Automatic Z - problems? or bullet proof?
 

Hello everyone,

I'm going to talk to a dealer today about pricing on a 2012 touring edition automatic today.
I currently have an 09 manual w/ sport package.

Before you comment/ask why i'm going from a manual to an automatic the answer is i'm sick and tired of constantly shifting !!!!

Question..is an automatic reliable as the manual transmission? Anyone have any problems with their automatic..or heard of any problems.

thanks so much in advance!!!!

Not sure I'd call it "bullet-proof" but it seems to hold up very well.

It's better than the MT. Until you go forced induction.

Here are some specifics about the auto trans in the Z: 1. It's fast, faster than the manual, 2. It only allows you to shift smoothly if you drive it the way it wants you to (Don't think you can throw it in manual and shift smoothly the way you want to, as its very rough and hard engaging if you shift at points it doesn't like, ie. it likes a very short 1st, short 2nd, and a very long, wound out 3rd, as opposed to your typical shifting patterns of most cars, 3. It doesn't like to be tracked or to see high rpm's for very long as they start to get hot and slip very badly (had this confirmed to me by a Nismo Tech at an event last year after having my old Z fail me on the track) 4. They are maintenance free, so that saves some future cost, 5. It'll do everything an auto should and if you don't ask it for too much or try to drive it your way, it'll serve you well.

I was in your boat. I had an '09 manual, got tired of shifting and thought the grass was greener, got rid of it for a '13 auto, which I ended up selling cuz I grew very quickly to despise the tranny, now I'm back in a '14 manual. Pretty costly mistake getting rid of my baby, my '09, back then. Just saying, from experience, the grass is NOT always greener on the other side. Best of luck in your decision though!

I've had nothing but manual cars for 26 years until I got my auto Z. I haven't regretted it one day. I didn't really like the manual Z coupe I drove so I bought an auto roadster.

Wstar has put a lot of track miles on his auto and has been fine for the most part up until recently. Though I believe it was a motor issue and only the tranny flex plate which cracked. Nothing actually wrong with the internals. Maybe he can chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

If you track, you must have a tranny cooler but according to wstar you can feel the shifts become sluggish when the tranny starts to get to hot and it's a good sign to back off. He has also told me that to even get to that point on the street you would be losing your license.

For normal and spirited road sessions I think the auto will be just fine, even in the high rpm. Maybe up the line pressures a bit in uprev to protect against potential slip.


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It may be "maintenance free" but in my experience, it shifted a lot better after doing a fluid flush at around 38k miles.

I like the 7AT in the 370Z. It is very good for what it is. It feels about 85% as good as the DCT in a Ferrari 458 when cruising around at moderate temperatures. The real problem with the 7AT is that it starts to get sluggish as it warms up. Additional cooling may help this, but I don't have any direct experience on this.

no problems so far and wife enjoys driving it.

Yeah, thats what the nismo tech told me about the cooler, it most definitely needs one for track use. I'm sure there are auto's out there that have been tracking as much as wstar, but experiencing problems first hand and then having it confirmed to me, in private mind you, that the auto wasn't meant to be tracked was enough to deter me. But, just because it wasn't designed for it doesnt mean it cant:tup:

I have a auto with 10 lbs of boost via the Stillen supercharger and after putting the trans cooler, grounding kit. And a custom tune from r/t tuning it shifts like the amg I used to have. It's absolutely amazing. No hard shifts at all.

Wow thanks for the great feedback thus far!!

I will never track the car so I don't have to worry about the tranny warming up too hot. I only typically drive spirited when i'm alone on some long back road or some punk in a Honda civic or equivalent starts revving their engine at me.
Mostly I use the Z as my second DD and really like just leaning back, pressing the throttle and cruising around.
Shifting gets me out of my "relaxing zone" while driving.

:icon14:

That would be a solid vote against at my house.*

*

There seems to be a couple options for the 7AT if you plan on putting out high HP.
1.) GTM Stage 4 - Be sure to read all the GTM threads if you plan on going this route.
2.) Fast Intentions - In testing phases but should be released soon.

also

The 7AT holds the power just fine gears 1-4. The clutch packs are smaller on 5 and even smaller on 6/7. Basically 5-7 is sketchy with high HP (more so 6/7).

I had a 7AT and it was the best auto I've ever owned. Smooth, faster than the 6MT, and I always felt comfortable with it. Really a great transmission for my non-boosted application.

Having said that, I traded it for a 6MT and have never regretted my decision.

