the shifter vibration many (all?) of the 6MT owners suffer from is starting to get bad press. i've read recent (within the last month) reviews of both the 6MT G35 and the manual 350z in various popular auto mags and one of the biggest knocks stated is the harsh vibration coming through the shifter at high RPMs. Before I have to put my flame suit on,..... to everybody who thinks its normal and they're happy w/ their setup --- cool, i'm glad you're happy.

my personal opinion is that the vibration is not normal and shouldn't be part of a $35000 car. I currently drive a turbo A4 with a short shifter and i can't tell from shifter feel whether i'm at 2000 rpms or 6500 rpms. Thats what the tach and the sound of the engine are for. We all know that the G is still a screaming value and thats why I have a deposit down on a 6MT arriving in two weeks. the vibration is not enough of a reason for me to pass up on a great sports coupe.

my only issue is that many times (especially w/ a newish model) automakers will address shortcomings / bugs on the fly. it must not be a simple fix or i assume the 04s coming out now would have an updated gearbox. will this vibration be addressed in the '05? i see in some press releases that they promise a new gearbox in the 6MT that advertises "less effort". i would glady swap out to an aftermarket short shift kit, but i have not seen any posts that state that as a possible fix.

i think i'm just praying for a miracle and the 6MT that i've laid a deposit on comes in with a buttery smooth gearbox. that said, i can't WAIT to get my coupe.

ryan

 

I really couldn't disagree with you more. I love the feel of the shifter....makes me feel far more connected with the car and the engine than any other I've driven. "not knowing" whether you're at 2 or 5k rpm's doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

Keith G

 

"thats what the tach and the sound of the engine are for"

i'm glad you like it. its not normal and not there intentionally.

 

I owned 2 maxima's (manual) before this, and both had the same feel. I think it's just a Nissan thing...

Keith G

 

It is normal cause the shifter is directly connected to the transmission...thats why the shifter vibrates...on hondas/acuras that have a cable link shifter to do the shifts it doesnt vibrate cause its not directly connected

Northface

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

It is normal cause the shifter is directly connected to the transmission...thats why the shifter vibrates...

<hr></blockquote>

Right. They may be able to reduce the vibration a bit with some design tweaks, who knows, but what you're feeling is the engine being hardware-channeled through the shifter. I'm pretty sure that the A4, like most cars these days, has a shifter that is connected to the transmission by various linkages or cables. These invariably filter out vibration, and unfortunately most of the precision feel as well. I love the direct, hard-wired (hard-bolted?) feel of the G's shifter and am perfectly willing to tolerate a bit of engine vibration in my hand to get it. It brings back fond memories of my first car, a '63 MGB roadster, that had a similarly straight-into-the-gearbox shifter and the associated engine vibration at high RPMs.

 

Must be a Nissan thing. The 280zx (1982) we have is just the same way.

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.

 

kgleaves (Newbie)
07/08/04 08:03 AM

I really couldn't disagree with you more. I love the feel of the shifter....makes me feel far more connected with the car and the engine than any other I've driven. "not knowing" whether you're at 2 or 5k rpm's doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

Keith G

i really could not agree more... while reading his post i was just thinking.... he doesnt drive one everyday and isnt used to it. I LOVE the feeling of being connected to the road. I think it gives u a better feel for the road/car. I really would not want the stock shifter "fixed" as u put it. There are things about the stock shifter that i dont like..... but the vibration is not one of them.....

2004 Black on Black g coupe 6spd.... aluminum pedals, clear corners, z tube, and pop charger. soon to have 19" volk gt-c's and PIAA xtreme whites in the clearance and corners
Houston Texas

 

I'm sorry......but I don't get any bad vibration, even shifting at 6K. Feels great to me.
Maybe I'm just lucky....I've got 12K miles, daily driver, and NO problems.


"I like you.....You remind me of myself when I was young and foolish"

 

I have a really nice vibration and I can't stay that I like it. It's not terrible but it's not something that I expect from a +35k car. I keep thinking that I'll get used to it but I haven't so far.

Question, I only notice the vibration at idle. When I'm driving I don't notice anything wrong. Only when sitting at a light or something. Is this normal????

'04 Silver G35C 6MT Premium
Nismo Intake

 

At first, i didnt like the vibration, but now i do. When i drive other manual cars, i look for that little vibration...

 

I hate how the sporty tires and suspension make me feel every bump in the road too.

And I hate how the steering takes so much effort.

My next car will be an auto 1973 caddy. Rides great! Smooth as butter.

2004 G35C 6MT Black. Killer.

 

Yeah...and I hate how low the car is.....so hard to get in and out of. I think I'll have it raised by 3 or 4 inches.

Now if I could just get some better gas mileage....maybe a nice 4cyl camry engine.....

Keith G

 

You're asking alot dude and in my opinion what you're asking is just picky.

Thanks - Joey Avino