Originally Posted by bflemi3

FYI - the reason I received a new tranny was because the 2nd and 3rd synchro's were shot. I never told the dealer about the noise because they immediately test drove and agreed to replace without me having to really get into it with them. I have read in other threads that the noise can signal transmission going bad. My experience is that the noise was there when the transmission was bad and now, with the new tranny, the noise is gone.

Originally Posted by bflemi3

read post #56

Also, based on our conversation a few pages back, there may be different noises that we are hearing. So, what fixed my noise doesn't mean it will fix yours, and also doesn't mean that your tranny is bad (like mine).

Originally Posted by TimF

I hope I can provide some helpful information. I have a 2003.5 6MT Coupe with original fluid which was changed at the dealership with OEM fluid somewhere between 20K & 40K and I originally brought the car in with this issue back in December. When I first heard the noise I thought it was a weather-strip issue because it sounded exactly like a whistle from a door that was not sealed properly. After some testing, I realized that it must be from either the transmission or axle. The noise appears only when cold (sitting in the sun at 40 degrees all day became "cold" enough) and would disappear after 5 minutes of driving, I noticed it first last winter and it did not appear when the weather was warmer, the noise was speed dependent both in and out of gear but could be heard if I tried to shift back into gear from neutral while rolling.

The first time I brought it to the dealer in December the weather became milder here (mid-40's vs mid-teens from the prior week which made the tranny sound even worse) but I was fortunate in that the dealer kept the car a couple days to sit in the cold so they could test it. The important thing is that they did hear it and document that they heard it so it was now in my history at the dealership. They were not able to resolve the issue but did go over the transmission, suspension, steering and axle to make sure they could cover all the bases without tearing down the transmission. We decided to wait at track the noise and I would bring the car in when there was a cold snap.

The next couple months I kept my eye on the weather forecast for a really cold period like the beginning of December so that the transmission would sound the worst. Last week was my last chance for this winter and possibly the warranty so I made an appointment. The weather cooperated and we had below average temps when I dropped the car off. They wrote me up, looked at the history and saw that this was a confirmed issue and told me they will call the next morning after they look over the car.

I received a call from the dealership last Thursday morning and the verdict:

They are replacing the transmission; under warranty, of course.


So this morning I picked up my car, which now is over 50K mile, with what I assume is a brand new transmission (part # has "8") at the end, a new clutch (grabs a little high, though) and the fuel hose recall performed.

This might be a problem that will be cropping up with our transmission which we may see more and more, I probably have more mileage than most so others may experience it as the population of the cars age. A co-worker of mine says his 2004 6MT 350Z does the same thing, but his noise does not go away. I think the important thing is to get the dealer to hear it and document it (make sure to drop off night before). I would not expect them to replace the transmission the first time you bring it in, that is expensive and even diagnosing exact issue is expensive, and be persistent, bring it in once a month while it is cold expressing your concern. If Nissan gets enough of these transmissions returned with the same item, it may get easier to correct as time goes on or they may do an extension of warranty similar to what they did with the brakes which will benefit us all. Every dealer service dept is different but the important thing is that they confirm the sound and that they perceive you as an upstanding and polite citizen (not pointing fingers here but I have seen other questionable threads)

Good Luck.

Originally Posted by maxuz

the number is hyperlinked. crossposting it here. hope that's ok:

Originally Posted by maxuz

OMG, i just had an idea, and i'm not entirely sure why no one thought of it before.

can someone let their car sit out over night in the cold, get your back wheels on jackstands, and run the car to ~30mph with the wheels up? if you can here it, the intake myth is debunked right there. if you cant, its either wind-related in some way, or there has to be load on the object to create the noise, which is telling on its own.

if i can, i'll do this sat or sun if no one else has been able to yet.