Hello all, new 370Z owner with questions

[mtgear1]

owner of a "brand new" 2009 370z, with only 9,000 miles on it. a 4 year old car with so little miles does raise some concerns, what should I be looking out for?, and the car feels very nervous at freeway speeds, with the steering constantly moving and following road imperfections, is that normal?

Thanks!

[edub370]

thats the wide tires and wide track on the car. kinda grabs grooves when you are going down the road. just make sure to search on how to pull your steering lock fuse so it doesnt leave you stranded. other than that, just drive it and enjoy it

[Felix 808]

Welcome I would not worry about the mileage as many like myself do not use the Z as a daily driver. I am probably going to be just over that 9k when I hit my 4 year mark. (too many other competing vehicles & the canyons are in my back yard). As mentioned before it could be the tires grabbing the groves. Does this happen on other roads? Are there any mods to the car? Lowered, wheel spacers ?

[homeryansta]

Only in a Z would the owner be concern about issues at 9k miles...... The car has very sensitive steering. It'll drive you if you don't drive it.

[VDC_OFF]

If its grabbing the roads, you probably have aftermarket sway bars. Mine started doing that when I switched to Hotchkis.

[mtgear1]

no mods whatsoever, car looks like it just rolled off the ship from japan, previous owner was some rich guy in my neighborhood who also had a Lexus and a jaguar.

thanks for the steering lock tip, I will be sure to look into it, guess there will be no more 1 handed driving for me. great car.

I final noob question, is that an oil cooler? (the tiny radiator looking thing on the passenger side, attached picture)

[SouthArk370Z]

Welcome to the club!

Originally Posted by mtgear1

owner of a "brand new" 2009 370z, with only 9,000 miles on it. a 4 year old car with so little miles does raise some concerns, ...

A lot of ppl don't use their 370Zs as daily drivers, so low mileage, by itself, is not really an issue. You might want to look for any body repairs, frame damage, &c.

Originally Posted by mtgear1

what should I be looking out for?, ...

Just the usual stuff one checks on a used car.
Take it for a test drive and check for weird noises, clunks, vibration, &c. Check transmission for smooth shifting.
Check all the lights for proper operation.
Put the car on a lift and check of the suspension. Look for any leaks while under there. You might want to inspect the differential lube while you have it up in the air - it can get crappy pretty fast. Same for manual transmission fluid. Stick your finger in the fill port of both. Top off or change as needed.
Check the exhaust tips for carbon/oily deposits - shouldn't be any. Some light brown/grey deposits are normal, but the darker the color the more you should be concerned with bad rings, leaking valve seals, &c.
Get a repair history from the dealer that has been servicing the car and/or CarFax.
Check all the fluids (can't check automatic trans fluid) and see if they look clean. If there is any doubt, change them.
Probably a good idea to do an oil/filter change. You don't have to use the high-dollar Nissan ester; any high-quality synthetic or syn-blend will do a good job.

Originally Posted by mtgear1

and the car feels very nervous at freeway speeds, with the steering constantly moving and following road imperfections, is that normal?

Yep. Wide tires will do that. And very little caster doesn't help.
The engine sounds like it has an exhaust leak until it warms up for 30 seconds or so - that's normal, too.

Edit: And pulling the SLU fuse (or installing a bypass harness) is a VERY good idea.

[SouthArk370Z]

Originally Posted by mtgear1

... I final noob question, is that an oil cooler? (the tiny radiator looking thing on the passenger side, attached picture)

You can download the 2009 Factory Service Manuals in the Tech section of this site. A great resource for questions like this one.

I think that's the power steering cooler, but not real sure.

[Z-Girl 12]

Dang I would not worry and totally enjoy!

[gomer_110]

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z

You can download the 2009 Factory Service Manuals in the Tech section of this site. A great resource for questions like this one.

I think that's the power steering cooler, but not real sure.

[TheGreatOne]

Nice find getting an 09 with such low mileage

I remember when I felt my tires following every groove and thinking something was wrong, but quickly learned high performance wide tires do that...now I've gone even wider with 275/305 lol.

Regular maintenance and you'll be fine!

Enjoy your "new" Z

[JohnsZ]

I bought my '09 370Z last June and it had just over 10k miles. I now have just over 22K. My Z is completely stock and I too have always noticed the tires grabbing road grooves. You'll get used to it! Except for the fact that it is currently at a Nissan Dealer getting the steering lock problem fixed (fortunately it's covered under warranty) I have had no problems with my '09 370Z and I use mine as a DD. Regular maintenance and use Ester oil at oil changes and you'll get many miles of fun with your Z. Good luck!

[Mr&Mrs]

Congrats and Welcome!

[rhino64]

The RE050A's on my 2010 do that on many irregular surfaces. My Blizzaks of the same sizes don't "wander" at all. Must be carcass and tread construction.

[Venom SS]

{QUOTE]Edit: And pulling the SLU fuse (or installing a bypass harness) is a VERY good idea.[/QUOTE]

whats the SLU fuse?