better as the car warms up but does not totally go away. Here is my scenario :

Go to start out, shift gears etc .. as soon as the clutch begins to engage, a vibration (rises and falls with revs) is felt throught the pedal. The transmission shifts flawlessly and the clutch engages strong ... it is just a sort of drivetrain rumble througth the pedal.

Does everyone elses car exhibit this ? I have the rattle in the throwout bearing also.

Johnny
03 DB Performance (2500 miles so far )

kamikaZ

iTrader: (19)

i just read this thread for the first time earlier today and when i pulled in my driveway just now i heard the rattling that MD is talking about. I get a lot of rattle when my car is rolling and i engage the clutch.

ZpikeZ

I believe what you are hearing and what you are feeling in the pedal (slight vibration right when you start up) is the ABS self-diagnostic test. This is completely normal.

jehjr68

Nope, it's not the ABS. I know that noise. What I meant by "when you start out" was not just after the car is started. Any time you are moving and shift gears It is truly a something else. I guess that my car is unique ... maybe something wrong with it ? Almost like something is out of balance ... maybe the VQ and Z's drivetrain are not as refined as I'm accustomed too.

Thanks anyhow !

Phaneom

This weekend I first started hearing this rattle. I had an Integra before and when I first bought it, it did the same thing. The thing that worries me about this is that it is a lot louder. I find that when I turn the car off you can hear the rattle louder and clearer. I'm just wondering if any else has took the car into the dealer and if they found what the exact problem is.


Thanks.

oicw

Let Nissan know about your 350Z problems. If enough Z owners *****, they might get off their *** and fix these problems.

Go to Nissan's website and email them about your problems:

http://www.nissanusa.com/global/cont...on/1,,,00.html
__________________________________________________

You should file a complaint:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

By Phone
Call the DOT Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236) and a NHTSA representative will record your complaint information.

By Mail

You may also print the web form out and fax it to (202) 366-7882 or mail it to:

U.S. Department of Transportation,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Office of Defects Investigation,
NSA-10.01, 400 7th Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20590.

General Information

Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your complaint is the first step in the process.

Government engineers analyze the problem. If warranted, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to initiate a recall.

We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us.
For a prompt response from NHTSA, send your information request, suggestions, or comments to odidata@nhtsa.dot.gov.

soon2bZ

As my name implies, no Zzzzz yet, but soon. Currently I have a 2000 Eclipse GT (5MT). All owners of 2000 GT MTs have this problem. At first everyone said it was the throwout bearing. This was eventually proven incorrect. The actual noise comes from the clutch plate itself. On Eclipses, there are three springs mounted about halfway up the plate in a circlular pattern (ie the springs make a circle with the center being the center of the clutch plate). These springs get loose and rattle while the plate is spinning. My friend is the lead Mitsu tech at the dealer I go to, and he showed me a clutch plate out of another eclipse. He sat there and moved the springs back and forth, and it madea sound quite similar to the noise that I and everyone else had been hearing. Unfortunately, MMA did not and will not do anything about it. I hope Nissan is different.

optimist07

I finally took it to the dealer yesterday and they did find the problem, but it was a generic answer. They said that something is wrong with the transmission, but they don't know what. Nissan won't let them work on it. Nissan is sending out a brand new transmission and the old one is being sent back to them so that they can take it apart... Hopefully it will come in soon. I now also get a loud rattle when shifting in 2nd & 3rd at 2000 RPM.

alex30327

I,ve had the same rattle for over 13,000 miles and my tranny seems just fine (6sp manual). It think that it is just the way the car was designed, just like the vibrating shift ****. If you want a car that does not make any noise, get a Lexus.

jehjr68

Well, I had the car at the dealership Friday for the first oil change (free!) and to check out the "whirring" noise in neutral and the vibration in the clutch pedal.

Here is what the tech said :

"I hear the noise ... all Z's have it. Nissan says it's normal."

"The vibration in the clutch pedal will go away when it breaks in"

Now, how long does it take to "break" a clutch in ? I am at 3000 miles !

Anyhow, can you guys do me a favor and push in the clutch, rev the engine, and see if you feel a clutch pedal vibration ? I wonder if all Z's do this.

Thanks

Johnny
03 DB Performance