Lawdogg149 Hot Road Atlanta Review June 14
06-14-2015, 10:59 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Well finally got back home and unloaded after a scorching hot day at the Great Road Atlanta. My Car and Mods: 2015 Corvette Z06 Manual transmission Aero: Level 2 with the added Level 3 rear clear section Brakes: Factory Steel brakes with New factory pads from AC Delco with full Castrol SRF fluid bleed. Clutch fluid: Castrol SRF Tires: Pirelli DH slicks 285 fronts 315 rears 18" Rims: TSW Interlagos 18x10.5 all the way around Engine Oil: Mobil 1 15w50 Coolant: 80% distilled water/ 20% coolant Other coolant mods: Rear weather stripping removed from Cowl to allow air to exit engine compartment. Home made heat shield to protect the engine oil cooler from the Close exhaust system. Made it from Heatshield products LLC Part # 110614 6"x14" Inferno shield. $22.35 from Amazon Temps: (all were reached during the last 40 min track session at end of day) Highest coolant temp 253* Highest Oil temp 289* Highest Trans temp 271* Let me start off by saying how much fun this car is to drive on the track. No Matter what Car on the track I wanted to track down I could easily catch and pass Just about anything out there today. Lots of Porsche GT3's new and old, Ferrari F430, ZR1, Z06, Many full built race cars. As in my past visits to this track with this car it would seek and pass anything I wanted it too. Just amazing. Today marked my first day with my new wheels and slick race tire setup. TSW Interlagos 18"x10.5" all the way around. $1100 a set from discount tire direct. Pirelli DH race slick scrubs from GT racing tire 285 front and 315 rear. Had to run the smaller 315 rear due to the narrow 10.5" rear rim. TSW doesnt make a 18" wider yet. This combo performed flawlessly. Man I love the grip this setup provided. Today's temperatures got to the hottest day so far this year 97* with 10,000% Georgia humidity. I knew going into the day it would be a challenge to exit the day without a coolant issue based on others commits. Last time I ran here it was March of this year but the days high was a cool 82*. Well I can happily report I made it through the whole day running a 40 minute session in the am and three 30 min sessions after lunch with a big one hour run at the end of the day. The hour session was broken up with my friend Dez driving the first 14 mins and me driving the rest. Highest Coolant temp was during the last part of the day during the last part of the 1 hour session. 253* coolant temp with outside air temp at 95*. 289* oil temp 271* trans temp. But I had no limp mode no notice of power loss. But I did tell for throughout the whole day I could not reach my normal 155 to 158 mph speeds down the long straight. Highest all day was 151.6 mph but most being around 148 mph. This could be due to the extremely high temps and super thick humid air we had to cut through today.
THE BAD: (if your still reading) After my friend dez finished driving the first part of the 1 hour long happy hour I took over. Close to the end of the 40 mins remaining as I came down (death hill I call it) turn 12 to the finish line my steering stiffens like it had gone out. I could not turn back to straight as I was applying power at over 100 mph. This lasted for about a second but was very scary not having any power steering for a brief second and then regaining steering. No warnings no nothing just goes out the comes back on. This could of be disastrous had I panicked. I slowed down once I came up on turn 1 anticipating the car to do the same thing with the steering. Sure enough power steering off then back on within a sec. I continued the lap with the steering system cutting on and off through some turns but not through others. Still no warning no nothing on the screen. At this point I knew I was having some failure of the steering system. Finally after several steering on steering off I got a message stating (Service Power Steering "drive with Care") would of been very nice to have this message before the steering cut on and off maybe 25 times. Hence I was prepared for the first one but expected the rest. I will be making another thread putting GM on notice that his could and will cause great bodily harm to someone very soon if it is not corrected. I have been tracking cars over 10 years now and have never been as scared as I was today with this steering system. Track folks take note and tell your friends of this issue it is real and it is very dangerous. There is no warning it just occurs when the car gets hot. This if not anything should be a recall of the high nature. So let me go on record in here that it is occurring and I am complaining. My car will be going to the dealer tomm also to at least make it noted there. The service light has went off so they may not be able to see or replicate the issue. My thoughts is the engine air coming through the heat exchanger then the radiator is so hot blowing on the electric steering unit it is causing it to over heat. But something should ding or display something warning you it is getting hot and could potentially go out.
