A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Hey guys, Just bought a new 05 35th anver. 6 speed coupe! I love it! But right now with 500 miles on it, I'm getting a whining sound from the engine. I dont remember it before hand but it doesn't sound right to me. What could it be? Thanks again all!
Chuck
dam mofos, bitchs and hoes keep gettin my way!
05' 35th anv. 6 spd Coupe
A:
Was the car brand new or used? If used check to see if they didnt install a different air intake like a pop charger. Or if your really dumb, check to see if there is a super charger mounted under your hood. hahah Im just kidding with you of course. My Z use to wistle also but only at speeds above 110mph. I still never found out what the heck it was coming from. it sounded like a whistle or high pitch warning tone. BEN
2006 Acura TL, Black on Black, 6 speed Navi with Brembos.
A:
No its brand new, 500 miles. Stock intake.
dam mofos, bitchs and hoes keep gettin my way!
05' 35th anv. 6 spd Coupe
A:
The sounds goes up in down with pitch as you press down the accelerator. The guys at the dealership told me I was just being paranoid, saying thats what all the engines sound like...is this true? Or should I throw a true hissy fit?
dam mofos, bitchs and hoes keep gettin my way!
05' 35th anv. 6 spd Coupe
A:
phx and mcm,
I have the same problem!!! It sounds like a ghost or a tea pot winding up with increased revving.
I just had the damn trasmission replaced!!
Okay, that makes SIXTEEN problems I've had with this car in 2.5 years. What to do... Love the car, hate the problems.. What a bummer.
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guns and guitars, bikinis and fast cars - slide behind the wheel and GO!!
A:
It could very well be a normal noise. Is it automatic or manual? and if its manual, does the noise still occur when the clutch is at the floor?
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1985 300ZX n/a
A:
mcm4me,
I have the exact same problem and I just got a new transmission.
Do you have trouble shifting gears for the first few minutes of driving in the cold? I'm talking about such difficult shifting that you have to put your bodyweight into it.
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guns and guitars, bikinis and fast cars - slide behind the wheel and GO!!
A:
Ok, I'm gonna get all of you in one post, but read all comments, even if they aren't directed at you specifically. Seems that you all are having similar issues.
"I'm a little confused about the thowout bearing comment, the bearing is only under load when the clutch is depressed and that's when it is quiet. When its not under load I get the noise. The noise is intermitant and changes pitch and loudness depending on the rpms. If I baby it it is quiet. If it is the transmission what component do you think is failing. Its also hard to believe that the transmission warms up that fast as it can only get heat by conduction from the engine."
mcm4me:
First off, I don't think your transmission is failing. If changing fluid doesn't help though, it does mean that your bearings are beginning to show signs of wear.
When the clutch is engaged (no foot on the pedal) the throwout bearing just spins freely on the input shaft, and therefore even a bad throwout bearing won't make any noise. When you push on the pedal, the throwout bearing is pushed into contact with the spring on the pressure plate, and now the outer sleeve spins with the flywheel while the inner sleeve spins with the input shaft. If you have a bad bearing, it will start to squeal or whine loudly when you press the pedal, but it will go away when you take your foot off.
You sound seems to me like internal bearing noise inside the transmission. When you press on the clutch pedal at stand still, all the bearings and gears inside the tranny will stop moving pretty quickly. When you let your foot off the clutch pedal again, all the gears and bearings will start spinning again. Even at idle with the car not moving at all, all of the internal gears are still spinning, and some of them spin much faster than the engine speed. Therefore, the fluid gets warmed up extremely quickly by friction alone.
It sounds like your fluid is becoming too thick after the car has sat. Most likely this is only due to the outside temperature. You will probably not have any problems once it gets warmer outside. You can probably totally alleviate the problem by draining the tranny, and putting in a high quality synthetic lubricant, like Redline or Royal Purple, with a viscosity that is more suitable for your weather. Usually 75W-90 is good all around gear oil, but honestly if you're in an area that is below 80 degrees all year round I'd just go with 70W-80 or 70W-85 as a precaution. It will be help prevent excessive thickening while cold.
"Yes its manual, it continues with the clutch depressed, but not as loud."
Lazerslave:
I'm thinking you're beginning to experience the same issue I just mentioned above. Its probably not a significant problem. If it goes away slightly after warm up then its just an oil thing like I said above. Keep reading, what I say below will apply to you as well.
"I have the same problem!!! It sounds like a ghost or a tea pot winding up with increased revving.
I just had the damn trasmission replaced!!"
stankanator:
Same scenario here. What is the ambient temperature right now where you live, at night time??
