TimC

I am still here as well, things will go quiet in the winter till the spring. My car is off the road now a bit earlier than I expected, engine problems. Still got a knocking noise which appears to be coming from top right of engine bay. Got a couple of possibles from stretch he'd timing chain to fuel dampers but I am expecting the worse so it can only get better. Looks like a garage job as I don't want to any damage by me keep running it and trying to sort it myself. Should be able to get it fixed through the winter ready for next year.

How can a 5 minute job take hours, when you drop one of the inspection cover bolts and it does not hit the floor. Searched high and low for it and eventually saw the thread from underneath the car on the inside of one of the pulleys, magnets and cable ties got it out. Anyway the inspection cover would not move, tried everything to get it off seems to be glued on unless there is a knack to it. So could not check that but thought I would go round the engine listening with a screw driver for the noise, fuel dampers sounded noisy but the opposite one to where the noise was coming from seemed to match the noise and if I put my hand round it there was no muffling. Tried on the rocker covers and nothing to match the noise, could hear the chain at the front of the engine so I would have thought I should have heard the knocking if it was coming from the cam area. The only place I could find with a screwdriver where the noise was really loud was on top of the plenum, not sure what that proves. I have had a similar noise from a previous car and it was the water pump and noise sounded like it was coming from top of engine strangr. Car started ok apart from a bit of a backfire from exhaust and no excessive chain tensioner noise. Not sure where to go now apart from taking to a garage or just tried some dampers, strange the noise seemed to be loudest on the top of plenum unless its just amplifying noise from engine.

Only thing I can think of is try different key sequences after the doors unlock, I found mine by trial and error after about 20 mins of trying things. After it unlocks its in program mode, I have seen things posted like pressing unlock button 3 times and stuff like that. Look at other methods and try them, I found a partial answer on an Australian skyline forum. Seems that all JDM cars may not be the same.

If the door unlocks its in the correct mode for programming, I had to try different variations at that point of pressing buttons. I looked at other programming methods and just tried different things until I got it to work. I would have thought yours was the same as mine, maybe keyfob is faulty or flat battery. Is it the original key?

The only thing I can think of is that there is no signal coming from the keyfob, in step 4 the car needs to see the signal from the keyfob so maybe it it is not receiving anything. Have you made sure the battery is OK, the batteries in my keyfob do not last very long before the range drops and eventually they stop working. Probably best to replace it before you try the key learn. Also is it the original keyfob, JDM keyfobs work on a different frequency to European ones so I think they will not work. My car is also a 2002/2003 model so it should be using the same procedure., although I have seen a slightly different method somewhere. I will try see if I can find it. Do you hear the doors unlock after you insert the key in the lock for the 6th time in step 2?

Thanks will check them out over the weekend and try not to worry too much in the meantime. Seems fuel dampers can be very noisey when they go, was thinking it was just a faint ticking but there are some videos out there with quite load tapping noises.

Will check oil in morning but suspect its ok as I checked it 2 weeks ago and was ok. Is there any way of checking tensioners without removing engine, it seems most likely problem as there was a very unnatural noise just after tensioners kicked in followed by tapping noise from back top of engine. I really hope its fuel dampers but cant see how the noise could have come from them.

Started car up this morning and was greeted to a dreadful noise coming from engine. Engine turned over and chain tensioner started to adjust and then got a really strange noise almost like crunch for a few secs with tapping noise. Turned engine off and tried again and turned over for a few times before it started and got the tapping noise again. I sounds like cam noise coming from back of engine. Everything had been perfect previously with maybe only 3-4 times it did not start on first turn over in morning when cold in last month maybe. Oil looks ok and has not been losing any but will have to wait till morning to know for sure. Any suggestion on problem, car off road till spring now, video of noise below. https://vid.me/a5xl

I had same problem on my DE import and by trial and error found a way that worked. I got no hazards but the door unlocked when in program mode, may be worth a try. http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/102379-jdm-key-remote-program-solved/

Mines still on road atm seems like we will have nightime temps above freezing for next week or two. What size spacers did you go for, I was going to go with 20 on front 25 on back but my front arches have been rolled already for my wheels and just don't know if they will work with them.

Well I guess that's why its still in beta form then I tried a few random regs off the cars outside to test and worked on them all so far.

Make sure you just put Nissan in vehicle make or it will find no vehicle

Not sure if this is new but its quite interesting and damn handy to check your car MOT history or the car you want to buy. Tells you if the car passed or failed and what it failed on, already tried mine. Its had a history of incorrectly spaced number plates and low tread on tyres https://mot-history.net/

I think it will look fine in its correct format, people that know you will see its a private plate an understand about the 4 and A. If not you can always be creative with the screws

Looks like it could be last chance for a decent turn out at local meet this year. Shame I am busy unless I get last minute injury that is.

