Drives way better for my mostly paved road driving. Here are a few of the issues that you'll want to keep on your radar if you drive a 2017 Chevy or GMC vehicle with a 5.3L engine in it. It has 8,000 miles on it. Now the problems back, I have 180k miles on it now. Most will want to get rid of the AFM immediately and VVT isnt for []. Have an intake and Borla exhaust. GM's Active Fuel Management (AFM) works under certain light load driving conditions to maximize fuel economy by deactivating 4 of the engines 8 cylinders. With that said, the current global chip shortage has been affecting the industry on a wide scale, forcing production halt among several automakers. so the trans fluid worked for you then? Would you get enough power to drive at freeway speeds? The valve itself is part number W0133-2574213. My question on a 2007 Chevy Tahoe 5.3 AFM Most of the complaints show up in the 2009 to 2011 model years. Send response to tkrieg@cox.net. Should I buy one to disable the V4 mode? I love the car so far. Having it fixed now, just curious Seems like a problematic design. Easier said than done. AFMlifters have a history of failing and oil consumption can be a problem. When cylinders are deactivated, the number of crankshaft rotation increases between firing pulses. Have misfire code and engine has what I would call a surge while driving. She had driven it for a couple of months that way. Billy, there is some interesting trivia here on the L92. I have a 12 wit 4.8 Silverado 75000 miles As a side note, Range Technologies recommends removing the disabler between visits to the dealer as they will need to access the OBD-2 port. Do you think it would be wise to put a AFM disabler on a brand new truck to avoid engine damage? http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/91652/ticking-gm-v8-lifters-and-dtc. Hello Keith, if your lifters are still in good shape, an AFM Disabler is a good idea. Id try the disabler and the screen cleaning first and do the AFM delete if that doesnt solve the problem. There are two ways to disable or delete Active Fuel Management on your GM or Chevy Gen IV LS or LS-based Vortec engineone is to install an AFM Disabler, and the second is to install an AFM Delete Kit. I know a few guys with Tundras. It only has about 9k miles on it. Better airflow reduces drag on the pistons and the associated pumping losses. Really could use some pointers. Correct me if Im wrong- If such an item was available couldnt you then just replace the lifters in the 4 AFM cylinders and then just run a disabler or have your ECM/PCM reprogrammed to have AFM disabled permanently. All the time. Who knew? Vehicle has 40k miles been maintained well and shows no signs of lifter concerns at present. 2015 SILVERADO 1500 44 crew cab with 5.3L engine: So two weeks ago with approx 70K miles, I had an odd noise when accelerating and then engine light flashing and riding rough. A new class-action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors over alleged issues with its Generation IV 5.3L Vortec V8 engines. If AFM has been deleted, its common just to use a Dorman drain plug (m14 x 1.5) to remove the pressure relief valve entirely. Was a disaster then but a profitable disaster. Told her that it would not last and that she needed to find a different way to get around. Disable the afm. As it turned out one of the cam bearings was failing and causing the cam to wobble (my guess) which messed up the AFM and probably some other stuff too. On June 4th you stated The vehicles affected were 2007 to Feb. 2011 AFM equipped engines (Aluminum or Iron block-L94, LZ1, L99, LC9, LH6, L76, LFA, LMG, and LY5) I am looking at purchasing a 2012 Tahoe with the LMG per the build sheet. As a side note, the early ones had a 24x reluctor and plastic chain guide (good) vs. the later ones with 58x and the spring loaded tensioner (not so good). Next day, fired it up to take the the junk yard and it ran great. Clean oil is crucial. Regards, The Service Traction Control and Check Engine lights also came on again but went out after a few minutes. Regardless of the AFM solenoid being commanded on or off. of cranking pressure because the duration is longer on those cylinders to being with to offset the AFM lifter design. The LZ1 was upgraded with AFM and []. How long did it take? It prevents the computer from switching over to four-cylinder mode. It seems this tough engine has everything incorporated into it. Then again, it should have never been controlling those solenoids. We chickened