Heat shield
THE BAD: (if your still reading) After my friend dez finished driving the first part of the 1 hour long happy hour I took over. Close to the end of the 40 mins remaining as I came down (death hill I call it) turn 12 to the finish line my steering stiffens like it had gone out. I could not turn back to straight as I was applying power at over 100 mph. This lasted for about a second but was very scary not having any power steering for a brief second and then regaining steering. No warnings no nothing just goes out the comes back on. This could of be disastrous had I panicked. I slowed down once I came up on turn 1 anticipating the car to do the same thing with the steering. Sure enough power steering off then back on within a sec. I continued the lap with the steering system cutting on and off through some turns but not through others. Still no warning no nothing on the screen. At this point I knew I was having some failure of the steering system. Finally after several steering on steering off I got a message stating (Service Power Steering "drive with Care") would of been very nice to have this message before the steering cut on and off maybe 25 times. Hence I was prepared for the first one but expected the rest. I will be making another thread putting GM on notice that his could and will cause great bodily harm to someone very soon if it is not corrected. I have been tracking cars over 10 years now and have never been as scared as I was today with this steering system. Track folks take note and tell your friends of this issue it is real and it is very dangerous. There is no warning it just occurs when the car gets hot. This if not anything should be a recall of the high nature. So let me go on record in here that it is occurring and I am complaining. My car will be going to the dealer tomm also to at least make it noted there. The service light has went off so they may not be able to see or replicate the issue. My thoughts is the engine air coming through the heat exchanger then the radiator is so hot blowing on the electric steering unit it is causing it to over heat. But something should ding or display something warning you it is getting hot and could potentially go out.
Heat shield
Last edited by lawdogg149; 06-15-2015 at 12:57 AM.
06-14-2015, 11:06 PM
#2
Instructor
Well finally got back home and unloaded after a scorching hot day at the Great Road Atlanta.
My Car and Mods:
2015 Corvette Z06 Manual transmission
Aero: Level 2 with the added Level 3 rear clear section
Brakes: Factory Steel brakes with New factory pads from AC Delco with full Castrol SRF fluid bleed.
Clutch fluid: Castrol SRF
Tires: Pirelli DH slicks 285 fronts 315 rears 18"
Rims: TSW Interlagos 18x10.5 all the way around
Engine Oil: Mobil 1 15w50
Coolant: 80% distilled water/ 20% coolant
Other coolant mods: Rear weather stripping removed from Cowl to allow air to exit engine compartment. Home made heat shield to protect the engine oil cooler from the Close exhaust system. Made it from Heatshield products LLC Part # 110614 6"x14" Inferno shield. $22.35 from Amazon
Temps: (all were reached during the last 40 min track session at end of day)
Highest coolant temp 253*
Highest Oil temp 289*
Highest Trans temp 271*
Let me start off by saying how much fun this car is to drive on the track. No Matter what Car on the track I wanted to track down I could easily catch and pass Just about anything out there today. Lots of Porsche GT3's new and old, Ferrari F430, ZR1, Z06, Many full built race cars. As in my past visits to this track with this car it would seek and pass anything I wanted it too. Just amazing.
Today marked my first day with my new wheels and slick race tire setup. TSW Interlagos 18"x10.5" all the way around. $1100 a set from discount tire direct. Pirelli DH race slick scrubs from GT racing tire 285 front and 315 rear. Had to run the smaller 315 rear due to the narrow 10.5" rear rim. TSW doesnt make a 18" wider yet. This combo performed flawlessly. Man I love the grip this setup provided.
Today's temperatures got to the hottest day so far this year 97* with 10,000% Georgia humidity. I knew going into the day it would be a challenge to exit the day without a coolant issue based on others commits. Last time I ran here it was March of this year but the days high was a cool 82*.
