[wjones14]

It's been two weeks now with a new 2SS 1LE. The weather has been brutal here in New England, so I only have 200 miles on the car so far. I'm following the break-in procedure so these miles are mostly just cruising around town and getting a feel for the car and its features.

Before buying I did my research - I've been a forum member for years, and also frequent the Mustang S550 and BMW 2 series forums. Two assumptions I had before buying the car:

1. There are few, if any, mainstream cars with worse visibility, so that will take getting used to
2. The 1-4 skip-shift feature would have to be eliminated immediately

As far as visibility, so far I'm seeing that at least 90% of the time, there is no issue. Driving forward in this car is not much different than any other car, and most of the time, that's what you're doing. I have not yet been on a multi-lane highway with lots of traffic and cars on both sides, so I can't comment on that. That could be tricky. The difficulties I have seen so far are all low-speed parking-related things. Yesterday I pulled into an angled parking spot (end spot of course ), next to what else but a large SUV. When backing out of the spot later, of course I couldn't see well around the SUV, and the blind spot in the right rear prevented me from seeing any cars pulling past me through the lot. So of course a little Honda was ripping past while I was inching back, and I never saw him - but the rear Cross Traffic alert did pick him up and beeped a warning at me - so no harm done, because the safety features had done their job. Even without the system, I wouldn't have just backed out assuming no one was there, so I wouldn't call it a close call at all. The point is, I could not see that Honda myself, but I'm sure I would have seen him if I was in my MINI. (And before someone replies that I should have backed into the spot, it would have been difficult because the spot was at a 45 degree angle, so it would have been a multi-point reverse procedure to do it. I do favor backing into spots when feasible.)

As far as the skip-shift, it is really not as big an issue as I feared. I still do not like it - I drive manuals because I want to control what gear I'm in. While loafing around my town there is plenty of stop and go driving, with stop signs, pedestrian crosswalks, and traffic lights. So just out of maturity and common sense, this is not the situation to be driving like a jackass. Consequently, I'm taking it easy, short-shifting, and light on the throttle, and the skip-shift feature is happening quite frequently. For the most part, though, it works and does what it's supposed to do - that is, save fuel. Maybe 10% of the time it will happen when going up hill, so that is annoying, but when it happens on level road or downhill it's not really a problem. What is annoying, however, is that it is not 100% predictable. Sometimes I'll pull slowly away from a light, shift into 2nd under 20 mph, and it will kick in. A moment later, doing the same thing, and it won't intervene. And then there are other times when the skip-shift alert on the DIC will display, but it didn't lock the transmission out of 2nd gear.

TLDR:

1) Visibility is not a constant issue 100% of the time, and most times is not an issue at all;

2) I am not necessarily a fan of the skip-shift feature, and already have the Phastek eliminator kit in hand, but I am not as much in a rush to install it as I thought I would be. In fact, I'm going to hold off on the installation, unless it becomes unbearable. For the most part, it works, and saves fuel.

[bobby35ny]

You are driving to slow, LOL.

I must say, I've on seen the skip shift 3 or 4 times in 6K miles. If I do drive slow, I go from 1 to 3 anyway, then 5.
-Bobby

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by bobby35ny

You are driving to slow, LOL.

I must say, I've on seen the skip shift 3 or 4 times in 6K miles. If I do drive slow, I go from 1 to 3 anyway, then 5.
-Bobby

Again, I'm talking about an area with lots of pedestrians and activity. There is no way to safely speed through this town. I never liked revving out 1st gear and in all my cars I tend to get into 2nd gear as early as possible. Even driving like that, so far I am seeing 16 mpg.

[RollaMo]

You don't really have to drive any faster than is safe for the conditions you describe.

But at the same time, you are not being forced to shift either.
Just stay in 1st gear slightly longer and that "skip shift" feature will turn back off.
The conditions where skip shift are activated are really pretty narrow.

Note: This skip shift has been around a long time for GM manual transmission performance cars.
It started way back with the C4 Corvette, and my '96 LT4 has it.
But it has never really bothered me any, as I don't shift under the conditions it is activated.
Hold 1st gear just slightly longer and the light goes back out.
And no, you don't have to rev it out very high either.

Play with it a little and you'll get a better feel for it.

Of course, the skip shift eliminator is a very easy install if you just have to be rid of it altogether.

[avalonandl]

I have an M6 and do 1-3 most of the time.... the engine has so much torque.....

And the lockout will let you do that...

[BrianL]

Do the CAGS eliminator installation! I had mine in within days as I know I would want this feature turned off. It's a worthwhile 20 minute exercise. it's a little tough to get the top connector as there is limited access, but it's doable in your garage.

[closs2sx]

I have never hit skip shift in 3900 miles in my z06. I love hearing the exhaust so I bring it past 3k then shift

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by closs2sx

I have never hit skip shift in 3900 miles in my z06. I love hearing the exhaust so I bring it past 3k then shift

Ha ha, I hit the skip-shift coming out of the dealership with less than 7 miles on the car, seriously.

