Clutch got stuck, should I be worried?

AggieDev

Since I've only had my Z for a few months, I finally found an opportunity to try a 0-60 time. When I first started my RPMs were very high which was weird, and when I went to shift to 2nd I realized it was because my clutch was pushed in all the way and stuck there.

After a few seconds it became free, this has never happened before so should I be worried?

dkmura

You're probably having the infamous concentric slave cylinder (CSC) failure. Is your car still under warranty? If so, it needs to be taken in for service. Do some research and you'll find this is a common issue.

Z370Z011

More likely than not its your CSC, Don't drive it anymore or you'll be left stranded like me. lol.

MagmaRed370z

Sorry that this happened to you. Post it on Nissan FB Page. You have been a victim of the CSC failure on our cars. Our CSCs are made of plastic and they can fail between 500 and +100K miles. Replace with Zspeed CSC and also CMC and you will be fine.

AggieDev

Crap, that sounds like what it is. Now my car is leaking on the right side, sound related?

Completely seperate question but I am new to the repairs process in general. My car technically doesn't have a warranty I don't believe (54k miles, 2010) but I got one of those "warranty contracts" that the fishy car salesmen push on you to get to give them more money. I talked it down enough for just the bumper to bumper warranty that I figured that it would be worth the $1,800 to have peace of mind to drive my vehicle how I want. Now that it sounds like I need to put it to use, do y'all know if it's a best idea to take it to them, or a dedicated Nissan dealership? I purchased the car from a Subaru/Cadillac dealership that did used car sales.

Z370Z011

Take it to them and if they allow you, get an aftermarket csc. The stock one will fail again, my second one failed at the dealership when they gave me my car back haha.

DOOMMONKEY777

Nissan stealership, is a ripoff in most cases, just buy n aftermarket clutch such as jw and hd csc, will come out cheap with install maybe $1100.

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Venom13132

so that happened to me two weeks ago and I have been driving my car still. Same thing happened in my buddies C6 Z06 a few weeks before that and he read it was something to do with the fluid getting too hot in the clutch line. I am planning on replacing the clutch, csc, and clutch lines with upgraded parts in the near future.

DOOMMONKEY777

Yeah these both cars a famous for a faulty csc, i dont know about overheating i doubt it, they fail quicker if you ride the clutch, frequent and continuous hard clutch damping, not changing fluid frequently, and an aftermarket clutch installs.

Changing all that is good, but do you need it? Maybe if u have extra$ or you drive like a drifter, where things wear out quick yeah get it, but if its dd, or weekend track warrior, changing fluid periodically is enough really.

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AggieDev

The Nissan shop ended up saying the problem was actually that the clutch had the wrong fluid and that it specifically needs GTR fluid, does that sound right?

The only thing that doesn't explain is why the car was leaking.

JARblue

Was this an independent shop or a Nissan dealer? Nissan dealers will often suggest changing the clutch fluid to GT-R fluid for a problematic slave, but this is really just a band-aid for a broken leg. Don't waste your time unless they are covering it under warranty. With an aftermarket warranty you may still have to pay out of pocket, but it should just be a deductible. At least it shouldn't cost you $1200+ like the dealer would charge. Also, you should be able to take to any shop you want (I recommend calling Kevin at Austin Z Clinic), and you should be able to install an aftermarket slave (either ZSpeed or Z1 kit) instead of the junk OEM like the dealer would use.

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Jsolo

If it's dot 3 or dot 4 fluid, how can it be wrong fluid??

My understanding of the GTR fluid is nothing more than a high performance DOT 4 brake fluid. High performance meaning it has a higher dry and wet boiling points.

Neither of these attributes really make a difference unless the fluid is used in harsh conditions - track or HPDE events.

As stated, if the issue is a leaking slave or master (or both), this 'fix' will not fix anything.

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AggieDev

One thing that he said was that the leaking was actually from my A/C since it was on the right side and stopped leaking after driving and dried up pretty fast since it's just water whereas if it was from the CSC it would have stayed on the ground for a very long time, I'm not sure if that is true or not.

Jsolo

I'm not sure if a CSC leak will be visible without dropping the trans as fluid will be contained in the bell housing. Indirectly, you can monitor the level in the reservoir. If it's dropping, there is a leak.

Read the terms of your extended warranty. Chances are you're not required to use the dealer. Maybe someone from the area can recommend a competent repair shop familiar with nissan/370z. A failed CSC should be covered. Depending on the terms, they may cover the clutch parts too, as there is potential for them to be damaged by the leaked fluid.

Also, given your mileage, it's highly advisable to replace the MC at the same time.

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Bigd4mcc

Dun.... Dun..... Duuuuuuuunnn!!!! Stupid csc. Change to for 4 and you shout be fine for now. The viscosity of our clutch fluid turns to water because the csc is made from plastic which doesn't cool a Damn thing down. But dot 4 which has a higher heat rating rather than dot 3 which is what your car comes with should fix it for a while. But royally you need to change the csc to the z speed one, always the better choice.

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