I think its just cause winter is looming, the season is over. Car is still on the road at the moment, usually start to see weather change again early November. As soon as I see a gritter the car will go off the road till the weather changes in the spring. What mods did you get done, bumper was one I think?

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your unfortunate accident with the tree, I'm sure you will find a new bumper in notime. What colour/year is your zed, I may have seen you about Norwich, I live in Yarmouth and I go to Norwich quite often for shopping.

Its certainly gone quiet probably time of the year. Not sure if it was Max I saw the other night on Tesco's car park, got a wave as he drove past but it was dark and did not see the plates.

It was a great feeling at the time and maybe if I had walked back to the car a few minutes earlier the tables would have been turned. I mean its an R8!, I would love one, but I would still keep the Zed. My neighbour still calls it a Porsche after 14 months, a common mistake it seems.

I needed to pick some bits up in town today and on the way there I pulled in behind a black R8 on the way round the one way system. He found a parking space on the left hand side of the road and there was a convenient space dead opposite on the right hand side for me. He got out of his car at the same time as me and we both gave each other a nod and went on our way. I got the bits I needed and started walking back to the car and as I walk down the road I see people walking past looking at my car and in fact stopping to see what it was or turning back to have another look, only casting a casual glance over at the R8. I must have seen 8 or 9 people walk past the R8 ignoring it and looking over to my car or crossing over to look, I was really feeling chuffed at this point. When I get to my car, someone stopped me to ask what it was, what size engine it had etc and wanted to hear it. I did not want to disappoint giving a little rev to please him and started to get a little crowd around the car. as I pull away I looked over to see the owner of the R8 talking to some friends in a shop door way, not looking too happy. Nice that a 13 year old sports coupe can still appeal and draw more of a crowd over a modern one at a fraction of the price. I always get positive reactions towards the car from people, thumbs up as I drive past, cars stopping to let me out at junctions etc. I suppose it shows the mass appeal the 350z stlll has, maybe some people still say "look its that car from fast and furious". Its a good day to be 350Z owner

Mines already had multiple coats of wax ready for the winter parked on my drive way, as soon as I see the first gritter of the winter she will be on there safe and out of harms way. Living on the east coast about 150 yards from the sea there is plenty of salt in the air without the council added to it through the winter. Also with a 13 year old car I want to kept the underneath as free from rust as I can and really need to think about undersealing the car for next year. The other thing I dread is having a black car which seems to have new paint chips and scratches everytime I look at it, I fear for my paintwork with the force that the council lorries seem to propel the grit into the side of your car as they go past.

I finally managed to get my JDM to store the key ID codes after much searching and trying different sequences, so thought I would share it with other members in case they are having similar issues. Not sure if this applies to all JDM or just early 350 JDM models, mine is a 02/03. There are many different ways online that tell you how to do UK and US cars but none of them work on the JDM models, the main difference is that you do not get any flash of lights/hazard/indicators to tell you when it is in programming mode. The key to the JDM is that it unlocks the doors when it enters program mode. 1. Sit in the car and lock the doors using the drivers door lock switch on the door handle not the one with the window buttons. The lock on the control panel only locks the passenger door but the door switch in the handle locks both doors. 2. Insert and pull out the key 6 times within 10 seconds until the door unlocks (no lights flash) do not take out the key when the door unlocks. The door unlocks when you insert the key for the sixth time, If you take the key out and insert it again it will not program. 3. Turn the key to the acc postion and then lock the doors with the same button you used in step 1. 4. Push the unlock button on the key and the doors will unlock if succesful. 5. Remove key and open doors. I have tried this a number of times and works everytime, I just need to test it with a couple of keys or an extra keyfob but I suspect I will just need to lock the door and put a key in ignition and follow steps 2 and 3. I searched and could not find this method detailed here anywhere so hopefully it will help other users I just need to see if I can find one of the ebay keyfobs now that works on the JDM frequencies to use as a spare.

It looks like the best of the weather is behind us now and my zed will be going off the road sometime in the next month 4-6 weeks for the winter. How about we see if we can get one last evening meet in before it gets to cold, suggest either this Sunday or next Sunday?

Welcome to the forum, I have mine over a year and still loving it as well Whereabouts in Suffolk are you?

No probs if you can't we can catch up at next one if not. Sorry mate I am working till 6.30pm on Sunday, not sure if anyone else in Yarmouth may be about. I am sure someone will post if they are.