Warranty Question. G35 Transmission

[juicedgsr95]

I have a 2004 G35 coupe, and I am the second owner. Car has 67k miles on it and is 3k miles away from the 6 year 70k drivetrain warranty. I took the car to the dealership last week to have them 'look' at the trans, it has a SLIGHT grind going into 2nd, and then sometimes into 3rd and 5th (6 speed for those not aware) Well they blame it on the clutch. I have NO clue if the clutch has ever been replaced but will say this, that f***er is strong, when it grabs it grabs, no slipping. To me that says nearly new clutch. (I have only owned the car a little over a month)

Question is: With a worn out clutch would it only grind in 3 out of 6 gears? Do worn out clutches grab hard? (only worn out ones I have experienced slipped like crazy) Is Infiniti trying to get out of a warranty repair?

Other info... This car was originally purchased from this dealership (crossroads infiniti) and I got about 10 pages of warranty work and maintenance performed by them (30k 60k ect). There is no where in the paper trail that shows the clutch being replaced. MY only thought was that they want $2600 for a clutch so the previous owner went somewhere else.

My only option is looks like to me is to buy a new clutch, get it installed and see if the problem is fixed before 3k miles. Any other suggestions?

Oh and I know this isnt a good first post, It was recommended I asked on here from a local forum I am on.

ThanksAdam

[RED_DET]

The early transmissions had issues and quite a few replaced under warranty because of the exact issue you describe. If the car wasn't driven too hard, 67k miles is nothing. But I have also learned with the G, the clutches don't last as long as most cars. I still say no clutch issue. Go out for a drive, put the car in 6th gear at about 20mph and accelerate. If it slips then you have a clutch issue, if it pulls through the revs, then you don't have a clutch issue. A clutch either works properly or it doesn't, there is no in between. From my experience with clutches, they only cause gear grinding issues when the cable is not adjusted properly, too loose or the hydraulic line isn't bleed properly. Call and start the complaint process with http://www.infinitiusa.com/ownership/warranty.html.

Gear grinding issue is a synchro problem.

[juicedgsr95]

Thanks for your input. The clutch definitely does not slip, 3rd gear 20mph, floor it, no slipping. Unfortunately I have no idea how the car was driven before me as I am the second owner. The first owner did all his maintenance at the dealership though and I have all the receipts for that. I am going to call the consumer affairs number because the only other dealership is over an hour away and I dont think I should have to drive that far to get a second opinion.

[Sentientbydesign]

3rd gear at 20MPH isn't what RED_DET said.

Actually a better test is to get on an incline and try taking off in 6th. If the engine doesn't stall, then the clutch is likely slipping.

As for your problem, you could ask the dealership to adjust the engagement point of the pedal/clutch to see if the clutch isn't full disengaging when you depress the pedal, but I'd venture to say it's a syncro problem = poor transmission design + poor driving style.

[juicedgsr95]

you're right, but 3rd gear at 20mph will put more torque to the clutch. so if it doesn't slip there, it wont slip in 6th. Not sure where poor driving style was implied.

I talked to the service manager and have an appointment next week to drop the car off. We will see what happens, thanks RED_DET.

[Sentientbydesign]

you're right, but 3rd gear at 20mph will put more torque to the clutch. so if it doesn't slip there, it wont slip in 6th. Not sure where poor driving style was implied.

I talked to the service manager and have an appointment next week to drop the car off. We will see what happens, thanks RED_DET.

No. 3rd gear will allow for more torque multiplication which means that the clutch could actually move the car with LESS load on the clutch.

The poor driving style was just a comment which may apply to you or the previous owner. If the transmission is constantly speed shifted and/or not rev-matched, then the syncros will inevitably fail early.

[juicedgsr95]

I did not know that about 3rd gear, I figured that with the rpm being higher in 3rd but still low enough to strain the motor and not just accelerate the car fast enough to not notice it slipping. I will try 6th gear.

Not sure about the previous owner, all I know of him was he bought this car new and traded it in for a new GTR a couple months ago, and I have records of every recommended service at the dealership. MY guess is he cared for the car, but thats not to say he didnt drive it hard.

[Sentientbydesign]

1st-4th gear all have a multiplication factor to them. 5th gear is 1:1. 6th gear is overdrive, so the input gear (wrong term) is spinning slower than the output gear (again, wrong term).

