I also find 1st-to-2nd shifts a little on the tricky side in the Z, but for different reasons I think than the OP. The gear sometimes grinds slightly before slotting in, and clutch re-engagement is sometimes a little rough, even though I've never had issues with previous cars. Ironically, I find that the car shifts to 2nd better at higher RPM (4.5k+) than at lower RPM (~3.5k) - almost like it was designed to be driven harder. I'm only at 22k on an '09. Drove a friend's brand new Nismo the other day - shifts a lot smoother than mine.

You kind of got it know the RPM to shift. After 4 yrs I got used to it, but at lower RPMs is more difficult to find that 2nd gear for sure...

That should be cover under the Powertrain Warranty even after 3yrs or 36K

Again, Nissans first to 2nd years of a new car even just the car being basically a revised 350z always have tranny problems. Personally I have been driving a 350z/370z for 11 years now so shifting this car is super easy to me and have never grinded. Only issue was my 03 Z (built 2002) that had a bad transmission but it was in and out in 2 weeks with a new transmission replacement.

FYI for all with that notchy tranny feeling... Change your fluid to Amsoil transmission fluid and it will be 100X smoother. If your tranny is going let it go and replace the fluid as soon as you can.
I ran this in my 350z and the notchy 1st-2nd was like butter after!!

7500 miles on the 2012 here. Started noticing slight notchyness in 3rd/4th, and going into 6th. No grinding, just doesn't glide into the gate like it did when new. Going to change out the MT fluid to redline mt-85 in the next week or so (will do the diff while im at it). We'll see if that smooths things out. More importantly, i'm hopeful it'll take care of the whining noise heard in lower gears and nonhighway speeds.

As for shifting 1-2 at or near redline, keep in mind you're asking alot. The rpm difference between the two gears for the same speed is some where along the lines of 3000 rpm. So unless you're letting them drop by that amount, the syncro's are have quite a bit of spin down to do.

Going hard from 1st into 2nd I started getting a grind the last few weeks, but it'd still go into gear (no lock out). What I found is that I was not to the floor with the clutch before going into second and letting the clutch out again. If I take a split second to make damn sure the clutch is to the FLOOR and then go into second I have no problem. Anyone else notice this? I'm just hoping it doesn't get worse! I know I just have to pay more attention as well...

I sometimes get grind (or a crunch) going from 1st to 2nd when doing full acceleration and its caused by shifting a bit to fast for the synchro's. If you shift a bit slower you will probably be ok. I don't ever have this problem with anything but 1st to 2nd.

See the freaking point is we're driving a sportscar and a 1->2 shift in a very quick fashion is ridiculously important, when we decide that we need it.


To make an automatic tranny that shifts in under 100ms is no problem, but to come up with a synchro that would let us do the same by hand is too difficult?

I swear to god once i'm done with grad school in 3 years I will do my PhD research on this or something :rofl2:

Definitely takes some getting used to over time, but also feel like there's little else I can do to improve my technique. It happens especially when running cold - low-rpm shifts, quick or slow - into second, with the clutch firmly depressed, just seems to clunk into gear, with an occasional grind. But not serious enough for me to take it to Nissan. And it doesn't seem to have gotten any worse in two years. I've just learned to live with it. Because Nissan, right?

Mine will sometimes be a pain from first to second but here and there its smooth as butter and I'll tell you, yes it's the transmission, not my driving skill.

You hop in a Carrera and go from first to second at redline with confidence it's just smooth as butter every time.

remember the op is saying high RPM shifts. At the drag strip it had some trouble, around town normal driving... Never.

Same here, normal town driving 1-2 shifts no problems, ever. Redline 1-2 it grinds, yes clutch is all the way to the floor. Every other gear shifts nice and smooth even at redline.

Is everyone here having this problem pre 2011 for build date? My 2013 tranny is very smooth and I can power shift in any gear with a super smooth shift no issues.

My 350z tranny I could do the same I did notice before changing the fluid in this car when it was not warmed up yet 1st to 2nd was notchy but never a grind. After amsoil fluid it was smooth as butter.

I think it's a "less-than-.05%" issue for all the transmissions. The grind is very harsh, almost like trying to no-clutch shift when the RPMs are way off from the transmission speed. Imagine a 15yr old trying to drive a standard for the first time. That kind of grind. If you give the dog gear time to spin up (which it shouldn't have to with synchros, you can smoothly shift into gear. But, that delay is a couple second or longer. Trying to track the car would be impossible at that shift rate.

NOTE: I got a call today while I was replacing a RAID controller on an old failing server :shakes head:. My transmission just came in. The service Mgr expects a 1 day install. So, dropping it off tonight after work - hopefully picking it up on Thursday. Woot! :tup:

When I see people post 'shift slower' I hear, "you have a sports car, but don't accelerate as hard as if it were a true sports car". I've taken out a 2009 and 2010 from a dealership after mine started acting up and the another dealership said 'it's normal'. I couldn't replicate the issue on the others, and I drove them harder than I do my own. I took the Service Mgr out for a drive in mine, chewed up some gears from 1st to 2nd under hard acceleration, "shift slower", he said. I pulled over and stared at him for at least 15 solid seconds, then pulled back out. I wanted to ask him if he was drunk, but held my tongue. I shifted slower, from 6500 RPM in 2nd (approx. 45mph or so) to 6th with a full 1 second delay. Same horrible grinding. "Oooooh. That's not right", he said.

"Not normal? You sure?" - I asked in a very demeaning tone.

(I'm an @$$ most of the time)

Its not normal... My 04 350z and my 2013 370z DONT DO THIS.

Also some of you may have purchased one that someone test drove it and grinded the crap out of the gear and ruined it before you took ownership...

I bought my Z with 7 miles and NO ONE drove it besides me so its smooth as butter.