Skip Shift on the SSR?

Skip shift, more correctly called "CAGS", applies ONLY to manual transmissions. There is no comparable feature on automatics (thank goodness).

Furthermore, although the Corvettes have CAGS, I have not researched to see if the 6-speed SSRs have it. They might or might not.

What CAGS does on a 6-speed is it places a mechanical barrier into the shift pattern, that forces your hand to move the shift lever NOT from 1st to 2nd, but rather from 1st to 4th gear, when you shift. This is to further improve (rather foolishly) the mpg achieved on the EPA-mandated mileage test for vehicle certification.

CAGS only works like this at LOW throttle settings. If you apply more than a specified amount of throttle, the PCM sends a signal that retracts the mechanical barrier and allows a 1st to 2nd shift.

IF the 6-speed SSRs have CAGS, it can be defeated one of two ways:

1. Installing an aftermarket part into the wiring harness that leads into the transmission. This aftermarket part generates a signal that keeps the mechanical barrier retracted. The part is inexpensive - about $25 or $30 as I recall from a few years back, but you have to know where to install it, and a lift sure makes it easier, so you'll probably pay your local hot rod shop (NOT your Chevy dealer!) to install it. It takes all of 5 minutes plus the lift up and lift down time.

2. CAGS is defeated even easier IF you have access to the PCM programming, as it is a simple enable/disable field in the PCM software. The catch here is that the CAN-based software in the 05 SSR has not yet been cracked and released to aftermarket suppliers, so right now you simply don't have this capability yet! But when the software IS released, this is the better way to go, as it is electronic rather than mechanical, and if done along with other useful programming changes ( :reddevil ), it costs nothing extra.

I've always wondered why GM saddled the manual transmissions, which already give better fuel mileage than the automatics, with this impractical feature. JUST TRY driving with CAGS enabled - it'll drive you crazy and break your high-rpm engine's back. In my opnion, it's abusive to the engine.

Jim G

Rob: The only reason the advertising for some of the microtuners mentons CAGS is that the advertising feasture lists are not customized to manual or automatic transmissions, nor for that matter to specific models of vehicles in many cases!

This is why they can "truthfully" (but very deceptively) say "up to 25 more hp" and get away with it even when most of the models it will be used on will give far more modest gains.

The microcomputers all either:

1. have a question pop up early in the programming question series that asks if the vehicle is manual or automatic, or

2. If the microtuner is more sophisticated in its programming, might even theoretically determine the type of transmission just by reading the VIN.

There is NO CAGS for automatics! GM achieves the same (or more pronounced even) result by simply programming the PCM to shift the transmission at VERY low rpm settings whenever the throttle setting is low. It shifts the transmission at higher rpm when the amont of throttle applied is larger. There is actually a sophisticated algorithm used for this, that tuning software, and some microcomputers, allow you to customize infinitely.

Jim G

msears: This is how you miht consider handling the lousy customer service issue:

Visit the dealership in person and politely but firmly ask for a brief discussion with the service manager. If you have any grief or delay getting him, politely but firmly insist on speaking with the General Manager. When you meet with either one, your speech might go something like this:

Hi, my name is XXXXX. I bought my SSR brand new from you on xxxx . I have had a less than great service experience, and that concerns me, as you and I both know that I will get a followup satisfaction survey on that service experience within day or weeks, directly from GM. We also know that if I answer ANY question at ALL with any answer other than a perfect score, your dealership, your service advisor, and you will all be hurt by the way GM's system works.

I would REALLY like to give your service department all perfect scores, but I will not lie. So, we need to figure out how to fix the experience I ahve had so that I CAN honestly give you those perfect scores.

How do we do that, and how do we ensure that we never need to have this kind of conversation again, because it's not a pleasant experience for me OR you?

Jim G