Infiniti G35 Manual Transmissions
nefariousbc
Member Posts: 6
in INFINITI
I thought I would start a thread on the 6 speed standard for all past, present, and potential future owners of a G35. I just got a 07 sport sedan with the 6-speed and I absolutely love it. BUT, it's taking me forever to get my shifts in smoothly. More specifically, I'm having alot of trouble shifting from 1st to 2nd smoothly without letting the clutch out very very slowly. I have gotten used to takeoffs and am fine with anything above 3rd, but I need some help with the 1st to 2nd shift. Any suggestions from fellow G35 drivers?
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I haven't driven it yet to know for myself, but does that sound plausible?
First, like you said, the clutch pedal engages really high off the floor...which is awkward for most people. It's almost like you're encouraged to just tap the clutch rather than push it in all the way between shifts.
Secondly, in lower gears (namely 1st and 2nd), the RPMS drop pretty fast between shifts. This always encouraged me to give some extra gas to compensate. However, since you're playing with a rev-happy 306 HP engine, a "little" extra gas can jolt the car forward.
The combination of the above factors make it really hard to get smooth takeoffs from either 1st or 2nd gear. It can be done...but it requires way too much effort in my opinion. That's why I was very happy to hear that the clutch eventually loosens up some around 9-12k miles. Personally, I've gotten used a little bit of a rocky start. It bothers me more when I've got other ppl in the car.
There's a couple things that will help from 1st->2nd shifts and driving:
1) The gas peddal in the G35 is most sensitive at the BOTTOM, not the top. While it may take some getting used to and will be a bit uncomfortable at first, try using your entire foot on the peddal (toes at the top and heel towards the bottom). I read this somewhere else here and it made a big different for both low gear shifting and driving.
2) When shifting from 1st->2nd I usually shift between 3k-4k rpm as the RPMs drop quickly in these gears. When you are shifting from 1st->2nd don't feel that you have to push the clutch all the way in, otherwise it will always be a rough shift.
3) Pull the shifter down quickly from 1st to 2nd, although it may not be the best way to shift, it definately helps if you pull it quickly down into 2nd as the RPMs drop fast.
4) I swear the harder I try to make a smooth shift the worse the shift actually is. It's all in your head! The key is to push the clutch in just to the point where it pops out quickly. With practice, good timing, and some luck your 1st->2nd gear shifts should improve.
Any new clutch takes some getting used to. Take an hour one day and find an empty parking lot and just keep starting and stopping to get used to the clutch. You have to get used to where the "catch point" is and also learn to control your right foot. It takes some practice, but hold down the clutch and push the gas a little and try to hold it at 2000 rpms. Then try to hold the gas down at 3000 rpms. Then again at 4000. Once you can get the hang of this, try to start by holding the gas at 2000 rpms, and then as you disengage the clutch, very slowly increase the gas.
It's very possible to have a smooth takeoff in this car. You just have to take the time and teach yourself how to do it.
Another thing that I suggest if people are still having trouble with the clutch or jerky shifts is to take your ride out in city streets with a lot of stop and goes. The 1st->3rd gear shifting is the main problem area and again all it takes is practice.
Your thoughts???
What gives?
But I have read that it takes some time to master the clutch and the shifting and the car itself takes around 2k miles for the clutch to break in.
To learn how to drive the car smoothly, here's what I suggest. The gas pedal pivots at the floor. Take advantage of this. If you place your heel on the floor at the base of the pedal, you have a lot more control of the gas. Then get a feel for the clutch. Find a nice flat parking lot somewhere where you can practice going from a stop. Take your foot off the brake and keep it off the gas, then hit the clutch and slowly pull it up until you feel the gears start to catch. You need to memorize where this point. Just get used to it. Do it over and over until you really get a feel for it. Now because the car has so much power, you really don't need to give it much gas at all when your lift the clutch. Just give it a tiny bit of gas to get it moving, and then when your foot is completely off the clutch you can start to give it more gas. Trust me, you'll take off as fast as you want to and you'll do it much more smoothly.
Do you have the same problem or you just tired of the very low gears ratio?!
LW, Miami Fl.
Had rough shift from first to second from day one.
Dealer said (@1000 miles) "Thats OK".
I dont think so but there is no way to contact the factory.
The general dealers complaint office in the South East recommends you back to the dealer.
To avoid ruining the transmission I have installed a mechanical reducer for the accelerator, for softer start-ups with this 300 HP monster. It helps a little.
Anyone out there with same problem?!
LW, Miami, Fl.
Because the shift from first to second is rough 9 out of 10 times, I have designed, built and installed a mechanical accellerator reducer.
This (relatively simple device) attaches without any drillings to the car. it reduces the ratio to 3 to one for the first 25% of the accellerator's pedal range.
This allows for softer shifts and reduces wear and tear to many parts of the drive train. after you pass the 25% it works normally. I did this because no one at Infinity is able(or willing) to contact the manufacturer in order to change the Computer Program Software for the accellerator, which should be very simple to do.
