Two Year Report Card
07-06-2011, 10:11 PM
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St. Jude Donor '13
Two Year Report Card
Last week our 2009 Coupe had it's second birthday here. Odometer is now 34,466. That's 15,245 miles in the last year.
For the One Year Report Card posted last year, see:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...port-card.html
We've used it as a long distance road tripper, and daily driver. Long trips included the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend, driving down to Florida for 2 months of winter escape, and a club trip to Memphis. Plus lots of weekend trips. The first picture is from Pensacola, the second pic was from the trip to Florida in January, the third pic shows how we can carry items that won't fit into our normal cars.
The improvements over our previous 2006 continue to please me- Lots more power SOTP, lighter & more precise steering, the A6 rev-matches on downshifts, and the NPP + MTW is great fun. Bluetooth.
The cabin air filter got changed at about 20k and it was filthy, this year at 31k it could have been reused.
I send an oil sample to Blackstone after each change, it looks like the high wear metals typical of low mileage LS3 (and LS2) engines are dropping down, I'll be running the OLI down to 30% this time and expect a clean report. Yes, you can run it down to 0% from day one and still get good service, I prefer not to do it that way; this car is a hobby.
Last Fall I replaced the Goodyear A/S runflats (leftovers from our 2006) with new Michelin A/S runflats. They are much smoother and quieter than the Goodyears, seem to do just as well in 2" snow. Great touring tires.
This Spring I replaced the Supercar runflats with Michelin PS2 runflats, they are not as smooth and quiet as the A/S but still more comfortable than the Supercars. Ultimate grip seems a little better, and they are much more predictable at the limit. Great high performance tires.
My original chrome Gumbys are in storage, I've bought two sets of stock base split-spokes that I like just as much. Used split-spokes are so cheap on C********* that I'll replace rather than repair, if I ever curb one of them.
Minor mods done this year:
Velcro installed on targa storage hook bases in trunk, eliminated an occasional rattle.
Onstar antenna removed and stored in trunk, Valentine 1 semi-stealth mounted into W/S plastic trim, arrow display mounted on steering column.
Plastic "Fangs" had edges cut off and remaining pieces put onto radiator supports with mounting tape. Good for very minor scrapes only.
Ebony Lloyds trunk mat replaced with Cashmere Lloyds. It will probably need occasional cleaning, but matches the rest of the interior and eliminates the "black hole" effect of the dark carpet at night. Small objects are much easier to find.
A set of 4 T-hooks were stored in the trunk, in case of towing.
The potholes of Illinois forced another alignment.
The small Top Flight console insulating pad has been installed in there, I tried to measure the temperatures but there is so much day-to-day and hour-to-hour variation, I'm not sure if it does anything.
Now the bad news; Like our previous Corvettes, this one continues to set new records for unreliability. In addition to the repairs needed in the first year, this last year has included:
Clunk in steering while parking- front toe links replaced.
Clunk in suspension while parking- rear toe links replaced.
Rattle in both doors- door strikes loose, replaced. Doors re-adjusted on next visit.
Transparent top rattles, pops, squeaks- front latches replaced, then readjusted on next visit.
"- rear latch adjusted.
"- extra Superlube paste applied to latches and weatherstrip.
Nav radio screen blank when starting in cold weather- radio reprogrammed.
Steering wheel and seat memory occasionally quits- connectors checked and memory module replaced, helped some but still happens.
Tires were slightly out of balance from day one, finally admitted it and rebalanced.
Battery in #1 fob needs replacement every 6-12 months.
And the things I haven't gotten around to having fixed:
Oil leak from pan.
Right headlight "jiggles" when driving on rough pavement.
And today- Gas strut on trunk lid failed, must hold trunk open with my head when loading/unloading.
Yeah, I know you've had good luck with your GM cars. But for me, they all suck and each one seems worse than the previous. I love the Corvette and will probably buy a C7 some day, but there is no way you could ever get me to buy anything from GM as our "normal" car. Sorry for the rant, but that's my experience over the last 25 years.
For the One Year Report Card posted last year, see:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...port-card.html
We've used it as a long distance road tripper, and daily driver. Long trips included the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend, driving down to Florida for 2 months of winter escape, and a club trip to Memphis. Plus lots of weekend trips. The first picture is from Pensacola, the second pic was from the trip to Florida in January, the third pic shows how we can carry items that won't fit into our normal cars.
The improvements over our previous 2006 continue to please me- Lots more power SOTP, lighter & more precise steering, the A6 rev-matches on downshifts, and the NPP + MTW is great fun. Bluetooth.
The cabin air filter got changed at about 20k and it was filthy, this year at 31k it could have been reused.
