Hey all, I'm new to the forum and am really interested in this 2003 350z i found on craigslist. It has 10k miles and looks really clean. But I have been doing some research and found that this year had transmission issues. Most of these threads have been about actually getting it replaced. I wanted to hear any suggestions on what I should do to make sure the transmission is ok. Do I just drive it hard and shift about 4k during the test drive? lol.

 

Shift quickly into 3rd, 4th and 5th gears. You will know immediately if it has synchro issues.

 

Does it matter how fast im going when i do this? He lives in san francisco so itd be pretty hard to get to fifth unless i shift really early.

 

Highly doubt it is cd009 but with only 10k miles it should be in decent condition. A fresh fluid swap would help along with fresh diff fluid. Change out clutch fluid and then enjoy the vehicle and replace with cd009 when issues arise. During test drive you should drive like a dumb ***. Do your best to NOT REV MATCH and just shift extremely crappy and see if synchros will work like the are suppose to. Down shift without rev matching and see what happens. Pay attention to first, second, third and fifth as these then to have most issues. Get underneath on the passenger side and grab a digital camera. Take pictures up towards the center and top of the transmission. You will need to take like 5 pictures and you will get the sticker with revision number. Late 2004 is when 350z got the cd009 and early 2005 is when G35 got it. Your 2003 has a weak pivot bolt that is tall and you will want to go easy on banging the shifter around from gear to gear.

 

Thanks faiz. So if the transmission synchros are out or worn i will still be able to notice if i shift regularly? Not sure how I would be able to tell the owner that I have to drive it hard to test something. Also trying to figure out where I would be able to test fifth gear in a residential district of san francisco...

 

My 5th gear grinds if I don't go into it slowly even if I shift at 2500rpm in 4th if that help you any

Just shift into it quickly well all the gears for that matter

 

doing the quick shift test, if it grinds does that absolutely mean the trans is going bad or thats jus the nature of this specific trans. cus its quite common

 

Means synchro is going bad if its 5th gear like mine no big deal I just go in slow but eventually it will need replacing ill be putting in a cd009 tranny

 

You are making it way too complicated. Just drive the damn vehicle and stick with the owners manual speeds for shift points. Here is a couple pictures of my transmission cd009 to get an idea of where the sticker is placed for revision.

https://www.nissan-techinfo.com/deptog.aspx?dept_id=39

http://www.infiniti-techinfo.com/deptog.aspx?dept_id=56

Suggested up-shift speeds

Shown below are suggested vehicle speeds for shifting into a higher gear.
These suggestions relate to fuel economy and vehicle performance. Actual up-shift
speeds will vary according to road condi-tions, the weather and individual driving habits.


For normal acceleration in low altitude areas [less than 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 16 (26)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th to 6th 33 (53)


For quick acceleration in low altitude areas or in high altitude areas [over 4,000ft(1,219 m)]:

Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)

Suggested maximum speed in
each gear

Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is
not running smoothly, or if you need to
accelerate.

Gear MPH (km/h)
1st 35 (56)
2nd 60 (96)
3rd 85 (136)