98BuickRegalGS

The only manual I own and driven is my Geo Metro 3 cylinder so sorry if these are really dumb questions :o


My Regal is an automatic and when I bought a reprogrammed computer for it one of the features was 3-1 and 4-2 skip shifts at wot. Stock it would only do 3-2 and 4-3

So on the vette is it ok to drop down 2 gears on the freeway if you want to pass someone?

also I noticed you can be in 6th grear at 30 MPH and the cars not acting like a washing machine. Is it ok to be in 6th that low of a speed?

Just remember my last manual was a Metro so be nice and dont be too hard on me

Dope

You can drop down as many gears as you want, for any reason you want. The only thing you want to be aware of is whether or not you will exceed the rev limiter by downshifting to a particular gear. You'll get a feel for it over time. I've gone from 6th-2nd many a time, for example.

What are your RPMs at 30mph in 6th? I haven't had stock gears for a long time so I'm unsure. Due to the large displacement and low-end torque, you can certainly bog these cars and they will still run fine. I would be careful about bogging it for long periods of time though, I'm sure someone else can provide a more technical explanation. I usually try to stay above 1k rpm, even if it's just to have some level of throttle response

Dope

Bill Dearborn

Don't drop the rpms below 900 rpm. That is the lowest rpm level GM recommends.

You can drop down 2 gears but stand a bigger chance of not having the revs matched. With a Metro that probably didn't cause to much of a problem but with a large displacement high compression V8 you can break loose the rear wheels. Its best to drop down one gear at a time until you get to the gear you want to be in.

As far as passing somebody on the freeway 4th gear should have plenty of oomph as freeway speeds are quite slow. In a standard C5 4th pulls well from 55 to over 130 while in a Z it pulls well from 50 to over 140.

Bill

huttler

I've read this in the owners manual too, I think its ironic though that when C.A.G.S. forces a 1-4 shift the rpm's are ~700.

itzza427

I have driven sticks since long before you were born,,and I can understand your questions coming from your point of view. These cars can handle low RPM,,high gear under certain circumstances. on a long straight level or slight down grade these cars will idle along in high gear(with no real load on the motor.If you need to accelerate at all,,you definitely need to down shift! If I get the other part correctly suck as low highway speed in 6th,,,yes a double gear drop is fine,,4th is good to well above 110 ( my best trap speed in the 1/4,,in 4th) a down shift that still has usable room below 6,000 RPM would be OK!! Just don't lug ithe motor /drive train in the higher gears(it sounds like you know what it sounds/feels like)!!

Eric D

The LSx series engines are pretty bullet proof, but as other have pointed out, lugging the engine at or around 1000 rpm in 6th gear is fine as long as it is a low load condition like downhill grade, flat terrain with no head wind. When at or near 1000 rpm, keep in mind that the water and oil pumps are turning slow and proved less cooling and lubrication then at higher rpms. If you are running with an underdrive front pulley you might not want to go below 1200 rpm for the same reasons mentioned above.

Bill Curlee

GEO! To a c5~~~~

Run EACH gear to red line and MEMORIZE that RPM for each gear!!! Let me correct my self. Run 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th SAFELY to redline and remember each value. That will be your UP & DOWN shift limits.

LEARN to drive your C5 before you start to play Ricky speed shifter. Been there regretted that.

So,,,that said,,,YES,, the LS engine is very responsive and will operate very well in WIDE RPM range.


GEO,,, ,,,,,Man,,,,I bet your in HEVEN!

BC

Oldvetter

From the owner's manual (not for ZO6's):

Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
FIRST (1) .................... 50 mph (80 km/h)
SECOND (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 mph (1 19 km/h)
THIRD (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 mph (163 km/h)
FOURTH (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 mph (209 km/h)

Remember, you CAN over rev your engine (and damage it) by downshifting, electronic rev protection will NOT protect from mechanically driving your engine by downshifting.

Also, if anyone cares:

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in mph

1 to 2 = 15 mph
2 to 3 = 25 mph
3 to 4 = 40 mph
4 to 5 = 45 mph
5 to 6 - 50 mph

If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.

98BuickRegalGS

So If Im cruising along in 6th gear at 70 mph I can drop down all the way to second correct?