I send an oil sample to Blackstone after each change, it looks like the high wear metals typical of low mileage LS3 (and LS2) engines are dropping down, I'll be running the OLI down to 30% this time and expect a clean report. Yes, you can run it down to 0% from day one and still get good service, I prefer not to do it that way; this car is a hobby.
Last Fall I replaced the Goodyear A/S runflats (leftovers from our 2006) with new Michelin A/S runflats. They are much smoother and quieter than the Goodyears, seem to do just as well in 2" snow. Great touring tires.
This Spring I replaced the Supercar runflats with Michelin PS2 runflats, they are not as smooth and quiet as the A/S but still more comfortable than the Supercars. Ultimate grip seems a little better, and they are much more predictable at the limit. Great high performance tires.
My original chrome Gumbys are in storage, I've bought two sets of stock base split-spokes that I like just as much. Used split-spokes are so cheap on C********* that I'll replace rather than repair, if I ever curb one of them.
Minor mods done this year:
Velcro installed on targa storage hook bases in trunk, eliminated an occasional rattle.
Onstar antenna removed and stored in trunk, Valentine 1 semi-stealth mounted into W/S plastic trim, arrow display mounted on steering column.
Plastic "Fangs" had edges cut off and remaining pieces put onto radiator supports with mounting tape. Good for very minor scrapes only.
Ebony Lloyds trunk mat replaced with Cashmere Lloyds. It will probably need occasional cleaning, but matches the rest of the interior and eliminates the "black hole" effect of the dark carpet at night. Small objects are much easier to find.
A set of 4 T-hooks were stored in the trunk, in case of towing.
The potholes of Illinois forced another alignment.
The small Top Flight console insulating pad has been installed in there, I tried to measure the temperatures but there is so much day-to-day and hour-to-hour variation, I'm not sure if it does anything.
Now the bad news; Like our previous Corvettes, this one continues to set new records for unreliability. In addition to the repairs needed in the first year, this last year has included:
Clunk in steering while parking- front toe links replaced.
Clunk in suspension while parking- rear toe links replaced.
Rattle in both doors- door strikes loose, replaced. Doors re-adjusted on next visit.
Transparent top rattles, pops, squeaks- front latches replaced, then readjusted on next visit.
"- rear latch adjusted.
"- extra Superlube paste applied to latches and weatherstrip.
Nav radio screen blank when starting in cold weather- radio reprogrammed.
Steering wheel and seat memory occasionally quits- connectors checked and memory module replaced, helped some but still happens.
Tires were slightly out of balance from day one, finally admitted it and rebalanced.
Battery in #1 fob needs replacement every 6-12 months.
And the things I haven't gotten around to having fixed:
Oil leak from pan.
Right headlight "jiggles" when driving on rough pavement.
And today- Gas strut on trunk lid failed, must hold trunk open with my head when loading/unloading.
Yeah, I know you've had good luck with your GM cars. But for me, they all suck and each one seems worse than the previous. I love the Corvette and will probably buy a C7 some day, but there is no way you could ever get me to buy anything from GM as our "normal" car. Sorry for the rant, but that's my experience over the last 25 years.
Last edited by Gearhead Jim; 07-07-2011 at 03:22 PM. Reason: Pics added
07-06-2011, 10:51 PM
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
lots of little things that can drive one mad. and some things I just wouldn't ever think about like the toe links in one year, and the battery in the fob every 6 months.
but then again, I never thought a "gas pedal sensor" would essentially leave me stranded in a city pretty far from home. but it did. or almost.
thanks to DePalma Chev. of Albany, NY and some kinda good friend back here named Mike, the whole gas pedal was replaced and back on my way in 2 hours.
but then again, who in their right mind would think a gas pedal would strand you anywhere, at any miles? not me. now, I'm like Jim: "it", meaning anything, can happen anywhere, at any time, at any mileage, and make no sense whatsoever.
to an extent, I think some of what may be happening to your car, Jim, is road-condition related, i.e., the poor condition of the roads. but even if that's the case, just how delicately are these cars built? or the more obvious question: should they be that delicate?
but then again, I never thought a "gas pedal sensor" would essentially leave me stranded in a city pretty far from home. but it did. or almost.
thanks to DePalma Chev. of Albany, NY and some kinda good friend back here named Mike, the whole gas pedal was replaced and back on my way in 2 hours.
but then again, who in their right mind would think a gas pedal would strand you anywhere, at any miles? not me. now, I'm like Jim: "it", meaning anything, can happen anywhere, at any time, at any mileage, and make no sense whatsoever.
to an extent, I think some of what may be happening to your car, Jim, is road-condition related, i.e., the poor condition of the roads. but even if that's the case, just how delicately are these cars built? or the more obvious question: should they be that delicate?
