AFMengines use special lifters for cylinders 1, 4, 6, and 7. You could also have tried that if the trans oil didnt work. He stated if I continued to exceed 4500 RPM it would blow the lifters out. However I do have 7 year bumper to bumper warranty that covers this problem if I start to get lifter problems over the next 2 years.. On the other hand if get the AFM disabler installed I am pretty sure that I void the warranty from what I read on the policy. Was thinking maybe I could trick the ruck into thinking the engine was not warmed up, however, this might cause some problems for other processes, such as mix ratio and timing. Im servicing a 2011 Chevrolet 5.3 with AFM. While the system sounded good, the microprocessors scrambled to activate, deactivate, and then reactivate cylinders as driving conditions quickly changed, causing the car to hesitate, buck, and stall. With the nipple, or without? NOTE:If you were in a situation where youve installed the AFM delete kit, but dont have access to a programmera disabler can still be a viable option. 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. This allows the engine to run in V8 mode. Did Obama make them do this? I have ordered an ATM disabler and will be putting a can of Textron in the gas at the next fill up. I pulled the head off, replaced the lifter and put the gadget in the ODBII for about $400 total. Took it to a shop and they advised that it could be due to the AFM system not functioning properly. i just bought a 2018 Silverado with the 5.3 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. Most of all, my concern is reliability. I don know what else would cause the surge, but Id research the misfire code and see which cylinder is problematic. I guess I might have to call a dealership or GM to get a definite answer on this one. 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. I have a 2014 Silverado with a 5-3. Hello Brian, I just purchased a 2018 Silverado with a 5.3 AFM engine, I have 200 km on it. If you already own this engine you will need to deactivate the AFM system or even better DO NOT buy any GM vehicle with this engine. How did your turn out? But if you dont like it. Ive been reading, with disgust and concern of the lifter/cam situation. What type of ODBII gadget did you use? I called my service station and they told me to get it in ASAP. if GM wont make a dependable truck for 60,000 Toyota is sure to take over even with very poor gas mileage . But yes ultimately, it might be time for a cam and any AFM lifters that werent replaced. The Cylinder Deactivation system, known as the Active Fuel Management system by GM, shuts off some of the cylinders when extra power is not needed which improves fuel economy. Don't even get me started on the shortened life of the cooling, starting and charging systems. This is what I keep telling people. module (ECM) will command the cylinder deactivation system ON to deactivate engine cylinders1, 7, 6, and 4, switching to a V4mode. Engines withAFMalso use a special camshaft, a high-volume oil pump, and a pressure relief valve in the oil pan. I would. 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). If I had been able to push the issue and get the time, I would have done the full fix at first without the hassle. In other words, the crankshaft and bearings were not visible. Our 2013 yukon with 47k miles just failed. I own a reputable repair shop. they are known to become plugged. Brian, I have been reading your article about the AFM. I recently took a long trip and it burned 1.5 quarts of oil. . After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, Brian Nutter studied at the Houston, TX-based School of Automotive Machinists in 1997. I had #4 lifter stick and now i am looking at replacing the engine with a non-dod version. 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. Should I buy a Diablo AFM disabler to prevent the new block from dropping to 4 cylinder? I have 1999 5.3 Silverado that gets 19-20 miles to the gallon all the time this shit pile with dod only gets 14 miles to the gallon. However, they are only functional on engines that usedAFM. Your 1981 caddy was your fmu I got glue inside of it and it stuck the potentiometer for stochiometric if you get a new fmu or you pick the glue out of the potentiometer you can set it to stoichiometric and get a lot better fuel mileage as far as your truck why dont you look at the intake manifold I got a crack or a vacuum leak somewhere for gas mileage thank you truck service, Near 1981 its your fmu it has glue inside the potentiometer you have to either RNR it for a new one or pick the glue out of the potentiometer for stochial magic is the only variable resistor inside that you can turn with a screwdriver once you get the glue out of it itll read still kill metric just be careful and then you can set it properly with your own meter on your monitoring your O2 sensor and then on your Silverado thingy your 5.3 just check the intake manifold for lakes Ill get you a better gas mileage if you dont have any intake cuz theyre plastic and they crack and stuff like that other than that yeah thats it, Larry Jenkins, I have a 17 GMC Sierra 6.2 SLT, I got 25 to 27mpg regularly with 93 gas and cylinder deactivation. The cherry on top is its not saddled with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) or Active Fuel Management (AFM) found on some Gen. 4 engines. Install ls3 valley cover. Because its not just GM that have engine problems. Just pulled it down in the garage there was no other damage , luckily. Our patented technology is the only product that will disable Active or Dynamic Fuel Management without reprogramming the factory ECU. The Range AFM/DFM Disabler allows your V6 or V8 GM vehicle to run in full cylinder mode at all times, preventing the Active and Dynamic Fuel Management systems from dropping cylinders. Drives way better for my mostly paved road driving. Never did strand me on the side of the road way. Once I get it back, could I install the Disabler safely. Just had my afm lifter fail had to drive 500 more miles home on 7 cylinders in my 6.0 lt chev. Most will want to get rid of the AFM immediately. The VLOM consists of 4 electronically operated solenoids and is bolted to the top of the engine block beneath the intake manifold assembly. This is my second Avalanche and I never had any issues with either of them. Verified over hundreds of trips, makes no sense. Here's what you need to know: 1. Its not