Sticky: (Official) 370Z Clutch Pressure (CSC) Failures

Bananaz

You need to replace it with the z speed csc and you're set!

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radensb

So the dealership never got back to me... of course. So I tried to limp the car home after work. The clutch engagement got so bad that I had to pull off the road as I was having trouble shifting gears. The odd thing was that the clutch came back to normal after having the car off for only about 10 seconds! So I started driving home, but it only took about 60 seconds for the problem to return, but at least I could get her home.

HMMMMM.....

All I did was stop the engine, so I concluded that my issue had to be heat related. ie: boiling fluid. Now back when I got my MCS and CSC replaced, they noted that they put in the Nissan GT-R hydraulic fluid which is supposed to be rated to take the heat.

I really didnt want to deal with the hassle and the dealership (or the cost), so I decided to just bleed the clutch myself. I used MotorMedic DOT 5 fluid from GUNK:
Amazon.com: Motor Medic by Gunk M4011/12 DOT 5 Brake Fluid - 11 oz.: Automotive
UPDATE TO UPDATE:
DO NOT USE U.S. DOT 5!!! UUUGGGHHHH.... Apparently the site I was reading has a DIFFERENT spec for "DOT 5". DOT 5 is NOT COMPATIBLE with DOT 4 and below... Even though I didnt mix the DOT 5 and old fluid, DOT 5 is not good for the seals. So I am going to immediately flush out the DOT 5 with DOT 4 when I get home from work.

It was the only thing O'Reilly Auto Parts had that was rated for 356°F (wet boil) and 500°F (dry boil). When I bleed the old fluid out, it was full of bubbles and black. Definitely didn't look good. WTH?? After 6 months of typical commute driving (~15 miles each way)?

Being that the MotorMedic was DOT 5 and can't be mixed with DOT 4 and below, I used the entire 11 oz bottle to flush out the old fluid until the new (purple) fluid came out clear any without bubbles.

Result:
Clutch felt great, so I took her for a spin around the block. No issues. This morning during the commute to work, I had zero problems. We'll see if anything acts up in the next few weeks.

Indiana102

Just a heads up, but all parts put in by Nissan all have a 1 year warranty. So, since you just had this done 6 months ago, they will still be liable. Stick it to the man!

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radensb

Actually, Nissan didn't put it in. I got the car used from a FORD dealer and have to go through them. Granted, they give it to a Nissan dealer if they needed to. It probably wouldn't cost me anything to have them fix it again... but I didn't want the hassle.

But then again, look where it got me.... with the wrong fluid... lol

radensb

Ok, so I got a liter of ATE Typ 200 and used about half of it to flush out all the DOT 5 fluid from the clutch hydraulics. What a PITA! Since the DOT5 silicone is less dense than the DOT4, the DOT 5 would sit on top of the DOT 4, thus all the DOT4 was bleeding out before the DOT 5... I had to vacuum out all the fluid until the clutch system was empty. I put in some DOT 4 and vacuumed it out until there was no trace of DOT 5 left in the catch can. Used about 1/2 a liter to do the flush, then filled the system with DOT 4 using the typical bleeding process.

Clutch feels great! I read many people saying that the silicon DOT 5 is bad for seals and when it is mixed with DOT 4 is create a goo, or sludge. I do not think this is true. The silicone is inert and should have zero effect on seals. Also, I mixed the DOT 5 and DOT 4 together in the catch can. They didn't not interact at all. It was like oil and water. Even over several days.