Not sure if you've taken any physics, but there's this awesome phenomenon with gearing that allows you to "compress" torque. Just like in a mountain/speed bike. Select the large gear in front and the small gear in back, and you have little effort to go very fast on level ground. Choose the smaller gear up front and the larger in the rear and now you have to pedal MUCH faster, but you're able to go uphill with little effort.

Same with your car. 6th gear is analogous to the first situation, and 1st analogous to the second situation. So in 3rd, you're right in the middle, but the engine can put out less torque and still get the car moving.

[juicedgsr95]

6th gear, 20mph no slipping.

[Sentientbydesign]

6th gear, 20mph no slipping.

Let's start over...

Put the car on a moderate incline (going up). Put the car in 6th, and let in the clutch as if you were taking off in 1st. If the car stalls, the clutch is fine. If it slips and the RPMs rise without the speed increasing proportionally, then the clutch is on it's last leg.

[psmwrx]

its the trans

[juicedgsr95]

They are replacing the transmission on Monday.

[RobTurbo]

They are replacing the transmission on Monday.

How did they conclude it needed replaced? Any details on how you/they handled things?

[juicedgsr95]

I took the car to them a couple weeks ago and had the mechanic drive the car. He told me it was the clutch and that I needed to replace it. Then I called and set an appointment up to have them look at it again after speaking with a bunch of people who were pretty certain it was not the clutch. They decided to replace it because they werent 100% sure a new clutch would fix the problem, and I made them aware I wouldnt be happy to replace the clutch and then the transmission fail after my warranty expired. So they are replacing it and I am supplying them a new clutch to install. Very positive experience, even though I am the second owner. When I do buy a new Infiniti it will definitely be from this dealership.

[juicedgsr95]

one last question. Is the clutch in the transmission or is it separate? Like when they replace the transmission, would they normally have to pull the old clutch out of the old transmission and put in the new one or is that separate?

[RobTurbo]

From the clutches I've replaced I had to remove the transmission first. Then the clutch and flywheel were bolted to the motor. Not 100% sure if this is how the G is set up? I would assume so. Are you replacing the flywheel with and aftermarket one or having it machined?

[juicedgsr95]

Got the car back today, new transmission, new clutch, same flywheel. He showed me the clutch that came out, it was a nissan part, mechanic seems to think that the previous owner had it replaced at a nissan dealership. Either way the metal center was blue and purple from heat I suppose. With the new clutch, the pedal is SOFT, like ridiculously soft (compared to what it was before) The mechanic also suggested I change out the slave cylinder because the pedal is slow/notchy coming back up (had this problem before) and after some internet searching this seems to be a common problem with the G/Z. They want $173 to replace the slave cylinder and said he would install a steal braided line if I decided to do it and brought one in.

I am pretty sure I want to go ahead and replace the slave cylinder, is this something I can do myself? I am fairly technically inclined, I have done all type of suspensions, replaced starters/alternators, replaced/bled brakes, replaced intake manifolds, installed nitrous systems... almost all work I have done has been on honda/acura though. I have looked online but havent seen a DIY on the slave cylinder replacement.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Clutch looked just like this one.

[telcoman]

For $173 I'd let the dealer do it.

Ask for a discount

Telcoman

[Sentientbydesign]

As the pressure plate wears in, the pedal will get MUCH harder. We had this same issue on both my G and my wife's celica right after the clutch install.

As for the pedal return, have them completely bleed the hydraulic system. I'm almost positive this will fix your problem. The stainless line cant' hurt either.

[joe603]

I had my transmission replaced at 25k miles for difficulty in shifting into 2nd. While the trans was out, I put in a stage 4 clutch...big mistake. I was going to do FI, but then we had a kid.

The positive for me was my pedal would no longer stick to the floor under sudden acceleration (drop the clutch at rpms over 4k).

[juicedgsr95]

Im glad I didnt go with a bigger clutch, then most this car will ever see is minor bolt-ons. Plenum spacer, HFC and a y pipe.

I have never had a problem with the clutch sticking to the floor... thank god, but i see it has been a problem with a lot of people and the slave cylinder seems to be the answer.

One other thing I noticed tonight that kinda pissed me off while looking to see if the slave cylinder is covered under the powertrain warranty is that the flywheel IS covered! They kept telling me I needed a new one, I didnt have the money for one at the time so we put the stock 67k mile one back in. When I saw that the warranty would cover it and they never mentioned it, i got a little heated.

