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350doc

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Posts posted by 350doc

  1. I have owned TomTom, Garmin, Alpine and Pioneer satnavs in my 350Z. For best traffic avoidance and most up-to-date maps, I would get a TomTom live system (I have a Go 940 Live); the live traffic update is better than on any other system. The more expensive built in systems are faster, and have better user interfaces (on the whole), but the performance/value ratio is not tipped in their favour; having said that, I have an Alpine and it is great (though the traffic updates are nowhere near as good as the TomTom, and the map updates are a lot less regular, and more expensive).

  2. I ran Vredstein Wintrac Extremes for a few winters, To be honest, they are not essential for most Southen English winters. They are however essential in more snowy conditions. I found them invaluable in mountain passes in Transylvania and in Latvia. They have much more grip in cold conditions, and I reccomend them if you anticipate snowy conditions.

  3. As Toon says, sounds like a faulty crank or cam sensor. The OBD diagnostic code would give you the answer. This can lead to total power loss on the motorway, so I would get it sorted properly asap. Zmanalex has some sensors available, I believe.

     

    Beware that once you clear the diagnostic codes, some faults only show up again after 2 'hits', so the lights may be clear for a while, and then return.

  4. In December 2003, I went to a Nissan dealer to ask for a test drive in the 350. They asked me if I was buying one today; I said that I didn't have a clue (I had a Primera GT which was regularly serviced there); they then asked how much deposit I had; I said 'none'. At this point I got bored and went to Birchwood Nissan in Maidstone (now Beadles). I was offered a test drive straight away, and signed a contract for a new 350Z about 20 minutes later.

  5. Hi there. It was the 5th gear synchro; a known issue on the Zed. There have been quite a few warranty replacements at under 60k. Expected life expectancy of a clutch is 60-100,000 miles. It makes sense to replace the flywheel if replacing the gearbox (as I paid no more in labour to have this done). I could have got it fixed (probably for less, but would have taken longer). Car basically has a new drivetrain now; virtually all other consumable parts (except engine) have been replaced. The expected lifetime of the VQ35de is 200,000 miles.

     

    The gearbox was £460 for CD09 (latest edition, with revised synchros). Fitting was £275 + VAT. The rest was just parts other than the gearbox, which I could have got a better deal on if it wasn't Christmas, and I would have had more suppliers to choose from; I had to pay £500+VAT for the flywheel, which isn't a good deal.

     

    Most of the costs on my car have been at the 60,000 mark.

     

    In summary, I think that my car is in better condition now than most at the 55,000 mark. The cost of repair was less than most cars depreciate in a few months nowadays, and I think I am now on the flat of the depreciation curve (new/newer cars depreciate faster).

  6. A little update: 5th gear synchro went at 122,000 miles. Replaced gearbox with 2nd hand CD009 gearbox, new flywheel, new clutch and new bearings. Total cost c. £1800. Would have been c. £4,500 from a Nissan dealer with a new gearbox.

     

    (edited for typo on gearbox model)

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