I went to Nissan to have my car serviced (3K mile oil change, TSB for grease streaks, etc) and I mentioned that I hear a high-pitched squeal, almost like a belt squeal (well, somewhere between a squeal and a whine) but not as loud, under very specific conditions...here are the conditions.

1.) If I am coasting in 1,2,3 or 4th gear, then accelerate (not touching the clutch).
2.) While releasing clutch in 1,2,3 or 4th.
3.) While depressing the clutch (car in neutral) 1/2 way and revving slightly.

I am seldomly in 5th or 6th (commute is all side roads) but it could be happening in those gears, but the road noise is probably just drowning out the sound (it is a pretty low dB squeal).

So the master tech says he would think first step would be to change the differential fluid. I thought that was silly so I just told him I would come back if it gets worse. I asked if there was anything ELSE he could do and he said no, because no TSB for tranny whine existed. he also stated that many 350Z's that he has serviced have the same issue and he considered it normal.

Can anyone tell me if they hear such a noise and if it is "normal"? If it was normal I would think that my car would have always made that sound. But it definitely didn't make that sound when I first purchased the car. It is getting worse lately, ie the squeal is a bit louder and lasts longer, when accelerating it lasts maybe 2-3 seconds.

I can't feel the clutch slipping or anything abnormal about the acceleration. I guess the only reason I think it is clutch/tranny related is because of where it SOUNDS like it is coming from when I stick my head out the window.

Thanks for your help,
Mike

 

its normal. my car is the same way. You only need to worry if you are grinding gears a lot.

 

My transmission is acting up as well. I'm just gonna bring it up at the dealer so it is documented, then work on getting a new tranny before the warranty period runs out.

Keep complaining. Nissan can afford to get you a new tranny if it bothers you that much. They are financially healthy.

 

I am experiencing something similar. When I start my engine I hear this squealling noise. The thing is it sounds like its coming from the fan belt. I took it to a Nissan Dealership nearby and what they did was sprayed some stuff on the fan belt itself. The noise stopped for a couple of weeks but now the noise is back. Im gonna go take it to the dealership this week to see what they can do. I think they might just replace the fan belt or something like that. I hope that helps...maybe not..but I just thought Id tell you that I had some squealling noise coming from my engine too!

 

I don't hear anything on start up, I am fairly certain it is not a belt squeal. I guess the only good thing is that I documented it when I took it in to the dealer.

 

Alex, do you find it annoying? It is annoying and getting louder. Did your Z make that noise when you first bought it?

I have owned many vehicles with manual transmissions and this is the first that has ever made such a sound.

 

I only find it annoying if I am in an enclosed space where the sound is louder than normal due to the echo (like my garage). Most of the time I can not hear it.

I also have not noticed it getting any louder over the 14 months that I have had the car.

My car had the same noise the day I bought it. I asked the dealer about it during my first oil change, and they said that this noise was normal for this type of Nissan transmission.

I don't know who is right or wrong, but I (knocking on wood) have not had any problems with my tranny driving 20K miles.

 

i have the same problem and its driving me crazy. whines everytime i drive it in any gear over 3rd.

 

Anyone know how to motivate Nissan to issue a TSB? Probably a slighly convoluted process huh?

Normal is a relative term.... if all 350Z's on the road would not start on Tuesday's and Wednesday's (I know it is an extreme example) it would not be acceptable. But since most 350Z's had the same behavior, some called it normal... that does not mean it is ACCEPTABLE. So just because most 350Z's have "normal" tranny whine (or should I say ppl that report it are told that it is "normal"), doesn't mean that flaw could not be considered grounds for a TSB, recall, Lemon Law or other legal action.

I know a guy who had a vehicle that shuddered when he applied the brakes...dealer said it was normal, he hired an attorney that said that normal does not equal acceptable. Any design flaw could be categorized as "normal".