Some questions about the Auto ZL1 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Dezperados · 03-18-2012, 05:06 AM

Hi.

I have some questions about the automatic ZL1

1. Is there a true manual mode with the pedals? So it doesn't shift automatically into different gears, just if I want to.

2. To save fuel, can I go again into manual mode and just stay for example into 6th gear while driving through the city? Or does the car shift by itself after a certain time?

3.The stick shift version has a launch control. How does it work in the automatic version. Just pedal to the metal or some pre-programmed mode?

Thanks for your help,
Dez

Pappa Joe · 03-18-2012, 06:39 AM

[QUOTE=Dezperados;4663791]Hi.

I have some questions about the automatic ZL1

2. To save fuel, can I go again into manual mode and just stay for example into 6th gear while driving through the city? Or does the car shift by itself after a certain time?

No offence but,if you wanna save on fuel .....Don't buy a 580 HP car! Buy a volt or stick with the Mini!

DONT FORGET YOU NEED 93 OCTANE....WHICH IS MOST EXPENSIVE AT THE PUMPS!

Bumblebee2012 · 03-18-2012, 06:48 AM

If you were to place it into sixth with an auto trans while going through town, the trans would automatically downshift to protect itself if your speed was not adequate to safely pressurized sixth gear.

What some folks don't understand is that at idle your automatic does not build full line pressure. So the manufacture had safeguards built in that prevent you from destroying your transmission by trying to force it into a gear that is impossible to hydraulically support.

It is highly likely that if you were going through a town at 30 MPH, the pump output pressure would not support sixth and as such the programming will prevent you from damaging.

There are very good and totally valid points that the auto-shift will not do all that a driver asks it to do..... and that is that the owners honestly have no clue how the device works or how quickly they can totally destroy it without these safeguards.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Dezperados · 03-18-2012, 07:34 AM

Thanks for the reply.

Pappa Joe, just because I am going to buy a ZL1, it doesn´t mean I have to throw away the petrol, right? Here in Germany, we already pay double the price you pay for petrol... I don´t really care about it, but even in the huge horsepower cars from Audi, you can easily drive the 50km/h in the city in 5th, 6th or even 7th gear.

Bumblebee2012, thanks for the detailed reply. Maybe I should stay with a stick if I want to control the gear by myself, right?

Dezperados · 03-18-2012, 07:39 AM

By the way, I am taking 95 octane or sometimes 98 octane for the Mini, so petrol price doens´t matter

Nearly all newer cars take this petrol here in Germany.

Bumblebee2012 · 03-18-2012, 08:11 AM

Dez,

Yea. For you to be able to really walk it around town at or near idle RPM you may seriously want to consider the manual.

The pump output pressure on an automatic (slush box) does ramp up very quickly over the initial increase in RPM as you come up from idle, but not enough to allow a person full control.

Not sure if your familiar with an automatic trans, but each gear has its own set of stacked friction and steel clutch plates with a hydraulic piston behind them. As you select a gear (or the car selects a gear for you) the piston is struck with hydraulic pressure and the plates are hopefully engaged so that the engine can put the available power through the set of clutches and out the driveshaft. If the hydraulic pressure is to low to hold firm on the clutch stack, within a second or so the entire stack is burnt junk.

This is why any rebuilder of transmissions will run his gages off of the various pressure test ports and run the trans on a trans dyno with no load or in the vehicle with its tires off the ground to verify pressures are as expected. If the pressures are not right, you will instantly destroy all friction clutches. (This scenario sucks, I've done it!)

A manual has none of these limitations, you can run the engine from idle to red line and the clutch will function fine and as expected.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

snapp32e · 03-18-2012, 08:12 AM

[QUOTE=Pappa Joe;4663845]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dezperados

Hi.

I have some questions about the automatic ZL1

2. To save fuel, can I go again into manual mode and just stay for example into 6th gear while driving through the city? Or does the car shift by itself after a certain time?

No offence but,if you wanna save on fuel .....Don't buy a 580 HP car! Buy a volt or stick with the Mini!

DONT FORGET YOU NEED 93 OCTANE....WHICH IS MOST EXPENSIVE AT THE PUMPS!

The car will run fine with 91.

Drake Heminger · 03-18-2012, 08:27 AM

I got the auto and honestly I dont care about gas mileage as my car will be mainly sitting at car shows (; (;

Dezperados · 03-18-2012, 08:32 AM

If I get the ZL1, it sees only Super Plus (= 98 Octane).

Bumblebee2012,
thank you very very much for the reply. Never thought about it, since I have never driven an automatic. So I´ll be more happy with a stick I guess.

snapp32e · 03-18-2012, 08:41 AM

I wish we could get 98 here. I can't even find a place that has 93 where i live. We run turbos on our snowmobiles and the limiting factor for boost is the best fuel you can find. Sometimes we'll mix in 20% race fuel for kicks.

Al C. · 03-18-2012, 09:57 AM

Streetblaze 100 if you can get it. I ran 110 octane on my bike and the difference was huge!

Pappa Joe · 03-18-2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dezperados

If I get the ZL1, it sees only Super Plus (= 98 Octane).

Bumblebee2012,
thank you very very much for the reply. Never thought about it, since I have never driven an automatic. So I´ll be more happy with a stick I guess.

Highest iv seen at pumps here is 94

Pappa Joe · 03-18-2012, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapp32e

I wish we could get 98 here. I can't even find a place that has 93 where i live. We run turbos on our snowmobiles and the limiting factor for boost is the best fuel you can find. Sometimes we'll mix in 20% race fuel for kicks.