My device (second generation by now) is anchored to the seat bolt that connects the seat to the car, so it does not affect anything on the car except the ratio one depresses the accellerator. This affords much softer starts, yet retains full power, if you realy need it.(When driving to the supermarket and back)
LW, Miami, Fl.
Indeed if one presses on the clutch half way down when shifting from first to second, it improves the shift by about 50%.
With that in mind one does need to depress the clutch all the way when downshifting to second or first.
Very good advice, Thanks
LE, Miami, Fl.
This originally happened around 2000 miles and just intermittently for that week. Then it disappeared. When I took it in for the first maintenance, I told them about it but they said unless it could be duplicated, they wouldn't look into it. The last few days, I'm up to about 5800 miles) the problem has been occurring more frequently. Then last night it got bad and all the gears were affected. It was as if the entire clutch was going haywire and I was out entertaining a out of town friend and so I was out driving him around town. Well, I was able to get around but when I was returning home, I got on the freeway and could not shift into 3rd. The clutch pedal was stuck and even when I was able to pop it out with my foot, it locked me out of shifting. Essentially, the gear spot didn't exist anymore. I pulled the car over and coasted to a stop by the side of the road where I was stranded at 3am. I tried to see if restarting the car would help. No dice. Without any other option, I called roadside assistance and they picked up the car. I'm not sure how far I want to take this issue with the dealership and would like to know if anyone else has had this problem or felt something wrong like what I have described regarding the clutch. Please post and let me know. Thanks.
I have not seen even one instance of this in the past, but I'll keep my eyes open.
Sounds horrible but I guess there is a bright side.
The dealer said that they could not fix it if it was not duplicatable.
Sounds like you duplicated it!
Sorry... good luck.
The car got delivered to the dealership this morning and we'll see what happens. Both the sales manager and sales person I worked with are gone and this is the largest Inifiti dealer in So Cal so I am hoping they will be good about taking care of me. :sick:
I know a slushbox is a slushbox, but the auto in the G is actually kinda fun.
No, it's no 6 speed, but it holds gears and allows the driver to choose what gear and when... unlike Lexus and Acura.
I love the car and have fun driving it but this clutch issue really has me alarmed. I had a '96 240SX for 11 years and only replaced the clutch once at 122K. I'm not a racer, but I know how to drive and have driven everything from commercial trucks to 15' stretch limos, Lambos to a NOS kitted '89 Civic CRX. I got this car because it was a good balance between a sedan and a sports car. I'd like for things to work out.
Hopefully, they'll fix it right the first time and you can go back to being a very happy G owner.
Man! This just happened to me this morning on the way to work. I bought my 2007 G35S in April and it's been fine until this morning. I encountered the soft feeling clutch and then total failure/engagement. I was lucky too in that there must have been an accident this morning and traffic was crawling. I managed to coast over to the right shoulder (thanks nice drivers for letting me over) and call for assistance. I'm right under 8500 miles. The dealer said he has not seen this problem yet. I asked my friend at work to search the internet for the problem and luckily enough he found your post. I feel very lucky that I was not going freeway speed when this occurred- thank God! I'm a bit miffed about this too and am thinking I should have gotten an automatic...my wife would love that. I'll let you know what the dealer says....
Garmond :mad:
The noises come deffinately from the clutch plate.
I have 11,300 on the odometer and hope it will not happen like yours.
LW
That's not much of a choice so I called corporate but they were closed for the day and I needed to make a decision since I didn’t have a car and the dealer would not give me a loaner unless I paid the $720 or $2500. The dealership also never offered a loaner. I had to literally beg for it on Monday but they specifically said not until I commit or pay. I did so on Monday evening and they said they’d try and get one for me as soon as they could. On Tuesday, they called me at 4:30pm and told me to pick up the loaner by 6pm. This was hardly possible since I didn't have a car, the cab takes 30 mins to order and costs $50, and even then it was at least an hour in rush hour traffic to get from Century City to Glendale. I asked if they could drop it off and they simply said "no". I asked if they could deliver the next day and they said they would not. I had to cab it there or find a ride!!! I would think most dealers would at least try to accommodate or be nice about saying “no” but Glendale just didn't give a crap. When I got there Wednesday past noon, I discovered that they gave away my original loaner (an '07) before I arrived (I saw the paperwork) and they gave me a crappy old model with no gas, a smudged/foggy windshield, and a funky smell as if Sasquatch had been rubbing his butt up against it.
During this ordeal, the dealership didn't call me back as they promised on 3 separate occasions. When they did call, they were not very nice on the phone and played stupid Good cop/Bad cop games with me to try and get me to feel powerless and abandoned.
Corporate and the dealership called me back today after they performed the tear down (funny how corporate calls 4 hours before the dealership). They found that the bearings in the clutch pedal cylinder were shot and that was what eventually jammed the clutch pedal. The engineers from corporate and the shop mechanics agreed this was likely a manufacturer defect of the bearings and they will fix it for free. I'm just stating what they told me.
