Well, its been a long 4 weeks of clickety clack. To say the least, I had thought it to be first everything but the axle "click" as the sound resonating from my rear end was not a "click", but more of a larger more full "nock" sound. The sound has grown more progressive with time, and even more unsettling as every moment I think I might feel a larger THUD as an axle breaks loose.

I made a point to go to my local dealership on a lunch break and ask about the Nissan TSB regarding the axle click, they automatically discouraged me as it "is only for the 03-05 model years". I have a 2008 NISMO edition 350z (#1186).

Well I was very disatisfied with their reply and how they handled a more...purist customer of sort.

Well I called the dealership in Cool Springs Tennessee where the car was bought and made an appointment. They are litterally 1/2 mile away from Nissan USA headquarters, so their service and facility is brand new and top notch.
Immediately the service manager noted that I knew more than most, and that I had done my research and was glad to hear what possible problems I had ruled out on my own.
In all, my car was lifted on their lift 5 times, a total of 4 technicians were working simoultaneously on it to figure out the culprit of the annoying reverberative and speed dependant noise.
First they ruled out the axle "click" TSB as they regreased and retorqued my axles. When they gave me the keys to test drive, and they saw my face upon my return, they jumped right back into action.
They drained and changed my engine oil, my transmission and diff oil (inspecting for debris). They also checked the slack in my transmission output as well as drive shaft.

The service managers were much appologetic and very interested in what they would find, I think it was more of a stimulating situation to them more than any, having a spot light car with an undiagnosable problem.

Needless to say, after 3 hours of tinkering and roughly 4 test drives later (with the service manager as driver and passenger) they determined that my rear axles had too much slack, essentially they are defective.
Under warranty these are being replaced on Thursday of this week.

Just wanted to let you guys know about my trivial past couple of weeks, and notably how one dealership could care less, and the other took initiative and great care of me!

PS: I love my NISMO

-Jonathan

Need to get some pictures up of the new shoes too!

 

Man. I think you found the dealer-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow. Good to hear of someone that attentive. (Any leprachans?_

 

man where is that? Near nashville I'm guessing?

wonder if they would fix my axle clicking out of warranty...

 

one of the few dealership in the world that give a damn

 

They are in Cool Springs, Tennessee, you take I-65 south towards Huntsville and you cant miss it, very ritzy area. Like I said, the Nissan USA main headquarters was just completed 2 months ago and moved from California to there. So they have incentive to perform well.

My brother bought his 08' NISMO there the same day I did, he got black and I got silver.

They even told me the "Axle Click" was a problem, though they have had only a handful of cars come through with it in the past years. Mine was "different".

I will let you guys know if the axle replacements fix the problem.

-Jonathan Mann

 

New Axles did not work.

While the mechanic was fixing my axles, he noted that a lug nut and stud just "fell off" the wheel. Mind you have a set of neo chrome $150 lug nuts on my wheels, and I made darn sure they were only tightened to exactly 95ft/lbs (factory specs).

Well under further examination, another lug nut sheered off the wheel as I was looking at it with the 2 techs and the service manager.

Needless to say, they blamed it on my aftermarket wheels and noted I would have to pay for the whole lug nut set, $400 is what they quoted me.

After techs trying to pick at me, asking about my "carbon fiber wheels" (no joke) and why the studs just sheered away. They were not overtorqued and did not have the tell tale signs of spiral fracture like they always have. Needless to say it was a massive ordeal. In all they were very unproffesional and very belittleling to me. They tried to undermine my intellegence and test my patients.

So I am still wondering what it the world is making this horrible and annoying large rotational tick tick tick, axles have been replaced and still the sound is there.

-Jonathan

 

The hubs maybe?

 

The noise in mine seems to gets louder everyday.

 

Ok mark them off the nice dealership list lol

 

Well I remember that the husband and wife with both NISMO 350z's, one of them had wheel bearing(s) replaced under warranty.

But I know wheel bearing sounds, they "groan" or "howl" only when putting lateral load on the car (turning at speed). This sound is speed dependant and only gets louder primarily in a straight line, and more intensity going over bumps.

I am thinking its the rear differential. I doubt this dealership wants to touch my car again, but you know what, its warranty work. They slap a warranty on the car, bumper to bumper, you better believe I will ask for that warranty if anything goes wrong. Especially at a measly 9500 miles! I rarely get to take the car on backroads, let alone abuse the car.

Overall I am more irate at how the dealership and their service figures handled the situation. Its automatically my fault because I had aftermarket wheels...but this was besides the axle problem. Ugh.

I pay $42,000 for a car, 7 months later rear end making very very ODD noises, dealership breaks two lug studs and blames it on me. LOL

-Jonathan

 

I think I jinxed myself.

I am half the mind to go trade it in on a M45-S or E46 M3.
I got better customer support and service with my old used 97' E36 M3 from BMW than I ever did at Nissan. The techs at Nissan automatically assume its your fault, totally setting aside the fact its a BRAND NEW CAR and maybe, JUST maybe its a factory defect.

 

"They tried to undermine my intellegence and test my patients". Yeah, you sound really intelligent.
"I pay $42,000 for a car". You paid about $6,000 too much, genius.

 

That was very helpful, thank you for that

 

 

+15 flbs.......that sucks

 

Uh Oh...

 

Funny :

350z tech .com has this posted:
http://www. ********* .com/zwiki/Wheels_(FAQ)


2.0 ft-lbs is negligable.

 

Its negligible until the wheel falls off. Then its significant.

 

You've just discovered spell check and how to italicise?

 

I am happy my dads nismo is fine

And my car is fine lol