Question Range Device--thoughts?

[lupo]

Hi All--just wondering if any Canadians are using the Range device to disable V4 mode in your A8 equipped vehicles.
Lots of talk on the US forums of course, but wanted to hear thoughts from our Forum members.

I have 4km on my 2017 and no issues with stuttering so on the fence about this $200US 'mod'.
Range Technology | AFM Solutions for GM Cars, Trucks & SUVs

 

[AxeZ06]

If that is a cure for the slight vibration, I wouldn't bother. I have the same kms as you lupo, and the couple times that i noticed V4 come on, it was amusing to see the instant mpg at 42 while cruising 120kph with 650hp!
If and when it bothered me, the right foot was no charge. Mine is M7.
Next door neighbour says his Sierra shakes like hell when his V4 kicks in.

 

[frankmp]

Big reason we got rid of our grandsport a8. Hopefully you never get the shutter that many on the us vette forums mention. Then getting triple flushes..some new trannys. Pick up a cheap range from someone with an older revision and send to range for a free upgrade to current v6.8.1 revision. Good insurance. But your call!

 

[Rruuff Day]

I don't have an A8 but my car never goes into V4 unless I'm in eco mode (which is almost never unless I'm set on cruise on a straight flat highway). Anyhows, all I get when it shifts to V4 is a slight little burp that I don't even notice unless I'm watching for it to change. I drive in Sport mode almost all the time anyway...Track mode if I'm pushing on a good Vette road or I want the exhaust to bark a little more in town...lol... .. Can't see a need...at least not for mine.

 

[cdnrx1]

Hi All--just wondering if any Canadians are using the Range device to disable V4 mode in your A8 equipped vehicles.
Lots of talk on the US forums of course, but wanted to hear thoughts from our Forum members.

I have 4km on my 2017 and no issues with stuttering so on the fence about this $200US 'mod'.
Range Technology | AFM Solutions for GM Cars, Trucks & SUVs

Hi lupo:

I have a 2019 GS, 2LT with the 8L90 transmission.

Prior to purchasing the car back in April of 2018 I researched the TC shudder problem thoroughly and, based on the information available at the time, I decided to purchase the Range AFM disabler. Bought it directly from Range and had it shipped to a PO Box in NY. Made sure that it had the latest software so as to limit battery drain during extended periods of non-use. This has not been a problem.

The device does what the manufacturer claims and that is to defeat the AFM system in all driving modes while the transmission is in full auto. Of course if you drive in manual mode AFM will not kick in. For $200.00 US I feel that it is a reasonable band-aide solution to a much deeper problem that GM may or may not ever solve. The latest TSB indicates that the new Mobil 1 ATF has been designed to eliminate moisture absorbance which, they claim, is causing the problem. Still too early to tell if it will solve the problem, I have my doubts. However, keep in mind that, based on anecdotal evidence, the TC shudder affects a very small percentage of the A8's on the road right now. Many owners have thousands of trouble free miles / kilometers on their cars, but , I agree that it's a crap shoot at best.

Although I drive in manual mode 99% of the time, there are times when my wife will drive, full auto only. So, I'll continue to use the Range device as it prevents the car from shifting between V8 and V4 modes. No guarantee that it will prevent the shudder from occurring in future but it may provide a small measure of insurance. Fingers crossed. Latest TSB and GM Techlink article attached for those interested.

Best regards
Ross

 

[Rruuff Day]

Hi lupo:

I have a 2019 GS, 2LT with the 8L90 transmission.

Prior to purchasing the car back in April of 2018 I researched the TC shudder problem thoroughly and, based on the information available at the time, I decided to purchase the Range AFM disabler. Bought it directly from Range and had it shipped to a PO Box in NY. Made sure that it had the latest software so as to limit battery drain during extended periods on non-use. This has not been a problem.

The device does what the manufacturer claims and that is to defeat the AFM system in all driving modes while the transmission is in full auto. Of course if you drive in manual mode AFM will not kick in. For $200.00 US I feel that it is a reasonable band-aide solution to a much deeper problem that GM may or may not ever solve. The latest TSB indicates that the new Mobil 1 ATF has been designed to eliminate moisture absorbance which, they claim, is causing the problem. Still too early to tell if it will solve the problem, I have my doubts. However, keep in mind that, based on anecdotal evidence, the TC shudder affects a very small percentage of the A8's on the road right now. Many owners have thousands of trouble free miles / kilometers on their cars, but , I agree that it's a crap shoot at best.

