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Nissan 350Z Problems and Solutions
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I was stuck in traffic a couple days ago, heard a slight rattle from under the car, smelled burnt plastic, and the car stalled. Re-started only to find it could be shifted into first but wouldn't engage. Pushed off the road, towed. Yes, I know how to drive stick and I don't ride the clutch.
I have spoken to 2 Nissan dealerships and a customer service rep, all of whom are trying to tell me that I burned out the clutch b/c I was in traffic. I had my last car for 7 years/125,000 miles without ever having to replace the clutch, yet I'm suddenly being told I don't know how to drive stick.
But get this: The guy at the shop was able to drive it the next day. OK, so I destroyed the clutch, but suddenly it has self-repaired???
Of course, in reality, the problem is that the clutch isn't covered under warranty, while the transmission is. They want me to be a crappy driver. I've been seeing stuff on the 'net that these AND the G35's (same tranny, same engine, right?) are experiencing transmission problems. Hydrolics system, air in the lines, something - I don't know exactly but I'm sure there's a transmission problem that's causing overheating and accelerated wear and tear of some sort.
If anyone has advice, please share. Customer service at Nissan has been quite unimpressive. I took for granted the fact that my Integra was so reliable - never occurred to me that a brand-new car would need a transmission overhaul.
Are these problems suppose to be fixed in the 2k4 models or late 2k4 models??
Many thanks for any feedback.
It's just a matter of washing it off. Nonetheless, the stuff is highly corrosive and eventually will chew up your alloy wheels if left unwashed -- it will begin by showing little pit marks in the alloy after you wash the wheels.
You can help out tremendously by -- obviously -- washing the wheels with a soft brush and the same car soap you use on the body. Don't use harsh (dishwashing) soap on your wheels, or on the car body.
You can make your life quite easy in fact if you coat the alloy wheels with a good coat of car wax. This will make it much easier to wash the gunk off the wheels and will protect them a little bit from the corrosive brake dust.
Hope this helps.
JW
luxie
Just a couple of questions. I just finished the engine break in for 1200 miles so I can now rev it up, I notice a lot of vibration in the stick over 4,000, is that normal in these cars, and if so, do aftermarket shifters help eliminate the engine feedback?
Next thing: on the auto dimming mirror, if in auto mode, it always has a blueish tint, even in the daytime, cloudy or sunlight. I thought it would only do that if it was night and someone had their headlights blasting you from the back.
Finally this seems minor, but after 20 years of driving this is the first car I've had this issue with. Basically if you are not making a hard 90 degree turn the blinker won't click off. Taking exit ramps or even intersections with any type of rounded off turn, the signal stays on. I usually have the radio blasting and so driving during the daylight, it is easy to miss the signal that the blinker is still on(and I hate it when people drive with their blinkers on, so I don't want to become one of them.) Has anybody else noticed this, is there some adjustment that can be made so I don't have to get used to the fact that I will always have to turn the signal off myself. Basically if the turn doesn't require turning the wheel 90 degrees or more, it won't click off.
Any input would be appreciated. With only 1200 miles I realize I'm no expert, but no mechanical problems so far!
To others who might be considering not getting the Z becuase of this message board, remember this is where people gripe about their problems. So it is easy to get scared off, but even the venerable Acura's sites talk about failed transmissions and other nightmares. Years ago when I was considering a VW Jetta VR6 and read all the nightmares, people told me the same thing. The only difference was there were so many problems, that were very consistent(anything electrical), lasted for several model years, worldwide shortage of replacement parts(the O2 sensors were constantly failing). Bottom line that was a maintenance board too, but the complaints were 10 times worse and 10 times more frequent. Granted there are a lot more Jetta's out there than 350Z's, but so far all things considered the complaints are relatively tame and infrequent.
Summary
Excellent Design Horrible Engineering.
I have owned 4 bmw's and thought the z would be a great value. It was fast, fun and had very good handling. But what a piece of junk. After 1 year, everything creaked, when ever I hit a stick on the road or bump the whole dash board sounded like a 2X4 hit my hood. I have had 6 alignments done in the past 2 yrs, went through 2 sets of tires ($>$1000) for the past $22K miles and was at the dealership every 2 months.
I have three children and am 32 yrs old thus dont have a lot of time to hang out at dealerships, but the time I did spend at the dealership was "necessary" due to the flaws. I hope to buy a z again when they fix all the problems.
I just bought a new honda accord, excellent quality,excellent power, dead quiet, awesome handling, great package but a bit boring. I am quietly laughing at all the nissan altima owners that they have actually bought a piece of scrap metal compared to a honda accord or leisure toyota camry.
buyer beware...
350Z's during my search and 3/5 had the tire roar problem. One of the quiet ones had only 4000 miles on it and the other quiet one had BRAND new tires at 14000 miles.
v350z
JW
Cheers,
Chris
Your comments suggest that you're not sure the Z is a good car for you .... if I'm right, don't get it. Too much hassle and too expensive to get rid of it later.
Hope I've helped.
JW
You may want to practice -- most clutches take up much faster in reverse than even in 1st. Try it on a gentler slope and, rather than riding the clutch (engaging it part way) to 'creep' into your position, try to be more decisive. In other words, engage the clutch completely then, when you want to slow it down and nudge it into the last few inches, disengage the clutch completely, then engage in short stabs.
It takes practice for sure.
Hope this helps.
JW
i have the same problem with my 05 roadster. upshifiting into second gear gets "stuck" but doesn't grind. and clutch is fully depressed. dealer said it's normal, but i've driven sticks before and it's not normal. did you get it fixed by the dealer?
I brought my 350Z "Track" in early January.
I have read on many sites, (Esp. USA), about problems with suspension set-ups causing rapid tyre wear. The dealer and others that I have talked to here have no knowledge of this problem.
One of the first things that I did was to put "V" grove directional radials on as the old tyres were 18K old but the tyres that came off were o.k.
How long is it before people notice undue tyre wear and what is the best fix?
Cheers....HOF.
The rear view mirror was making too much noise.
The "service engine soon" light came on twice(once after the dealer said the problem was fixed).
The two front tires are wearing out uneven(I can actually see and feel the lumps) and the noise inside while driving is unbearable. The dealer told me that I drive it like a sports car. My first response was, "Well, it is!". Nissan would not replace my tires nor the tire company.
Anybody else have had these problems? The other stuff was fixed but I'm afraid if I change the tires the same wearing out will ocurr.