Overall, I'm relieved but I gotta say I'm really disappointed in Glendale Infiniti for putting the blame on me and making me feel like I'm the one who screwed up instead of them keeping an open mind and investigating the issue without judgment. If I had not challenged them on the issue they would never have done the tear down and would have my $2500. The problem would eventually have been discovered by them but I wonder if they chose to disclose it or done a quick fix with no one the wiser. I wasn't even asking for the benefit of doubt. It was wrong to accuse me of being the perpetrator of burning out the clutch and putting the burden of proof on me by making me commit to paying for the tear down. I'm still very annoyed at the comments, attitude and tactics of the dealer to make me feel that this was "probably" my fault.
Glendale Infiniti treated me like a mouth breather. They didn't apologize for any of this and then made it seem as if they were heroes for finding the REAL problem today when it was obvious their assumptions were completely wrong and their abusive attitude unnecessary. This dealership is definitely not a place where they go the extra mile. I guess when you're a huge dealership you can afford to take an R. Kelly attitude and just pee on the customer. I am also not very happy with Infiniti corporate in general as their service was cold, impersonal, and unsympathetic even though it was their fault and their defect. Had I known that the burden of proof on their products rests with the customer even before they look into it, I would have bought something else (probably anything else). I love the car (hopefully this was an isolated incident) but Infiniti service and business etiquette sucks Donkey Kong [non-permissible content removed] and Glendale in particular is the worst place to spend $40K.
I did ask if this has ever happened before and the dealership said the Infiniti engineers said they had not seen this problem before. They are assuming that defective bearings are an isolated incident. Everything else is fine they say but the clutch pedal broke and the issue is isolated to that component. This is a new model and has been upgraded from the '06 sedan and coupe in many ways so I know things can happen but be careful because this problem is very dangerous since it occurs during shifts and you will get locked out of gears if the bearing fails but also this process can occur very quickly and even without complete failure, it’s extremely difficult to drive when you cannot shift consistently.
You will notice that the clutch pedal is not returning all the way to it's original position but "sticks" a little or a lot. You will also feel the "gear grab" shift close down to the floor. When this begins to happen, you need to contact the dealer and take it in. This problem is very dangerous since it is random and you never know when it's going to happen. It will most likely happen when you're in motion. We'll see how it goes once I get the car back next week (I'm also having them do my 6 month scheduled service and replace the key fobs). Thanks everyone for the comments,.
If I were you, I'd take the post you just wrote, edit it down to half its length or less, format it carefully in a letter & send it to all and sundry in the Infiniti/Nissan management/marketing chain from your zone office right the way up to whomever runs the whole deal in Japan. Send the morons in Glendale a copy as well, including the cc list, but wait until you've received your rating card (assuming you're sent one) for this "experience."
Sad.
Hope your luck with the car is better in the future. I doubt there's any hope for the dealer. I drove two Datsuns over 330K miles (combined) a number of years ago & have a Pathfinder now. To me, the vehicles have proven to be very solid.
Thanks!
In my 2006 model, the only problem is rough transfer between first to second.
Everything else is OK.
However, I managed to work around the problem by adjusting the RPM, when changing gears.
Be aware of one important issue. The more horse power the engine has, the more difficult will be to manufacture a smooth transmission, so waiting for a newer model with more horse power will not be a good idea.
See what Lexus did, for the IS 250 it has a manual but not for the Is 350!
I gues they still working on one that has a smooth transfer, but its not easy.
LW
I am easy on a clutch and have never needed one in my other manual vehicles, all of which have been Saabs.
Thanks for any assistance.
Good luck. Post again if you have additional questions.
But your right this kind of problem in a 35-40k car is hard to imagine. I
The dealer said the sedan has the same clutch and short throw shifter. Can anyone confirm that?
I know about the reviews you mentioned - it concerned me a lot, esp since I know the G is related to the 350Z, and I found the shifting in the 1st year model (was it 2002?) To be difficult.
When the car was new the gearbox was tight, especially 2nd gear, After 2k miles it loosend up and the gearbox is great.
The clutch does have a shorter engagment than most clutches but I quickly became used to it and have no problem driving the car smoothly. When the car was brand new there was somewhat of an on/off character to the clutch but it smoothed out with use.
Overall, I greatly enjoy driving the car and I think the reviews were far too harsh in their assessment of the manual. Of course I would recommend that you drive the car before makeing your purchase. When I was shopping there were no manual sedans availble to test drvie so I drove a G 37 coupe and then decided to order a sedan. I am very happy with my decision.
When I couldn't locate a sedan to test-drive at a dealer (I didn't want to have a private person lend me their's to drive since I wasn't sure I'd want the car), I also test-drove the coupe, but it was a 2009.
I loved the clutch's shorter shifts and really appreciate your feedback.
Thanks for your replies!
Thanks in advance.