911Hunter

Hi Guys,
After going to test drive a low 15K mile '14 Corvette Z51 with the A6 automatic transmission, several questions came out:
1. While steeping on the gas I noticed rough shifting compared to a previous test drive of a A8 automatic & 7 speed manual transmission C7s which I also previously tested. The drivetrain went strong but it felt like it was losing breath on top and not doing the change of shift smoothly.
2. While first starting the car my wife noticed a strange ticking of the engine and I noticed a not constant noise coming out from the exhaust like a stumbling noise, compared it to my '14 ZL1 which also has the dual exhaust similar to the C7 system but it has a more stable noise level coming out from the exhaust..
3. Even that the '14 C7 Corvette had very low miles compared to my 19K miles Camaro, I was surprised to notice significant wear of the C7's entry side of the stock driver seat compared to my Recaros that do no show any wear at all.
4.The exhaust pipes on the C7 showed significant rust wear, mine does not have any rust sign.
5. By following the car instructions neither of the salesman or I, were able to start the car by using the remote device. It was an LT2 model wich includes that feature.
6. I could not figure out which is the meaning of the big yellow "i" sign on the dashboard?
7. The Boston Acoustics sound system sounds much better on the ZL1 compared to the BOSE sound system of the C7.

​​​​I'm trying to learn more about the C7s, before making my final decision and steep up to the Corvette Stingray, which I consider my dream car. Please help me out with my questions, by sharing your experience with your C7's.
​​​​​​​ Thanks in advance for any of your advises.

2K14C7

Item #4. The exhaust is stainless steel. Where is the rust?

Foosh

I can't offer a comment based upon your transmission description, but most are very happy w/ the A6, which is a tried and true, rather bulletproof box. My car is an M7.

The ticking noise particularly on cold start is a characteristic of the direct injection system on the LT1, LT4, and many other DI engines. See link below for an explanation.

http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com...cking-noise-2/

The yellow "I" is the icon for "information," but it depends upon how the center screen was set up. There are a seemingly infinite number of ways to set up that display.

The premium Bose sound system w/ subwoofer sounds better than the base Bose, but, of course, I don't know which one you were listening to.

911Hunter

Thanks Foosh, very informative description.

roadbike56

Items #1 and the first part of item #2 would cause me to ask to see the Service Report for that car from a GM dealer. Was the trans and/or engine serviced?
As for the stumbling sound from the exhaust, yes that's typical of the LT-1, but not the ticking at start up.
The wear on the seat could be from the weight of the previous owner, it is what it is. Generally, the leather interior of the C7 is pretty good.
Don't know if it's got rust or not, but bring a rag and wipe it off to see what it is, mine has had a yellow/orange colored spot on the exhaust, it was dirt.
Item #5 is a problem and will require, IMHO, a reflash of the computer system.
Some folks don't like the Bose, I think it's an excellent system, certainly there are others that are better.

thrilled

The only thing I can say is I have A 14 1LT with the M7. 17,000 miles.The car is purr fect.

Kevin A Jones

With that many questions/potential issues from a single test drive may indicate it's one to pass on.

golden2husky

I have a '14 and I have that tick like sound on startup. After running for 30 seconds or so, it fades away. It is not the classic lifter noise nor is it the injectors, as the injector sound does not seem to lessen much with a warm engine. Dealer could not find a problem, and the car now broke 9,000 miles. I have an extended warranty just in case so if it becomes something more I don't have to worry about it.

Regarding the wear of the seat, mine still looks new. Perhaps the car you test drove was once owned by Jabba the Hut or some other tub and they threw themselves in and spun around to get in/out.

911Hunter

Very strong analysis of the root problems. Thanks for the advise. I think you are also right about the Bose system, probably just was out of tune.

Foosh

Roadbike,

A lot of people don't notice the ticking associated with the high pressure DI injectors but it is present in all LT1 and LT4 engines. It is more prominent on a cold start-up. I guarantee your car has it too. Start your car when cold, open the hood, and you'll hear it at idle. DI injector ticking is louder on a cold engine, but never completely goes away.