Eric D

As Bill pointed out you need time behind the wheel in a vett before trying things that drastic. The chart that Oldvetter supplied tells you what the vett can take, not what the drive can! The chart tells you the engine will not be rev'd over red line going to second but things like traction of the rear tires to the road are the varable that can bite you trying something like what you posted.

Go easy and get some seat time before exploring the outer limits.

AU N EGL

that is only under slow / normal acceleration. at WOT or more then 1/2 throttle, CAGS does not do this.


when downshifting, rev matching is important. ie blid the thottle. Not easy to learn at first, but with practice you can do it.

Most ppl drive one gear to high anyways. Some times two gears to high.

98BuickRegalGS

Trust me Im being super careful! Its fun to drive but its still akward for me. I'm still not use to the long *** hood , how low the car is and the blind spot while looking back.

I'm use to driving a automatic FWD 4 door sedan hard, I know its completly different with RWD and a manual.

I havent even gotten it over 70 yet :o

AU N EGL

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best PERFORMANCE
Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in mph

1 to 2 ~ 45 mph
2 to 3 ~ 75 mph
3 to 4 ~ 100 mph
4 to 5 ~ 150 mph
5 gr above 150 mph

6th gear is not used

actual shift points may very do to your cars HP and tq curves plus the red line and gear ratios. MN12s and MN6s have slightly different shift points

If redline is 6500 rpms and peek TQ is 5100 rpms and HP is 6100 rpms, then shift point is 6400 rpms.

When the sift is made the rpms drop ~ 1500 so from 6400 down to 4900 which puts the car just under the peek TQ, and vroom you rocket away as you roll the throttle to the floor.

poolboy

I don't even think about using 6th until I'm up around 70mph

Bill Curlee

I answered a post on shifters last night. Take a look at it. Not for the shifter MOD part of the post as much as what I posted about shifting technique and learing how to shift;

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-shifters.html

This part of the post will be important to you:

" I wanted to add more info but I was at work and didn't have time. Shifting correctly is an ART. You need to perfect it. Theres a CORRECT way and a wrong way. I know,,,,,I KNOW,,,,,since we were 16 we were EXPERTS!

The first time you hit second gear at 110 MPH you will see how much of an expert your NOT!

Hand placement! DO NOT use the "Death Grip on the shift handle!! Classic mistake!!!

When you strangle the shifter, You tend to pull the shift **** toward you. That will get you second gear every time the Adrenalin is flowing.

I have found that using the tips of your fingers and the palm of your hand to be the BEST technique to get where your suppose to go when your rowing through the gears. "

Too many people grab second gear when trying to select 4th. That isnt pretty!!!

AU N EGL

Good One Bill. Thanks for the reminder to all of us

AU N EGL

Had the pleasure of driving a fiends Z06 the other day. We were doing a tech inspection for an upcoming HPDE.

Cruzing down the interstate at 70 mph ( speed limit) I was in 3rd gear at 4500 rpms, not 5th gear nor 6th gear.

he asked shouldn't I be in 6th? I mentioned that is the difference between performance and normal driving.

Performance driving you keep the rpms above 3000 almost all the time.

YES fuel mileage goes down, and it cleans out the engine very nicely.

on the way back since I use about 1/2 tank, I pulled into the Sheetz station to fill his car back up, ( I used the fuel so I replaced it)
he was suprezed that I stopped at Sheetzs, ( The Hess station is not finished)

Fresh fuel is always best.

He called me this morning and said his car is running better then it has in long time. he asked what else I did?

I said, All we did was keep it ABOVE 3000 rpms and that cleaned all the crap out of engine.

YES you can shift at lower rpms for better fuel milage, but that is not necessarly better for your engine.

Ralphyboy

As with any car, there is an optimal power band where the car performs best. You want to drive the car for awhile to get to know how it performs in each gear, at different rpms. I would think that you would only want to downshift one gear at a time, if you are driving normally. The only time this would change would be if you are on a highway in a high gear such as 5 or 6, and have to slow down fairly fast to accomodate heavy traffic, or an accident. Then, you could go from the higher gear , to lets say 3rd or so. You're not driving a C6R at Lemans or Sebring, so you don't have to think you need to go crazy here. BTW, look in this section, and see the posts about people who hit a lower gear by accident, and how much it cost to fix it.