Although I drive in manual mode 99% of the time, there are times when my wife will drive, full auto only. So, I'll continue to use the Range device as it prevents the car from shifting between V4 and V8 modes. No guarantee that it will prevent the shudder from occurring in future but it may provide a small measure of insurance. Fingers crossed. Latest TSB and GM Techlink article attached for those interested.

Best regards
Ross

So on the A8 during full auto it will flip to V4 no matter what setting your mode selector is on?

 

[Jeffer2013]

I bought one after thinking on it for a year,
have had the tach up and down since new, only a 150 difference and the 2 dealers said that I am dreaming and they could not duplicate the issue

I think it has been the best mod I have ever bought and used,

my buddy a mechanic, machinist, and so on could not feel the tach difference and said it was normal, maybe I am a sensitive guy or paranoid

agree what has been said above and what the consensus on ethe USA sites as well

here is my take on this

when using the range the following occurs

AB-SO-LUTE-LEE. NO VIBRATION OR TACH MOVEMENT

SO SMOOTH YOU CANNOT FEEL THE SHOFTS UNLESS WIDE OPEN THROTTLE

THE CAR FEELS STRONGER, SMOOTHER AND MOST OF ALL

MORE RESPONSIVE AS IT THERE IS NO HESITATION WHEN THE THROTTLE IS ENGAGED, AND QUICKER TO RESPOND

a best thing since sliced bread

Now the passengers could not feel a difference but I could and luv it,

HINT IT SHOULD BE A NO CHARGE OPTION AND WOULD RECOMMEND ONE AFTER THE BREAK IN PERIOD ON ALL. EW CORVETTES WITH AN AUTO TRANNY

not a transgender tranny

Later, I might buy a second one just to have for my next vette,

wonder how the manufacturer or invented came up with the idea, they are really bright and the new model has no battery drain

Nicest product I own, other than the wife

Jeff. JTR INTERNATIONAL INC

 

[cdnrx1]

Yes, AFM is active in any mode while the 8L90 transmission is in full auto. The only ways to prevent AFM from activating are to use manual mode (paddle shift), install an AFM disabler (Range), or apply a custom tune that eliminates it.

 

[lupo]

Great inputs--thank you everyone! It seems like cheap insurance and I'm going to pick one up.
@cdnrx1 thanks for posting the TSB and I had not yet heard about moisture as being the latest potential root cause of the issue--interesting and much appreciated.

 

[Jeffer2013]

Great inputs--thank you everyone! It seems like cheap insurance and I'm going to pick one up.
@cdnrx1 thanks for posting the TSB and I had not yet heard about moisture as being the latest potential root cause of the issue--interesting and much appreciated.

the moisture if from the sweat on the gym board of directors brow as they consider the bean counters numbers on fixing the tranny problem over the lawsuits on it

and whether the USA class action suit will gain

wait for it


TRACTION

 

[tyho]

I took a different approach to disabling the AFM. Dave at Race Ready did a tune. He deleted the 1-4 skip shift and he disabled the AFM and the 4 cylinder mode. I purchased a resistor from Edgyvette for about $150 and removed the AFM actuators. Car runs great, like it should have in the first place. Oh, it's a 2015 z51 M7.

 

[Jeremiad]

This is where @XFIRE82 should be chiming in, but I'll take his place. All of this skip-shift and AFM stuff is just a bunch of crap to try to meet the fuel-efficiency requirements of the American government (and corresponding CSA stipulations). Sure, it allows the car to meet those specifications, but it is of no benefit to the end user in the long run. Even that is just fine, because it means that your car will lose power over the years, and you will just have to buy another one.

Go ahead and disable that nonsense. If you drive your car reasonably, it will get suprisingly good mileage. If you drive your car hard, it will please you even more.

 

[cdnrx1]

Just a few points of clarification on this issue, First off, the TC shudder is only related to the 8L90 8 speed automatic transmission and the effects of AFM. The problem occurs because the lock-up clutches in the torque converter fail to lock completely during the change from V8 to V4 mode. This is now thought to be due to excessive moisture accumulation within the TC or so says the latest from GM.

