Reverse gear getting locked up
 

Over the past months i've noticed it has been getting more and more difficult shifting into reverse. Have tried putting it into first and then reverse which sometimes works but I've been caught a couple times for 5 minutes until it will engage. Is it possible that this could be a syncro issue? Is this an early sign of failure?

How many miles on the clutch?
Do you have any issues going into first or resistance before it drops in?
Did you adjust the clutch pedal for a lower friction point?
Was the transmission out for any reason?
Any sponginess to the pedal (Air in the lines)

Typically Reverse is the first to lock out when your clutch is dragging and not fully disengaged. Reverse is followed closely by first gear being stiff or locking out completely too.

Does it simply resist going in or does it feel like the shift gate isn't there?
My second thought would be the reverse lockout plate on the shifter may be off a little and isn't allowing you to fully reach the reverse gate.

I have this issue too with 6k on the clutch. It has been annoying since the first week of ownership. When I'm in a hurry it really ticks me off so I throw it in first then reverse and it works.

possible CSC staring to go bad? Z's are know for that...

14K miles on the clutch, some resistance going into first but minimal. No adjustments to clutch that I know of, transmission removed for long block replacement (this is when it first started acting up). No sponginess.

It resists going into reverse after I feel the shift gate move, it is possible the reverse lockout plate could have been misaligned during reassembly?

Thank you for the info, greatly appreciated!

Z-Girl:

I did a quick u turn and nearly stopped traffic while coercing it into reverse to avoid curbing my wheels...I was in a rage after this!

Yikes, oh yeah that would piss me off.

Do you know if the dealership also replaced the CSC when the swapped out your long block? Per the factory service manual the oem CSC should be replaced any time the transmission is dropped because the seals get contaminated with clutch dust causing eventual CSC failure. If your still under warrenty I'd take it in ASAP to have the dealership diagnose and replace it.

Not certain if the CSC was replaced, there is nothing in the service order/invoice (to me poor documentation screams poor job). I'm still under the 5 year power train warranty and extended warranty so it will not be a problem to get fixed, just another headache. Thanks again.

I agree. If they didn't tell you about it or put a replacement CSC on the invoice I'm pretty sure they cheaped out on replacing it. Good Luck at dealership and let us know how it goes.

noob question but what is the csc?

CSC stands for Concentric Slave Cylinder.

The 03'-06' 350Z used an easy to replace external hydraulic slave cylinder that pushed a clutch fork that in turn pushed the throw out bearing to disengage the clutch disk. The external slaves were nearly bullet proof and if they did fail could be swapped out in about 15 mins.

In 07' Nissan switched the 350Z from an external slave cylinder to an internal concentric slave cylinder which relocated the part to inside the transmission bellhousing where it directly pushes the throw out bearing against the pressure plate release fingers.

Nissan had many failures of this new part in the HR 350Z and recalls/tsb's were issued. Even after a redesign of this part in later models (370Z/G37 included) people are still seeing high failure rates on the oem CSC's which should be replaced any time the transmission is taken out since you need to drop the transmission in order to change out a bad CSC.

Im getting a transmission replaced later this week should they replace that by instructions of the service manual or is that something i would have to ask for extra?? i only have 9k miles i doubt they'll actually replace it unless nissan states somewhere that it must be replaced they were trying to say my trans was fine until i went up their and test drove my car with the tech and even then i was having a hard time he kept saying its fine its fine....

ZedHead here is some ammo for you to use with your dealership too while I'm answering Cvzg77r's question as well.

Per the 2009 370Z Factory Service Manual: Clutch Section - Page 16
"Removal and Installation INFOID:0000000004554597
CAUTION:• Never reuse CSC (Concentric Slave Cylinder) body and CSC tube. Because CSC slides back to the original position every time when removing transmission assembly. At this timing, dust on the sliding parts may damage a seal of CSC and may cause clutch fluid leakage.
• Never disassemble CSC body.
• Keep painted surface on the body or other parts free of clutch fluid. If it spills, wipe up immediately and wash the affected area with water.
REMOVAL
1. Remove transmission assembly from the engine. Refer to TM-31, "WITHOUT S-MODE : Removal and Installation" (Without S-MODE) or TM-34, "WITH S-MODE : Removal and Installation" (With S-MODE). "
Hope it helps.

Thanks Ryan, I'll fire at them soon.

i told my dealer that and they told me they can only replace what warranty tells them to.. and i went to pick up my car and its worse then when i left it their originally no 5th or 6th gear so they are ordering me another transmission