Facts:
2004 350z Touring 5AT (Headers, Test Pipes & Exhuast)
78k miles
98+ degree weather
Times of occurance:
August 17th and 19th, 2007 (To and From Las Vegas, NV)
July 18th and 20th, 2008 (To and From Las Vegas, NV)
Story:
Around 125 Miles of driving about 70-90mph depending on traffic, The "D" on the center gauge disappears and leaves me stuck in 4th gear.



I am unable to put it in manual mode, and the only way i could fix this is to turn off the car for 5 mins (approx.) and start it back up.

Here's the kicker, it only happens when i am halfway to vegas both directions (Morning around 10am-11am and night around 7pm-8pm. Seems to be in the same location each year.

I drive to newport beach, san fransisco, san diego, etc from Lancaster (over 100+ miles) and this would never happen. I would take it to the dealer but they would most likely want me to duplicate it and i don't want to take a tech on a joy ride towards vegas. Plus I'm most likely not in warranty and i don't want to do anything big on my Z expecially since i am saving up for the GTR.

Has anyone here experience this or have any suggestions on what i should do.

Here are some conclusions my friends and I thought of.

change transmission fluid (30k since last flush/change)
Transmission overheating?

Area 51 magnetic field messing with my ECU. (UFOs dislikes Zs?)

Something in the area doesn't like my car and is messing with it with some form of high tech device.

It does get annoying when i do my once a year vegas run and this annoyance happens. Really annoying when i get to the city and try to accelerated from full stop in fourth gear. Exhaust note sounds really bad and it's really embarrassing crossing the intersection really slow when i am pushing the gas pedal all the way in...

I hope you guys can help with my problem...

 

up up down down left right left right B A B A select start

 

^lol..smart@ss

OP..try posting in the regional section to see if anyone else encountered this. I think it has to do with some number of miles you drive non-stop as opposed to the location. Never heard of this issue before.

 

Between these trips, i did a non stop drive to san fransisco which is a 6 hr drive, 3 hrs longer, and also san diego which is a 3 hr drive, same amount as vegas. So it's something to do with the area...or in combination with the temperature too. The drive to San Diego was hot also but didn't experience the problem....

 

maybe you should quit f*cking around and get a manual...

that sounds like a terrible time though, sorry to hear this is happening to you. your right though, no warranty. ats come with very high repair bills as well. which is why i didnt buy one, along with other great reasons. good luck though.

 

Did you ever try shifting to N then back into D again when it was stuck in 4th?

 

Yes, and also tried putting it in manual mode and upshifting and downshifting, but no luck, like i said only happens when i go or leave vegas on the I-15N and I-15S.

 

A lousy, thinly-veiled troll attempt on 5ATs. Nice job.

 

That kind of stuff can happen near area 51. Sure call me paranoid.

 

mt>at

hahaha no, just kidding, i respect the AT, it just has a different overall purpose then the MT, at least in my eyes. it seems like the OP does a lot of driving so an AT is probably more tuned to his needs. i have never owned an AT myself so i suppose i can't say anything.

 

So seems like no one else has this problem or has any clue, guess i'll just leave the Z at home when going to vegas then...

 

Hell, your AREA 51 theory sounds pretty damn plausible. LOL.

 

We should do a Z road trip to vegas and test my theory.

 

+1. i just want to go to vegas Z style , i doubt that if there really was some sort of interference affecting your trans, it would only be directed at your trans and not other electronic components.

 

I'm betting on aliens...or your car is sick of you losing money in vegas. I dunno.

 

Several members went last summer and never returned. All personal information and all referenced posts have been deleted. My mind was also erased.

 

Had this happen to me also... It was awhile ago so i don't remember if the D was still displayed, but i had to pull over and let the car sit also. The stealership said that i was driving to hard and the AT overheated. But, when it happened it was 80 degrees at nite in FL and i had only been in the car for about 5 miles...