It's just different driving styles, no right or wrong way to do it. Like I said, I rarely will wind out 1st gear in any vehicle I have ever owned, with the exception of the Kawasaki - that thing is super fun to punch the throttle in 1st gear at about 4000 rpm because the front wheel will come up. It goes without saying that the opportunity has to be right to do that of course...

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Ha ha, I hit the skip-shift coming out of the dealership with less than 7 miles on the car, seriously.

It's just different driving styles, no right or wrong way to do it. Like I said, I rarely will wind out 1st gear in any vehicle I have ever owned

Like I said, you don't have to wind it out to shift.

Just letting it go another 500 rpm or so, is enough to prevent it in most cases.
Just experiment a little and you'll find the sweet spot.

[Norm Peterson]

1. Anything longer than a Mini is going to have visibility issues in angle-parking where you can't either back into or drive through into. There's almost always going to be an SUV that you can't see worth a damn no matter if it's over, around, or through.

On the highway - and I suspect you mean I-95 here - you'll just have to be a bit more aware of traffic behind you and chack a little more carefully before making a lane change. That's as I recall from driving a 1SS in light to medium traffic on I-40 in NC last year, not an insurmountable difference by any means.


2. My car, I'd probably have done the skip-shift mod already. I don't have a lot of patience with things that get in the way of physically operating the car. In your traffic situation (I'm originally from MA and am quite familiar with things like CT shore traffic), I'm pretty sure I'd want to be using 2nd on a regular basis. Too fast and too many revs for 1st, not enough of either to really want 3rd and certainly not 4th.


Enjoy that 1LE. If I ever get up to Thompson or Whiskey Hill, maybe I'll see you there?


Norm

[ssmike]

I ordered my skip shift eliminator before I even got the car home from buying it! After driving a few times I realized that that it’s really not an issue because it is so easy to just drive through it. I installed it yesterday anyway just in case! As far as visibility goes my only issue is seeing traffic lights at a stop. It also helps that I have a 2SS with blind spot warnings and reverse assist.

[hotlap]

Originally Posted by closs2sx

I have never hit skip shift in 3900 miles in my z06. I love hearing the exhaust so I bring it past 3k then shift

I also never had the skip shift intervene with my 04 GTO (11 years, 115k miles) and my 13 ZL1 (2 years, 4K miles). I naturally shift at higher rpms than the skip shift intervention or did 1 to 3 shift. With the GTO I always wondered it it was broken but the ZL1 confirmed driving style eliminates it naturally.

[fastball]

I learned to drive on a 1985 Cadillac Eldorado. If you don't know of or remember the '79-85 GM E-bodies (Eldorado, Toronado, Riviera), google them. Massive blind spots in the rear quarters, tiny rear window, even smaller side view mirrors. And no such thing as this fancy schmancy new fangled blind spot monitoring or rear camera lol.

As for the skip shift I bought my eliminator harness before I took delivery of the car and installed it the day I took it home.

Honestly I'm glad the tramsmission engineers came up with this back in 1989 (first used on the 1990 Corvette ZR1). It helps keep most V8 equipped cars from the federal gas guzzler tax and is yet easily defeated if the owner choses to.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

1. Anything longer than a Mini is going to have visibility issues in angle-parking where you can't either back into or drive through into. There's almost always going to be an SUV that you can't see worth a damn no matter if it's over, around, or through.

On the highway - and I suspect you mean I-95 here - you'll just have to be a bit more aware of traffic behind you and chack a little more carefully before making a lane change. That's as I recall from driving a 1SS in light to medium traffic on I-40 in NC last year, not an insurmountable difference by any means.


2. My car, I'd probably have done the skip-shift mod already. I don't have a lot of patience with things that get in the way of physically operating the car. In your traffic situation (I'm originally from MA and am quite familiar with things like CT shore traffic), I'm pretty sure I'd want to be using 2nd on a regular basis. Too fast and too many revs for 1st, not enough of either to really want 3rd and certainly not 4th.


Enjoy that 1LE. If I ever get up to Thompson or Whiskey Hill, maybe I'll see you there?


Norm

Yeah, I already have the skip-shift eliminator in hand, so I will install it eventually. It's just not as urgent an issue that I thought it would be.

I just got my jack pads the other day. They're the ones that have the slot in them to go around the frame rail pinch welds. So I do have everything I need now to properly lift the car.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074267MN3...pa_dk_detail_5

And as far as tracks, even though Thompson is closer, I would call Lime Rock my "home" track because I just love the layout and elevation changes. My all time favorite track is Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock is like a mini version of the Glen. I have been to Thompson once with the Mustang, and have been to Palmer (aka Whiskey Hill) with the BMW. So yeah, who knows, maybe we will run into each other at an HPDE track day!