The Tremec TR-6070-7 7 speed manual transmission is not adversely affected by AFM, works as it should and provides a minimal fuel economy benefit, as it does with the A8 when working properly. There is no detrimental effect on the M7 due to AFM. The change to V4 mode is easily avoided by not selecting the ECO drive mode. While the skip shift feature and AFM may be annoying they are easily avoided by modifying driving habits, using a skip shift eliminator, avoiding Eco mode or applying a custom tune. A word of caution here, a custom tune will be detectable by GM and could void your powertrain warranty.

The use of an AFM disabler (Range, DiabloSport etc.) is the most effective way to eliminate AFM in the A8 and it's use cannot be detected by GM as it does not leave an e-footprint in the ECU. All it does is to send a small string of code to the ECU that tricks it into thinking that the conditions for AFM have not been met. As such, V4 mode is avoided. As long as you remember to remove it from the OBD II port prior to going to the dealership for service, it's use cannot be detected. Having said that, it's worth noting that any device left attached to the OBD II port may prevent OnStar from collecting data. This happened to me and, on the monthly email, I received a note stating " We were unable to successfully complete a diagnostic test. … ". OnStar uses the OBD II port to collect data and, if there is a device occupying it, they can't connect. However, there are any number of devices that may be plugged in at any given time for legitimate reasons so OnStar/GM really can't prove that you have an AFM disabler installed. So, no problem with warranty.

 

[Rruuff Day]

The few times I've even tried Eco mode, there has been no appreciable fuel mileage difference in a 100km run as compared to Sport mode. As I said before, just an almost un-noticable burp when it changes to v4. As far as the skip shift goes, I guess my driving habits don't lend themselves well to skip shift as it never tries to skip when I shift 1->2 unless I idle away from a stop.... don't exceed like 750 rpms or like 4 kph when I shift.... like that happens... duh!... My C6 was exactly the same. Never even knew it had a skip shift until I found a brand new eliminator thingy in a bag of goodies that came with the car. Still have that somewhere as I never installed it either.

 

[Bruce Marshall]

My 2016 Z06 developed the 4 cylinder shudder and growl noise at about 20,000 km. GM replaced the supercharger drive belt with a Gates belt and the shudder and noise are still gone at 50,000 kms.
The dealership had trouble understanding the part number and it took more than a week for the belt to come in, but its done the trick so far

 

[dyoung]

Should have bought Frank's used one a few weeks ago..Just ordered one from Range. $217.00 U.S. including shipping with a $10 discount from Corvette magazine. I haven't had any symptoms of TX failure or shuddering but you never know when it might happen.

 

[Bruce Marshall]

The few times I've even tried Eco mode, there has been no appreciable fuel mileage difference in a 100km run as compared to Sport mode. As I said before, just an almost un-noticable burp when it changes to v4. As far as the skip shift goes, I guess my driving habits don't lend themselves well to skip shift as it never tries to skip when I shift 1->2 unless I idle away from a stop.... don't exceed like 750 rpms or like 4 kph when I shift.... like that happens... duh!... My C6 was exactly the same. Never even knew it had a skip shift until I found a brand new eliminator thingy in a bag of goodies that came with the car. Still have that somewhere as I never installed it either.

The few times I've even tried Eco mode, there has been no appreciable fuel mileage difference in a 100km run as compared to Sport mode. As I said before, just an almost un-noticable burp when it changes to v4. As far as the skip shift goes, I guess my driving habits don't lend themselves well to skip shift as it never tries to skip when I shift 1->2 unless I idle away from a stop.... don't exceed like 750 rpms or like 4 kph when I shift.... like that happens... duh!... My C6 was exactly the same. Never even knew it had a skip shift until I found a brand new eliminator thingy in a bag of goodies that came with the car. Still have that somewhere as I never installed it either.

I've taken the vette on 3 x 8,000 km trips and Eco mode made zero mileage improvement over Tour mode.
Both settings get amazing fuel mileage on the highway even at 85 mph in the States.

 

[Vegas1500]

Have the range device for cheap insurance but There are thousands of cars out there with 0 issues. Wouldn’t trade my A8 for nothing.

 

[marsheng]

I have a range on my 2019 Stingray vert and love it ,never had any shudder issues but concerned about non functioning cylinders running cool with accelerated wear as that issue is well documented ,slight loss of fuel mileage but not a big deal!

 

[cdnrx1]

FYI only. Just an update to the latest TSB as it relates to this topic.