This ^ :iagree:

I agree with you guys on this as well. I'm no slouch when it comes to the car game. I used to be a tech, now I'm an assistant parts manager for a toyota dealer. It's just aggravating with all of the back and forth with the dealer on this matter. I just don't want to keep getting hit with diag charges from different dealers and them saying the same thing. I have another dealer I'm going to contact in the morning and see what they say. It's almost worth just biting the bullet and spending the $1200 and buy a clutch kit, csc, cmc and flywheel and do the work myself. Lol

The job isn't that bad to do, if you have a lift and take your time you can get it done in about 8 hours.

8 hours? lol!!! I'm pretty sure that I can have it done in more than half that time. I used to be flat rate. It's not me actually doing the work that's the issue here. It's more the fact that this is a very common issue and the fact that I spent extra money on a Nissan extended warranty, that the dealer should stand behind it and fix it. That's the reason I spent the money on it. It's about principal right now. I opened up a case with Nissan and waiting to hear back from their regional rep. As it sits now, I'm going to toss the car up in the air after work and bleed out all the old fluid and replace it just to rule that out. Might as well go with the inexpensive attempt just for that little piece of mind. I don't think it'll fix it, but it'll be worth the try.

This happens vice versa as well. The internals in the CMC aren't high quality either and sometimes fluid gets past the seals and introduces contaminants into the system. These contaminants can cause the CSC to fail. The master must have an o-ring seal or something that gets loose and then seats back into place because you can lose pressure and then have it return. In this scenario, you can typically return pressure to the master by pumping the pedal hard and fast for 20+ stokes. You'll probably have to use your hand to do this.

When the internal master seals fail and let contaminants into the system, the
fluid gets nasty colored immediately. This is a telling sign that your master internals slipped. Especially if you have an aftermarket CSC. I don't think dirty fluid is a symptom of CSC failure as it typically fails catastrophically, leaking fluid into the transmission bell housing.

All Nissan dealerships consider the CSC a wearable part. Anyone whose dealer covered the work either had warranty coverage or the dealership performed the service out of "good will". They have what they call "good will coverage" for customers that spend lots of money on service at the dealership already. If you DIY or just never use the dealer for service, then you're incredibly unlikely to have the good will coverage approved. I went over this matter with 3 different Nissan dealerships :twocents:

Actually, that's probably the master. But a flush with higher temp fluid is definitely a good idea :tup:

Definitely replace the master if you do the slave. But in this case, I would start with the master. The OEM parts are about the same cost but the master is far less labor and the more likely culprit in that case.

You have the ZSpeed CSC? If so, I promise it's not your HD CSC that's having problems. It's the master. If you really want to go with one of the external slave kits, I don't think you can go wrong with either the ZSpeed or the Z1 solutions. And neither of them will interfere with an aftermarket exhaust as they are located adjacent to the driver side catalytic converter.

You spent extra money on warranty coverage and it's not covered? :icon14: That's some bull$hit right there. I might inquire about "good will coverage" based on the money you spent on a warranty that doesn't cover the part.

But if you don't have any luck at the dealer or just want to give up on them, try replacing the master first (as long as there's not fluid coming out of the transmission bell housing). If that doesn't do it then just get one of the aftermarket solutions. You can't go wrong with ZSpeed or Z1 options unless you pair the ZSpeed HD CSC with a Spec clutch. Might as well do the clutch while the transmission is down if you think it needs it.

I did the Z1 kit in my garage on jack stands with the help of a friend (didn't replace the clutch because it only had 50K miles on it at the time). It took us two full days over a weekend, but neither of us had removed a transmission before. Personally, I wouldn't do it again without a lift, but it wasn't a difficult job. We had no major issues and the first test drive went great. Two years later and I'm very pleased with the kit. Replacing the slave cylinder now only costs $60 and takes <30 min.

FWIW, there is an HD CMC on the market. I had some issues installing one of the unit from the first production batch, so I am waiting for those issues to get worked out. I'll give it another go here in a few months probably. Hoping it will solve all of the clutch hydraulic issues for good!

so i pulled my car in and checked the condition of my clutch fluid and it was blacker than wesley snipes!!!!! so we took a fluid sample and found it to have a greenish/greyish color to it. the fluid should be clean and clear yellow and if it's dirty or burnt, should be dark. NOT GREYISH!!! this tells me that there is some sort of contamination within my clutch system. I took the fluid sample to the dealer that told me i need a clutch and they pretty much said that "it's out of their hands". lol. what a joke! so while i was in the parking lot, i called a different dealer that i deal with on a professional level, and spoke with the service manager. he is willing to work with me and agreed that my findings would lead toward some sort of hydraulic failure. he's willing to warranty it as long as that is that actual issue. catch 22 is that if he finds it is actually clutch failure that i'd be responsible for the repair. that is beyond fair in my eyes. that's exactly what i was looking for.

here are some pics of the color of my clutch fluid

Glad to hear you found a service mgr willing to work with you.
I was not so fortunate at the time of my CSC failure.
My 09' is currently at local garage getting complete brake system upgrade. And I am looking to getting year old GTR clutch fluid flushed out with new Fluid. The old fluid is dark brown/blackish. I average about 5000 miles a year on Z. Last year is when I had new CMC, HD-CSC, insulated clutch lines, solid billet steel flywheel, & ACT Clutch installed.
I thought the GTR Fluid would hold up better then it did.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a hydraulic fluid that hold up better?