out though and just bolted the AFM solenoid plate onto the used engine. Unfortunately because of emission standards nowadays, manufacturers cant go back to those style of engines. This update also saw the usage of cylinder deactivation technology or Active Fuel Management. You can search our site by engine code to find some of the upgrade articles weve published and more are on the way. 91 GMC Sierra K1500 F44 6.2 NA Plow truck with 7.5ft Leo Plow 94 K3500 CC DRW 6.5TD DE exhaust . .That was a year ago and now I have a collapsed lifter and the most inexpensive repair $2200.00 for a partial lifter replacement. Its not GMs choice to use AFM. Thats a tough call, if the warranty will cover itId let it run out. Would doing the disabler option once I get it back be the right one? Yesterday my motor (116,000 miles) felt like it went into limp mode when decelerating from 8 cyl to 4 cyl but it recovered.This is the second time that this has happened in 6 months so I think that I am on the slope. Replaced all lifters. Although the last oil change I had they offered a more expensive oil that would let me go every 5,000 miles and when this happened I was almost at 4,000 so needless to say I will never do that again. Hi Grant is that disabler still working for you ? This happened on a camping trip with my kids last friday night. The older truck gets 19 mpg the newer truck with fuel management gets 14. Ketil, let us know what you find out. I asked my local Chevy dealer, from whom I purchased the engine, to find out why the oil pan lacked the fitting. This is my second Avalanche and I never had any issues with either of them. The engine will operate on 8 cylinders in V8 mode during starting, idling, and medium or heavy throttle conditions. It is also known as Displacement on Demand (DoD) or cylinder deactivation. I sold them when they were new. December 20, 2021 A GM lifter recall should allegedly be ordered for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles equipped with 5.3L, 6.0L or 6.2L V8 engines. [] 5.3L engines start in the $600-$1,000 range and go up to a little more than $2,000 for the 6.0L and 6.2L engines. Its Chrysler and Ford. If thats the case, Summit Racing has dedicated truck cams that will increase power through the rangebottom to topbut the meat of it is in the mid-range where your engine spends the most time. Look for the following: TheAFMcover is called the Lifter Oil Manifold Assembly (LOMA). [] Here is a guide on how to turn off AFM: https://www.onallcylinders.com/2017/11/30/how-to-delete-or-disable-active-fuel-management-afm-on-gm-… [], [] Guide to disabling AFM: https://www.onallcylinders.com/2017/11/30/how-to-delete-or-disable-active-fuel-management-afm-on-gm-… [], [] Here is an article on how to deactivate AFM. If a lifter has already started to fail, an AFM delete kit and non-AFM components are the way to go. I have successfully used a gadget that plugs into the ODBII. When you don't need the full power of the engine, it provides better fuel economy." Logic says that it should not as the ECM isnt programmed to use AFM, but will it see a lack of resistance from no solenoid pack plugged in? The biggest difference between the Vortec engines that used to be found in Chevy and GMC vehicles and the EcoTec engines found in them now are the fueling methods. Given maximum engine power is not required during the majority of everyday driving, AFM works to deactivate engine cylinders when they are not needed, such as when cruising on the highway, thus. There are so many moving components in an engine these days as opposed to the past. In October of 2010, GM added a deflector (p/n NAL-12639759) to keep oil from being sprayed directly on the rear cylinders. So bad theyve been rated least reliable midsized truck by consumer reports for 3 years in a row. My dad ended up running seafoam through it and some transmission fluid, changed the oil pressure sensor which I definitely think was bad and also cleaned out the little screen and he said it was so full of junk and metal scraps. I dont know where to being to look for the problem. In the mean-time I found that you can keep the engine from going into 4 cyl mode by using the manual shift (if so equipped) and keeping it out of 6th gear. A problem with cylinder deactivation can be solved by tuning the intake and exhaust valves. The problem:. Im crossing my fingers it does the trick! There is no light on my dash or anything that indicates the system is active or exists, so its very confusing, Im still