I ordered and received my car with the manual gearbox. I had heard about the dreaded 1-4 skip shift, so I ordered the $20 adaptor to eliminate the problem. But, I've never had to install it. My car doesn't ever shift from first to fourth. What am I doing wrong?

 

You’re not doing anything wrong. The skip shift happens when low throttle and low rpm's are present when shifting from first. A solenoid in the transmission activates and pushes linkage away from second gear gate and forces it to fourth. It does not happen often but it catches you by surprise and pisses you off when you can't find second gear. Install is easy. You are basically disconnecting the solenoid and installing a device to make it think it is working so no warnings are activated.

 

You are probably driving around by either shifting before the skip shift activates, or after. There is a limited rpm range where it is active.

 

CAGS (Computer Aided Gear Selection) is much less obtrusive on the C7 than it was on the C6. I find no need for the skip shift eliminator, even when driving 3 days a week in stop and go traffic.

 

A non-issue... 22,000 miles on my C7 it only does the 1-4 shift when I want it to. Otherwise it's just shift gears and move along.....

 

I bought my C7 early, it's a September 2013 build. There was a several month delay in getting a skip shift eliminator since early reports said they tripped a code. Had one in my C6 so was never used to the forced shift. Although I seldom get into bumper to bumper traffic, the first time I did was moving forward and tried to shift to 2nd below 15 mph. It didn't go in so was fumbling to see if perhaps I shifted incorrectly! While fumbling, until I realized the 1st to 4th skip shift had engaged, the car slowed.
In today's distracted driving world I have a concern. I'll explain. A friend was hit by a car that came thru a red light. The policeman who came to the accident told him he sees this often. The person driving sees a green light when their phone beeps indicating a text message was received. They look down to see who it is from. In that time, the light turns red but they are distracted and drive thru it!
If when I was fumbling with the forced 1st to 4th shift the person behind me was expecting I would move forward and not slow abruptly had their cell phone beep and looked down they could have been in my bumper! IMO it is a safety hazard. Installed mine as soon as they were available! Normally I shift above the speed where it will activate but just in case no need to take the risk. With some folks looking at their phone it is a conditioned response, like Pavlov's Dog! They can't help themselves and must respond to the phone!






Conditioned response! Texters, like Pavlov's dog can't help themselves!

 

When I sense it not going into 2nd and forcing me to fourth, I just shift back to 2nd in almost the same motion. I know that I have to hit at least 18mph in 1st to avoid the 1-4 shift. Interestingly, this does not apply as much when the car is cold as most times I can go directly into second at slower speeds.

 

Have had 4 with the 6spd standard and if you drive right you will not be inconvenienced by that "skipper"

Of course I have a lot of stick shift driving over the years, started driving in early 1960s and I also drove large CDL type trucks.

 

If you are driving slow enough for the CAGS to engage, then you probably have time to override it.
I found that mine only blocks second gear for a second, and if I pause and then push again, it will go into second without skipping to 4th.

 

Thanks guys, very helpful. Does it give a message on the dash? I never saw one...

 

You are doing it right! Drive it. In 2 years my skip shift has intruded maybe a dozen times?

 

Gang, Thanks for edumicating me. I'm embarrassed to admit, I didn't know about this feature. But that explains why I had trouble shifting into second the other day. Had to go back to first, align it, then go to second. Apparently the solenoid activated and was trying to push the tranny into fourth, but I clutched and shifted back to first. I was going to bring it to the dealer and ask was-up? but now I know.
Thanks again.

 

Yes it will light up on the dash, just give it a bit more gas and you are fine.

 

 

The only time it's ever kicked in on me was when I forced it because I wanted to see what happens. I bought the eliminator, but haven't even installed it yet.

 

I hate the damn thing.

People here sometimes say "drive it like a corvette" which I imagine is easy if you live where few others do. My skip shift only engages on occasion and always in Bay Area traffic. Drives me bat chit.

But! I've been doing a lot of testing with maximizing gas mileage, to help my guilt with my occasional 6MPG commutes... Shifting from 1 to 4 is good for up to 20% better mileage. It is very effective and I do it voluntarily somewhat often.

Might install that doohickey thing. Can't stand my shifter telling me what it will and will not do.

 

When I bought my 2016 Stingray back in August, I had to drive it 2,000 miles to get it home and to see relatives. I have driven a manual for over 50 years. When first getting the Corvette I was a little leary of shifting it too quickly or too late or giving it too much gas for the first 1,000 miles so it broke in correctly. At first I was questioning my abilities because I seemed to keep getting into the wrong gear. I felt it was my fault and I should be a better driver/shifter than that. Only when I got back home, around familiar surrounding, did I notice the message on the dash and read it in the manual. It was really bothering me because I thought I wasn't made to have a Corvette and that time had passed me by. Now I don't really notice it when it happens and just go with the flow.

 

Read this thread this morning. Spent the afternoon in the C7 (and what a wonderful afternoon!) and noticed the same thing. Got used to driving the C6 with the CAGS, but the C7 is much easier to ignore.

I learned to keep the C6 revs high enough to go from 1st to 2nd. With the C7 do the same, but also noticed a simple flick of the wrist back to 2nd gets me there.