Try Petro Cans....I found a few in my area with 94 ultra.Do internet search for your area....i found 2 stations near me.

islander033 · 03-18-2012, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappa Joe

Try Petro Cans....I found a few in my area with 94 ultra.Do internet search for your area....i found 2 stations near me.

Some Husky/Mohawk stations (in Canada) have 94 octane. That is what I run since I'm tuned for 93 octane.

note: I doubt you will experience much in performance gains in your ZL1 using octane over 91, since it isn't tuned from the factory to utilize the higher octane fuel.

03-18-2012, 05:06 AM	#1
Dezperados Anodized Blue Drives: Cars Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 43	Some questions about the Auto ZL1 Hi. I have some questions about the automatic ZL1 1. Is there a true manual mode with the pedals? So it doesn't shift automatically into different gears, just if I want to. 2. To save fuel, can I go again into manual mode and just stay for example into 6th gear while driving through the city? Or does the car shift by itself after a certain time? 3.The stick shift version has a launch control. How does it work in the automatic version. Just pedal to the metal or some pre-programmed mode? Thanks for your help, Dez

03-18-2012, 08:27 AM	#8
Drake Heminger Drives: 2014 Stingray Z51 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Stafford, VA Posts: 2,951	I got the auto and honestly I dont care about gas mileage as my car will be mainly sitting at car shows (; (; __________________ "What a coincidence, Drake returns and brings brand new ZL1's with him...." - CAM....ZL1

03-18-2012, 08:41 AM	#10
snapp32e Drives: '81-Z28/'07-Tundra/'12-ZL1/'13-Jeep Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 529	I wish we could get 98 here. I can't even find a place that has 93 where i live. We run turbos on our snowmobiles and the limiting factor for boost is the best fuel you can find. Sometimes we'll mix in 20% race fuel for kicks. __________________ ZL1 #612

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03-18-2012, 06:39 AM	#2
Pappa Joe Drives: Charger/TL1000R/Cobalt/ZL1 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 1,207	[QUOTE=Dezperados;4663791]Hi. I have some questions about the automatic ZL1 2. To save fuel, can I go again into manual mode and just stay for example into 6th gear while driving through the city? Or does the car shift by itself after a certain time? No offence but,if you wanna save on fuel .....Don't buy a 580 HP car! Buy a volt or stick with the Mini! DONT FORGET YOU NEED 93 OCTANE....WHICH IS MOST EXPENSIVE AT THE PUMPS!

03-18-2012, 06:48 AM	#3
Bumblebee2012 Drives: 2012 2SS TF3, 1971 Chevelle Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 840	If you were to place it into sixth with an auto trans while going through town, the trans would automatically downshift to protect itself if your speed was not adequate to safely pressurized sixth gear. What some folks don't understand is that at idle your automatic does not build full line pressure. So the manufacture had safeguards built in that prevent you from destroying your transmission by trying to force it into a gear that is impossible to hydraulically support. It is highly likely that if you were going through a town at 30 MPH, the pump output pressure would not support sixth and as such the programming will prevent you from damaging. There are very good and totally valid points that the auto-shift will not do all that a driver asks it to do..... and that is that the owners honestly have no clue how the device works or how quickly they can totally destroy it without these safeguards. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

03-18-2012, 07:34 AM	#4
Dezperados Anodized Blue Drives: Cars Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 43	Thanks for the reply. Pappa Joe, just because I am going to buy a ZL1, it doesn´t mean I have to throw away the petrol, right? Here in Germany, we already pay double the price you pay for petrol... I don´t really care about it, but even in the huge horsepower cars from Audi, you can easily drive the 50km/h in the city in 5th, 6th or even 7th gear. Bumblebee2012, thanks for the detailed reply. Maybe I should stay with a stick if I want to control the gear by myself, right?

03-18-2012, 07:39 AM	#5
Dezperados Anodized Blue Drives: Cars Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 43	By the way, I am taking 95 octane or sometimes 98 octane for the Mini, so petrol price doens´t matter Nearly all newer cars take this petrol here in Germany.

03-18-2012, 08:11 AM	#6
Bumblebee2012 Drives: 2012 2SS TF3, 1971 Chevelle Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 840	Dez, Yea. For you to be able to really walk it around town at or near idle RPM you may seriously want to consider the manual. The pump output pressure on an automatic (slush box) does ramp up very quickly over the initial increase in RPM as you come up from idle, but not enough to allow a person full control. Not sure if your familiar with an automatic trans, but each gear has its own set of stacked friction and steel clutch plates with a hydraulic piston behind them. As you select a gear (or the car selects a gear for you) the piston is struck with hydraulic pressure and the plates are hopefully engaged so that the engine can put the available power through the set of clutches and out the driveshaft. If the hydraulic pressure is to low to hold firm on the clutch stack, within a second or so the entire stack is burnt junk. This is why any rebuilder of transmissions will run his gages off of the various pressure test ports and run the trans on a trans dyno with no load or in the vehicle with its tires off the ground to verify pressures are as expected. If the pressures are not right, you will instantly destroy all friction clutches. (This scenario sucks, I've done it!) A manual has none of these limitations, you can run the engine from idle to red line and the clutch will function fine and as expected. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

03-18-2012, 08:32 AM	#9
Dezperados Anodized Blue Drives: Cars Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 43	If I get the ZL1, it sees only Super Plus (= 98 Octane). Bumblebee2012, thank you very very much for the reply. Never thought about it, since I have never driven an automatic. So I´ll be more happy with a stick I guess.

03-18-2012, 09:57 AM	#11
Al C. Drives: ZL1 #529 "El-Jefe" Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 668	Streetblaze 100 if you can get it. I ran 110 octane on my bike and the difference was huge!