3Fiddy

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Unfortunately the saga of the clunk continues. MartinMac i read through all of the clunk posts which were informative but I'm still struggling to locate the problem. Probably my basic knowledge of cars, sorry if i've missed something in the technical detail. Digsy, the cars done 54k miles which i thought was about average for a 6 year old car. So to update you on where i'm up to, i've fixed the rear clicking issue by replacing the rear DS hub. I've also replaced the front DS hub, drop link and now suspension strut but its still making the clunking nose going over uneven ground. It sounds like its coming from right underneath the accelerator pedal and you can hear a load banging/clunking/knocking noise when going over uneven ground. It sounds mechanical like two bits of metal banging together. 8 mechanics from two garages inc. Nissan have looked at it and everyone is completely stumped They all tell me that everything is tight there's no play in anything and all of the bushes are fine. I really don't know what to try next. If i knew more about cars and had the tools I'd take the whole front end apart and eye ball each part. I still suspect a partially worn bush which can't be detected without a full disassemble. What do you think? I'd be willing to bring it to one of your guys who are familiar with dismantling the front end and would know what a slightly worn bush would look like. In the spirit of clutching at straws i took the wheel off and looked at each of the joints for wear, pulled on all of the suspension arms and all i could find was that there seemed to be some missing plastic/rubber washers on the joints where the suspension meets the chasis. Please see following photo. Does this look right to you guys? the plastic/rubber washers look worn/missing to me. Could this be the cause of the clunk? Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks for the advice you were all spot on! I took it to Nissan who detected a clicking noise from the rear drivers side hub. They replaced the whole hub, luckily it was a named part on the warranty so they picked up the £650 bill. When i drove it the noise from the rear had gone, but there was still the vibration under steering consistent with the bearings failing and a louder clunking nose when driving over uneven or block paved road. So, I took it back to Nissan and their head technician drove it with me in the car. We could both hear the noise but they were generally dismissive and wanted me to pay to investigate. I have a real problem with dealers charging for investigation time so i went elsewhere. I took it to my local garage and within 1 min of driving it he said the drop link was probably worn and the bearings were shot. So back onto the warranty company who replaced the front hub but not the drop link so i paid the cheaper £88. Now, although the bearing noise while steering has gone away there is still the loud clunking noise (right drivers) while driving over uneven road. After replacing both drivers side hubs and a drop link what could it be, suspension? I'm going to give the garage one more chance to sort it. I'd appreciate any ideas; at this rate I'll have replaced the whole of the right hand side of the car. Nice one.

Thanks for all the advice guys, i've booked it in to get it looked at. I'll let you know what they say.

Hi there, In the last few weeks a low warbling noise has developed on the rear drivers side of my 56 350. I've read about the clicking sound that is common but from what i can see the symptoms are different. It's most noticeable when accelerating normally from 30 to 70mph especially while steering gently (like changing lanes) to the right. It goes away again if you straighten up, steer left or steer heavily in either direction. It sounds like the noise is consistent with a full rotation of the wheel, (speeds up when accelerating) and doesn't sound like breaks rubbing. Could this be the clicking issue? I can't hear it at slow speeds or in reverse and its definitely more of a warble than a click. Damn i hate describing sounds I'm not sure if this is related but the rear driver side suspension spring has started to squeak when pulling onto curbs (slowly of course), getting in the drivers side or generally pushing on the arch to make the car bounce up and down. Does it need dismantling and greasing or is it new spring mounts? Any advice much appreciated.

I thought making any modifications (even to non covered parts) invalidated any subsequent claims. I think i have some reading to do...

Excellent, sounds like welding or putty are good options, I'll give that a go. New system is definitely on the cards when the warranty expires so the weld will only have to hold for 11 months. BTW loving the waves/thumbs up from the other Cheshire Z drivers. Cheers

Afternoon chaps, Today is a day of rage... My 04 48k mile Z has developed a blowing sound from the exhaust. It now sounds like a tortured sea lion instead of the usual disgruntled lion. I took it to Crewe Nissan and apparently the join between the mid section and rear section has rusted through and is now leaking! On inspection you can clearly see the nice shinny stainless steel exhaust pipes and the offending dark brown rusted join that is causing the leak. I can’t quite believe the difference in the condition of the metal. It’s like they made the join out of iron which has been left in the sea for a few months! Now for the rage part... Nissan want £491 for a new rear section, mid section and labour. I have an extended warranty that doesn’t cover exhausts and I was wandering what my options are. The join between the mid section and the front section is equally rusted and looks like it could be on its way out as well. Has anyone else had any experience of this? I’m going to take it to a local garage and get a comparative quote but I thought I would ask the experts before signing up for a spanking from Nissan. Any advice much appreciated. Jay

Love it, great shot! What rims are those?

Finally got round to uploading a few 350Z photos I've messed with. Thought you guys would appreciate the subject matter The car's Grey in the real world and I've added a Photoshop filter... enjoy! BTW whats the file size upload limit for the forum? 3Fiddy http://www.bjkerr.com/2009-07-350Z-GT.htm

Cheers Chris, definitely going to take more care braking to a stop. My drive has a slope where I park which can’t be helping. Roughly how many miles has everyone been getting out of the OEM disks and pads?

Woohoo, 4 runs from 80 down to 10 has sorted it! Thanks for the advice.

Mike thanks very much for sorting the signature pic. Good point about the pads, I kinda took their word for it that they had but i’ll check their service record. I’ll give some high speed breaking a go and see if that clears the problem. Most of the miles i’ve done recently have been at average speeds with gradual breaking so that matches your description. I’ll let you know how i get on. Cheers

Hi Chaps, I’ve had my 04 350Z for 8 months now and I love it however I’ve come across an issue I could do with some expert advice on. When I test drove it there was allot of vibration in the pedals while breaking, more exaggerated at slow speeds. After a bit of negotiation the dealer agreed to replace OEM front disks and pads FOC before sale. After 6 months of happy driving I’m now getting a similar judder under gentle breaking to a standstill. It’s slowly getting worse and to a passenger it feels like I can’t apply consistent pressure to the brake pedal. At higher speeds its not noticeable and it seems like it’s only happening when the pads are just applying pressure to the disks. Time for the subjective part... I don’t think that I drive the car particularly hard. I’ve only had the ABS kick in once on a wet greasy road and I push it harder under acceleration than under braking. My driving style hasn’t changed much and I’ve never had an issue like this either in a track or road car. Also since the vibration has started there is also a small squeak from the front right when the wheel is turned in while manoeuvring into a parking space at very low speed. An older wiser person has told me that it is impossible to warp a break disk and it is more likely asynchronous wear of the pads or compound sticking to the disk in an uneven pattern. I’ve booked it in at the dealer next week and would really appreciate any advice you might have. I suspect that the dealer will try and fob me off with the old “it’s a sports car and you drive it too hard†but this has obviously affected two separate owners of the same car. Many thanks, Jay

Many thanks for the gratuitous welcome chaps. Sorry to be the FNG but whats going on Z wise in Cheshire this weekend? xStric9x/tmjak, i live near Oulton Park. If you're ever over this way drop me a line... Speaking of which, what's everyone's experience of track days? Will I have to fit a new clutch and brakes after 20 laps or is it pretty much tire beading joy... if you keep it out of the tires:teeth: