ServiceRifle

When does it turn on, and why?

Can you get rid of it? Is it a PITA?

John George

You'll hear a lot on this one. I find it annoying at times. It is a shifting algorithm enforced automatically to get the MPG necessary to avoid the gas guzzler tax.

You can buy kits to disable it.

There are limited and specific conditions for when it is enforced. Somebody will likely post them here. If not, I'll try to find them.

vetracer

[QUOTE=John George]
You can buy kits to disable it.
QUOTE]

At least we're hoping that hasn't changed for 2005.

Old One

It's a non-problem if you drive correctly.

Cheers!

SDMF

No personal offense, Old One, but I hate it when people say that. Driving correctly under some circumstances may mean light acceleration, which would enable the CAGS to engage. I see no point in hard acceleration from my driveway 100 feet to the stop sign just to avoid the shift skip.

I'm not a fan, nor a hater of CAGS either way. But I certainly don't need to be told I'm driving incorrectly just because the shift skip engages.

Vette_DD

Nobody's told ServiceRifle yet when it turns on. My understanding is that it turns on if you try to go from 1st gear to 2nd gear before the engine revs reach 2000 rpm, is that right? How about going from 2nd to 3rd, does it work the same way?

SDMF

That's my understanding, too, Red. I've only driven one 6-speed with the CAGS (it was a 1996 LT4) and I noticed it would force me from 1st to 4th if I tried to shift at or around 2000 RPM's. I can't be sure if that's exactly right, but if I went over 2000 before shifting, it would let me into 2nd. I guess that's about right.

It wasn't much of a bother for me, as I used to drive my little 5-speed Chevy Cavaier the same way. If I were accelerating hard through 3rd gear, I usually reached my cruising speed by the time I was ready to shift to 4th. So why do the extra shift from 3rd to 4th, just to go to 4th to 5th a moment later? I'd just go straight from 3rd to 5th. I would do likewise from 1st to 3rd, or even 1st to 4th.

However, it's my understanding that on the Corvettes, it's ONLY enabled from the 1st to 2nd (in this case, 1st to 4th) shifts. I don't think it ever steps in on any other shift.

I don't know why people complain about it. The automatics have had CAGS for many, many years, and shift from 1st to 4th (in this case, overdrive) as long as you were doing normal easy acceleration. It makes sense, because it saves on gas, which in turn saves us money because the Corvette isn't slapped with a Gas Guzzler tax like the Viper.

Shylor

The CAGS has never bothered me. If you let 1st gear rev up a bit before shifting into 2nd, CAGS won't engage.

HummelS

You don't really have to accelerate hard to get around it - it disengages (warning light goes out) at around 1800 rpm on my 6-speeds.

John George

I've looked for the specifics but can't find them. It is dependent on RPM and either oil or H20 temp as I recall. I believe it is in the manual but that is home with the C5.

It's a 1 - 4 shift only I think. CAGS wouldn't have an affect after 1st.

lager99

It has nothing to do with hard acceleration, it's whether or not the rpm's are over 1800 or 2000.

SDMF

That has everything to do with hard acceleration. If I'm accelerating hard, I'm not ready to shift yet around 2000 RPM's, therefore CAGS never comes into play. If I'm NOT accelerating hard, I may want to try and shift before that RPM level, therefore CAGS will engage and shift into 4th, thinking I'm not going anywhere fast.

Shylor

It doesn't matter how hard you accelerate. It's where the rpms are that matter with CAGS. You can smoothly get past the CAGS point or go to hard.

vetluvr

Shift lower than 2000 RPM?
That is improper driving!

C8-Vette

For $20 the whole issue is solved!!!!

ServiceRifle

Thanks guys, I don't think this will be a problem at all. The simple solution (it seems) is to make sure you're over 2000 before shifting to 2nd, even if you're not in a hurry. 2000 isn't exactly high RPMs anyway.

Qbert

I'm not a vette owner, so I have never experienced the 1-4 skip shifting... But I do have a question about it.. If the CAGS forces you into 4th gear while attempting to shift at low RPM in 1st gear, doesn't that seriously BOG down the engine?? I currently drive a BMW and if I shift from 1st to 4th under low acceleration, I think my engine would stall... Is the gearing just so close that it is not a problem?

Thanks!

GasmanZR1

Yes, the engine does BOG down a little when the 1-4 shift occurs. This mainly happens to me when I am turning a corner and I try to shift to 2nd in the middle of the turn. The Vettes luckily have enough torque down low to not make the bogging too bad. You can either buy or make the "CAGS defeat" or just keep it in 1st gear until you get over 1800 RPMs or whatever it is. When I had my Z tuned, I got them to turn off the 1-4 shift via LS1 edit.

ZoSo

I'm driving an 04 330i 6MT and I was thinking the same exact thing. Shift below 2K in 1st and then go to 4th??? Not in the Bimmer! I always shift out of 1st somewhere between 3K - 4K, when I'm not racing. Anyway I find this skip shift thing interesting because I'm planning to get a Vette for my 3rd car. I'm just trying to decide on a new C6, either this year or next year, wait for the C6 Z06 or try and save some money and get a used C5 Z06 in 1 - 3 years.

John George

OK. From the C5 manual.
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1. The engine coolant temperature is higher than 169F (76C).
2. you are going 15 to 19 mph (24 to 31 km/h) and
3. you are at 21% of throttle or less.

Once you shift from 1st to 4th you can downshift to a lower gear.
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