- Jun 8, 2012
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2015 Z06 loses power on track
- Thread starter wilyvet
- Start date
- Jan 11, 2009
- 11,104
- 1,983
This is what happens when you do a tune to get rid of the "heat soak" issue. 
Sucks to hear about. Hopefully GM treats him better than past Z06 owners.
Sucks to hear about. Hopefully GM treats him better than past Z06 owners.
- Apr 30, 2012
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GM had to be very conservative with the timing in order to deal with the uneducated and cheapskates who use the cheapest gas going. These guys are out there. With a lot of these canned tunes, they are upping the timing and that might be ok to a point with premium gas, such as it is, but can ruin an engine when you get into detonation. There is a limit to how much timing an engine can use and beyond that, you are into detonation, especially when low octane gas is used. At the very best, you are only going to get 94 octane at the pumps unless you want to pay ridiculous dollars for 100+ octane for racing.
Numbers really don't mean much unless they are time slips at a track.
Numbers really don't mean much unless they are time slips at a track.
- Oct 22, 2014
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Putting cheaper low octane gas in an engine will not increase its detonation potential since the ECU will manage engine parameters automatically. You will however get reduced performance and poor fuel economy.
- Aug 19, 2014
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To be clear, you are suggesting that an ECU can be programmed to manage engine parameters automatically, to allow it to adjust to the octane level of the fuel in the tank on a real time basis, but that it can't be programmed to modify engine parameters based on a pre determined odometer reading, ie allowing for a different "tune" once break in is acheived? That it can have a variety of different "tunes" available based on the octane level of the gas that it might receive, but that it can't have a different tune that turns on at a pre determined point? Hmmm....
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- Apr 30, 2012
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That's all fine as long as some "expert" doesn't start messing with the computer and starts changing all the parameters and ranges. I think I will stick to building and tuning my old carbureted engines. They all worked fine once dialed in to today's 91 octane gas.
- Jan 26, 2009
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Not sure about the C6 or C7 but the C5 computer was not smart enough to adjust for poor gas, put in lower octane gas and it would ping, sometimes in small towns you had to put in enough lower octane because that's all they had to get you to the next larger city.
- Oct 22, 2014
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Sure it can I never said it could not. I don't know what you are implying. There is enough electronics in a C7 to monitor what revs and gear you are in when you miss a shift and blow your engine. That did not exist previously. You are alluding to something different. It has been widely reported in other Corvette forums and some tuner forums that there are no alternate data tables in the ECU programming to magically give the car more power after so many miles or color of shirt the driver is wearing. Dreamers are going to continue to dream. The Corvette has one set of tables in the ECU not many. That is fact. GM acknowledged the soft tune was for engine longevity during the warranty period. I don't know why this issue keeps getting beat with a stick. It is what it is. What you get with a Z06 out of the box it what it will be. There is no magic number of miles that are going to make it more than it is. GM says if thats not good enough go get a performance tune. Those that don't care about warranty and many track racers don't will obviously get this done. Those that don't track their cars will leave it as is and still have a wonderful automobile. I still think its a great car but it should have been advertised as a great car with greater potential. My gripe is with GM saying its the "most capable track Corvette ever'. It clearly is not since it can't go around the track more than a few times without drastically killing its performance. People should stop defending GM and their marketing kids since the information is all out there if you care to read it.
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- Aug 14, 2014
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In theory. In reality our c6 would get a little valve flutter (detonation) with lower octane gas. There is only so much retardation the computer can dish out, and beyond that u get detonation.
Ditto for the c7. Already experienced this....
I agree with you that GM was deceitful, if what is said about the z06 is true. Just like they were deceitful with the summer only, do not drive below 7C tires!
- Oct 22, 2014
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The 2015 Z06 may not be the car to have. I have heard rumours that significant changes are underway for the 2017 model to put the performance back where it should be. People are starting to cancel orders in the US due to some negative feedback. GM better wake up fast.
The 2015 Z06 may not be to the car to have if you can't get it period. The sites are rampid with people finding reasons not to get the Z06 and that is the nature of the cat.
From your first post you have bashed the Z06 right from joining...give it a break. You dont like the car, you have said your peace so move on. Those that have the car love it. As for the cancellations, I am on all the sites and I must be missing those threads. As for the significant changes for 2017......absolute first I have ever heard of this...
The 2015 Z06 , and C7 as a whole, has been the best Corvette public response Corvette has seen in years, perhaps ever. GM is ecstatic with what this car has achieved, as are the owners who own them. GM better wake up fast? Ya... when you can market a car that garnishes world news for every incident for which it is involved, you tell me how bad that pres really is. This Z06 has reached much further than GM ever expected...its success has surpassed that as well.
The consistent so it seems is that fact that the haters just so happen not to own or have access to one.
From your first post you have bashed the Z06 right from joining...give it a break. You dont like the car, you have said your peace so move on. Those that have the car love it. As for the cancellations, I am on all the sites and I must be missing those threads. As for the significant changes for 2017......absolute first I have ever heard of this...