One other thing to note is that the dealerships don't always use a high-performance oil. They may use a top brand like Valvoline or something similar, but for a sports car I would REALLY a higher quality synthetic oil like Royal Purple or Redline.
Nissan recommends API GL-4 75W-85. DO NOT USE GL-5 RATED OIL!! This oil will break down the synchros very quickly and is only suitable for differentials. 75W-85 is a bit light, but these days cars are designed to use lighter oils.
However, Nissan recommends 75W-85 because it will work in most cases. It will not work in all cases though. For example, if you live in Phoenix like me, it can get as low as 30 degrees in the winter nights, and as high as 125 on hot summer days, this oil isn't ideal. 75W-85 will be fine in the winter, but in the summer heat it will become far too thin and can lead to premature transmission wear. So, if you have very hot summers, I would use 75W-90 at the lightest. This will provide more adequate protection in the summer, and should still be thin enough when cold to prevent excessive thickening, unless you live where it snows.
If you live in a climate that is almost always less than 75 or 80 degrees in the summer, and gets COLD in the winter, I would recommend using 70W-80, or preferably 70W-85 if you can find it.
If you're in the moderate areas, which don't get well over the 100's in the summer, and don't get much below 40 in the winter, then stick with 75W-85 and be happy.
If you don't know how to do it yourself, I'd find a local Pep Boys location to change your oil out for you. Pep Boys will have higher quality (Royal Purple or Redline) fluids, and they are far more skilled than Jiffy Lube or the like.
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1985 300ZX n/a
Post Edited (Feb 8, 7:29am)
A:
Thanks a bunch! So let me get this straight. When I'm driving tonight, I should see if I still get the sound while driving and then see while revving. If it doesnt sound like anything while revving, it is probably a bum bearing in the tranny? If its not a bum bearing, I should have my tranny fluid replaced? If so, what type of fluid, I live in New York. Thanks a bunch guys!
dam mofos, bitchs and hoes keep gettin my way!
05' 35th anv. 6 spd Coupe
A:
mcm4me:
No, changing the tranny fluid either by yourself or by anyone else will not void your warranty. Changing the fluid is part of regular maintenance, and you're never actually obligated to have the dealership perform standard maintenance procedures. This means that you can change your fluids, brake pads, oil changes, coolant flushes, and standard tune ups yourself or have any local shop do the work. In fact, I highly recommend NOT going to a dealership unless it is a serious repair job (clutch, engine, head gasket, a/c, etc etc etc) or a warranty issue. ...and even then, when your warranty is up, find a good local shop to do your work. I'm sure you'll be surprised to find that small local shops always do better work than dealerships, especially when you use them for all your maintenance, usually use better parts, and are cheaper.
That said, if you ever do take the car to a dealership for work later on, don't just offer that you use somebody else for work. Thats just going to give them a reason to mess with you. Dealerships really like that people think they have to keep coming back for work, because they love to rip you off.
Laserslave:
Do a couple of tests on the car to determine what is causing the noise. Maybe write these steps down or make a small flow chart to try and reach a conclusion.
1) Drive the car around for quite awhile. Make sure its nice and warm. Then drive to a quiet parking lot and park the car. With the car in neutral, let it idle and see if you can detect the whirring noise. Give it some gas and see if the whirring noise changes in pitch or loudness. Procede to A or B.
A)-IF- the noise is present, and changes in pitch with the RPMs, do this: press the clutch to the floor. Listen a few seconds to see if the noise is still present. With the clutch to the floor and the tranny still in neutral, rev the engine to see if you can detect the same change in pitch as with the pedal released. Procede to {i} or {ii}
{i} If you still get the noise with the clutch to the floor, the engine is causing the noise, and its probably normal
{ii} If you do not get the noise with the clutch to the floor, that means the noise is being caused by the transmission. The noise is probably a bearing. If this is the case, I would recommend changing fluid before taking the car to the dealership for warranty service.
B)-IF- the noise is not present at idle (with clutch released) and you don't notice a whirring noise changing pitch when revving, you can probably safely conclude that the problem only occurs when cold and thus thick oil is probably the culprit.
If you have at least 750 miles on your transmission, you can probably safely switch over to a synthetic lubricant. Since you live in NY, and it rarely gets above 80 in the summer in most parts, you have two options for lubricant:
1) straight up Redline MTL (70W-80, full synthetic), or
2) two quarts Redline MTL (70W-80) + two quarts Redline MT90 (75W-90)
**note that the second option will actually result in the 75W-85 mixture that Nissan recommends, but is a much higher quality synthetic oil.
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1985 300ZX n/a
A:
Thanks phxZ31!