Skip shift relay removal
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Skip shift relay removal
I want to get rid of the 1 to 4 lockout. I read the post in the sticky about removing the relay but I cant figure out where it is. could someone post a picture or a diagram showing this relay?
Thanks in advance,
Brad
Thanks in advance,
Brad
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
Brad just plug this in. So much easier. $12 plus shipping with instructions. GC
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=3.721
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=3.721
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Zip has them too, takes longer to get under the car than it does to install...................
When I bought mine it was disconnected, I ended up putting the plug on there mainly to keep the crud out of the connector in case it ever needed to go back?
When I bought mine it was disconnected, I ended up putting the plug on there mainly to keep the crud out of the connector in case it ever needed to go back?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,165
Likes: 5
From: Coast MS
It's supposed to save on gas. Between certain rpms it locks you out of gears 2 and 3 forcing you to go from 1 to 4. If you stay in 1st a little longer to raise the rpms you won't activate it and can go to 2nd. I want to say its between 1600 and 2200. Something like that.
The manual has more detail.
The manual has more detail.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,770
Likes: 175
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
It is an electric solonid that prevents the shifter from allowing movement into any gear lower than 4th.
There are very unique conditions that need to be met in order to active this solonid.
This "feature" allowed the Corvette to pass the fuel economy tests and not incurre the gas guzzler tax.
It has been installed on every 6-speed Corvette, even the new ones.
There are plenty of aftermarket kits to disable it. On early cars, you could just unplug it. But the later ones would throw a code.
You can also just accelerate a little more (past the limiting RPM range), and the light would go out allowing you to shift into 2nd.
Even if you install an eliminator, the light on the dash will still come on.
But the solonid won't force the shift into 4th.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
Skip Shift forces you to shift from 1st to 4th under certain operating conditions when leaving from a stop.
It is an electric solonid that prevents the shifter from allowing movement into any gear lower than 4th.
There are very unique conditions that need to be met in order to active this solonid.
This "feature" allowed the Corvette to pass the fuel economy tests and not incurre the gas guzzler tax.
It has been installed on every 6-speed Corvette, even the new ones.
There are plenty of aftermarket kits to disable it. On early cars, you could just unplug it. But the later ones would throw a code.
You can also just accelerate a little more (past the limiting RPM range), and the light would go out allowing you to shift into 2nd.
Even if you install an eliminator, the light on the dash will still come on.
But the solonid won't force the shift into 4th.
It is an electric solonid that prevents the shifter from allowing movement into any gear lower than 4th.
There are very unique conditions that need to be met in order to active this solonid.
This "feature" allowed the Corvette to pass the fuel economy tests and not incurre the gas guzzler tax.
It has been installed on every 6-speed Corvette, even the new ones.
There are plenty of aftermarket kits to disable it. On early cars, you could just unplug it. But the later ones would throw a code.
You can also just accelerate a little more (past the limiting RPM range), and the light would go out allowing you to shift into 2nd.
Even if you install an eliminator, the light on the dash will still come on.
But the solonid won't force the shift into 4th.
100% correct
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,651
Likes: 10
From: Apple Valley MN
Brad just plug this in. So much easier. $12 plus shipping with instructions. GC
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=3.721
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=3.721
You can also get it programmed out in a tune. I hated the skip shift thing - always seemed to engage at the worst possible time.
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
Consider you have to pay shipping for the bypass plug too!
Just look at the link in post #2. Open the tech instructions and you'll see a clear diagram of the plug you need to UNplug. Wrap reliable tape about each end to keep it clean -- if you ever want to reconnect it.
I bought the CAGS bypass before I realized this easier/cheaper approach. It's been happily unplugged for 10yrs.
FWIW, I think the CAGS system is somewhat dangerous -- as it may prevent you from hitting the gear you plan to hit in a quick moment of decision. I HATE IT!!!
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
When I bought my 96 LT4 I had never heard of it. This country boy flew into the big city of Austin and picked up his car and discovered first hand what it was all about in rush hour traffic trying to get out of there. I think I almost snapped the shifter off a couple of times trying to keep from being t boned in various intersections. Another fine example of engineering!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,770
Likes: 175
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
When I bought my 96 LT4 I had never heard of it. This country boy flew into the big city of Austin and picked up his car and discovered first hand what it was all about in rush hour traffic trying to get out of there. I think I almost snapped the shifter off a couple of times trying to keep from being t boned in various intersections. Another fine example of engineering!
If I remember correctly, somewhere around the 1500-1800 RPM range, the light will go back out and the solonid won't force the shift to 4th.
CAGS only forces the shift to 4th in a very narrow RPM band.
In any kind of spirited driving, you will never be bothered by it.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
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From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
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From: Texas
So you would prefer to pay a couple thousand in gas guzzler fees or get less hp in order to meet fuel economy requirements?
I think it's a great solution. Those that buy their cars new avoid the added tax. It can be easily disabled, even on the C6, if staying in first gear an extra couple hundred rpm is so troubling.
I think it's a great solution. Those that buy their cars new avoid the added tax. It can be easily disabled, even on the C6, if staying in first gear an extra couple hundred rpm is so troubling.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,770
Likes: 175
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
For most, you will never know the feature is there.
The system will only force the skip shift under a very narrow RPM range.
Stay in 1st gear just a little longer, and it won't interfere with your shifting.
If you try to shift out of 1st under approx. 14 mph "skip shift" will come into play.
Hold it in 1st until approx. 15-20 mph (1800-2400 RPM) and "skip shift" won't affect you.
The car is very capable of hitting 50 mph in first gear if you wanted to hold it to red line.
Slingshot
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,817
Likes: 24
From: Charlotte NC
Nobody ever wanted it, certainly not the engineers at GM Corvette. You can THANK the Federal Government for forcing such a wonderful idea as CAGS on the population !@#$@$!~#~
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
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From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
The irony is the people who don't mind CAGS enjoy revving higher to defeat the system. Ironically, that means it's installation encourages some drivers to push their cars into a slight lower mpg situation than "normal".
You have to love the irony of that!
By contrast, while learning to tune my stroker mod, I learned the engineers actually built-in a MPG adder to the ECM software. In "highway mode", the engine would lean out and advance timing -- to improve mileage. Best I can tell, the government said THAT was cheating and made them disable it.
So, the easiest MPG-saver to disable is the one that was implemented. And, if you don't disable it, you probably drive your car in a manner which uses a hair more fuel than w/o it. That's real government in action.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,605
Likes: 202
From: Trinity FL
I don't really mind it, but I do plan on removing it.
I also don't really think it helps me on gas, I tried to use the feature for a whole tank of gas, shifting from 1st to 4th, and then the next tank I just shifted through all the gears normally, and got around the same mileage. As long as your not going over 3500 rpm on each shift your mileage will be pretty decent!
I also don't really think it helps me on gas, I tried to use the feature for a whole tank of gas, shifting from 1st to 4th, and then the next tank I just shifted through all the gears normally, and got around the same mileage. As long as your not going over 3500 rpm on each shift your mileage will be pretty decent!