Either way I am taking it back to them to have them do the slave and also have them replace the master cylinder. I am getting a buzzing noise over 5k rpm when pushing in the clutch to change gears, going to get their opinion on whats causing that. I can only hope for one work to come out of their mouth. FLYWHEEL.

Also with the new transmission, it seems all the gears are 'tight' , meaning it takes a little work to get it into gear. No grinding, just tight, it doesnt fall into gear like it should, takes some force. I am going to mark that up as a symptom of the slave cylinder. Hopefully replacing that will fix that problem. Unless you guys have another idea what would cause it, miss aligned shifter, ect... Never had the problem with the old trans.

[joe603]

If you make those complaints, they might replace the transmission...and if they do that, replace the flywheel/clutch. The labor will be much cheaper since they already have the driveline apart.

[2006G35Coupe]

I just bought a 2006 G35 coupe 6MT with 45k miles. Have been reading through the forum and am wondering if I should also check out the transmission on my vehicle.

It tends to be pretty difficult to shift into 1st and 2nd, dont hear any grinding, just hard to move the shift lever into gear and when it does, it is notchy. The rest of the gears seem fine. Clutch seems okay, although i will try the 6th gear 20mph test just to be sure.

Also have this sort of high pitched whining sound when the engine is cold, sounds like its coming from the transmission but cant tell. Noise goes away when the engine warms up.

Any thoughts as to the problems? I have only owned the car for a week and am a bit worried...

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Sentientbydesign]

First off, the 20mph 6th gear test is a poor method of testing the clutch. The inclined 6th gear take off is much more effective.

Second, you shouldn't be downshifting into 1st gear without rev-matching. That's just how the transmission is designed. 2nd gear shouldn't be giving you any problems unless your clutch isn't disengaging and you're overworking the synchos. Alternatives would be that the previous owner wore out the synchros, or that you need to change your transmission oil.

[2006G35Coupe]

A little more detail to the problem with shifting into second. It is only difficult to upshift into 2nd gear when the engine and transmission are still cold in the mornings. After the car has had a chance to warm up, the problem seems to go away.

Also - there is no problem moving the stick into each gear when the car is stationary. It is only when the car is moving that i have difficulty getting the car into second gear - again only when the car is cold.

Dealer still wants me to replace the whole clutch assembly. Aamco says its more likely that its a transmission oil issue but it could also be indicative of a bigger problem with the sychros or the whole transmission itself? They said that changing the oil may only speed up the process of transmission failure too. I have no idea what to do here...

How do i prove to the dealer that its not the clutch and get them to fix this problem under the transmission warranty??? Is it even worth it to fix???

[juicedgsr95]

On the 06's I dont think there was a big problem with the transmission. If you are only having problems in second gear and no other gears, that shows it's not a clutch problem. If you were having trouble in ALL gears that would point directly to the clutch. I just had a new trans, clutch and slave cylinder put in. Second gear when it's cold is still a little stiff.

[TurboDurbo]

I just posted about this exact same problem. I am glad to hear that it is not just me. I had the dealership change the transmission fluid around 25000 and I am about to hit 30000 but it just got cold a couple of months ago so I am wondering if there is a transmission problem. I am going to call the dealership on Monday and see what they say. I will keep you posted and would ask that you could do the same.

Thanks.

[2006G35Coupe]

I brought in some of these threads and and the dealer is now replacing the transmission under warranty.

Now the real question - Should I replace the clutch and flywheel now? The clutch seems fine to me and grabs well. It will stall out pretty quickly if I dont give it enough gas. How can I tell how much life is left on the clutch?

I know i'll save a lot of money on labor now that the transmission is out, but the parts alone are still pretty expensive. Im thinking of just leaving the old clutch and flywheel in there. Any downfall to this or does anyone know something i should be careful of???

thanks again to this forum - its been a big help!

[juicedgsr95]

I opted out of replacing the flywheel... was closing on a house that following week and didnt have the money for one. I did however replace the clutch with another OEM clutch I got online. There is a drawback to this. Anything that I feel is wrong from this point forward they blame on the 'aftermarket clutch (since I didnt buy from the,) or the fact that I did not change the flywheel. This sucks. I am getting a buzzing noise at high rpm with the clutch dissengaged (pedal in) but with the clutch engaged (pedal out) I do not get the noise. Almost sounds like something is not tight. They blame it on the clutch. Im not a mechanic so I cant prove them right or wrong, I just have to deal with it. I did know I wasnt going to buy their 'OEM' cluch for $800 plus their 'OEM' flywheel for $1200.