richparks Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) Hi Guys, I have finally got my 350z in my possession. I currently have a list of things that I am not sure are wrong with the car or what I should do in relation listed below; Clutch: The clutch biting point seems quite high and 1st seems to not pull off that smooth and it judders a lot into second gear, every other gear is fine. (I was told by a mechanic it felt too high) I could also just be a terrible driver coming from BMW dual clutch. Engine Idle: When the car is relatively cold it seems to be fine, once at normal temperatures or after turning the car on after a ~10/15 minute drive the idle sits at like 800/750 and then consistently drops lower sounding like the car is going to stall? - Any info on what this could mean or if its normal that would be great. Brakes: The brakes are horrendously squeaky, I have had them looked at and the wear is fine on all of them and also even. I've been told its likely to be very cheap brakes or they need copper grease. Any other possibilities on this would be grateful. Looking at possibly moving to ceramic brake pads because the dust is also horrendous from these brakes. (Not even sure if you can just use ceramic brakes on normal brake discs.) Paint: There are tiny bubbles in the paint work all along the small spoiler as well as little stone chips. Are these bubbles normal or has someone burnt the paint or something? There also seems to be a few small corrosion bubbles on the paintwork. Leather: The burnt orange leather drivers seat was dirty as hell and worn. I've used Leather clean and condition from turtle wax and I also got a gliptone kit which arrived today. The turtlewax cleaned it pretty nicely and I was happy with the instant results. There is a red spot which I assumed was a mark but now I have started cleaning it more heavily some red is starting to come through where I think its now too worn near the crotch area. Is there somewhere to re-dye this leather and is it red underneath? So far I've notified BMW about the problems with the car but there's quite a high chance they won't do anything about the problems because they all passed a warranty check and warranty doesn't cover wear and tear. Apologies if i'm sounding like a total noob but in the past I've just had relatively expensive BMW's and nothing went wrong and it was all dealt with by them. I wanted to change that and have a project with the Zed but I am still relatively ill-knowledged when it comes to in-depth mechanics and moving from the 335 it feels like things are braking like loud noises of gear changes at low speeds but I have no idea if that's just normal or not. Any insight/expeirences would really be appreciated. Edited September 3, 2014 by richparks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Welcome aboard. The engine idle is probably fine, ...it does sort of feel like it's going to stall on most 350 Zeds. Put the A/c on and it will smooth that out if it bothers you. Hard to comment on some of the other issues raised without seeing/feeling them. For the leather problem 4RE Leather is the man to ask. Link: http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/171-4re-leather/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samsniss350z Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Clutch High bite Point = normal, every new owner finds it a bit weird, it is adjustable, BUT be careful if you try this. Engine Idle = As GM Ballistic writes. Brakes = Apply Copper Slip to back of the pad. Is it worse when braking at slow speeds? RE; dust, what pads are fitted? Paint = Front of the car suffers badly from chips, not sure about the bubbles you mention. What year & mileage is your Z? Post some photo's. Leather = I've been recommended Dr. Leather products but have yet to receive them so as yet can't comment. Read Detailing section, more info there. Gearbox = A lot of gearboxes feel a bit notchy, more so if you're used to Beemers, do you have any service history with your Z? Well it doesn't sound like its going to blow up or burst into flames, but it'll be worth finding a 350Z specialist near you to cover things you don't fancy doing yourself. Don't even THINK of going to a Nissan stealership. If you're near Leicester go to Cougar Sport, or Abbey Motorsport 10 mins from J6 on M25 or Horsham Developments can be found at Chieveley, Berkshire, these guys all really know therestuff. I'm sure other members will chime in if you are nowhere near any of these. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richparks Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 Clutch High bite Point = normal, every new owner finds it a bit weird, it is adjustable, BUT be careful if you try this. Engine Idle = As GM Ballistic writes. Brakes = Apply Copper Slip to back of the pad. Is it worse when braking at slow speeds? RE; dust, what pads are fitted? Paint = Front of the car suffers badly from chips, not sure about the bubbles you mention. What year & mileage is your Z? Post some photo's. Leather = I've been recommended Dr. Leather products but have yet to receive them so as yet can't comment. Read Detailing section, more info there. Gearbox = A lot of gearboxes feel a bit notchy, more so if you're used to Beemers, do you have any service history with your Z? Well it doesn't sound like its going to blow up or burst into flames, but it'll be worth finding a 350Z specialist near you to cover things you don't fancy doing yourself. Don't even THINK of going to a Nissan stealership. If you're near Leicester go to Cougar Sport, or Abbey Motorsport 10 mins from J6 on M25 or Horsham Developments can be found at Chieveley, Berkshire, these guys all really know therestuff. I'm sure other members will chime in if you are nowhere near any of these. Hope this helps. That really helps thanks, I am relatively close to Horsham Developments so I think that will be the place! It does have a service history but the last 3 are from halfords and just say full service so no idea what they actually did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Highly recommend Jez & the guy's at Horsham Developments. Here's the service schedule for the 350z: http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/31110-service-schedule-for-a-350z/ This will give you a good idea of what should have been done to your Zed by now depending on year/mileage. Somethings are best done for peace of mind imo if you have no idea if/when they where done. Things like the brake/clutch fluid/coolant etc other things are a good idea to do just to keep the Zed running smoothly like changing the gearbox oil/diff oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Welcome to The Land of Zed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longsh07 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Welcome chap, hope this helps (response in red) Clutch: The clutch biting point seems quite high and 1st seems to not pull off that smooth and it judders a lot into second gear, every other gear is fine. (I was told by a mechanic it felt too high) I could also just be a terrible driver coming from BMW dual clutch. Always found the biting point high on my car even after a clutch change and adjusting the clutch down. As long as its not slipping its probably just something you need to adjust too. Engine Idle: When the car is relatively