jvp

Original question is here.

Arctic6

If the overheating is a fairly constant issue with the A8 on the '14 and '15 models then the vehicle isn't performing as designed when used on the track. The noted overheating has gone beyond anecdotal evidence and is now factually verified. Shouldn't the updated cooling system be covered under a TSB or some such?

OldJedi

That would be really nice but they knew this ahead of time and did not make the change so I doubt they will give it to us for free. But... they will give us a new transmission if ours over cook. Seems cheaper to install the cooler ahead of time than replace over heated transmissions. But what do I know?

descartesfool

Tadge's answer makes it clear they are listening to customer's issues about overheating on track and are going to be first providing a solution for the Z51 A8. Keep the solutions coming I say.


This proves the true benefit of this ask Tadge section. Our cars can only keep getting better from it.

5thGear

I appreciate the fact that Tadge is taking the time to anwser this question. If this was a debate, he would not win. We have to read between the lines. First, nothing will happen anytime soon. Waiting to the end of the year will not bring solid solution. GM is behind and I doubt that they would start the perforamce part plan anytime soon. When Tadge says that the install will not be easy, I fully agree. You might spend 2k plus on labor alone. So between parts and labor, the cost will be 3 to 4k. GM parts quality is cheap but expensive price wise. Adding insult to injury, the 2016 secondary cooler setup is not guranteed as some Z06 owners with similar setup are already reporting overheating issues. Their fundmentals of the cooling desgin is wrong. The location of primery cooler is wrong and the cooling capacity is wrong. I have consulted a performance shop and a European aftermarkret coolers manfacture and they found the current setup is a joke. This should be a recall since GM goal was to provide a car that can handle track driving by pro driver in 87 F weather when we can easly overheat the transmission in 60F or even lower at an intermediate level skill. They didnt deliver what they have promised and what we paid for. I am gonna talk to the area district manager about a reasonable solution. I didnt pay 80k to park the car for a year until GM sells me an expensive cooling kit with questionable performance. It looks like the aftermarket retrofit is the way to go but GM must take some responsibility.

C7Z51

Not what I was looking for, it's too vague for me. Time to switch to a Porsche for now.

SBC_and_a_stick

Seems like a reasonable response and action from Tadge. Go Tadge!

Jay_Davis

End of the year doesn't help much for this season, not to mention the cost being a complete unknown.

Not for nothing but $4k would be absurd to bring the car up to what it should have been to begin with.

5thGear

I agree. No disrespect to Tadge and I have said it before, I love the car. The anwser is vague and political. Doesnt show good faith from GM. The car does not meet their own desgin goal. If the anwser was, we will have a proven kit ready for C7 owner in two months and anyone wants it will have to pay $1500 then I would say GM is making an affort. I am an engineer myself, when we produce a product that doesnt meet the perforamce we have promised, we would have to come up with an immediate plan of action and an aggressive time table to execute it. We cannot give vegue anwsers. I hate to say it, the only person who was able to get a quick plan of action from GM for overheating transmission was the person who hired a lawyer. He posted a thread about it and GM traded his car with another C7 manual MSRP to MSRP. Why does it need to come to this to get a reasoble solution!. I am not going to wait to the end of the year to solve this. I moving forward with a different cooling desgin and will make sure that GM will keep the warrenty since all what I am trying to do is to protect the transmission.

dmhines

If GM offered me an even exchange for an M7 I'd take it. The A6 in my C7 hits almost 240 just commuting to work. The convertible cooling is even more poorly designed.

Jay_Davis

I agree. $1500 would be reasonable, but we have no idea as to a cost. I'd also really like to deal with the issue this season rather than having a crippled car.

SEE7 Z51

Wow, I agree completely. Sad to see such a short vague answer. Other things to consider on top of the $81K are the dollars spent on track days, hotels, gas, real brake pads, harnesses, harness bar, oil, good brake fluid, track alignment, etc all for only 10 to 15 minute runs.

BTW, I found another problem last week. If you have yellow brake calipers, they turn darker after some spirited braking. Now my fronts dont match the rears, not even close.

PDK-S is in my future if they don't fix this thing soon.

Dale760

I agree Ali

GM needs to make a upgrade cooling kit, and cover most of the cost to have it installed on our 2015 C7s by the dealers

Nothing less

DW

dmhines

Hey. Don't forget us 2014 owners.

Dale760

I understand, but I would have never waited that long if I owned a new 14 and no solution was made by GM. They would have been taking the car back or something fair after hearing from my attorney In a reasonable amount of time.

I would be pissed

Dale

Skialta

Thank you. Seeing higher Temps this summer on my plain old Non-Z Vert. As in 40 degrees higher. Again, Way cool. and Thanks!

\Boost Monkey/

Answer was basically..."we are working on it".

I am pretty disappointed in this response, and the fact that it is up to us to foot the bill for GM's shortcomings on the car.

5thGear

A friend of mine was about to sell his GTR since he had ordered corvette Z06/Z07. He was at two track events here in So Cal where the Z06/Z07 A8 were overheating both engine and transmission after 5 to 10 minute runs. He basically cancelled his Z06 order. It doesn't matter how powerful the car is if you cannot run it more than 5 to 10 minutes without overheating. GM is getting bad publicity and they seem to be okay with it. I wonder if Car and Driver magazine lied when they said that you can run a full tank of fuel with the Z51 A8 on the track without overheating or if they were basically were repeating what GM told them. I emailed the editor couple of weeks ago but didn't hear back.

from C&D article
"GM wouldn’t confirm whether the automatic Corvette is quicker on the track, but the Z51-equipped cars are certainly built for it; they will lap continuously for a full tank of fuel without overheating."

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

Dale760

I bet they went with what GM told them Ali, and did not run it on the track much, or for very long.

Did you go to Laguna with your car, maybe we can talk about that in another thread, and my thoughts about the corners by the numbers and yours

Cheers Dale

c7jim

I appreciate your branching out, but the real question all of us new zo6 owners who track is how do we solve the overwhelming issue of oil temps overheating when tracking a car that was marketed as the most capable track car that GM has ever produced. I'm a new owner who is seriously concerned.