CT5-V Blackwing Maintenance Schedule

[Exia]

So while waiting for my car I downloaded the 2023 CT5 manual to go over even though at this point I'm very familiar with GM products.

I own a C7 Z06 and have also owned a ZL1 1LE so I thought I'd peak at the maintenance schedule for the CT5 which includes the Blackwing.

Suffice to say I was surprised at what Cadillac recommended compared to what my Z06 recommends.

As an example on my Z06 its recommended to replace the clutch fluid and brake fluid every 3 years. On the CT5 it just says the brake fluid or clutch fluid doesn't need any replacement unless it leaks. The CT5 manual also for a lot of things only mentions mileage requirements and not mileage OR time. My Corvette manual has a chart thats easy to read the CT5 has no such thing and just has paragraphs dedicated to the maintenance schedule.

Now I don't know about everyone else but I do not believe in lifetime fluids and in my mind the Blackwing was designed to be tracked just like my Z06 and to say that the clutch fluid never needs to be replaced vs my Z06 which does have a recommendation of 3 years seems odd.

I think going forward I'm going to adopt my Corvette's maintenance schedule for the Blackwing but I'm wondering what everyone else is doing.

Obviously there isn't a Blackwing old enough to require anything beyond an oil change at this point. I just find it odd that the Blackwing thats track approved and with the same powertrain as a Z06 or ZL1 has a more lax maintenance schedule.

This is merely for the CT5-V Blackwing as I can compare it to the other LT4 manual GM vehicles.

 

[theprototype]

The blackwing has a special negative PSI leakproof clutchbox with a gravity seal which is what allows for the lack of fluid changes.

Also I just made that up. Interested in hearing what the real reason is because zero changes sounds odd to me too.

 

[M2Cto4BW]

You need to get into the track section. It tells you to swap brake fluid and other bits and bobs.

 

[shbox]

@Tall Steve will have the first 5BW to reach any in service time milestone (though it will likely never reach a mileage one).

 

[Exia]

You need to get into the track section. It tells you to swap brake fluid and other bits and bobs.

Thats if you track it though?

My Corvette has separate track instructions as well but the normal maintenance schedule for normal street use says to do the brake and clutch fluid every 3 years. The Cadillac doesn't.

 

[burn813]

@Tall Steve will have the first 5BW to reach any in service time milestone (though it will likely never reach a mileage one).

I think I have one of the higher mileage '22s with 14,712. There was someone else who had 15k on theirs months ago, but I forget who that was. I know @vblkwng was close to me as well.

 

[Neveready]

IMO, the owners manual appears to be a slight carryover from the CT5v so I take it with a grain of salt. In some cases those recommendations are the absolute threshold of when to perform service on the vehicle.

I do review the maintenance schedules found in the owners manuals, but most of the time I'm doing the service much earlier. So far with my 5BW I've been going off of the maintenance recommendations found the the Camaro ZL1 forums which is also wet sump. I also review the ZL1 maintenance manual to see how those guys maintain their vehicles and I decide if that's necessary.

Up to you folks, if this is some lease machine or something you plan to walk away from in 10 years then yeah sure follow the manual. There's no such thing as maintenance free, unless it's a Toyota... Just kidding.

 

[poor-sha]

Clutch and brake fluid are a shared reservoir. As others have stated the OM says to replace the brake fluid before tracking.

 

[Exia]

Clutch and brake fluid are a shared reservoir. As others have stated the OM says to replace the brake fluid before tracking.

That isn't the point.

The point it only states to replace on this scenario, which is obvious. It mentions nothing about changing either if you never see the track. So basically their saying its a lifetime fluid, which is ridiculous when the other LT4 manual vehicles GM has sold actually says to change these fluids every 3 years regardless.

So why does the BW have no recommended clutch or brake flush under normal driving conditions when a ZL1 or a Z06 do?

I'm thinking like Neveready on this, lifetime fluids aren't a thing, especially on a high performance vehicle. I can't believe GM actually doesn't recommend normal fluid changes on these cars. I will be following my Z06s maintenance schedule and applying it to the Blackwing.

Unless there's a supplemental manual out there specifically for Blackwings.

 

[poor-sha]

Ok man, I’m just trying to point out that you’re not going to see anything in clutch fluid because it doesn’t have its own fluid.

Flushing brake fluid is primarily an issue because it absorbs moisture, which as you know, can turn to steam under high heat that you’re really only going to see on track.

 

[Carguyshu]

You need to look at the manual more closely. Right here on page 415