cold it seems to be fine, once at normal temperatures or after turning the car on after a ~10/15 minute drive the idle sits at like 800/750 and then consistently drops lower sounding like the car is going to stall? - Any info on what this could mean or if its normal that would be great. My car feels like this too without the aircon on. The manual actually recommends running with the aircon on all the time so I just do that. 800/750 with AC on is about right I believe. Brakes: The brakes are horrendously squeaky, I have had them looked at and the wear is fine on all of them and also even. I've been told its likely to be very cheap brakes or they need copper grease. Any other possibilities on this would be grateful. Looking at possibly moving to ceramic brake pads because the dust is also horrendous from these brakes. (Not even sure if you can just use ceramic brakes on normal brake discs.) When I first got my 350 the brakes squeaked a lot. Apparently its something to do with the Brembos and other cars with them also suffer from it. Usually its just at very low speeds when applying the brakes lightly, at least it was in my case. After a few thousand miles it cleared up so it could have just been the new pads they fitted bedding in. Have you had yours changed recently? Paint: There are tiny bubbles in the paint work all along the small spoiler as well as little stone chips. Are these bubbles normal or has someone burnt the paint or something? There also seems to be a few small corrosion bubbles on the paintwork. Treat the small areas of rust with some anti rust stuff then cover with some touch up paint or speak to a body shop who can do it for you. They will also have an idea regarding the spoiler. If its bubbling on the spoiler then maybe its had some chemical spilled on it (brake fluid for example?) but if its on the metal then it would be worth getting a body shop to take the spoiler off and see what's going on under there. Stone chips - 350 problems im afraid. Clear wrap or just live with it lol. Leather: The burnt orange leather drivers seat was dirty as hell and worn. I've used Leather clean and condition from turtle wax and I also got a gliptone kit which arrived today. The turtlewax cleaned it pretty nicely and I was happy with the instant results. There is a red spot which I assumed was a mark but now I have started cleaning it more heavily some red is starting to come through where I think its now too worn near the crotch area. Is there somewhere to re-dye this leather and is it red underneath? Not sure im afraid. As already stated, 4RE is probably your best bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richparks Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 Thanks a lot for this guys, I feel a lot more comfortable now. There are so many things to do/want to do that I spend my days on here trying to do them all at once and confusing myself. I think the brake problem is more than just Brembo's, it's at all speeds and its consistent, I will keep them like it for a few more weeks and then if nothing changes get them greased. I have also ordered some dye for my seats which I'm already happy with the changes. Next up are the headlights that are heavily fogged as well as re-spraying to the door trim. Maybe I will make a build thread, purely to keep track of it myself! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richparks Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 I also maybe being a fool but is there a way to know exactly what Bose radio I have? Trying to buy the leads off incartech but not 100% sure which is the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longsh07 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) If its a Bose then I don't think it matters as I think (according to their site) they all take the 29-674 cable from incartec. Based on what I can see on their website you might need the 21-118 Ariel adaptor too + whatever patch lead is suitable for your headunit Hope that helps. Edit: oh and the correct fascia, (50-306D for double din) Edited September 5, 2014 by longsh07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamdc2 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I would ask a decent garage to do a P3 service for you. I would be worried that the last 3 were done by Halfords. At the same time get the belts changed, all fluid inc gearbox and clutch. Then you know for sure it is all ok going forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richparks Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 I would ask a decent garage to do a P3 service for you. I would be worried that the last 3 were done by Halfords. At the same time get the belts changed, all fluid inc gearbox and clutch. Then you know for sure it is all ok going forward. I think I am if only for peace of mind, how much we talking for all of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamdc2 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) I was lucky as I was able to use a friends garage for the afternoon and get help doing all the work (including undersealing the car). Only cost me the fluids and parts. Cost of P3 at Horsham (including advice on when you need to chage things)- http://www.h-dev.co....e=350ZServicing Plus add on the extra bits you need like belts etc. I know a few people has questioned Molyslip in the gearbox fluid but I found it really helped smooth the gear change in the Zed. PM clark motorsport on herer for your parts mate. Edited September 5, 2014 by bamdc2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richparks Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 One other question I have is, There is a scorpion exhaust fitted atm which sounds quite nice, but I miss the exhaust popping from my 335i is there something I can change in my set up to get that popping back, I drool for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick350z Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 With regards to your clutch it sounds to me like the high biting point and juddering are being caused by a clutch nearing the end of it's life and the dual mass flywheel either gone or on it's way out. I'm no expert mind and can only give you the benefit of my experience with the car, but I had very similar symptoms until they were both changed, with the biting point now in the middle and I get no juddering at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilogikal1 Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 One other question I have is, There is a scorpion exhaust fitted atm which sounds quite nice, but I miss the exhaust popping from my 335i is there something I can change in my set up to get that popping back, I drool for it. Simply hand your passenger some bubble wrap and you'll hear nothing but popping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 ^^ Lol. One other question I have is, There is a scorpion exhaust fitted atm which sounds quite nice, but I miss the exhaust popping from my 335i is there something I can change in my set up to get that popping back, I drool for it. If you have the standard CAT's then going for HFC's or De-CAT's would help increase a bit of exhaust noise. Mine pops & burbles quite a bit with my Invidia Gemini exhaust system & Berks HFC's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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