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Possibly Motul RBF 600.

Definately look into the Motul. And believe it or not, find a repair shop that deals with BG products. They only come around to shops and dealerships. The kit they use for the brake fluid flush service is pretty good stuff. I know it may not sound too enticing, but it's def worth it and it's rather inexpensive.

And thank you. I am too. This is all I was looking for from the dealer. That just shows the level of integrity that some dealerships have on a customer service level. The sad thing is that this is coming out of my mouth and I work at a dealership. But we DO NOT conduct business like that!!! They were basically trying to get me to shell out $2500 for the repair and than pull a fast one and say that they found something else wrong internally while doing the clutch job and either charge me for it or claim they covered it as a courtesy.

Wanted to get at this before it got me (had some sticky moments, so could've been the master for all I know), and opted for the South Bend Stage 2 Clutch+19lb Flywheel package at ZSpeed. Joe was great at getting the clutch to me separately a timely manner when he was out of stock in his store.

Holy **** this is flat out-better than OEM. I'm not going to hide the fact that I was one of those people who found take-offs in this car to be tricky (as someone who's driven 3 examples of 370Z's). It could be the sum of the parts (also got the insulated hose + Redline fluid vs Nissan Ester) and maybe better work/adjustment, but along with the peace of mind, it's a much better drive. For lack of a better term it feels "normal" finally.

Don't know how it'll feel when more broken in, but I expected equal or worse with the lighter flywheel. Shifting up to second seems cleaner because the revs drop more timely. So right now, I feel like this is a major must-do, or at least a priority before other mods.

Love mine. Joe installed mine almost two years ago and it has worked flawlessly. I love the sound too!

We have another weiner. My CSC failed a little while ago... not my most pressing concern at the moment however. Looking for a little advice on getting my car started:

2012 370z, CSC failed a couple of weeks ago, pulled car home, it sat for a couple of weeks, replaced CSC this weekend, now car won't start.

Behavior: car never seems to detect clutch being pressed - checked the bottom clutch switch (clutch interlock switch) on meter and seems fine... nevertheless, the 370z always shows the "Clutch" message regardless of whether clutch is depressed or not...

Yeah, dumbass - plug in the starter when you re-assemble the car.

Anyway, in case anyone's interested in my particular failure mode:
http://i.imgur.com/9zhOWGe.jpg

The greasy-looking stuff is not grease, but melted plastic OEM CSC innards.


Failure circumstances: no warning, shifted - car made a noise, shifted - pedal felt wonky, shifted - full-on failure, wife went from commuting to stranded in about 60-90 seconds.

Good idea to post the picture! It shows all where CSC is mounted.
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:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Well i havent even got halfway thru these thread posts and know im suffering from this problem, damn you nissan. I have a 2014 370z with 24k miles 6 speed manual..obviously. clutch felt a little weird leaving the driveway yesterday, then when im leaving the gym i put it in first and almost stall the damn thing because the engagement point had moved a 1/4 off the floor. Got stuck at a stop light for 10 minutes pumping the pedal trying to get it to the dealer. Going to pick it up now said they replaced the slave cylinder and bled the system and iys working now. So we will see how long it is before im nack in with the same problem, gonna mention to them the DOT4 GTR fluid TSB

Update: got the car back, its drives slightly different now just normally shifting thru the gears getting up to speed...almost feels like the engagement point is slightly higher than it was when i first got it? Maybe the slave cylinder was failing slowly this whole time? Only had it for 2 months...only put 3-4k miles on it? So i guess its possible. But anyway they swapped the slave cylinder and filled all the lines with the gtr special mix so we will see ow long this "fix" lasts. Side note the guy said my car (2014) had already been in for this issue and it was fixed frm a recall?? Clearly that recall didnt do **** but put the same failing part in...

Had mine fixed in 2009 by Nissan, 3k miles later it failed again, I almost traded the car in at that point. But I went ahead and did the delete, and its been smooth sailing since, almost at 80k miles.

Did you choose the Z1 Delete, or the ZSpeed version which relocates csc? Im fed up with this csc issue and trying to decide which new alternative to go with.

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Nissan Clutch Problem | Home

:tup::tup::tup::tup:

Mine just went out. Had a scare a month ago and it drove fine since. Started acting up tonight. Was able to coast into parking lot and park it. Got ride home and will have to get it towed to dealer in morning. Ugh! 2014 with 23k miles.

