Sorry to sound like a idiot, I have heard alot of you talking about a skip shift eliminator. I assumed it was for an automatic, but I was looking around and it said it was for a M6. So with out it you can't skip gears WTF. If you’re in 5th can you downshift to 3rd? I don't understand what it eliminates.

Skipshift eliminator simply eliminated the computer aided gear selection or C.A.G.S. system which makes you shift from 1st to 4th at certain speeds. Mainly if you are driving from a stop to 2500RPM it will lock every gear but 4th and make you shift there instead of 2nd to save gas.

A small price to pay to avoid a 3 grand tax.

So it just stops you from cruising in 1st gear? But I don’t understand why shifting to 4th at that low of speed or rpm would help gas mileage.

The skip shift is a computer "block" that forces the M6 to bypass 2nd and 3rd gears by providing a mechanical path back to 4th rather than 2nd gear. It was a bit of a pain on the 96 TransAm I drove because it always seemed to catch me after I turned a corner and headed uphill under a load at 1,500 RPM.

But not to worry. There are several ways to "defeat" it. It seldom catches me on the Goat because usually I shift before the computer engages it or after. There is a narrow window of (I'm guessing because I don't pay much attention -- guess I will today in case I'm wrong about the RPMs) about 2,000 RPM to about 2,500 RPM. If you shift 1-2 below, say 2,000 RPM the shifter will go through all 6 gears normally. If you rap it a bit above 2,500 RPM, it also shifts normally. If you do happen to catch the window, the shifter will slide into 4th. This is an engineering trick to encourage better fuel economy and is a terribly small price to pay for eliminating the "gas guzzler" tax of $2,000 US on the M6 that you pay on the slushbox.

Once the computer has invoked the skip, you can always downshift to your gear of choice. You can also double clutch to shift as the computer sees the second clutch press as satisfying the skip and it releases the block. It also will not engage if you don't come to a complete stop, so if you "roll" a stop sign or traffic light by creeping a bit, the computer will not "see" a complete stop and won't engage the skip.

I will say that it is less of a nuisance on the 05 GTO than on my 96 T/A because the lower RPM is a bit higher (where I usually shift during city driving in traffic). You just learn to shift at lower RPM into 2nd, or spin it over 2,500 RPM when you upshift and all is normal.

No big deal, really. Vettes and f-bodies are the same with the Tremec although shift RPMs vary a bit. You will notice that you don't hear many complaints from M6 drivers about it. :rolleyes:

So how does shifting from 1st to 4th help on gas? If you’re just driving around town and trying to conserve gas should you try to hit the RPM to force the skip shift? By the way thanks for the explanation.

It saves gas because the engine doesn't spool up to 2500 RPM in 2nd and 3rd, it just does it in 1st and 4th which is generally the only gears you need when sitting driving. One to get off the line and another for any speed higher than say 20mph. So instead of going 0-20,20-30, 30-40, it simply goes 0-20, 20-40.

Right. Short answer is that lower RPM burns less fuel.

Where do you get the skip shift eliminator at? I would want to get one when I get my GTO (If I can talk the wife into it)

Originally posted by Nucleartiger@Apr 20 2005, 09:47 PM
Where do you get the skip shift eliminator at? I would want to get one when I get my GTO (If I can talk the wife into it)
It's very cheap just like ...>here< (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7968867765)

I know you all explained it but I wanted to add what I heard from a CD that came with my car.

If you are on the throttle 21% or less, driving 15-19MPH the skip shift will engage. You CAN go from 1st to 3rd if you catch it, I do this when I get the skip shift engaging on me. I have a skip shift eliminator that I bought from SLP, but I haven't installed it yet (laziness) You could always shift to 2nd at 14MPH or 20.

As I mentioned earlier, the skip shift "window" is narrower and less obtrusive than in my 96 TransAm. I seldom if ever encounter it in my 05 because I shift early or late depending on how I'm driving. It's not worth messing around with it IMHO, just learn where the "window" is (14-19 sounds about right) and avoid it.

With the Predator Tune I have it's also gone.

I have never encountered the skip shift locking me into the 1-4 shift. I guess I just never shift to 2nd under 2500 RPMs. I have seen the light come on as I am reving in 1st. In any case, I wouldn't even spend 20 bucks on the skip shift eliminator. Not needed. :)

Originally posted by wayne2004@Aug 2 2005, 06:26 PM
I have never encountered the skip shift locking me into the 1-4 shift. I guess I just never shift to 2nd under 2500 RPMs. I have seen the light come on as I am reving in 1st. In any case, I wouldn't even spend 20 bucks on the skip shift eliminator. Not needed. :)
Its pretty easy to get around...

Originally posted by Nocturn+Aug 2 2005, 08:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Nocturn @ Aug 2 2005, 08:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-wayne2004@Aug 2 2005, 06:26 PM
I have never encountered the skip shift locking me into the 1-4 shift. I guess I just never shift to 2nd under 2500 RPMs. I have seen the light come on as I am reving in 1st. In any case, I wouldn't even spend 20 bucks on the skip shift eliminator. Not needed. :)
Its pretty easy to get around... [/b][/quote]
true, however the car feels like it wants to shift to 2nd around 15-19. Over 20 is not really needed when you are A) driving slow or B) in traffic. 15 or under doesn't feel right.