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Hard to select 2nd when cold?


MattyV6

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Hi all,

 

Recently purchased a 350z from a forum member (I still need to put up pics, its been crap weather and need to clean the car majorly first, that's my excuse lol). Sorry if this has already been covered, I couldn't find much in the search.

 

The only problem I'm having at the moment is that when the car is cold, it is very hard to select 2nd gear. 1st will go in OK when you are stopped/near stopped. And if you change from 1st to 3rd it goes in fine, and will select every other gear no problems. When the car warms up, it will then go into 2nd OK, its still a little notchy but if you get it in the right place it will go in fine.

 

Now the clutch is at end of life. It is still working fine currently, and will only smell if you are naughty with it :blush: However the biting point is at the top of the pedal. Would this be part of the cause?

 

Also I have read about the new slave cylinder, fluid, and braided line mod which improves gear change, is that a possible cure for this problem? Or do I have a different problem as all other gears seem perfect?

 

Thanks in advance for any insight on the issue :)

 

Matt

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Don't think it's the clutch or you would have difficulty with all gears.

In cold weather a lot of cars are sticky into second gear for a few times until the oil warms and thins a bit.

Also,when going from first to second with a cold box, your technique should be to pause slightly in neutral before you push it into second.

I would first try a gearbox oil change with,possibly,some molyslip added.

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Have the oils been changed for genuine Nissan oils?

My gearbox was a pig when I changed oils (to very good quality ones), with 2nd very hard to engage when changing down and all sorts of whiles and whistles in all gears, but as I'd had the clutch and fly done at the same time I put it down to that and to general wear.

Changing the oils again and adding molyslip after advice from the Forum was the best thing I ever did. The gearbox is as smooth as butter (ish) compared to what it was and is much quieter.

If you don't have genuine Nissan fluid in, :pmzmanalex: for an oil change pack.

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Thanks for all the replies :) Some excellent advice

 

I need to contact the previous owner to find out which oils he used, but I know the gearbox and diff fluids were changed within the last 6 months.

 

Could be exactly what you said Stew, as I've only owned the car since the beginning of the month, so I have no idea what its like in warmer weather.

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  • 10 months later...

I've been experiencing exactly the same problem with 2nd gear. In my experience using genuine NIssan oil DOES improve the shift... but only for a few weeks. Then it returns to normal. I've just had the clutch / flywheel replaced but I'm not confident it will make much difference. Strange how the problem got worse AFTER I changed the oil for some fresh stuff! My mechanic thinks Molyslip is a red herring - if there was anything useful in it Nissan would have cottoned on ages ago and incorporated it into their oil.

Oh, and I had the diff fluid replaced for genuine Nissan fluid (v.expensive stuff!) at the same time and now the diff is nice and quiet.

Edited by J_R
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They are all pretty much like this, you just learn to live with it. Not one of Nissan's finest designs I'm afraid. The newer models 2007 onwards have a slightly better 1st to 2nd gear change but its obvious that Nissan only made a token effort to get it sorted, they would have been working on the 370Z by then.

 

 

Pete

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Don't think it's the clutch or you would have difficulty with all gears.

In cold weather a lot of cars are sticky into second gear for a few times until the oil warms and thins a bit.

Also,when going from first to second with a cold box, your technique should be to pause slightly in neutral before you push it into second.

I would first try a gearbox oil change with,possibly,some molyslip added.

 

+1 :thumbs:

 

 

I've been experiencing exactly the same problem with 2nd gear. In my experience using genuine NIssan oil DOES improve the shift... but only for a few weeks. Then it returns to normal. I've just had the clutch / flywheel replaced but I'm not confident it will make much difference. Strange how the problem got worse AFTER I changed the oil for some fresh stuff! My mechanic thinks Molyslip is a red herring

 

Noting your limited time on here, with respect that may be your mechanic's opinion but that is certainly is not the opinion of numerous independents who are signed up on here and have many years experience of the 350, apart from many members who have also benefitted from a Nissan fluid and molyslip oil change.

 

That said synchro wear has also been a factor (not unique to 350's of Nissan BTW) and often down to poor gear changing. Like speedwell and others ^^^ advise, never force the change between 1st and 2nd when the fluids are cold (thick). Once it is warmed up it should be fine and particularly when driving 'spiritedly' ;)

 

And for the correct oil, search the ZMANALEX pages as I know he has listed down the right fluid and he can of course provide that and the molyslip - rather than hope that the person who previously changed the oil in the OP's ZED got it right.

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When going to 2nd gear (esp from cold) it's worth taking your time, double de-clutching:

'With this method, instead of pushing the clutch in once and shifting directly to another gear, the driver first shifts the transmission into neutral before shifting to the next gear. The clutch is pressed with each change.'

 

Give it a go and see what you think, unless you've been doing that already of course.

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