Possible CSC failure. NEED ADVICE ASAP
 

I bought my 2009 sport Z in late May and on the 2nd day of having it the clutch pedal stuck to the floor and I was able to prop it up with my foot and brought it straight to the dealer. Dealer replicated problem and agreed to have a shop they use fix it. I drove it easy for a month after being dicked around by the shop with them saying "the parts on back order" until the pedal stuck to the floor and I couldn't get it up at all. Luckily I was a mile from my house and got it home and then towed to shop, apparently those "back ordered" parts magically appeared the next day and the car was fixed (Aug 21). The shop insisted on the fact that it was the master cylinder. They swapped it out and it has been driving as it should until tonight when I was pulling onto the highway and I felt the same soft clutch pedal feeling and instantly my gut clenched up. I struggled off the highway and got it home having to run lights and stuck in 1st. It is currently in front of my house and I'm not sure what I should do. Should I go back to repair shop and bitch at them for not fixing it (is there a warranty)? Should I get my lawyer involved or wait for that? I do not feel as though I am responsible for this since their "fix" only lasted 3 1/2 months. I am out of the 60 day period with the used dealer so I can't really go after them and when this happened last time they just told me to go to shop which I did. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

You should have replaced it with an aftermarket CSC because Nissan factory CSC is total garbage. Go talk to the shop that worked on your car before consulting with your lawyer. With enough luck, you may be able to get it fixed at no cost.

And I don't think you're driving your car properly. The Nissan CSC is terrible but it shouldn't fail that quick. My 2010 Z still has factory CSC and I have no problem with it. It's no coincidence that the CSC failed right after you bought it. Be gentle on the clutch. GL with your repair.

i never have that problem :rofl2:
:iagree:

with the first part... the second part i however disagree with. there is a thread about csc failures and there are more than enough people with driving less than 5,000 miles where their csc failed. there is no magic number to how long it will/can last.

Well I bought the car used so who knows what the other driver was doing, it could have failed and instantly he brought it in to trade in. And was still able to drive it like I was. This shop only replaced the MC so it's got 56k with the oem CSC. I'll head over and talk to them today.

I understand, but my CSC was never replaced, the dealer swapped the master cylinder and it worked for 3 months.

some people have had luck to get that part replaced under warranty and some have not.

this is what you need
ZSpeed Performance Replacment HD Clutch CSC Heavy Duty Slave Cylinder Kit

now if you can get the shop to install it under warranty or however else for free then that's always good. but i believe labor could be anywhere from $400-600 depending on how much the shop charges. usually when people do this they replace the MSC & CSC. some change their flywheel and clutch as well.

benjo - :shakes head: i knew u'd bold dat part of the post. not sure why.

as for the fix, id take it to another dealer or a speed shop and get both the master and slave cylinders replaced...preferably the aftermarket slave noted above.

oh you know me too well chanken lol

You bought a used car. It's not going to be perfect. I don't think the dealership you bought it from owes you anything. I wouldn't waste time/money on a lawyer.

This story of mine is in the csc thread. But short version my 2016 nismo had csc failure at 1200 miles, dealer fixed it, drove a new sport at the dealer to show them my shifter block off plate needed moved, and this car had csc failure at 2 miles.. 2. Clutch fluid was gone.

Soo replace your fluid with motul 600 and dont hold the clutch in when stopped

i mentioned this on another thread, but i think the csc prematurely wears out if u abruptly force the csc to work at high rpm. go easy on the clutch-in especially at high rpm.

Is it really that bad to have the clutch fully depressed say in 1st gear, while at a stop light?

I do it and have 110k on my 2010. Still on original CSC. But it prob does put unnecessary pressure on the CSC.

yah, put it in neutral while at a stop.

ill mention dat ive owned many new cars i bought new with MT's. none required any tranny service.

well, besides tranny oil change.. and clutch fluid change ranger style.

Thanks, I'll start doing that from now on.


Yeah, There's a lot of people here that have blown a tranny for not being on top.... of those things.

:icon18::icon18::rofl2:

Update: Just got my car back from the shop yesterday. I guess they're was air in the system, they bled the lines and everything is back to normal. Just need it to last me for a few months before until I start my turbo build.

Assuming it was air, hope it stays working, sometimes they will change fluids and it will be fine for another month or so.

So you're saying the CSC could still be bad and this is just covering it up?

Dejavu
 

May 2014. My clutch gets spongy and then goes to the floor. I drove a long way home in 3rd gear, no choice. I have it towed. They say the clutch fluid is dirty, change it, and it works. August, same year, same thing and had it towed both times. They bled the system and said air was in the line. September, same year, same story, this time it is the fault of the DOT. I needed GTR DOT, which they put in. Worked again. Late October, started going soft again. Warranty had expired the week before. Sold the car.

Yes.Check this thread out.
http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...-failures.html

That's literally how the first part of my story went exactly. "The clutch fluid was contaminated so we replaced the master cylinder" then it got softer over the next couple months until it went to the floor. It's pretty stiff now. Like stiff enough to were I have to get used to driving it again aha. I just need it to last a few more months. So I've been driving my other cars and taking it easy on this one. How'd you manage to sell the car with the soft clutch? Now if the CSC fails wouldn't the clutch be stuck to the ground permanently until it was replaced? I'm not sure how replacing the fluid would get it going again.

