How to Combat that Z06 ECU? Let the Car Break In, Says Chevy Rep

By Manuel Carrillo III - December 12, 2014

2015 Corvette Z06 in Garage

With all the excitement about the 2015 Corvette Z06 hitting the highways, it’s understandable that many people would be upset about the power-robbing ECU. However, we have been tipped off to a possible fix for that ECU’s power-robbing tendencies, and best of all, it’s a solution that won’t void the 650-horsepower beast’s warranty.

Let the car break in.

Yup — simple as that. Speaking to Corvette Forum contributor Jonathon Klein at PRI in Indianapolis, Rocko Parker from Chevrolet Performance says owners may have to wait for the car to break in before the ECU allows for more performance. Parker also says that after 500 miles the ECU should no longer cut power.

This makes a lot of sense that in the car’s first 500 miles the ECU would be acting more conservatively than Popes prior to Francis. Those first 500 clicks are a crucial time when engine parts are figuring out how to properly slide together.

Let’s look at it this way: completely losing your mind behind the wheel of the new Z06 and standing on the loud pedal for the majority of its first two tanks of fuel is like sending a 14-year-old boy into a room with 30 supermodels … he’s probably going to spontaneously combust.

The ECU is the level-headed nun entering that hormone-flooded room, bucket of ice water in one hand, and a baseball bat in the other.

With this bit of news coming in from Chevy Performance, it will be interesting to see how these cars start acting with 500, 1,000 and 1,500 miles on the clocks. I have a feeling “ECU Gate” won’t last for long.