womblingfree

The warning light came on a couple of days ago. Should I take it to a Nissan dealership to have the codes read, or is it better to take it to somewhere like Abbey Motorsports?

Oh my god, just tried that and it totally works!!! Now what do I hit to get the bass working again??

Why get a 3 series when used M3s are pretty keenly priced?

DP

This is true I suppose, just that I haven't set eyes on a tape to play in one since about 1997. Nothing's going to sound great until I get my speakers working! People are always like, 'Hey! Look at all those speakers!' Then the stereo comes on and it's like listening to a band playing down the road, submerged in water, before you've had your ears syringed.

Hmmm, couple of hundred quid, fitted. Preferably less. I'm not too bothered about the stereo really, although an aux-in for iPhone is essential. I'd even keep the Bose if it worked, I just want someone that can make my speakers work, and if that means replacing the system for a more reliable one with better connections then that's fine. I knew I should have been worried when I saw the tape-player!

Which stereo would you recommend to replace the rubbish Bose thing in my 350Z? Bass drops out all the time, and speakers cut out intermittently/completely, along with the bass when using CDs! I want to retain steering controls as well. I've seen threads on how to replace all the bits yourself, but I just want to buy a stereo and get it fitted a.s.a.p. So any recommendations of someone to fit it in the London area would be appreciated as well. It's the only thing preventing my Z being perfect at the moment.

Unless you're looking at an RS I see the problem! I need a four(ish) seater at the moment. Looking at old M3s, Skylines and er...that's about it. Actually I've seen some lovely Silvia/Sil-80's as well. Went to get the Z serviced today and was promised a courtesy car. I was imagining an enhanced GTR or at the very least a 370Z roadster to entice me to buy on such a sunny day...What I got was a Micra...with adverts for the dealership all over it... I sat in it, started the engine...and then promptly turned it off and returned the keys to the service desk. No way I'm risking a 500 quid excess for sitting on a hairdryer.

Went down to Abbey yesterday and they had a quick fiddle with the exhaust. Everything is now A-OK. Got some advice on filters and up-revving, which is next on the list.

I love the sound already. Sounds like Barry White, but smells like Steptoe's armpit.

Big stinky smell is good??? Well then, if there's no rattle and the smell will go away I may not have to do anything! Might get Abbey to give it the once over anyway.

Thanks for the tip. But doesn't that mean paying someone to remove it, ship it back, and then I still have no exhaust and have to go through the whole rigmarole again? Think I'll give Scorpion a ring tomorrow to see what they say. Cheers. Actually there was no noise at all when I drove it home today, just this godawful stink! No idea if it's exhaust fumes, paint burning or heat being generated by the two things touching. Whatever, I'm now travelling by bus and taxi until it's sorted. E-mailed Abbey, so fingers crossed.

Do we reckon it's safe to drive? Given the new stink.

I was quoted £80, but they said they spent extra time trying to get it to fit. So I've been charged extra for them not doing a proper job and creating a smell. Now I'll have to pay someone else to sort it out.

What's an HR and a DR?? I've just got a standard 04, UK model. I presume the dif shields there for a reason, so isn't it a bad idea to remove it? Anyway, just drove it home and now there's a terrible stink in the cab which seems to be coming from under the engine, which I presume is a smouldering diff shield. Not going to drive it until I'm driving it somewhere to get sorted. I'm having nothing but bad luck with my Z.

Really?? I thought this was a great idea at the time! Anyone out there near West London/Surrey that can sort it out for me? Already spent £150 getting it fitted (not fitted)

I had a new Scorpion exhaust and Stillen y-pipe fitted at my local Nissan garage and they're saying it doesn't fit. Works ok but is apparently touching the dif-shield which will cause a rattle. Has anyone else had this problem? Or better still, know how to fix it! My car's an 04 UK GT.

So if 6 is the centre pipe, which number's the downpipe?

So 4 is the y-pipe, 6 is the centre pipe and 10 is the downpipe?

Couple of questions: is a Down pipe the same thing as a y-Pipe, and will a y-pipe from an 07 Z fit onto an 04 Z?

I'm also interested in one of these, but am also wondering if someone else could fit the flipping thing. I have enough trouble putting up curtain rails!

Right then, from my brief research a Scorpion exhaust kit's about £330 and a Japspeed y-pipe's about £180. That's the first hits on Google anyway, so doubtless can be found cheaper elsewhere. The Scorpion's a good one then I take it? The Nismo seems really overpriced and the Borla appears to be a bit fiddly and prone to leaks. Love the look of the Japspeed y-pipe!

So an aftermarket system would come with everything I need, including Y-pipe flexi-joints?

Right, so I took the Z to my local Nissan dealership and they had a look under the car and took some pictures for me. Seems the manhole cover I scraped against shunted the whole exhaust unit back. Take a look: The exhaust's knocking against the heat-shield, and I'll be looking to fix it asap to avoid damaging that. When I got the call to pick up the car I was told the Z 'requires complete exhaust system from cat to back of vehicle due to damage'. That was written on the report. The price list was as follows: Tube assy-exhaust, front - £302.94 Gasket-exhaust - £10.43 Muffler assy-exhaust, sub - £198.48 Gasket exhaust - £10.61 Muffler asy-exhaust, main £297.78 Gasket-exhaust - £9.81 x2 Labour - £80 Total: £1,104.07 What happened next though was that I asked if any of the exhaust was salvageable. The initial answer was no, but then I was told that the cats were fine, the back box is fine and it was only the down pipe and centre pipe that needed replacing. Total cost of which would be bugger all in comparison. I've been offered some bits of exhaust from a kind soul on here, but think that doesn't include a downpipe. If I was spending over £1000 on a new exhaust I'd be looking to get a Borla or Nismo rather than a vanilla OEM I think. So, I need someone with a down-pipe and centre pipe then someone to put it all together.

Is that seperate from the exhaust itself? The guy at the garage said the exhaust itself is also bent out of shape. What kind of cost am I looking at for an OEM exhaust and flexi joint? Will post pics asap.