Range Technology 8.4
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,982
Likes: 1,039
From: Georgetown CA
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
Most of the remaining issues seem to be with 17’s and I would imagine 18’s as well but haven’t seen a lot of postings specifically for 18’s yet.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 31,791
Likes: 2,415
From: DFW/Long Island
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 719
From: Northeast MA & Mad Beach FL
Just info for what it's worth 
I have a 2016 built 10/2015 and a very early Range Version 7.4 and had the same intermittent problems at first using it in 2015.
Once it locked in 4th gear, and once the engine would not start.
At no time did it throw a code though.
Then I found it worked fine starting the car before turning on the Range.
I also tried turning it Off and On, "while driving", and it still works fine.
This was before more people were using the Range and posting problems.
So, it doesn't matter when you turn it off.
The car doesn't like what it sees during the start up procedure with the Range turned on first.
And GM is known to make changes to ECM boot up/run procedure with new MY cars.
I think that's why some Updated Range Versions work fine in some year models and not in others.
Range is updating their Versions, but GM is also updating things.
It seems all the Range Versions work fine unless it's turned on before starting the car.
I have a 2016 built 10/2015 and a very early Range Version 7.4 and had the same intermittent problems at first using it in 2015.
Once it locked in 4th gear, and once the engine would not start.
At no time did it throw a code though.
Then I found it worked fine starting the car before turning on the Range.
I also tried turning it Off and On, "while driving", and it still works fine.
This was before more people were using the Range and posting problems.
So, it doesn't matter when you turn it off.
The car doesn't like what it sees during the start up procedure with the Range turned on first.
And GM is known to make changes to ECM boot up/run procedure with new MY cars.
I think that's why some Updated Range Versions work fine in some year models and not in others.
Range is updating their Versions, but GM is also updating things.
It seems all the Range Versions work fine unless it's turned on before starting the car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,800
Likes: 2,653
From: Down south in Dixie
Just info for what it's worth
I have a 2016 built 10/2015 and a very early Range Version 7.4 and had the same intermittent problems at first using it in 2015.
Once it locked in 4th gear, and once the engine would not start.
At no time did it throw a code though.
Then I found it worked fine starting the car before turning on the Range.
I also tried turning it Off and On, "while driving", and it still works fine.
This was before more people were using the Range and posting problems.
So, it doesn't matter when you turn it off.
The car doesn't like what it sees during the start up procedure with the Range turned on first.
And GM is known to make changes to ECM boot up/run procedure with new MY cars.
I think that's why some Updated Range Versions work fine in some year models and not in others.
Range is updating their Versions, but GM is also updating things.
It seems all the Range Versions work fine unless it's turned on before starting the car.
I have a 2016 built 10/2015 and a very early Range Version 7.4 and had the same intermittent problems at first using it in 2015.
Once it locked in 4th gear, and once the engine would not start.
At no time did it throw a code though.
Then I found it worked fine starting the car before turning on the Range.
I also tried turning it Off and On, "while driving", and it still works fine.
This was before more people were using the Range and posting problems.
So, it doesn't matter when you turn it off.
The car doesn't like what it sees during the start up procedure with the Range turned on first.
And GM is known to make changes to ECM boot up/run procedure with new MY cars.
I think that's why some Updated Range Versions work fine in some year models and not in others.
Range is updating their Versions, but GM is also updating things.
It seems all the Range Versions work fine unless it's turned on before starting the car.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,982
Likes: 1,039
From: Georgetown CA
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
It really doesn’t hurt you to try it. If you get a CEL, clear it and either get the free upgrade and try again or put your switch back. With a 16 it should be working without the switch, especially with 8.4.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 836
Likes: 89
From: Tucson Az
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
I would pay for the shipping If I could get rid of my switch. At this point I don't believe they have a product that truly is stand alone, at least not for the 17. You would think they could incorporate a self switch in the unit itself. Or a unit that would turn on only after it knows the car is running.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,146
Likes: 1,940
From: Hagerstown MD
St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
I would pay for the shipping If I could get rid of my switch. At this point I don't believe they have a product that truly is stand alone, at least not for the 17. You would think they could incorporate a self switch in the unit itself. Or a unit that would turn on only after it knows the car is running.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 24,103
Likes: 1,327
From: Spring Texas
I would pay for the shipping If I could get rid of my switch. At this point I don't believe they have a product that truly is stand alone, at least not for the 17. You would think they could incorporate a self switch in the unit itself. Or a unit that would turn on only after it knows the car is running.