Well I can happily report I made it through the whole day running a 40 minute session in the am and three 30 min sessions after lunch with a big one hour run at the end of the day. The hour session was broken up with my friend Dez driving the first 14 mins and me driving the rest. Highest Coolant temp was during the last part of the day during the last part of the 1 hour session. 253* coolant temp with outside air temp at 95*. 289* oil temp 271* trans temp. But I had no limp mode no notice of power loss. But I did tell for throughout the whole day I could not reach my normal 155 to 158 mph speeds down the long straight. Highest all day was 151.6 mph but most being around 148 mph. This could be due to the extremely high temps and super thick humid air we had to cut through today.
Road Atlanta with Chin Motorsports 2015 Z06 - YouTube
THE BAD: (if your still reading)
After my friend dez finished driving the first part of the 1 hour long happy hour I took over. Close to the end of the 40 mins remaining as I came down (death hill I call it) turn 12 to the finish line my steering stiffens like it had gone out. I could not turn back to straight as I was applying power at over 100 mph. This lasted for about a second but was very scary not having any power steering for a brief second and then regaining steering. No warnings no nothing just goes out the comes back on. This could of be disastrous had I panicked. I slowed down once I came up on turn 1 anticipating the car to do the same thing with the steering. Sure enough power steering off then back on within a sec. I continued the lap with the steering system cutting on and off through some turns but not through others. Still no warning no nothing on the screen. At this point I knew I was having some failure of the steering system. Finally after several steering on steering off I got a message stating (Service Power Steering "drive with Care") would of been very nice to have this message before the steering cut on and off maybe 25 times. Hence I was prepared for the first one but expected the rest. I will be making another thread putting GM on notice that his could and will cause great bodily harm to someone very soon if it is not corrected. I have been tracking cars over 10 years now and have never been as scared as I was today with this steering system. Track folks take note and tell your friends of this issue it is real and it is very dangerous. There is no warning it just occurs when the car gets hot. This if not anything should be a recall of the high nature. So let me go on record in here that it is occurring and I am complaining. My car will be going to the dealer tomm also to at least make it noted there. The service light has went off so they may not be able to see or replicate the issue. My thoughts is the engine air coming through the heat exchanger then the radiator is so hot blowing on the electric steering unit it is causing it to over heat. But something should ding or display something warning you it is getting hot and could potentially go out.
My Car and Mods:
2015 Corvette Z06 Manual transmission
Aero: Level 2 with the added Level 3 rear clear section
Brakes: Factory Steel brakes with New factory pads from AC Delco with full Castrol SRF fluid bleed.
Clutch fluid: Castrol SRF
Tires: Pirelli DH slicks 285 fronts 315 rears 18"
Rims: TSW Interlagos 18x10.5 all the way around
Engine Oil: Mobil 1 15w50
Coolant: 80% distilled water/ 20% coolant
Other coolant mods: Rear weather stripping removed from Cowl to allow air to exit engine compartment. Home made heat shield to protect the engine oil cooler from the Close exhaust system. Made it from Heatshield products LLC Part # 110614 6"x14" Inferno shield. $22.35 from Amazon
Temps: (all were reached during the last 40 min track session at end of day)
Highest coolant temp 253*
Highest Oil temp 289*
Highest Trans temp 271*
Let me start off by saying how much fun this car is to drive on the track. No Matter what Car on the track I wanted to track down I could easily catch and pass Just about anything out there today. Lots of Porsche GT3's new and old, Ferrari F430, ZR1, Z06, Many full built race cars. As in my past visits to this track with this car it would seek and pass anything I wanted it too. Just amazing.
Today marked my first day with my new wheels and slick race tire setup. TSW Interlagos 18"x10.5" all the way around. $1100 a set from discount tire direct. Pirelli DH race slick scrubs from GT racing tire 285 front and 315 rear. Had to run the smaller 315 rear due to the narrow 10.5" rear rim. TSW doesnt make a 18" wider yet. This combo performed flawlessly. Man I love the grip this setup provided.
Today's temperatures got to the hottest day so far this year 97* with 10,000% Georgia humidity. I knew going into the day it would be a challenge to exit the day without a coolant issue based on others commits. Last time I ran here it was March of this year but the days high was a cool 82*.
Well I can happily report I made it through the whole day running a 40 minute session in the am and three 30 min sessions after lunch with a big one hour run at the end of the day. The hour session was broken up with my friend Dez driving the first 14 mins and me driving the rest. Highest Coolant temp was during the last part of the day during the last part of the 1 hour session. 253* coolant temp with outside air temp at 95*. 289* oil temp 271* trans temp. But I had no limp mode no notice of power loss. But I did tell for throughout the whole day I could not reach my normal 155 to 158 mph speeds down the long straight. Highest all day was 151.6 mph but most being around 148 mph. This could be due to the extremely high temps and super thick humid air we had to cut through today.
Road Atlanta with Chin Motorsports 2015 Z06 - YouTube
THE BAD: (if your still reading)
After my friend dez finished driving the first part of the 1 hour long happy hour I took over. Close to the end of the 40 mins remaining as I came down (death hill I call it) turn 12 to the finish line my steering stiffens like it had gone out. I could not turn back to straight as I was applying power at over 100 mph. This lasted for about a second but was very scary not having any power steering for a brief second and then regaining steering. No warnings no nothing just goes out the comes back on. This could of be disastrous had I panicked. I slowed down once I came up on turn 1 anticipating the car to do the same thing with the steering. Sure enough power steering off then back on within a sec. I continued the lap with the steering system cutting on and off through some turns but not through others. Still no warning no nothing on the screen. At this point I knew I was having some failure of the steering system. Finally after several steering on steering off I got a message stating (Service Power Steering "drive with Care") would of been very nice to have this message before the steering cut on and off maybe 25 times. Hence I was prepared for the first one but expected the rest. I will be making another thread putting GM on notice that his could and will cause great bodily harm to someone very soon if it is not corrected. I have been tracking cars over 10 years now and have never been as scared as I was today with this steering system. Track folks take note and tell your friends of this issue it is real and it is very dangerous. There is no warning it just occurs when the car gets hot. This if not anything should be a recall of the high nature. So let me go on record in here that it is occurring and I am complaining. My car will be going to the dealer tomm also to at least make it noted there. The service light has went off so they may not be able to see or replicate the issue. My thoughts is the engine air coming through the heat exchanger then the radiator is so hot blowing on the electric steering unit it is causing it to over heat. But something should ding or display something warning you it is getting hot and could potentially go out.
Great driver report there, did you get a chance to see how the other Z06 ran?
06-14-2015, 11:09 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
Nice to know the car didn't overheat on a hot day! I like that with ~$30 (heat shield and 80/20 mix if it cost anything) you were able to run all of the sessions. It sucks that the steering cut out randomly, I hope the issue is quickly adressed. Nice driving!
06-14-2015, 11:13 PM
#5
Instructor
Glad your OK. Steering failure would be very scary. Any possibility your heat shield could have affected anything with the steering?
Looks like the Z survived the hot day. Getting through a 40 minute session is impressive for any street car.
Looks like the Z survived the hot day. Getting through a 40 minute session is impressive for any street car.
06-14-2015, 11:15 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
The heat shield is back around the oil cooler and oil filter. No way it could of effected steering unit which is up front about 3 feet away.
06-14-2015, 11:24 PM
#8
Scraping the splitter.
Thanks for the info Jeremy. You're nuts for being out there in this heat, lol.
The PS issue that a few people have had is very concerning. IMO the fact that the new electric unit is sandwiched between the engine and the radiator/HE/condenser is the issue. I believe a heat shield would be beneficial and GM needs to look into this.
I wouldn't worry about vmax into T10 or necessarily lap times. Anybody who spends any time at the track realizes that bests don't happen in temps close to 100*. Every car out there is going to lose power in that air.
S.
The PS issue that a few people have had is very concerning. IMO the fact that the new electric unit is sandwiched between the engine and the radiator/HE/condenser is the issue. I believe a heat shield would be beneficial and GM needs to look into this.
I wouldn't worry about vmax into T10 or necessarily lap times. Anybody who spends any time at the track realizes that bests don't happen in temps close to 100*. Every car out there is going to lose power in that air.
S.
06-14-2015, 11:34 PM
#10
Instructor
It seems like that is the issue with the C7 Z06. When Chevy says "the most capable track Corvette ever" they set an unrealistic expectation.
You might not be able to run the car 10/10ths for more than a handful of laps, but you can run the car all day at 8 or 9/10ths, as you were doing, and crush many other cars and most other past Corvettes.
I know, I know that's not what they inferred in the PR materials, but if you want to get a car you can track at 10/10ths all day long you might consider a C6 Z07. Otherwise just enjoy going really fast a few laps at a time with a few easy laps in between and also enjoy beating most others cars while managing that pace...and drive it home with cold AC too!!!! (but apparently not with PS!!)
I think guys who are Pros or hard core track day drivers, might need to do a few cooling modifications to improve the cars chances of meeting their expectations, but most drivers will not push the car hard enough to worry about it. Time will tell.
06-15-2015, 03:08 AM
#13
Safety Car
Good reporting. The power steering overheat is the worse of the bunch for sure. There are half a dozen or so of us with this issue reported. Are you still going to track yours? I'm done with mine for a long time.
06-15-2015, 04:17 AM
#14
Le Mans Master
And so it continues. Just brutal and disappointing. Glad you didn't end up a smear on the wall after your steering cut out - you have a very cool head. Cannot believe 2106 models have no mention of revisions to deal with these issues.
Luckily its night time so the GM interns haven't gotten to their cubicle to tell us how this is not a big deal.
Hope everyone is careful out there.
Luckily its night time so the GM interns haven't gotten to their cubicle to tell us how this is not a big deal.
Hope everyone is careful out there.
06-15-2015, 07:12 AM
#15
Safety Car
Lol a 1:38 having to slow down to 94 mph in the middle of the back straight and then slow again to 105 mph. Car is nuts. I will say having driven it that on those tires, I would likely take turn 1 in 3rd on a hot lap and possibly keep that until turn 5. But hard to tell driving with beginner passing rules. Outside of the really fast race cars we will have you dominating the advanced group by fall.
Temps looked a bit high on the gauge when I was driving considering how much bogging i was doing staying in "at speed" gears while coasting behind traffic.
Car still leaned towards understeer so I think that narrow rear tire will be fine.
Temps looked a bit high on the gauge when I was driving considering how much bogging i was doing staying in "at speed" gears while coasting behind traffic.
Car still leaned towards understeer so I think that narrow rear tire will be fine.
06-15-2015, 07:33 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
At least there is some signs that the car can handle some heat. But tracing down fully built race cars at any time? Hmmm...
06-15-2015, 07:40 AM
#17
Le Mans Master
And so it continues. Just brutal and disappointing. Glad you didn't end up a smear on the wall after your steering cut out - you have a very cool head. Cannot believe 2106 models have no mention of revisions to deal with these issues.
Luckily its night time so the GM interns haven't gotten to their cubicle to tell us how this is not a big deal.
Hope everyone is careful out there.
Luckily its night time so the GM interns haven't gotten to their cubicle to tell us how this is not a big deal.
Hope everyone is careful out there.
06-15-2015, 07:44 AM
#18
Pro
Great Report and Great Driving
Thanks for taking the time and effort to post the report and vids. Sounds like the cooling issue is solved pretty easily. I hope GM is listening. The steering issue certainly needs to be addressed. Your car is really impressive. Congrats!
Paul
Paul
06-15-2015, 07:45 AM
#19
Instructor
Member Since: Mar 2006
Location: Cumming GA
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Jeremy... Good to see you again yesterday. (Good news you did not end up a paint smear on the wall either!). And no-doubt that yesterday, especially the afternoon, was brutally
warm and humid up there. (I was thinking great day to be in a black motorcycle suit all day...Thank goodness its vented... I should have taken the F3 Spyder out on touring). I/we were up with friends that were in the 2010 ZR1 (Grey).
BobR
warm and humid up there. (I was thinking great day to be in a black motorcycle suit all day...Thank goodness its vented... I should have taken the F3 Spyder out on touring). I/we were up with friends that were in the 2010 ZR1 (Grey).
BobR
06-15-2015, 08:28 AM
#20
Le Mans Master
Thanks for the insightful & detailed report. Are you going to tell the dealership you were on slicks?