How do you guys live with our annoying clunky transmission? It makes so much noise while shifting ; you can feel the gears changing. Is there a fix for this or do we have to just live with it? Hopefully a transmission flush will smooth things out.

P.S - Sometimes gear are harder to get in then usual, does that mean my synchros are wearing out?

 

ummm my transmission isnt loud and ive have my car since 04, and you should feel it go through the gate and into gear unless they have some new hi-tech manual transmissions. thats kind of how you tell its in gear since its doenst have the P,N,R,D,1,2,3 on the dash

if your gears are grinding synchros could be the culprit. clutch may not be dis-engaging all the way. take it to a transmission specialist they shouldnt charge you much if anything to test drive it and they are pretty good about diagnosing transmission problems in my experience. took em 5 minutes to tell me my 3rd gear synchro was bad. and they didnt charge me anything. then i took it to the dealer and they replaced the whole transmission fo fwee.

 

This isn't a civic. Our sticks have direct linkages to the trans. Nissan designed our trans to more of a sporty feeling.

Personally, I like it. My bros 330i feels like you're disconnected from the car.

 

Granted the car can be a bit hard to shift at times (especially when it's cold) but overall, once you get used to it; it's pretty easy to get the car moving. My car does make some weird noises when moving from gear to gear but happens very infrequently; I know some people have mentioned how their sychros have gone out and that might be the culprit.

I know speaking for myself; I am easily able to shift through gears by pressing the clutch only half-way or even a little less if need be -- still a smooth transition; no grinding -- i guess that is the 'high-engagement' point that everyone talks about.

 

Idk prob has something to do with my 20% hearing loss in my right ear and the radio all the way up.

 

With the windows open, at lower speeds, there is a definite mechanical sound with shifting between first and second and sometimes third. Its not grinding, its just noise from the linkage. No big deal.

However, this clutch and tranny do take a bit of getting used to. I've been driving manuals for 30 years and this one is touchy. The high engagement clutch is one part but I also find going from first to second is a bit clunky. It doesn't feel sloppy at all though; you just have to be very intentional and a little forceful from first to second. I also find that first to second seems to be a very close ratio. I don't know the numbers but it seems like on a fast start you have to get out of first pretty quickly.

Anyway, despite these things I think it is a good gearbox. When you do it right it is a pleasure to use, it just takes getting used to. I'm assuming that's the price of a sport oriented gearbox. And I have also noticed that the clutch does not need to go to the floor. There is a sweetspot there that allows for very fast gear changes once you get used to where it is.

 

i think it's easier to shift when I drive aggressive or hard, when I'm being mellow, I'm not snooth ad that's when I feel the clunkiess of the gearbox.

 

I agree completely. For whatever reason if I have the rpms up around 4k it shifts better in the lower gears. Third and up are always smooth.

Its a sports car!

 

^^^ I noticed the same thing. 4k rpm and over makes 1-2 shifting smoother, 3rd gear upwards shifting is always smooth irrespective of rpm.

 

i thought it was just me that picked this up. she just wants to be driven hard

 

mines not loud. change your fluid out.

 

Thanks for the input guys! I'm starting to get used to all the noise, but has anyone had/heard of this problem?

Ex: I'm accelerating semi aggresively and let off the gas and clutch in( real fast) to switch gears, it makes a clunking metal sound.

 

Yea just get used to it man

 

i find the clutch to be a more of an issue then the tranny...granted it takes some effort to get it into gear but I think its fairly smooth. the clutch on the other hand...i have had this thing for a year and I still can't engage it that smoothly. When i let other people drive that hate it..lol

 

There is a DIY around the forums somewhere where you can adjust the height of your clutch pedal. I've adjusted mine and it changed the clutch feel dramatically. There is also a spring removal DIY, that when removed, gives you a more positive feel for your clutch. I haven't done this one yet, but the reviews on it are great!