First to fourth gear

[Thirsty]

I have a 2012 2ss manual.

Just out for a ride today and one two occasions the DIC shows a shift patern of first to fourth gear. The car would not easily shift into second, third, or fifth. I was not on it hard at the time. The problem lasted for 30 to 45 seconds and then the I was able to easily shift between all gears again.

Any ideas on what is going on? I could understand it it if I really revved hard in first but that was not even close to being the case. When I've pushed it in first, there were no shifting restrictions.

I remember reading something about this before, maybe in the owners manual but it didn't explain why it does this. Any ideas?

Big brother watching?

[SimpleGreen]

Fuel mileage if I recall?

Buy a skip shift eliminator. Best spent $22 ever on a manual trans Camaro.

[Apex Motorsports]

CAGS, or Computer-Aided Gear Selection, is a feature on newer domestic performance vehicles equipped with a six speed manual transmission. The purpose of CAGS is to help avoid the “gas guzzler” tax by improving fuel economy under “normal” driving conditions. CAGS is activated in the 2010-up Camaro SS when:

• you are in first gear
• you are using 21% throttle or less
• you are traveling between 15 & 19 mph
• and your engine coolant temperature is greater than 169°F (76°C)

When these parameters are met, CAGS overrides the driver and locks out 2nd and 3rd gear, forcing the driver to shift directly from 1st to 4th gear. Many drivers are unwilling to accept this factory installed nuisance. After all, if they wanted a computer to decide what gear they should be in they would have bought an automatic. For those extensively modifying their vehicle, CAGS can be “turned off” by a performance tuner. For the average bolt on car the safest and most economical way to eliminate CAGS is by installing a high quality Skip Shift Eliminator. These units actually trick the computer into thinking it’s still in control but will not allow CAGS to activate and will not trigger trouble codes or the “Service Engine Soon” light.

A quality Skip Shift Eliminator, like the one manufactured by Apex Motorsports , uses OEM weather-proof plugs and is installed in minutes by simply lifting your vehicle, unplugging the CAGS wiring harness from its solenoid (the solenoid is located on the drivers side towards the top of the transmission in the case of the new Camaro), and plugging the Skip Shift Eliminator inline between the harness and solenoid. Just like that, CAGS is gone.

[Thirsty]

As always I knew someone would know what was going on. Thanks for the quick and detailed answer.

[Trevorw24]

Chevy is notorious for this "innovation," also seen in Vettes.

[Wakemaker89]

Just get a tune! you won't regret it! ok maybe you wil but thats just because you will want to spend more money modding after you tune it!

[SteelCamaro]

It's a nuisance, but if you don't want to buy the eliminator you can just wait a second or two and it will go away, allowing you to shift as normal. I slightly altered my shifting habits/timing so that it rarely comes up anymore, but when it does I usually just wait a second, go to a slightly higher RPM, or shift to 3rd.

[Mutant Racer]

Originally Posted by SteelCamaro

It's a nuisance, but if you don't want to buy the eliminator you can just wait a second or two and it will go away, allowing you to shift as normal. I slightly altered my shifting habits/timing so that it rarely comes up anymore, but when it does I usually just wait a second, go to a slightly higher RPM, or shift to 3rd.

Yup I did the same with my timing when in traffic. I might just buy the eliminator anyway.

[slick rick]

Originally Posted by Thirsty

Big brother watching?

Yes, time to pull the Onstar fuse

[FRSTR90]

Originally Posted by Mutant Racer

Yup I did the same with my timing when in traffic. I might just buy the eliminator anyway.

+1

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by Trevorw24

Chevy is notorious for this "innovation," also seen in Vettes.

They aren't the only ones that use CAGS and it sure beats paying "gas guzzler" tax.

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Originally Posted by Thirsty

I have a 2012 2ss manual.

Just out for a ride today and one two occasions the DIC shows a shift patern of first to fourth gear. The car would not easily shift into second, third, or fifth. I was not on it hard at the time. The problem lasted for 30 to 45 seconds and then the I was able to easily shift between all gears again.

Any ideas on what is going on? I could understand it it if I really revved hard in first but that was not even close to being the case. When I've pushed it in first, there were no shifting restrictions.

I remember reading something about this before, maybe in the owners manual but it didn't explain why it does this. Any ideas?

Big brother watching?

On page 9-31 in your owner's manual it states:

One to Four Shift Message (V8 Only)

Driver Information Center
When this message comes on, you can only shift from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) instead of 1 (First) to 2 (Second). The message will be displayed in the Driver Information Center. You must complete the shift into 4 (Fourth) to turn off this feature. This helps you get the best possible fuel economy. After shifting to 4 (Fourth), you may downshift to a lower gear if you prefer.

Notice: Forcing the shift lever into any gear except 4 (Fourth) when the 1—4 SHIFT message comes on may damage the transmission. Shift only from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) when the message comes on.

This message will come on when:

The engine coolant temperature is higher than 76°C (169°F),

The vehicle is going 24 to 31 km/h (15 to 19 mph)

The vehicle is at 21 percent throttle or less.

I hope this is what you were looking for!

Brandon
Chevrolet Customer Service