Yep, It ain't rocket surgery to do this. There's gotta be a tach reading coming out of the ODB so turn it on 10 seconds after the tach reading is greater than 0.0. Same delio with the parasitic power drain - detect when the car is running and then activate the circuitry.
The fact that this isn't fixed after all the complaints is laziness on the vendor's part. Software fixes don't seem to be getting the job done, so this may involve a hardware change and he has thousands of these things in a warehouse already paid for that he can't send back.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
I hope so too, as by then I'll be driving my 2018 a lot and even though I plan to mostly run it in manual mode, I'd also like to have the option to let it shift for itself sometimes when I'm feeling lazy. I just think it's too risky (for the transmission and torque convertor) to have it running in V4 mode for any length of time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,982
Likes: 1,039
From: Georgetown CA
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
Apparently they had shipped me 8.3B5 for my last test, not an 8.4 module. They shipped me last week an 8.4R1 (production, not beta) to test out, they don't have a current beta. That failed on my 2017 as well, so the 8.4 doesn't seem to fix the issue of CEL's being generated.
That was yesterday, I sent them emails detailing it, we'll see but I'm guessing they are a little ways out from another beta.
They told me:
"The repeating CEL you've been seeing in your 'Vette is the same kind of issue other '17s were showing with the 8.3's. Since exchanging out their modules, the feedback has been more than encouraging for everyone. "
Not sure how they think they know what CEL's I'm getting because I have not given them any data, but maybe that's why they keep missing a fix!
They also said they had one of their engineers do some extensive data logging on a 17 Silverado that continues to have issues, but don't think that necessarily applies to us. Seems like that is what they need to do on my car :-)
That was yesterday, I sent them emails detailing it, we'll see but I'm guessing they are a little ways out from another beta.
They told me:
"The repeating CEL you've been seeing in your 'Vette is the same kind of issue other '17s were showing with the 8.3's. Since exchanging out their modules, the feedback has been more than encouraging for everyone. "
Not sure how they think they know what CEL's I'm getting because I have not given them any data, but maybe that's why they keep missing a fix!
They also said they had one of their engineers do some extensive data logging on a 17 Silverado that continues to have issues, but don't think that necessarily applies to us. Seems like that is what they need to do on my car :-)
Moderator emeritus
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,599
Likes: 3,951
From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Too many chances to get it corrected and they have failed. The idea for the product is sound but I don't need to worry about running the battery dead or tossing CELs because I failed to do some un-normal shut down procedure. If it doesn't shut down when I push the button to shut down the car, I don't want it. If it throws a CEL because I shut the car down normally and didn't mess with a 2nd shut down procedure, then I don't want it. Add-ons should not be a burden, this one seems to be a burden.
Regular Users should not be guinea pigs for an already released product's software. Beta testers should go through the trials and tribulations of getting it correct. Just my opinion...
Elmer
Regular Users should not be guinea pigs for an already released product's software. Beta testers should go through the trials and tribulations of getting it correct. Just my opinion...
Elmer
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 836
Likes: 89
From: Tucson Az
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
Too many chances to get it corrected and they have failed. The idea for the product is sound but I don't need to worry about running the battery dead or tossing CELs because I failed to do some un-normal shut down procedure. If it doesn't shut down when I push the button to shut down the car, I don't want it. If it throws a CEL because I shut the car down normally and didn't mess with a 2nd shut down procedure, then I don't want it. Add-ons should not be a burden, this one seems to be a burden.
Regular Users should not be guinea pigs for an already released product's software. Beta testers should go through the trials and tribulations of getting it correct. Just my opinion...
Elmer
Regular Users should not be guinea pigs for an already released product's software. Beta testers should go through the trials and tribulations of getting it correct. Just my opinion...
Elmer
It would be nice to have a stand alone product, but the alternative of the v4 is terrible. For me the hassle of using the switch outweighs the problems of the v4. I for one hope they get their act together soon. If they are having the same problem with the 18 and 19 then there is hope. I have not heard anything about the 18.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,146
Likes: 1,940
From: Hagerstown MD
St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
I experimented this weekend and left my switch on and started the car several times. So far I have not gotten a CEL. Don't know if this will hold and I don't plan to continue to do this but I sometimes do forget to turn the darn thing off especially when running errands. Has anyone with a '16 or older gotten a CEL with V8.4? My car is a '16.