I have it on good authority that some 350Z's DID have oil overheating problems, but the fact that there was no temp indicator and no limp mode meant that the issue was far less obvious than with the 370Z.
I'm trying to get inside Nissan's head on this one - both in the design stage and currently. Clearly they knew that there was a problem before they started to sell the car, that's why they fitted oil coolers to the cars the press reviewed.
Why did they fit the temp indicator and limp mode in the first place? Presumably because of the problems they'd had with some 350Zs and as an 'upgrade' from the 350Z? Not too sure about that one.
With the benefit of hindsight, if cost was an issue (and surely it's always an issue when you're in business), wouldn't it have been better to fit an oil cooler INSTEAD OF the temp indicator & limp mode? Too late for that now.
Will Nissan ever admit that this part of the design of their car is unsatisfactory? Well - they will never announce it to the world, but if, in the near future, a 370Z is released with a revised set-up in this area they will have tacitly admitted the design was flawed. Then they will have the problem of the several owners who feel that they are owed something by Nissan because they have engines that are prone to overheating. So, paradoxically, the complaining may make Nissan very cagey about introducing improvements in this area, for fear of admitting their mistake.
Personally, if I were Carlos Ghosn I would bite the bullet by introducing an oil cooler asap to all new cars and by retrofitting an oil cooler to all 370Z's that want one. The reason for this is that the problem is now such common knowledge that it must be hitting sales of what is potentially a really successful model for Nissan. A little money spent now on existing customers would do wonders for the sales of the 370Z over the next 6 years - and Nissan needs sales.
That's what I think.
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'03 Grey >>> '06 Black >>>'10 Silver >>> '16 Grey ^
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