Should I just bring it back and say it's feeling soft again? And have them take a look at the CSC I just don't want to wait and have this **** happen with someone in the car again or in traffic. It only seems to happen when I'm on the highway,

You bought a 6 year old car that you've been driving since May, it's not going to be perfect. Just upgrade your CSC and be done with it.

It's a huge pet peeve when people buy a used car, expect it to be prefect and that someone else should pay to fix it.

If you want piece of mind, buy a brand new car or warranty.

My thoughts exactly
 

I asked the woman at McCarthy Nissan, Blue Springs, how the clutch fluid got dirty in such a closed system. No answer. The reservoir was still full. The next two times, it was low or empty. I asked where the fluid had gone? No answer. I asked why the car didn't come with GTR fluid in the first place. No answer. I could find no evidence of a leak. A local mechanic told me most likely the CSC, which as rubber diaphragms or seals, leaks, and the fluid goes into the transmission where it is burned up or something. I found none under the car ever and couldn't figure out where it went. McCarthy Nissan shrugged their shoulders in response. Okay, the 2nd failure happened within a month of expiration of my extended warranty. I asked, since it had already happened twice, would they cover it if it happened a third time after expiration considering it was an ongoing problem. They said no, because, they had "fixed" it already so if it happened again, it must be a new problem. When they told me they never heard of this problem, I downloaded pages from this forum and showed them the many postings. I handed it to them and I am sure it went into the trash. The new Nissan dealer where I service my car says they never heard of the problem either. I hate spoiling your day with this information but, if you hear the same story, maybe you are getting the same run around??
I am driving to Texas this weekend, my dad is dying, and hoping it does not go out on the way. If all goes well, I am still making the change at 3 years with the aftermarket slave and master cylinder. I don't know what a double clutch is but I may look at that too.
Don't let the dealer try and tell you this is a rare or unique problem. It is not.

Yes, it is well documented. The OP spending thousands on a used car without research is irresponsible.

lol this is a well known issue with these cars... just because it's a new car it doesn't mean that the CSC won't go out.

there are plenty of people who bought these cars brand new and within a couple thousand miles the CSC goes out. i guess buying a used car nothing should work, just buy a new car :ugh2:

I understand that. But my point is, you can't buy a used car and expect it to be perfect.

I know it sounds harsh but if you don't do the research, buy a warranty or brand new. It's hard for me to sympathize.

The fact that the CSC is such a well known issue and he still bought the car, he should be ready for the possible need of replacement.

I'm sure they dealer even stated "No Warranty". Expecting the dealership to fix it when it's clearly stated "No Warranty" is ridiculous.

If you buy a used car without doing your due diligence, that's on you. Live with it and move on.

Just irks me when people buy used and play the poor me card when the car isn't perfect.

yep, i agree with array. it'll come back maybe not today, but in a couple of weeks. they need to change parts from all the read. just giving u a heads up so u dont go too far from civilization when ur clutch system fails again.. :ugh:

First off this isn't a "poor me statement." I never stated anything about the dealer mentioning a warranty. I had bought the car and on the SECOND day of owning it the clutch stuck to the floor. I don't know what world you are in but I don't expect any vehicle with 40k miles being sold from a car dealership to have serious issues like this right off the lot. I looked into this issue before buying the car assumed it would eventually happen but not this soon. I have plenty of vehicles new and used but never had a issue right off the lot. There was no way to tell until I drove it. I didn't expect the car to be perfect but I also didn't expect it to be immobile in two friggin days. There is a warranty on used cars in my state sold by a dealer. My car had a warranty, and was "fixed" until it happened again. My original question with this thread was if it was the issue was not fixed correctly, how I should proceed.

maybe better business bureau? 3 strikes and lemon law here in Florida ? Also always check fluids when buying car it tells a lot. Here is a good place to get a clutch kit Nissan 370Z South bend DXD clutch kits wish you well:tup:

Thank you, yes they've helped me before. Great customer service. I just wanted it to last me a few months. I'll probably just bite the bullet if it happens again and start my new racing build. I didn't even check the fluids until it happened, I originally popped the hood and everything was clean so I assumed car was well taken care of... Stupid me haha

You haven't contacted the original repair shop yet to even ask them? But you wonder if you should get your lawyer involved? :rolleyes:

Consider it a blessing in disguise with the price of some money out of pocket. Get an aftermarket CSC and you won't ever have to deal with a failed CSC again (with very few exceptions) :twocents:

No they "fixed it" a couple weeks ago. It's up and running.

So you're good? :tup: :driving:

If they didn't replace the CSC, just be prepared :ugh:

my plans
 

I have a little over 2 years on the 3 years or 36K miles, whichever comes first standard warranty. During that time I am buying an after market csc recommended by folks on this forum plus the stainless steel lines. At or near warranty expiration, I will have it replaced even if the stock one appears fine. When they go, they can go all at once. The only decisions I have left are based on recommendations by other members to go ahead and replace the master cylinder as well (is that necessary?) and many have recommended changing to a different clutch as well. Is that necessary? No, I don't race or drive the car hard. I'm an older guy loving his sports car.

I would recommend a new master cylinder when you replace the slave. If you are getting an aftermarket CSC, this may not be entirely necessary. I would go ahead and do it because the masters are prone to failure as well. My CSC had not yet failed when I replaced it with aftermarket at 50K miles, but at 70K miles I'm on my 4th master cylinder :shakes head:

No need to change the clutch unless you're unhappy with the stock one :driving:

the HD csc will not be under warranty unless you replace the MSC at the same time according to my last check...