I love mine! I have a cooler on mine and a custom tune because it has a supercharger on it and I track it. I spent last weekend at Sebring and it was about as hot and humid as it gets and it never missed a beat.

There's always going to be mixed feedback here on this topic. I test drove four different Zs that were all MT. The day I drove the AT I signed. I don't regret it. Sometimes I miss the shifting but then I get caught up in traffic again and just cruise along happy as ****. It's purely personal preference. If you are really gunnin' for it, I think you'll be fine.

Oh, and by the way, I haven't put mine on the market yet due to house shopping but will be looking to sell this summer. '12 gunmetal touring. Shoot me a pm if it interests you.

Same here. I have been a stick man all my life ( oooh err...) :icon17:

The 7at aint shabby thats for sure. Although still girly in my books.:roflpuke2:

I haven't read any of the other posts, but they should all say something along the lines of:

"Unless you are planning on forced induction, its pretty much bullet proof".

As to shifting, you have full control over shifts, up or down in "M" mode (although it will automatically downshift if you would be in too high a gear for your speed), so that means fun when you feel like it/aren't stuck in traffic, and relaxing cruiser when you just need to get from point A to B.

I've done as much as I can other than a complete rebuilt transmission. GTM valve body upgrade, oil cooler, UPREV line pressure increase. I plan to change the tranny fluid every 20,000 miles or so. See temps as high as 205 F now, likely up to 225 when it get hotter.

I can agree that the auto is pretty amazing to say the least...I've put over 52k on mine in colorado weather conditions, +3500 mile road trips and also I've tracked multiple times. I agree she gets sluggish when she heats up (shift flares at the track), but for a daily driver she's held strong...runs smooth and shifts are firm and precise in manual mode. I'll give ya a 75k update next summer...:tiphat:

I've participated in several track days and never experienced any problems, nor the shifting issues listed above. I regularly go on spirited cruises on country roads and hammer it pretty well.

I have a 2013 AT and had to take it to the dealer within the first 3 months. SES light came on and the trans had started to shift funny. Dealer had to re-flash the computer and after that everything was back to normal. From what I know this is an "uncommon" but not necessarily "rare" issue. All things considered not bad at all. The repair was done in an hour and I got to sip coffee and look at two killer GTRs in the showroom while I waited.

And the sales folks didnt try to twist your arm? It is hard man! LOL

I must have had a lemon... shame, really. Oh well, old news lol

Well.......I like what i've heard about the automatic Z from this forum and I like what i've heard from the dealer as far as pricing goes.....so i'm going to test drive her tomorrow....wish me luck! :stirthepot:

Good luck :tup:

Better gas mileage too. Good luck!

How'd it go? Ya got a Z in your driveway? :pics:

Well I did it!!!!! I love all the features of the Touring model and since its an automatic I don't have to shift manually anymore.
So far first impressions are....
1) fuel gauge shows completely full now..the last indicator light on the fuel gauge of the 09 never lite up when the tank was full.
2) no more whine from the ECU thingy.....
3) lift gate now pops up with more force and doesn't have to be pressed twice like the 09.
4) the automatic transmission in this vehicle is a BEAST.
5) Bose audio is 100% better than the base stereo unit.
6) Call me crazy by it seems that the cockpit is slightly more roomer than the 09. I swear the dash is pushed back a few inches.
7) the ride seems to be smoother and quieter. I cant tell if that's cause of the stock rims or not? I had aftermarket rims on the 09 when I bought it.
8) The automatic seems to feel quicker off the line than the manual was. ????
9) The oil temperature now stays near 200 instead of 220 like the 09 Z... ?????

That's all i've noticed so far...

Congrats. I hope it gives you many carefree/wild years of service. Fun stuff.

1) Yep. I think they finally got it to be less error prone as of 2011 :D
2) That was definitely corrected after '09.
3) I had one gradually do that on both my '10 and '11... sooner or later you may need to replace them.
4) Yes it is :D
5) Amen to that too.
6) That, I think, is illusory. If not, news to me.
7) Possibly. They also changed the suspension in 2013 if your car is that new or newer.
8) Always was ;)
9) If you have a '12+, it has an OEM oil cooler :tup:

For #3) I used the 3 penny mod and it fixed it.

I had a 2010 7AT and now a 2013 Sport Touring 7AT and both have been wonderful. I have noticed since after an Uprev tune when driving in automatic mode and flooring it the rpms will drop down to 6.5k and the head back up and kind of jostle for a few seconds between the low gears. Even with TCS off it does this. I'm taking it into the shop next week to get the transmission fluid drained and filled since it's now on 82k with no believable history of trans maintenance.