1st gear noise

J.Wolf

You guys have nothing to worry about. What you guys are hearing is the back lash in the transmission gear set. What you are doing while in 1st gear with the clutch slightly or fully disengaged is loading up the transmission and as you depress the clutch and let the load off the transmission you are hearing the gears rattle. In a lot of transmissions 1st and 2nd gear sets are usually designed with different teeth then the rest of the gears due to the amount of stress that the 1st and 2nd gear sets see, so these gears usually create a lot more noise. Just like some cars that have a whining reverse gear due to how the teeth are cut (straight cut gears).

ZKindaGuy

You know what amuses me about this "clunk" issue is that there hasn't been a single manual transmission car that I owned that hasn't had such a noise occur. And I have owned at least 10 of them that I can recall of different makes and models. It goes part and parcel with owning a manual transmission.

And if there are dealers out there "fixing it" then I would wager it is more likely done to appease the customer than to actually "fix" a "problem". It's no sweat off the dealer's service department to appease the customer when the car is under warranty because the warranty provides reimbursement back to the dealer.

However this just serves to turn a non-problem into a "real" problem where non actually exists...and in the long run creates the wrong impression that the mnaufacturer screwed up in the design or the car model has problems. Then this just artificially inflates the quality statistics and then a mountain is made out of a mole hill in the magazine rags.

It really is just what you stated...nothing to worry about....but I am sure there will be many that just don't get that fact and will insist that a problem exists where in fact it doesn't...

Minicobra1

I agree with you that it's not a problem from a mechanical failure standpoint, but it is a problem if you have people complaining about the sound. The 370z is my 10th manual transmission car, (the most expensive) and without a doubt the most noisy one. When you have passengers asking what the rachety clunking sound is, it's a problem. I deliberately push the clutch in extra slow while cruising through parking lots so that it doesn't make the noise. When you have to do that it just takes some of the enjoyment out of driving it. I just expected a little more from a 2009 model that cost me $41K. I don't want to have to explain to everyone that comments on it that its a dual mass clutch, blah blah blah. I've been in marketing for years, and if customers are complaining about something, there is a problem, regardless if its a real problem or not.
Most people will live with this sound, (including myself) because the 370z has so much more to offer, but if you asked 10 people that have the noise if they really enjoy the sound, no one is going to say the enjoy it. It doesn't add any value to the car, it detracts, if there was a quick painless fix, everyone would do it.

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