Government Speed Regulator

[azerious85]

hey, i just got a 06 cobalt ls two door coupe and im goin to be putting alot of money into it.turbo, exhaust, intake etc. but the other day i was on the highway and at about 112mph the car started choking out. and sputtering like gas was being shut off to the engine. then i tried it two or three more times, and each time at that speed it starts it again.im going to want to race it eventually..... so i've heard of Govt. speed regulators on the new cars and was wondering if the LS model has it and if so, how much it costs to get it off.

[-Jayson-]

lol your stupid, dont ask that dumb question. GM (not the goverment) set the speedlimiter at 112MPH because thats what GM Engineers with all there degres and schooling have found to be the highest speed that car can travel at safely. Number one biggest reason is the tires arent meant for higher speeds, you go much faster than 112MPH, and the tires will literally explode on you. Number 2 being the suspension, not designed to go that fast, will have problems with the car feeling very light almost like its floating, and number 3 is the brakes, your car wont stop very well and will most likely render your brakes useless that those speeds.

There is no way to remove it.

[red_line_cobalt]

yeah it is not the government regulator.. itis a GOVERNER< cuz it governs the speed of your car. it is nothing you can just take off, it is programmed into your computer, it shuts off the fuel to your motor. it is there for a reason, some parts in your car can only spin or move so fast before they want to come apart are what not. like your tires, you would need speed rated tires, rims that can handle the RPMs(rotations per minute) your trans probably cant take any more then that speen either. it is set so that is the fastest you can go before you have problems. and you said you want to turbo your car... really dumb idea read my post in.. 'turbocharging LT'

[silicon212]

Governors are set where they are because that is maximum rated speed of the tires the cars ship with. No other reason.

[graphicassult]

The cobalt can handle much higher speeds, GM sets these to your tire ratings. You have the LS, your car shuts off at 105 mph, not 112. The SS's and some LT's shut off at 120.

[-Jayson-]

god you guys are misimformed.

The SS Supercharged has the governer set at 158MPH. And no Tires arent the only thing, while they are a big thing, they are not the only thing. Reread my first post if you disagree.

[graphicassult]

Jayson your wrong, tires are the reason why theres a governor on these cars. GM will not program a car to cut out at 105 for no reason.

If you think its not the reason then explain why an LS with steelies and continentals is limited to 105 and an LS with alloys and Pirellis is limited at 125.

THANK YOU MR. SMARTY PANTS

[-Jayson-]

dude come up with some kind of proff from GM saying the speed limits of the cars and ill believe it. I know GM sets the speed regulator at what the stock tires can handle, that doesnt mean the car can go faster than that or that it was designed to go faster. Theres alot more that needs to go into a car to make it go faster. Mine handles like a champ at 130+MPH, i doubt you could say the same if you removed the speed limiter on a base model cobalt and ran it that high, but its unlikely that it can go that fast in the first place.

[graphicassult]

Dude i fucking work for GM. It can handle over 160, they limit it for safety and they place the limit by the tires they put on the car.

You got proved wrong then made another argument, face it, YOUR WRONG

[-Jayson-]

what do you do at GM? and ill stick by what i say, no Base model cobalt was designed to go over the stock speed limiter. The brakes arent, the suspension isnt, the engine itself wont go much faster than 120MPH tops.

[graphicassult]

Jayson you dont know much do you. A base cobalt engine, the 2.2 has been hitting 1000+ horsepower. The engine can go faster than you think. Why dont you do some research on a vehicle before you talk. Base cobalts with the "sport package" go 125 with plenty of go afterwards.



And I'm a certified GM Mechanic thank you, so take your head out of your ass

[-Jayson-]

your the reason why no one likes GM dealerships, full of dumb mechanics. Im not gonna argue with you anymore. If you think its safe to take a stock cobalt past 125 MPH, which i dont see it going that fast or much faster, then so be it. Once you get to 125 MPH try to stop quickly, or try and make a swerve to avoid something. Ill be laughing at your blood spot on the highway.

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by graphicassult

And I'm a certified GM Mechanic thank you, so take your head out of your ass

Oh I love these pissing matches

Hey Kyle (aka graphicassult)
According to your profile you are a 19 year old student...how come you say you are a certified GM mechanic?
What are you certified in?
What dealer do you work at?
What is the dealer code or org #?
What is your TMS ID #?

I want to know because GM does not have certified mechanics, they have certified TECHNICIANS.

[DiamondWulf]

I have read up on limiters a bit and one major issue for the speed being set at a certain limit is because certain components in the drive train can only handle the centrifugal forces of the rotating mass, and wave lenghts of the vibrations created by the distortion of the parts at those speeds.....

Namely the drivelines in the rear wheel drive cars are actually moving in an oval at thier center point and can only with stand a certain amount of distortion before bending to the point of breaking.......Talk to any drive line shop about the characteristics of a drive line at free way speeds and they will say the same thing.

[Blue Bowtie]

FWIW, GM used to set the fuel cutoff MPH based on teh speed ratings of the OEM tires. That was the case at least through the 1994 model year, and may be the most significant reasoning used still today. A 1989 F-Car with soft suspension and 15" "H" rated tires had the fuel cutoff programmed at 118 MPH. The same chassis, same driveline, and same transmission equipped with 16" "Z" rated tired had the fuel cutoff set at 254 MPH. Would the car go that fast? No. But it would also not have an ECM programmed limitation on MPH - Because of the OEM tires installed.

Further, a blanket statement like "It can handle over 160" is a bit misleading. It could be argued that a Cobalt is not safe at anything over 95 MPH. If you've never had a wrong-wheel-drive car go airborne all on its own right in front of you on the expressway (after catching air off the side of a truck) you really should try it sometime. It's not a pretty picture, especially when you're following at about 100' and closing.

Without some significant suspension enhancement, undercar airflow control, and a driver who knows when the rear end starts to get light, driving in three-digit territory with a poorly biased, unbalanced, and poorly sprung 1,800 pound go-kart is not safe - At least not enough so to let every Tom, Dick, and, Harriet drive them that way.