not sure if my vehicle has it or not. I still get a P0336 code every once in a while but still good to drive around town. Thanks. Its a CA EMMISIONS TRUCK. I have 4 GMCs in my driveway right now only one with AFM its always popping DTCs, 06 Yukon (not AFM)never had a light in 12 years! I guess they also went to aluminum blocks in 2007, not sure if that has anything to do with this issues thanks for the advice! Where can I buy a bolt to replace this relief valve ?? With 44, its a enormous Jon to remove the oil pan. Have there been improvements in more recent model years employing AFM [2014 or newer]? The engine will operate on 8cylinders, or V8mode, during engine starting, engine idling, and medium to heavy throttle applications. So now at 168 thousand miles it still runs good but gets bad gass mileage. But then she passed away from cancer. The engine was not Flex Fuel (E85) capable and did not use Variable Valve Timing (VVT) [], [] TheL76like its LS2 siblingis a 6.0L, Gen. 4, aluminum small block engine that was used both in GM cars and trucks. 4,7 plugs foul runs rough at idle. Get this, rebuild is only rings and maybe lifters. The Jury is still out on the Gen. 5s but the warranty could be an issue. If so what would the vin code be? There are a few potential causes for Chevy cylinder deactivation problems, including oil consumption problems, harmful to the environment, sludge issues, and lower cylinder temperatures. I have a Yukon 116k it now needs its 3rd set of lifters and cam. There are two ways to disable or delete Active Fuel Management on your GM or Chevy Gen IV LS or LS-based Vortec engineone is to install an AFM Disabler, and the second is to install an AFM Delete Kit. Given that, would you recommend buying one of the OBD-II devices to disable AFM? I bought a new 2017 Cadillac CTS back in January 3.6L V6 with 8-speed trans. Yeh truck has 5237 miles on it I was getting ~ 30 mpg, so I love that. Having a hard time finding one .. Well, they move a couple of times after startup thats all.Asume its the same on syl 7 on the other side.Disconected the Connector to the solenoids, no difference. Truck has an active P0300 code and runs very rough. If a shop pulled a DTC code P0300 and found AFM to be the issue, it may not be too late to try the disabler. Since the tranny oil worked, you should now change the oil, right? I saw two Summit Racing kits, with different valley coverswhich one do I need for my Yukon? Hi Brian, I have seen more internal engine failures in the last 5 years or so than I have in the first 15 years in the business. The oil-pressure controlled system that operates the special lifters is VERY prone to failure, if the oil is not changed on time, OR if the wrong oil is used. I am wondering the same thing. Thanks for the advice Brian! [], [] rugged iron block 6.0L came with VVT, but without Active Fuel Management, which saves you the cost of an AFM delete [], [] The LH6 engine is a 5.3L Gen. IV aluminum engine that replaced the LM4 in 2005. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I already ordered the parts to replace myself and remove the code. Please report back if you have any issues, but I think you are in good shape. Fortunately I received a reducing in house shop hourly rate. Dont follow just anybody I know where it originates but in todays world I found found it to be amusingly accurate. AFMengines use special lifters for cylinders 1, 4, 6, and 7. What type of ODBII gadget did you use? Call chevy.They should being paying most of that. It is replaceable.. just remove oil pan and it will be on top at the filter. I speak from some experience. Cylinders two, three, and eight are all similar in cylinder deactivation. Ive heard the Brand name Range thrown around in other forums, This is how mine started outthen 6 months later on the highway the service stabilitrak light and flashing engine light came on. I guess I might have to call a dealership or GM to get a definite answer on this one. Both #6 lifters only move when turning engine by hand, if you use the starter they stop moving. You also need the disabler installed in your obd connector. 330-630-0240. If I put the Range module on, is that all I need to do, both now and long term? It had the AFM wiring & lifter cover installed with solenoid pack in the original engine, we even removed it to inspect. The oil pump is high volume, but there are a lot of people that dont change it and rely on the pressure valve to keep the volume manageable. I am trying to find out of this is true. "The idea behind cylinder deactivation is that when you're cruising down the freeway and there's low load, the engine can turn off half the cylinders and in theory burn half as much gas. They have plastic casing, so you can imagine what will happen with aged plastic. Thanks. Getting ready to diy for $450. Ever since that which was Feb/March 2020 i get a intermittent rattle does not do it all the time and I am not getting any codes i.e. I noticed this discussion mainly addresses Chevy Silverados and other trucks? Install the AFM disabler now or wait until my warranty just about to expire to get this AFM issue resolved? If doing that, the full blown AFM delete is about $1000 depending on how far you go (full overhaul or cam with lifters only). Last GM Ill ever buy unless its got a diesel. It depends on the failure mode of the lifter however, certainly worth a try. Jusy 3 weeks ago I quit driving it because of the lifter, but it worked fine when i started it back up. For a primer [], [] cathedral port cylinder heads and used Active Fuel Management (AFM). Should I wait until the warranty runs out, or will that be too late to stop possible damage? Your email address will not be published. A bad lifter can be a minor repair if you get it fixed immediately after you hear an issue. Happened to me twice 2009 Silverado, finally deleted DOD and installed a performance cam and lifters. The computers had not evolved enough to control the sytem. If I were to put a 2006 5.3L in a 2007 Avalanche and buy the unit to plug into my OBD2 port would it work? There are so many more oil passages on engines these days. The engine is close siblings with the LMG which shared many of the same featuresexcept the LMF isnt saddled with AFM. I ordered a electronic disabler for it today. Active Fuel Management (AFM) is a trademarked General Motors technology that improves gas mileage by shutting down half of the cylinders under light-load conditions to reduce fuel consumption. The LFA was upgraded with AFM and [], [] improvement over AFM, DFM has 17 different cylinder firing patterns and switches seamlessly between them to provide just []. i just bought a 2018 Silverado with the 5.3 Because I want to. also in the pan is another AFM oil filter near the external engine oil filter. I went with the new motor for the warranty. stalled in a certain way a warning wouldn be a bad idea. Oh,the throw away vehicle has 77,000 miles and has always had meticulous maintenance . I hate it. Corvette that does employ AFM. I ran 0W-20 no more the 5000 miles between changes. Unfortunately, I found out about the lifters too late. Any problems to watch out for?Did you replace the VLOM? What if I was able to trick the computer into thinking it is in 5th gear when it is actually in 6th? In 2015, I purchased a new Tahoe with the AFM and two weeks ago with 71K miles on it, the engine light came on. Not sure which direction to go from here. Can you tell me what needs to be done with the VVT? According to CarComplaints.com, several drivers have had excessive oil consumption issues for a while from 2007 to 2011. There are 5.3 cylinder deactivation problems that can occur. Engine starts but is throwing a misfire on cyls 4,7. I recently took a long trip and it burned 1.5 quarts of oil. Driver reported this occurred suddenly while driving down the highway. I only had 81k on the motor. Are there errors or something only the dealer can clear? Everything was fine for two weeks, ow customer complains s it same noise it made as before. misfire or anything. Required fields are marked *. Im praying that my RangeTech buys me a few years. What the biggest reported problem with Chevy Silverados? How do you know if the lifter has failed? Truck ran fine before that. Cylinder misfires (most common sign) Rough idling, poor acceleration, loss of power Check engine light with engine misfire codes Air-to-fuel ratios are either running rich or lean The easiest way to tell that you have an injector problem is through the check engine light and engine codes for misfires. Diablo says yes but they do not provide tunes. We recommend taking the truck to a local chassis dyno tuner and talking with them about a reflash. After reading these forums Im a little concerned about my decision to stay with GM. They took the engine down today found so much damage inside they ordered a new engine from Detroit. Replace the cam or do the delete kit? Im looking at the Range Disabler but want to make sure it is required/suggested/recommended/safe? All these comments on the 5.3 are blowing my mind!!!. From what Ive read new and low mileage engines with no issues is ideal to do a afm delete, tune, or use of a disabler. [] swaps come with an extra step or two thanks to the Generals fuel efficiency efforts (VVT and AFM). Any advice that you could offer would be great. I am not in a position to have a new cam and lifters installed but Im also not in a position to not having a running truck! TheAFMcylinders are opposite of one another in the firing order. Cylinder Deactivation (Active Fuel Management) General Motors Active Fuel Management engine control system has the ability, under certain light load driving conditions, to provide maximum fuel economy by deactivating 4 of the engines 8 cylinders. How did your turn out? Can they be faulty? If I put my truck in manual 5, it doesnt try to go into V4 mode. An AFM Disabler is an electronic device that plugs into the OBD-II port, under the dashboard. I have a 2008 Buick Lacrosse super that I am having a hard time finding a tuner or a tune shop that can turn off the afm. I also notice that it doesnt go into V4 when it is cold. Now it appears GM and their handlers want to push the electric market with throw away junk that is mechanically weak . , Production date on the vehicle is 04/2006 oddly enough. That inherently less smooth operation requires additional NVH dampening. [], [] Its a Gen. 4 5.3L iron-block engine, so youre getting the better intake manifold, connecting rods, and ECM. Never again, except for my gen4 Z28 that has a perfect engine/trans on an otherwise rolling pc of gm crap chassis. I recently bought a 2018 Silverado 5.3L with AFM. I have an 07 Silverado 1500 ltz. what deleter (if thats a real word) have you heard good things about. [], [] way. Dale, I have a 08 Tahoe thats doing the same thing.Any info you have on this would be appreciated, [] Do they have a downside? Put everything back together proper torque, gakets, valve seals, etc. Had similar problems under warranty, no telling what they rigged me up with at the dealer. These trucks cost too much to have a terrible product. It essentially turns your V8 engine into a V4 which saves fuel. The secondary pressure relief in the back of the pan began to open at 55 psi and was completely open by 75 psi. Once I get it back, could I install the Disabler safely. I just bought a 2015 5 3 17000 miles I was thinking about eliminating the 4-cylinder if I delete it with just the programmer will it hurt my motor? I cant stand seeing customers continuously going thousands of miles over on the oil and wonder why theres problems. Dummy Me thought gm learned its lesson in 1981 but they never did and I Too am stuck with a Buick thats just waiting to self destruct. The early part of his automotive career included working for engine builders Scott Shafiroff and C.J. Teflon coatings does not last. Did Obama make them do this? Love the truck. If you ignore it and keep driving, odds are you will destroy the cam as well. Carbon Build-Up in the Intake Ports. When you eliminate the AFM system, the extra oil is no longer needed. A tuner can often fix that as well by giving it some more ignition advance in these regions. Below youll see references to the L99 as a result. Pulled the inntake and replaced valleypan With all the solenoids. The oil is baked on to every component. Just recently, GM announced a temporary closure. This video covers the steps youll need to take before upgrading to a larger [], I am installing a complete delete system, just wondering what it will do if dont plug the oil pressure relief valve? Its job is to direct the flow of pressurized engine oil to the active fuel management intake and exhaust valve . One must anticipate this. My concern is if I leave the non-AFM lifter cover in place & have nothing to plug the 5 pin AFM solenoid connector into, will I get a MIL? Don't even get me started on the shortened life of the cooling, starting and charging systems. Pod. if GM wont make a dependable truck for 60,000 Toyota is sure to take over even with very poor gas mileage . it is the regulator guy! I had privilege to work on some of that garbage they never did work . Found that all passenger side cylinders are not firing. Hi my name is noel I am a mobile mechanic and I have a client that was having trouble with the lifters on a 2011 gmc yukon Denali 6.2 I placed the lifters after finishing I still had a problem with cylinder 8,6,3 rocker arms were not moving so I replaced the cam OEM part but still having miss fire on cylinder 6 what should I do to get rid of this problem, [] computer cannot switch over to four-cylinder mode. Brian, I repaired a 2012 GMC Yukon Denali as the AFM lifter on #4 I take failed. I have a 2007 Yukon XL with the 5.3L and am planning to do this as my lifters have failed and it rattles loudly if it starts, and runs limp. I am going to do the full repair of the engine now, but not an overhaul (too hard to get at the pan). We have purchased a used low mileage 6.2L as that is all the extended warranty company would pay for. Is there any reaction to the disabler when pulling a boat or trailer? It has the orings in place, that seals the towers. Keeping the oil changes regular is important and its possible that a previous owner may not have been as diligent as you are. This lowers the cost of building it [], [] aluminum block engine. Will the plug in deactivater fix the oil consumption or will it cause more consumption? I drive the same 320 mile trip every two weeks and drive the same route and full tank. any help? Dont want to make a move on a new truck or jump to a 2500 yet. Got rid of the bobblehead Rancho offroad shocks immediately and replaced with Bilstein coil overs. I am leaning heavily on installing the AFM disabler. I didnt even think about AFM until I got to drivee it on the highway and encountered the 4 cyl syndrome. I have a shop 39 yrs . Im a little confused on the problems too, Im reading that the 2007 pick-ups with 5.3 really had bad oil consumption and plug fouling problems, but is the 2005 5.3 that came in the trailblazers, envoys, and sabb 9-7s the exact same design as these pick-ups and prone to the same failures? When an engine is contstantly running on oil that is broken down, it not only wheres out components because of no protection. When I first bought my newer truck with fuel management, the GM tech at the dealership told me; if I wanted the engine to live a long life keep the RPMs below 4500. It was good for about 10 miles and started with same loud knock noise. My ignition lock cylinder is completely stuck in lock position with the steering wheel locked as well. GM tried this on cadillacs about 20 years ago and if memory serves me correctly it was a disaster. If you just crack it without it starting it moves all the time . However, the fuel savings are not always as much as expected. A V8 firing all 8 cylinders sees 90 degrees between combustion events, while a 4 cylinder engine lengthens this to 180 degrees. Open to suggestions about best course of action. Love the truck so far. I had #4 lifter stick and now i am looking at replacing the engine with a non-dod version. Service manager said nothing else needs to be replaced because the engine has a Teflon coating. have yet to find a read that shows an escalade with high oil consumption and i have read a lot on the hybrid. I would appreciate it if you let me know how you make out. Question is, since my 2004 ECM and wiring harness were made before the AMF came about will this motor work properly as a V8 or will I need to replace the lifters, cam, oil sensor, etc as the delete method mentions? There are no changes in the valves or the springs. Apparently all passkey III keys are not the same,, I bought one that said for 2006 impala assuming all pk3 would be the same, and I could not get it programmed in my saab 9-7,, so how Im waiting on ones that specially said for saab 9-7. hoping they will work. Thats not all bad because it saves the cost of an AFM delete kit. Does anyone know how to disable the new Dynamic Fuel Management on the 2019 Silverados? Also replaced push rods rocker arms and rocker plate guide because if wore push rod and crack in rocker arm. My 97 k2500 suburban with a lightly modified 6.5L diesel gets 20ish. a little burning oil is a minor thing, my main concern is avoiding a multi-thousand dollar repair needed to the motor. I dont plan on installing the delete kit at this time. It's been an issue for a while but I've been getting past it by turning the key only to the off position instead of all the way back to "lock". Oil 0w or 5w -20 Im confused from the write up about the plug in. I am confused about the plug in disabler. For fun, he runs his 427-powered C5 Z06 in ECTA land-speed racing, at OPTIMA street car events, and at a mix of autocross, drag racing, and track days. Now i have my mechanic trying to follow a YouTube video I saw with a guy and a rod and a hammer. My 2002 I had over 298K on it with no engine related issues.