If I had to do it again, I would get the 05 with the updated tranny. I wouldn't touch a older one. My 04 had a 2nd gear problem since it was new, and then 6th gear went out later. Had it replaced, then had issues with 3rd gear 2 weeks later acting up. So I got rid of the car for a Titan for now till I buy a extra toy car.

 

Hey "G Spotter":

I've read where Infiniti has refused to replace/repair (and even voided transmission aspect of warranty) the 6MT for using non-Nissan fluid - I'm sure it was on this site, even.

I have grinding into 6th gear when shifted quickly (meaning normally) there from any other gear (3rd, 4th, 5th), it's only smooth if I pause slightly when shifting - Don't know about a redline shift from 5th yet

It also grinds (crunches, actually) under full throttle/high RPM shifts from 1st to 2nd (freeway onramp merging, pulling out into heavy commute traffic, showing the kid in the Integra GSR a thing or two - wait, did I say that?), and I'm going to bring it up when I go in for my 15,000 mile service within 30 days. With that in mind, and since I first started encountering the problem(s) (at about 7,500 miles), I've inquired and paid attention to others problems both here and on Fresh Alloy (including the coupes and the "Z"), and the changing of the oil issue arose.

I wholeheartedly concur that changing to Redline will smooth things out - it has done so on several foreign and domestic cars I've owned through the years (a great cure for "slow synchros), but I would hate to lose my warranty for something this minor.

Maybe I'm wrong - but proceed with caution.

My $0.02

 

Don't worry no one's perfect, I'm certainly not.

 

just turned 20000 miles on the odo today - no problems with the 6MT, even when shifted quickly.

Auto vs. Stick is a debate that will run on forever (or until all the mfg take them away from us.....an M5 with an auto only, what is this world coming to??)

You need to make the choice based on your own preference and driving habits. Is the 6MT great on a winding country road?? you bet! Does the 6MT suck bigtime in rush hour traffic?? again, a resounding yes

The remaining factory warranty is for your peace of mind - 4 yrs, 60K mikes should provide many worry free miles.

My old TL-S dropped an auto at less than 10K miles, but they fixed it with little fanfare and provided a loaner for the duration - Infiniti should do nothing less

 

I did this on mine right away, and truthfully it made my 1-2nd gear grind worse. I put the factory fluid back in and it actually got better fo rthe next 15k of miles. Glad I did because warranty would have not covered the repair.

 

I knew someone would post this reply. Thanks for your concern! I expect the transmission will run longer and smoother with less wear with the Redline fluid. The way my transmission is working, I don't expect any failures during the warranty period. I know that's saying a lot at only 2400 miles, but it really does feel perfect. I'll let you know if it ever goes kaput. I don't drive my car that all-out and hard compared to a lot of other owners. I've talked to several mechanics that work on Nissan/Infinitis about this very issue and I decided to go with the Redline. What each owner does depends on what they feel comfortable with. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy the super-slick shifting which is a joy as of now.

 

If it starts grinding, I'll switch back. The car has never grinded and it shifts super-slick. I can't imagine the '05's shifting any smoother, of course I hope to try one out sometime.

 

Too late, I bought an 03 sedan automagic tonight. I'm very happy. The tranny is what I wanted. I'm just tired of rowing the gears now. It's fun and then it's not. I'm sure the auto will be the same way. I also like the fact that the G auto rides behind the 5.6 V8 Titan and Q45/M45 V8s. That means the 5-speed auto rated to handle a lot more than the stock 3.5 can dish out. My project 90-93 notchback 5.0 Mustang will have a manual though.

 

I bought an '04 and have had zero problems with it. I hammer it hard at times. I believe all the isses have been resolved. Guess the 6th tranny update must have done it. I haven't heard of any '04' + cars having manual transmissions problems.