Will Nissan tow the vehicle if it is under warranty?

Edit:. Called 1-800 number and they are paying for tow to nearest dealership.

The service guy looked at me funny when I said the CSC went out. I talked to the tech and he said they have done 3 recently. He told me they replace the CSC with a superseded part # that is supposed to be better ( probably B.S.),. Put The GTR fluid in and something about replacing an O ring that goes bad when the happens.

I have customers with 15/16 models, Still killing slaves. Don't buy the new part# stock slave, It is no better than the early ones.

I know and it sucks. They are fixing it under warranty. I don't have $$$ now to do anything out of pocket unfortunately.

I added my name to the clutch problem class action site. I got an email from lawyer. Are you guys calling and talking to the lawyer or just adding your name?

I've gotten that on a lot of different things. Did he give you the "We've never heard of that before..."?

He didn't say it. He gave me a strange look.

They send a generic response after filling out the web form then I received an email from Trisha Monesi at Capstone Law. I called, left a message and she called back asking for more details of the Csc failure.

I asked her if she would be OK with me posting her contact info on this forum for anyone else that would like to be added to the suit. Here it is.....

Trisha Monesi
310.712.8014 Direct | Trisha.Monesi@capstonelawyers.com
1840 Century Park East, Suite 450
Los Angeles, California 90067
310.556.4811 Main | 310.943.0396 Fax


Hopefully there will be some kind of resolution by Nissan.

Cheers,

Ha, local dealer did that to me. Said it'd be $1,800 to cover labor and a replacement OEM unit.

I know, typical stealership, but I literally got a new master, better clutch+flywheel on top of the HD CSC purchased and installed for just a couple hundred more.

I have no idea what the compensation is gonna be like with the mentioned lawsuit, when/if it's even going to gain any ground, but like I said in an earlier post: huge net upgrade reliability and drive-ability (and somewhat performance).

It's kinda ridiculous to say "dude just drop the $2k when you have it", but in hindsight I can't see myself dealing with it any other way. Specialty shops insisted I wait until the OEM unit fails. I get that they've got bigger jobs/clients, but no way would I pay for a tow truck with added (and unplanned) downtime and probably some nice scrapes added.

This isn't like the oil cooler or fuel starvation where there's driving measures that can be taken in the meantime. It's a sudden failure. No disrespect, but I'm surprised some people want to drop money on power mods before tackling the weakest link of the car.

2013 370z
 

This pictures are from my 2013 370Z with 7000 miles.
I am watching the reservoir fluid color and drain and refill it
often. Now I have what looks like metal filings in the fluid that's
accumulating on the bottom of the reservoir.

Thoughts anyone?

Here's what mine looks like. I sent the pic to Joe at Zspeed and he said it's common with a CSC. Clean it, flush, etc.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...0EA8F7294E.jpg

Type of debris in the system will vary depending on which clutch material you run as well. Organic will leave the black foamy type stuff, Ceramic will be heavier and lay in the bottom of the reservoir.

CMAK keeps the reservoir spotless ;)

This is mine after 1 yr and ~7800 miles. Did a clutch line flush last july using valvoline dot 3/4 fluid. There's a thin layer of that dark sludge at the bottom.

Here's a close up pic taken in the day time. Dark honey colored. Flushed it out with prestone dot 4 this time. We'll see what it looks like in 3 months. Nice and clear now. Did a combo of gravity bleed + traditional to finish it off. Went through about 3/4 of a 12 oz bottle.

What's odd is probably 90% of those 7800 miles were mostly highway. I'd expect there to be more debris with greater city driving.

http://i.imgur.com/DThl1ly.jpg

My 2009 370z that I just purchased had a CSC failure the other day. I put 2k miles on it the past month and the other day the pedal went soft, stuck to the floor and would only engage 1/4 of the way off the floor. It would go back and forth between being OK and being off on the drive home. I checked the fluid level and it was dark and dirty and well below the minimum as well. Good thing I have a warranty on it but if they're only going to replace it, I think I'll be getting the Z1 delete for it.... no reason to risk it IMO.

That sounds more like what you had happen might possibly be because of the low fluid more than the CSC failing. The low engagement is what makes me think that. I may be wrong though.

For the past 2k miles there was no issue and the change was very sudden. And there shouldn't be a fluid loss at all... The fluid being all dark and discolored makes me think that it was contaminated post failure as well. No leaking at the master would mean that the CSC is the culprit. Clutch was fine with zero slipping issues as well when it occurred.

I've had my 2016 about 3 months.... my fluid is just as dark as that picture...

Something might happen soon. :eek: :shakes head:

Mine just went out.
 

2010 370 Nismo with 51000 miles. I'm going to install the Z1 Clutch Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) Elimination Kit with a new RBM Performance Clutch Master Cylinder. That should end the problem for good.

smart man.:tup: