I don't understand why gm would short the transmission two quarts from the factory.if you add the two quarts at the first transmission change will it hurt the transmission if you don't race the car.

 

All about the $$. They save a pile of money spread over tens of thousands of units built.

And no, it won't hurt the car if you leave the extra in.

 

Thank you,if that is true it is very short sighted and petty on gm part because they have to warranty that transmission which could cost 7,000 dollars.

 

I too wish they'd put the extra 2 quarts in all the cars as well. For the cars that aren't tracked (over 90% of them), it won't be an issue, and thus not a warranty risk for GM. For those that do track, they will face warranty scrutiny on whether they did all the appropriate track prep - which includes adding the extra fluid - so that is how GM manages that risk.

In the meantime GM saves literally millions of dollars on just fluid cost over the production run of tens of thousands of units.

 

John Deer did a similar thing with many of their small lawn tractors. Used a cheaper trans fluid , as well as only adding enough to get by. OK short term but in a few years transmissions needed repair. The beancounters running things.

 

Cars that are only driven on real roads do not see the longitudinal forces that cars driven on race tracks see.
Thus, more oil in all cars simply means more friction and lower mileage.
More oil in track cars insures lubrication while cornering at over 1 Gs.

 

Standard fill improved economy and saves GM money. Stinks, but I get it.

 

That extra 2 quarts may affect mileage more than one would think. Churning unneeded oil(on the street) is a great way to eat horsepower.

 

The issue is not having to add 2 quarts of fluid.

The issue is that the C8 is the only sports car that requires you to disassemble the rear of the vehicle to add the required extra fluid prior to tracking.

It's brain dead ridiculous the amount of disassembly/reassembly required.

Even more ridiculous than having to 10 bolts, (one of which is non-standard), and hammer in a scraper to be able to change front brake pads.

Just shows that GM did not give a crap about the track day enthusiast who wants to enjoy the true capabilities of the car.

 

You own a Camaro... all you do is bitch about the C8. Go back to the Camaro forums. GM knows at the most only 5% of owners track the car at all; even less "hardcore" track them. The other 95% do other things and the car is developed to do those things too. Taking the access panel out and the air box off isn't a massive undertaking and the fluid can be left in "forever". GM doesn't design the brake calipers. Brembo does. If you watch Brembo's tech videos on the brakes the new Z51 calipers are a nice upgrade from the C7 Z51 calipers which I personally had no issues with.

 

Time to chill...add the 2 quarts once...it is not weekly maintenance...that's it. My dealer did when they did the engine oil and only charged me the hard cost of the two quarts of fluid. If ya are not tracking the car forgettabout it. Happy Motoring!!!

 

They did not short the transmission fill. All C8 DCT are filled to factory spec. If you have z51 and are tracking the car you have to overfill the DCT to keep warranty.
Bolt below axle is the OEM fill level check for DCT.

 

Nope, 30 minutes to add 2 quarts after factory fill. And front brakes are pretty easy unbolt the 2 caliper bolts, pull caliper off rotor and use large flathead screwdriver to wedge off brake pad. its really just stick screwdriver in top between pad and caliper and twist.

 

Thx for weighing in…always good to hear from a practitioner. Happy Motoring!

 

I bought this. Haven't used it yet but seems simple enough and easy. Worth it if u track your car.

https://cicioperformance.com/product...on-filler-kit/

 

Has anyone seen actual numbers on the reduced gas mileage? Is it really a significant reduction? Or is it unmeasurable?

 

GM isn't "shorting" anything. The factory fill is fine for street use. If you're not tracking the car, the only thing adding 2 quarts really does is make your wallet thinner, and maybe make you feel better.

 

I didn't notice a reduction at all.

 

GM reports that the primary reason for not adding the full capacity of fluid is simply costs. GM believes not all owners will track their car, which is likely, and can reduce overhead on the C8 by over $2 Million annually. A reduction in milage or power is a bit mystical and so minute that GM was unable to measure it, however, knew that it would make owners happy to think they are driving more powerful and fuel efficient cars than their “performance” seeking brethren. For me, I want to keep that DCT very happy…. on or off the track. I paid another $5K+ for the Z51 option and another $10K for performance upgrades of about 100 HP, another $200 to meet manufacturer standards for tracking or otherwise is insignificant.

I can say that topping up my “71” 442 with a 496 CI engine to the full 7 quarts of oil is critical on or off the track. Dropping it to the minimum does not increase milage, just the chance of turning a bearing or overheating. Fluids are good as long as not over-filled, then they are bad. I know this is “old” science perhaps, however, there is little to differentiate the 496 (new engine) from the 6.2 LT2.

Having said this, those who are the majority C8 owners who do not care one way or another can rest easy, GM has your back until warranties expire.

Happy Motoring!

 

I added two quarts to the DCT and for the life of me cannot measure any change in mileage. I will say that the transmission shifts effortlessly. Happy Motoring!