Sup everyone!
Just got lucky recently to lease my very own G35 sedan 6MT. However, this was my first stick car, even though I have had opportunities to drive other manuals. The basic message, I am still learning the car.
The other day, after practicing on hills for quite a bit and stressing the clutch along with a much more experienced driver, we decided to take the car on the road. He was driving fine and shifting freely for 5 minutes, when all of sudden the car stopped shifting. This was right after he had stopped at the toll to pay. We immediately pulled over to the shoulder and inspected. While the car was on, nothing could be done to get the gearbox to shift from neutral position. It was as if, a magnet was preventing any shift. However, when the car was shut off and the clutch was engaged, the box shifted. No such luck when the car was turned on again...
We decided to wait a bit, hoping that this was some sort of electric shut off to a overheated clutch?
5-10 minutes later, we put the car back on the road and the car started shifting again.
What happened, if anyone can clue me in? Also, feel free to ask questions if that will help clear the story more.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, and glad to join you all.

 

Hmmmm, I think it's time for a visit to the dealer. I think my over all opinion and of some others of the 6MT since owning one is that the tranny is finicky indeed. I my tranny was always notchy and I occasionally would have problems shifting to 5th especially when shifting quickly. After about 11K the Input shaft bearing went bad in mine and a new tranny was installed promptly by Infiniti. After it was installed I discovered that I couldn't get the car into 4th on the NEW tranny. Nissan sent and engineer to inpsect the NEW tranny and he promptly discovered that the shift plate was misaligned by mere millimeters. After talking to him and the Service Rep he mentioned "Off the Record" that the shift gate is very tight and easily misaligned on the 6MT's. I don't know how much of that was hog wash but I am wondering if during the process of putting her through the paces the shift plate moved? Again even Millimeters can cause problems according to the engineer. Just some thoughts, I think the best solution is the Infiniti Service Dept. Good luck.

-Jason
Laser Red '03 6MT

 

When you shifter, or tried to, did the clutch feel 'normal'?

 

the shifter was just locked...
however, when the car was turned off, the shifter moved freely with clutch held down. I guess that means the clutch cable was alright.

 

Looks like this thread got split, so I'll cut and paste the replies.

<font color=red>ABQ_G35</font color=red> (Addict)
01/03/04 11:32 AM


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

After talking to him and the Service Rep he mentioned "Off the Record" that the shift gate is very tight and easily misaligned on the 6MT's

<hr></blockquote>
That all sounds like HogWash to me, some service guys make up things when they don't know the answer from my experience, of course, I am used to dealing with Ford!



Brilliant Silver/Graphite '04 Sedan/5AT



<font color=red>3point5SE_Auto</font color=red> (Enthusiast)
01/02/04 11:39 PM

yup, I concur. in the shop manual there is a "try and try again" procedure for aligning the shifter.

Better Life thru Chemistry
Black on Black 03.5 Sedan 6MT - Custom Catback, Custom Intake Tube, HyperGround Kit


<font color=green>GroundingGear™ Equipped </font color=green>

 

Yes, that was strange, I replied to one here, and it went off on it's own, LOL, damned kids!!


Brilliant Silver/Graphite '04 Sedan/5AT

 

Again, a lost post:

<font color=red>pbmax </font color=red>(Newbie)
01/03/04 03:42 PM

All of you who complain that the 6MT is notchy, have you ever driven a Subaru WRX? The G35's tranny is a dream next to the WRX. It would grind and jerk and do all manner of nasty things when I drove it, and I know how to drive a stick. If I ever tried to shift quickly at speed, it would grind with the clutch all the way in.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is my wife's Audi TT transmission. It's a dream as far as smoothness and tightness go. I'd say it's a better tranny than the G35's, but not by too much (and it has a longer throw, which I didn't notice till recently).


<font color=green>GroundingGear™ Equipped </font color=green>

 

While the stick was "locked", were you able to move left and right? - say like when you stand at the light in neutral?
If you were able to move it left and right, but not into gear, that sounds like something was wrong with the clutch mechanism. The gearbox behavior your are describing sounds as if someone is trying to engage the stick into gear without depressing the clutch, which of course won't let you, unless you apply some brutal force on the stick.
I would imagine it's something to do with the clutch.
But you have to take the car to the dealer. You don't want to get stuck on the highway going 70 without being able to shift.


2004 G35C 6MT DG/Gr/Prem/NAV/A.Pedals/C.Corners/C.Bra/PIAA [img]/w3timages/icons/cool.gif[/img]

 

There was some very limited mobility around neutral, but it was just impossible to move into any gear.
Again, if it were a clutch problem, would I have been able to shift gears (as I was) with the car shut off and holding down the clutch?
It's been a couple of days now, no repeat of the problem, which leads me to believe I had over-heated the clutch and something, possibly safety mech, went off.