07-06-2011, 10:56 PM
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Race Director
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. Interesting post. Hopefully I'll be able to start new someday and give a similar rundown!! 
07-06-2011, 11:09 PM
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St. Jude Donor '13
lots of little things that can drive one mad. and some things I just wouldn't ever think about like the toe links in one year, and the battery in the fob every 6 months.
but then again, I never thought a "gas pedal sensor" would essentially leave me stranded in a city pretty far from home. but it did. or almost.
thanks to DePalma Chev. of Albany, NY and some kinda good friend back here named Mike, the whole gas pedal was replaced and back on my way in 2 hours.
but then again, who in their right mind would think a gas pedal would strand you anywhere, at any miles? not me. now, I'm like Jim: "it", meaning anything, can happen anywhere, at any time, at any mileage, and make no sense whatsoever.
to an extent, I think some of what may be happening to your car, Jim, is road-condition related, i.e., the poor condition of the roads. but even if that's the case, just how delicately are these cars built? or the more obvious question: should they be that delicate?
but then again, I never thought a "gas pedal sensor" would essentially leave me stranded in a city pretty far from home. but it did. or almost.
thanks to DePalma Chev. of Albany, NY and some kinda good friend back here named Mike, the whole gas pedal was replaced and back on my way in 2 hours.
but then again, who in their right mind would think a gas pedal would strand you anywhere, at any miles? not me. now, I'm like Jim: "it", meaning anything, can happen anywhere, at any time, at any mileage, and make no sense whatsoever.
to an extent, I think some of what may be happening to your car, Jim, is road-condition related, i.e., the poor condition of the roads. but even if that's the case, just how delicately are these cars built? or the more obvious question: should they be that delicate?
One day our 2006 suddenly got really weak, the DIC said "Reduced Engine Power", and the CEL came on. We were in Florida, local dealer replaced the gas pedal (sensor) and it worked fine. For three weeks. Next time we were near home, dealer tech re-wired part of the system that was prone to trouble. That fixed it for a week. Next time, the tech spent a long time on the phone to Detroit and they replaced some more wires. I drove it for a month to verify that it seemed ok, then sold it.
I've always "made money" on my Corvette GMPP extended warranties, and this car will probably be the same.
07-06-2011, 11:34 PM
#6
Team Owner
Bill, I don't want to jinx you, but...
One day our 2006 suddenly got really weak, the DIC said "Reduced Engine Power", and the CEL came on. We were in Florida, local dealer replaced the gas pedal (sensor) and it worked fine. For three weeks. Next time we were near home, dealer tech re-wired part of the system that was prone to trouble. That fixed it for a week. Next time, the tech spent a long time on the phone to Detroit and they replaced some more wires. I drove it for a month to verify that it seemed ok, then sold it.
I've always "made money" on my Corvette GMPP extended warranties, and this car will probably be the same.
One day our 2006 suddenly got really weak, the DIC said "Reduced Engine Power", and the CEL came on. We were in Florida, local dealer replaced the gas pedal (sensor) and it worked fine. For three weeks. Next time we were near home, dealer tech re-wired part of the system that was prone to trouble. That fixed it for a week. Next time, the tech spent a long time on the phone to Detroit and they replaced some more wires. I drove it for a month to verify that it seemed ok, then sold it.
I've always "made money" on my Corvette GMPP extended warranties, and this car will probably be the same.
07-07-2011, 12:05 AM
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Good detailed post; however, it would certainly be distressing to have that many problems. I hope your luck improves.
My C6 is the first Chevy/GM product I have owned in over 20 years, after a dog '84 Chevy I bought new practically flew apart in under 45K miles. I was leery about dipping my toes back into a Chevy/GM, but the C6 was too attractive to decline. So far 55K and only minor problems and all fixed quickly and easily.
My C6 is the first Chevy/GM product I have owned in over 20 years, after a dog '84 Chevy I bought new practically flew apart in under 45K miles. I was leery about dipping my toes back into a Chevy/GM, but the C6 was too attractive to decline. So far 55K and only minor problems and all fixed quickly and easily.
07-07-2011, 12:08 AM
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13x3- '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
it's a Chevy! 
The only one I've ever owned. I love it, but I've only got 10k on a 4 yr old car.
The only one I've ever owned. I love it, but I've only got 10k on a 4 yr old car.
07-07-2011, 06:00 PM
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
a gas pedal replaced...I still can hardly believe it......even after reading your '06 issues.......