After living with the car for awhile, those who do hear it often accommodate and forget about it, but it tends to be more noticeable to people who drive the car for the first time. It was very noticeable to me at first, but I knew what it was having owned several other DI-engined cars where the noise could be heard. I really don't notice it anymore unless I focus upon it.

While there certainly are ticking engine noises that may not be normal, I have a strong suspicion the ticking 911 was asking about was completely normal.

DrDyno

Hi Hunter,

I have a 14 3LT A6 Vert (non-Z51) which I purchased used with 8,400 miles. It has almost 12,000 miles on it now and has been near perfect.

1. My '14 has shifted perfectly from day one and I run out of breath long before it does! That A6 is actually one of the high points as far as I'm concerned.

2. The DI ticking was cured with a replacement insulator (which I believe was placed around the DI pump's high pressure line)... which my dealer installed as a recall.

3. A 300 pound driver, perhaps?

4. The exhaust pipes still look like brand new.

5. Mine's an LT3 and the auto-start works fine. I found it confusing at first but eventually got used to the button protocol. Perhaps your Fob needs some reprograming.

6. In my opinion, Bose has never lived up to its reputation. But, I don't really care as I'm not much of an audiophile. However, I do enjoy the fact that the radio gets louder as the car goes faster!

After taking delivery, I had two problems for which I returned to my dealer. The first was a problem with the display which was replaced on recall. The second was a thumping noise when the convertible top was raised. An adjustment took care of that. Other than that... it's been an absolute treat to own!

Based upon your experiences with that car and my experience of my '14, my recommendation is to pass. Sounds like it was mistreated and not worth your frustration!

Kraz8s

I have the A6 in my 2014. It is adaptive so the rough shifts could be due to the previous owner's driving habits. Also were you in manual or automatic mode?

911Hunter

Driving in automatic.

Thanks Guys for sharing your experience, now I feel more confident on what to look for on my C7 shopping lookout.
Do you think the fixing of the seat leather could be expensive? I still have some doubts of going after that particular C7 because of the rough shifting under hard acceleration, (it did not want to shift until I left go of the gas).

Kraz8s

By chance were you flooring it? Or was this part throttle shifting? If you slam the pedal to the floor, it kicks into performance shift mode which will hold the shift longer.

As for the seat leather I think trunk monkey parts have the entire seat covers for sale.

Either way go with your gut on this one. I've learned this lesson the hard way over the years. Me personally, I'd walk from this one. There are a ton of used 2014s with less issues out there to be had. But then again I'm also the guy that purchased his C7 used sight unseen

911Hunter

Several times I slammed the pedal strong with the same sensation: staying very long without shifting and felt like the engine was running out of breath, I let go off the gas and then it shifted.

Also something that I didn't comment was, that neither my wife or I felt any support during the purchase to explain us anything regarding the testing of the C7 not even he cared to go with me on a ride, almost no question answered. I thought, if something comes wrong with the car after purchase, probably it would be the same thing, no support from them. Just they were pushing to get their sale, but no guidance over the car.

911Hunter

Also with just 15K, the rear MPSS tires have been replaced on that car but it had other type of Michelins like all season tires with vey different tread. I would have imagine that the MPSS would have last longer, the ones on front were still MPSS tires.

Kraz8s

That definitely sounds like performance shift mode. Very odd sensation the first few times it will hold that gear for what seems like a lifetime.

911Hunter

I also noticed that in just 3 years ('14 model), the car had 3 owners, sounds kind of odd on a short time, to many owners.

L8ter

I'm a bit confused. Did you purchase this car or not?
After reading all your posts, especially the last one. If you have not already bought this car, I would recommend walking away from this one.
There are nice, well cared for, one owner C7s out there just waiting for you to find them.
Good luck in your search!

911Hunter

No. We did walk away, didn't felt good about that deal, besides that they were paying very low on my trade, and not negotiating the price on their car, probably thinking that if we drove 6 hours that we weren't going to go back without their car.