The 2015 Z06 , and C7 as a whole, has been the best Corvette public response Corvette has seen in years, perhaps ever. GM is ecstatic with what this car has achieved, as are the owners who own them. GM better wake up fast? Ya... when you can market a car that garnishes world news for every incident for which it is involved, you tell me how bad that pres really is. This Z06 has reached much further than GM ever expected...its success has surpassed that as well.
The consistent so it seems is that fact that the haters just so happen not to own or have access to one.
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- Aug 20, 2014
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Love my C7. Wouldn't trade it in for anything ... well almost anything.
- Oct 29, 2013
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Well said AllFlash! I love my C7 and still giggle every time I get in the car. Some people take everything they read online as the gospel.
- Jan 11, 2009
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Who knew one You Tube video could cause the Corvette world to crumble at it's knees. 
Well, I am bias to liking the Z06 so I'm going to go the way of being skeptical on the negative press and taking joy in the positive press. Why? It's a street car. From a few dyno runs I have seen, it makes more power than advertised. It looks dead gorgeous. It's "affordable" and it's made brought the Corvette even higher in the limelight to the public....which is due to the C7.
Is this actually a Corvette issue or a marketing issue? The only thing that could be a disappointment is that GM marketed this car as "the most track capable Corvette ever". And, what is people's interpretation of "capable"? Maybe they should have used the word potential instead?
To me, a lot of this seems to be based on opinion and what people are looking for in a Z06. It's also based on reading other people's opinions to make your own opinions. Does anyone here have a Z06 or have personally talked to the owners of the cars? Those are the people I would like to hear from. However, my opinion is that I like it.
Well, I am bias to liking the Z06 so I'm going to go the way of being skeptical on the negative press and taking joy in the positive press. Why? It's a street car. From a few dyno runs I have seen, it makes more power than advertised. It looks dead gorgeous. It's "affordable" and it's made brought the Corvette even higher in the limelight to the public....which is due to the C7.
Is this actually a Corvette issue or a marketing issue? The only thing that could be a disappointment is that GM marketed this car as "the most track capable Corvette ever". And, what is people's interpretation of "capable"? Maybe they should have used the word potential instead?
To me, a lot of this seems to be based on opinion and what people are looking for in a Z06. It's also based on reading other people's opinions to make your own opinions. Does anyone here have a Z06 or have personally talked to the owners of the cars? Those are the people I would like to hear from. However, my opinion is that I like it.
- Oct 22, 2014
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You and others continue to gloss over the fact that the car does not perform like it has been marketed. It is not the "most capable track Corvette ever" as they like to say. It can't make it around the track more than a few laps without losing steam. The previous generation Z06 outruns it at the track. I guess if you are a guy that spends more time washing and waxing your car this would not bother you since you would never visit a track. If that describes you then you are the typical Corvette owner. They tried to get the demographic down a bit but it still looks like it is the older, overweight gentlemen that buys the car. Only a small portion buy the car to track it and after all it is billed as a track car. Anybody that buys a Z06 and does not track it is only getting it for bragging rights. I have no problem with the base C7 it is a great car for the money and performance. But the Z06 falls flat for the extra money and if I had one I would not be happy about the detuned engine when I take it to the track. My hope is that they fix this problem in future years so the car can be used as designed and marketed. Good luck to you early adopters that are the beta testers for this car. You are paying an inflated price for a car that does not perform unless you get a tune and lose your warranty. But like I said if you are a washer and waxer it would not matter if the car had a 4 cylinder engine.
- Oct 30, 2013
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This whole thread now comes off as sour grapes. Why do you feel it is your place to insult anyone as you have done above? I welcome your opinion, the insults not so much.
Do what you want with your car. I have no issues with the "washing/waxing or the "track stars". Nor should you.
- Jan 11, 2009
- 11,104
- 1,983
I would like to know exactly what the Z06 falls "flat" to? 500hp? 550hp? 575hp?
- Aug 20, 2014
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C
C7Jake
Z06 ain't quite cool enough...it does have some nice styling cues.
Visually, I particularly dislike the front fender flares, splitter winglets & rear spoiler.
Is a 1LZ worth a $38k+ premium over my 1LT & do I want one? Absolutely NOT
Z06 will see big discounts in the near future.
GM should have made it the undisputed top dog with 707hp+...that'd really be somethin' to brag about!
Let the race boys have at it...95%+ won't see serious track use...see it @ show 'n shines.
I'd sooner have a 4C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkmfVsWunJ0
Visually, I particularly dislike the front fender flares, splitter winglets & rear spoiler.
Is a 1LZ worth a $38k+ premium over my 1LT & do I want one? Absolutely NOT
Z06 will see big discounts in the near future.
GM should have made it the undisputed top dog with 707hp+...that'd really be somethin' to brag about!
Let the race boys have at it...95%+ won't see serious track use...see it @ show 'n shines.
I'd sooner have a 4C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkmfVsWunJ0
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