# Sentra SE-R Spec V shift



## Misanthrope1144 (Jan 6, 2004)

I was thinking about buying a spec v , but i had been reading some reviews lately that said many good things , but almost all of them complained about sketchy shifting from 4th to 5th , and or from 5th to 6th. Did anyone else have similar problems with theirs? plz respond.


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

Misanthrope1144 said:


> I was thinking about buying a spec v , but i had been reading some reviews lately that said many good things , but almost all of them complained about sketchy shifting from 4th to 5th , and or from 5th to 6th. Did anyone else have similar problems with theirs? plz respond.


some 02 specs have problems shifting , other dont, problems are covered by warrenty, and most have been taken care of by now with an 03 tranny installed, dont be afriad of a spec because of a few problems, they are great cars


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

i dont have any problems with 4 to 5 and definatley not 5 to 6, ppl who complain dont know how to shift right or they dont look at the top of the shift knob. i'd agree that switching from a 5-speed to a 6-speed takes a lil getting used to but any i dont see why ppl would have any problems with 4 to 5. also it may depend on what year Spec-V, 02 trannies are a bit clunkier than 03 and 04 ones if not broken in correctly.


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## BlueSpecV03 (Dec 2, 2002)

My car shifts great, but my friends 03 that was built a month after mine shifts rough. My advice is to go out and test drive a few and find the one that feels best.

I have sat in a few 04's and they feel smoother.


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## Blue2003SpecV (Dec 12, 2003)

I just bought my 03 Spec-V and think its great. I had to get used to having 6 gears and that was all. My last car only had 5.


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## tekmode (Feb 22, 2003)

mine shifts fine to me....i changed the tranny fluid to redline synthetic. IMO it helps alot.


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## 7SPEED (Mar 24, 2003)

tekmode said:


> mine shifts fine to me....i changed the tranny fluid to redline synthetic. IMO it helps alot.


^^Tru.

5th to 6th is no problem, I don't know how people mess that up. The only time 4th-5th would be a problem is if your trying to shift real quick and u push over to much going to 5th then u miss the gate.


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## Misanthrope1144 (Jan 6, 2004)

Thanks for the help , i wonder why all those bad reviews were posted then on the net.


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## 7SPEED (Mar 24, 2003)

Misanthrope1144 said:


> Thanks for the help , i wonder why all those bad reviews were posted then on the net.


Don't get us wrong. Overall the whole shift feel should be better...its to clunky, especially when its cold out.
But get a short shift and it should feel better.


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## Misanthrope1144 (Jan 6, 2004)

before you begin to give me advice , please understand i am new to the car scene. I mean , i do know most of the basics and stuff , but i am hoping to learn. I was thinking about a short shift actually. does it really make a difference?


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## tekmode (Feb 22, 2003)

Misanthrope1144 said:


> before you begin to give me advice , please understand i am new to the car scene. I mean , i do know most of the basics and stuff , but i am hoping to learn. I was thinking about a short shift actually. does it really make a difference?


 yes it does...go read the twm reviews at thevboard.com


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## wurm21 (Jun 8, 2003)

My spec-V shifts fine and I have an 02 never had a problem - at least not yet


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

I've driven dozens of standard shift vehicles, new and old, trucks and cars, etc ...

The Spec-V 6 speed shifter is "just OK." _Road & Track_ reviewed the '03 Spec-V with the Hyundai Tiburon and said that the trannies were identical but Hyundai did a much better job with their shifter. Going back and re-reading the review after I drove the car for a while, I think they were dead on.

Having put over 10,000 miles on my Spec-V, I shift it fine. I still have a hard time skipping gears ... like going from 4th to 6th, etc ... No big.

One time, while looking for 6th, I went over too far and caught a piece of reverse. It was quick and I'm sure I didn't do any real damage but I have really been careful not to repeat this mistake.

Looking at the top of the knob is NOT good enough. In my car, if you come out of 5th and try to go perfectly straight back (presumably into 6th) you will actually end up in 4th. I come out of 5th and have to twitch my wrist to the right and go backwards to get it into 6th. I sometimes make a sharp "Z" pattern movement to make this quick and sure. Took some practice but now it's easy and I do it all the time.

Some have a hard time getting it into reverse. I don't. Most FWD cars are kinda crappy at this and long ago I got into the habit of going into 2nd before reverse. Works pretty well. You just plant your clutch foot to the floor, head into 2nd, then reverse. Once in awhile this doesn't work well and I leave my clutch foot down, go into a forward gear like 1st or 3rd and THEN into reverse. No problem. Once you get into the habit of doing this, it only takes a few seconds and will become 2nd nature. 

My car is 100% stock. Right now I am using a 80/20 mixture of Red Line MT90 and Red Line MTL. I was hoping for an improvement in cold weather shifting but it has only been marginal. I now come out of 1st and pause a moment before going into 2nd when the tranny is cold.


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## Misanthrope1144 (Jan 6, 2004)

i just read that thread with the nissan corp comparing to the mossy short shift. which one is better?


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Silvspec86 said:


> i dont have any problems with 4 to 5 and definatley not 5 to 6, ppl who complain dont know how to shift right or they dont look at the top of the shift knob. i'd agree that switching from a 5-speed to a 6-speed takes a lil getting used to but any i dont see why ppl would have any problems with 4 to 5. also it may depend on what year Spec-V, 02 trannies are a bit clunkier than 03 and 04 ones if not broken in correctly.


I agree. In car and driver they said that you needed a map to find the gears on the shifter. The only one that is even remotely "hard to find" meaning that it takes more than a 1/25th of a second to shift into is 5th. It seems to be a little farther away than the rest of the shift points. The only problem I've ever had is third gear grinds a lot. I know how to shift, trust me and I've read on this board that a lot of people have trouble with this gear. For some reason it doesn't click into place quite as quickly but I mean, we are talking a very rare occasion. It only happens when I'm taking off in front of some chicks or something, then it grinds and I look like an idiot, . Any ways, this is my favorite car ever and for the price this thing is an amazing car. From now on I'm a nissan guy. Gotta love the spec!


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