Bill Curlee

98BuickRegalGS

You should fill out your profile! You may live near someone here on the forum. A lot of of would gladly meet with you and C5 tech together with you. There are A LOT of things to learn.

Do you know about reading your Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs)??

READING YOUR Engine Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)

This procedure should be carried out any time you experience a problem with your C5. Most inexpensive store bought aftermarket code readers will ONLY read power train DTC’s. Reading the DTC’s with the C5 built in code reader will allow you to read ALL the modules in the vehicle.

The Diagnostic Display Mode is entered with the following procedure:
1) Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine.
2) Press the RESET button to turn off any warning messages. (i.e. door open, trunk open ect)
3) Press and hold the OPTIONS button
4) While holding OPTIONS, press FUEL button four times within a 10 -second period.

Initially, the on-board diagnostics go into an Automatic Mode which will cycle through each module and shows diagnostic codes in a pre-set sequence: PCM - TCS - RTD - BCM - IPC - RADIO - HVAC - LDCM - RDCM - SCM - RFA. All codes will be displayed for each module. ( i.e. PCM = 4 codes) If none are present in a given module, you will see No More Codes on the display.

There are two types of diagnostic codes, Current and History designated with a letter suffix, “C” or “H”. A current code indicates a malfunction is present in the module displaying data. A history code indicates a problem existed sometime in the last 40 or 50 ignition cycles. When not accompanied by a current code of the same number, it's potential evidence of a previous problem, now resolved, that was not removed by clearing the codes. More likely it's an indication of an intermittent malfunction.

Intermittent codes are the most challenging of the diagnostics. An intermittent code may have happened once, may have happened more than once but is inconsistent or may be happening on a regular basis but not at the time the codes are displayed. History codes can also be caused by a current malfunction in a system that is not operating at the time codes are displayed. An example is the rear window defogger which doesn't operate until the Body Control Module detects engine rpm. For history codes set by a module that does not operate with the key on and engine off, a special diagnostic tool called a Scan Tester is necessary to properly diagnose the malfunction.

Once the system has displayed all modules, it goes into the manual mode which allows selection of each module using combinations of Driver Information Center buttons. Manual mode can also be entered during the automatic sequence by pressing any button except E/M. Once the display shows Manual Diagnostics, select a module by pressing the OPTIONS button to go forward or the TRIP button to go back. Once a module is selected, a code is displayed, and if more than one are present; press GAGES to go forward or FUEL to go back.
To exit the diagnostic mode at any time, press E/M. If you want to erase codes in a given module, press RESET To reset the codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until it displays NO CODES Press OPTIONS to go to the next module. Repeat the steps until you have reset the codes in all the computer modules.
NOTE!! Only reset the codes IF you want to - it is NOT necessary to do this. Clearing a code does not repair a problem. You are simply erasing the evidence of it in the module's memory. If you clear the code/s, and extinguish the Check Engine Light, your emissions status ready will NOT allow you to pass an emissions test until you have completed the required driving cycles. There are a few body module DTC’s that if set will prevent the module from operating properly. Once the DTC is cleared, the module will return to full function. This is not true for power train DTCs.

If you have never read and cleared your codes, there will probably be a lot of old history DTCs. It is recommended that you clear your codes and see if any come back during a driving cycle. Those are the ones that you need to concentrate on diagnosing.

Once you have the codes, the next question is: What to do with the information?
First, consult the factory service manual. Any serious C5 Do-It-Yourself owner should invest in the Corvette Service Manual of the appropriate model year. The Service Manual is really a requirement if you want to understand and work on your C5.

These are some very good C5 Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) explanation web sites!!! They also explain how to read the DTCs

Here are some very good sites that explain what DTC mean:

http://www.gearchatter.com/viewtopic11755.php

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...d-ii-codes.php

Make sure to include the H or C suffix when you post your DTCs!!

98BuickRegalGS

Ok I've had a good amount of seat time the past few days and I noticed when using the "Death Grip" I was grinding when going from 2nd
to 3rd when driving hard.

So since 3rd is basically right above N I just used my palm and to shift it into 3rd being as smooth and straight as possible. No grinds

So if your not going into 3rd with the shifter completly straight will that cause a grind and is that most likely the reason for it grinding?

When Im driving normally I never got a 2nd to 3rd grind, it was when I was driving hard is when I got the grind until I changed my technique