Oneslackr

Please give your impressions about the transmissions in your new rides. Good & bad points. I've already read that 5th & 6th gear are waaaay to the right in the shift pattern. Any other observations?

I'm also interested to know about any noises heard coming from this trans. during idle, acceleration, and deceleration. Did GM finally get the majority of the noise problems fixed, as they have stated?

When it comes to noisy tranmissions I can't speak of the 6spds. in the C5s. My C5 was an A4. But the 6spd in my C4 sounded like you were driving a 1971 Mack dump truck. I hated all of that noise. Sounded like a piece of junk.

LS WON

Sounds like a good reason to go for the new A4.

EvanZR1

What year C4 did yo have? The early ZF 6 speeds had straight cut gears, which are much stronger but also a LOT noisier. They changed this in 93 if I remember correctly, specifically because owners were complaining about the noise. The T56 in the C5s is nowhere close to as loud as the original ZFs were.

Hernan

Sure, if it wasn't a sports car

LS WON

It is a sports luxury car if you want a sport car get a 69 Corvette 427 big block and see if you can shift that.

DAVS Y2K

You know you guys that think if you have an automatic in a vet then you don't have a sports car need to get a life. Just be an adult an realize that the vet comes with an auto(A4) and a stick(MN6) and both are pretty damn fine SPORTS CARS!

LS WON

Oneslackr

My C4 was a '93. I just had one with an extra noisy trans. I actually got the trans replaced because it was so bad. Though it was like pulling teeth to get the dealer to do anything about. Until I finally threatend to sue them & got attorneys involved. By this point I had gone around & around with the dealer for a couple of months. I could have dragged them to court but the entire mess would've dragged out for who knows how many more months. There was no guarantee I was going to win.

The dealer finally wore me down. They agreed to pay 50% of the cost to get the trans. replaced. They also let me take it to independent repair shop that specialized only in vettes.

The repair shop said that they hated the ZF trans. The mechanic told me my trans. wasn't the only one they had replaced & lots of people complained about the noise. They agreed mine was particularly bad (noise wise). After the swap it was better but by then I'd had it with the whole mess. So a couple of months later I traded it for a C5 A4 (different dealer of course)

I'd like to get an MN6 C6. However, I don't want to go through another ordeal like I did with the C4 ever again. That's why I was wondering how the 6-spd is in the C6.

LS WON

:shocked: It appears to be that the manual transmissions on the Corvettes have more issues and are more likely to be abused by the driver whether by skill or error than the automatics. The 6 spd. has a 3.42 rear end and has the CAGS skip shift 1 - 4 and on the C-6 you have to leave it in Reverse gear otherwise you will drain the battery dead.. Manuals are more fun than the automatic but the potential for something to go bad is the manual snod: but in alot of situations the automatic is more suitable and it is easier on the drivetrain of the car and much smoother than a person shifting.

Thud

Noise "problems?" You expect to hear some noise from a transmission that is designed to handle a lot of power, rather than for being quiet. Otherwise you'd get a car with a nice quiet 4 cylinder.

I loved the loud whining gear sounds in my 1993 6-speed, it sounded like a jet taking off. My Z06 is quieter but still has a nice reassuring whirrrr of gears.

If you don't like the tranny noises, put on a loud exhaust. Or go for the slushbox...

Wadoka

Or buy a freakin' XLR.

It's not a "sports luxury" car. It's a racing machine that happens to be very well appointed.

You guys in the focus groups who want more luxury and less noise are corrupting the breed...

see-6?

Wanting the cake and eating it too

Oneslackr

Yeah, noise problems. Loud enough noise problems that people in cars next to me at stop lights would be looking over at me because of all the noise coming from the car and laughing. My trans. was garbage!!

Maybe you should read my other post above where I explained further about the C4 I had. It sounded like SH*T!!! The repair shop agreed it was much more than normal. The A**hole dealer obviously thought there was a problem too. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have been willing to pay 50% of the repair.

A little noise in a manual tranny is fine. But a car that costs as much as a vette shouldn't sound like your driving around in a can full of marbles.

cam30era

Yes, 5th and 6th are to the right and you have to overcome a detent spring. But it is not objectionable.

There is no neutral gear rattle. No objectionable transmission noises on deceleration.

Yes there is transmission gear rattle at low engine speeds. It is improved, but it is there. I personally do not consider it objectionable. The only effective fix is a dual mass flywheel, or dual mass clutch. And that brings it's own set of driveability comprimises.

So, I would have to say that I am very satisfied with the transmission and shift linkage changes in the C6, IMHO.

c2jones

No, its not just "focus groups," its a larger growing portion of modern Corvette buyers today, as this was what Corvette set out to achieve. I think you're really mising something.

This just in... Corvette is no longer concepted and built for a targeted "racing machine" buyer. Ask Dave Hill and he'll tell you this directly. This car is purposed for a broad range target buyer that is far more than ever before an everyday car that even the most urban of corporate executives could use for practical daily use.

The "old school" here is with your thinking. You're the old guard, diehard throwback kind that (rightly) has strong appreciation for the new vette as for the older ones, but this Corvette was not built exclusivley for guys like yourself, respectfully.

It need not be a racer with a few luxury components. This is not at all the idea behind "the new" Corvette. It is NOW in fact a sports luxury car that favors the sporting side. The Corvette and XLR share the same platform not as a matter of mere convenience but for strict engineering purposes.

And as far as this noise thing goes, once again, you're off the mark. Dave Hill intently set out to make this car quieter and he'll tell you this straight up! (Cabin fittings and tire design were crucial.)

"Noise from the rear of the car became a big issue. While GM gave us targets for mass, rolling resistance and various other things, they came back and said, 'Yeah those were the targets, but now noise is the most important thing. Do whatever you need to do to lessen the noise.'

"The particular frequency they had an issue with was an 800 Hz peak (at the low-end of the frequency range of speech) and they were so keen to get rid of it that we did a number of different constructions with all the things we thought would affect it.

"One thing attenuates noise, sometimes, is adding extra mass under the tread," Nick Hill continued. "We had eight or nine different rear tire constructions and the one that came out the quietest was one of the heavier versions. GM knew it was heavier than their target, but they said, 'Well it's important that we get the noise reduction.'"

"Dave Hill and his staff at Team Corvette were adamant that tire-driven, interior noise levels would be reduced."

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...05/final2.html

Thud

Did the car have a single mass flywheel installed? That WILL make the car sound like a can full of marbles at idle.

Dsob15