possible to install them wrong? One alternative is to swap in one of the larger 6.0 non-AFM truck cams. And consider using a higher grade of engine oil like Mobil 1 or Amsoil, etc. I only had 81k on the motor. One month to the day driving on the highway got the Service Stabiltrak message quickly followed by the misfire code. Should I buy one to disable the V4 mode? The 1st design (built prior to April 1, 2006) was had afm components but wasnt connected. Thank you. Absolutely agree, but we all know GM cant afford to recall them all & definitely wont, gettin a Toyota, but first will go to GM dealer and ask to see a truck without AFM & when they say they dont have it Ill say See ya, I have an appointment with the Toyota dealer! Always had GMs never anything else till now. It was well researched and tested back in the late seventies and eighties . It came back on last Wednesday starting with a flash. So I did the job one more time. Some drivers want V8 power under their foot at all times. I bought a 2010 GMC Sierra 5.3L Truck in 2013 with 24K miles. Dave, I also have a 2008 LTZ avalanche with 106,000 I have the exact same symptoms at this point I just want to sell it will the disabler help remove the check engine light wont pass inspection with light on thanks for your help Chris. When an engine is contstantly running on oil that is broken down, it not only wheres out components because of no protection. My ignition lock cylinder is completely stuck in lock position with the steering wheel locked as well. The owner of the vehicle has apparently owned a few of these vehicles and stated that this vehicle doesnt have AFMnever did? Send response to tkrieg@cox.net. Everything was fine for two weeks, ow customer complains s it same noise it made as before. After taking a $3.6h bath on the lifter/valve work and doing a little research, how can GM allow a problem like this AFM continue from 07 to present? If you swapped in a LS9 cam, you will find it makes good power at the very top, but its actually down from 5,000 rpm and lower where the truck spends the majority of its time. Chevrolet 5.3 Engine Issues and Recommendations Excess oil will be pushed out of the pressure relief valve into the oil pan. The only solution is to replace the entire cylinder head. The computers had not evolved enough to control the sytem. On one hand it has an aluminum block, which is nice. I have always loved Ford and Chevys , I dont like this Vehicle not one bit, starring shaft has to be lubed or it whines, front A arms has done been replaced, tapping in motor, leaf springs has been lubed, retorqued, put completely new leaf springs back in on the rear , grease all down from rims to body of truck, you have to clean often,console shakes as if milk shakes in console which later they also put rubber bushings in front of coils of shocks ( front end) .You lock it down in 44 it s metal to metal , As of now Im at 32,000 done gone threw all the arbitrator laws depending on how it goes? All these comments on the 5.3 are blowing my mind!!!. Id try the disabler and the screen cleaning first and do the AFM delete if that doesnt solve the problem. Batten, followed by several years developing performance pistons at Wiseco Piston Co. Today, Brian develops performance parts for Summit Racing Equipment and is a regular OnAllCylinders contributor. I asume low oil pressure cant make some of the DOD lifters to malfunction? There is a note in the TSB that states the bulletin doesnt apply to the LH6 used in the Rainier, Trailblazer, and Envoy due to a different design oil pan and AFM relief valve. You were lucky that it worked. This happened on a camping trip with my kids last friday night. Junk . I only have ~ 5k miles on it, and it hasnt been driven hard, so Im assuming the lifters are fine. Now I get 24 to 26 with deactivation locked out and full power. More information can be found in the GM TSB bulletin number 10-06-01-008g. Im looking at the Range Disabler but want to make sure it is required/suggested/recommended/safe? NOT GOOD!! Thanks. NOTE: You can find engine specs and detailed engine upgrade advice for every LS and LS-based Vortec truck engine in one place: The Definitive Guide to LS Engine Specs and LS Engine Upgrades. Cant believe they havent fixed this in a decade. Cylinder deactivation is very effective in reducing fuel and reducing the emissions of harmful gases. Everything else looked good. My 5.3 has a vin code of O. I noticed this discussion mainly addresses Chevy Silverados and other trucks? 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 has has 9000 miles and no lifter or other issues or codes so far. It depends on the failure mode of the lifter however, certainly worth a try. It is replaceable.. just remove oil pan and it will be on top at the filter. 8000 grand for the repair mine was 1,700.00 to repair, I had a 2004 small block v8(4.8) 331,000 miles on the truck,it was the usual on the maintenance front axles,etc. However, the fuel savings are not always as much as expected. TheAFMsystem can be identified by its components. Hello. A lot more info with the ongoing GM 5.3l AFM engine issues on Cargurus. I just bought a 2018 Silverado. Hi. 330-630-0240. My point is that the engine likely on uses dod a small percentage of the time so can not really imagine that the delete causes any more issue than normal which may be the high oil consumption but do all of these engines with dod consume a lot of oil? AFM or active fuel management is a GM/Chevy technology meant to improve gas mileage. It uses a M14 x 1.5 thread plug like Dorman 65217. I have no clue what to do now. Welcome to socialism folks . I have an 07 Silverado 1500 ltz. 2011 Chevy Avalanche LTZ. I have a noise in the engine but it seems to go away when revved up. Did gm make a non-dod version of the 5.3 with iron block that would work in my application? Replacing engine due to issues caused by AFM. Ive been a Ford guy my whole life, so I was unaware of AFM until a recent trip where I did a lot of highway driving and happened to bring up the real-time mpg display, where I saw it switch between V6 and V4. If buying a tuner/chip which works best for that truck/engine? A problem with cylinder deactivation can be solved by tuning the intake and exhaust valves. I have a 2012 Chevy Avalanche. [], [] 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. One must anticipate this. I know a few guys with Tundras. A problem with the software caused the engine to idle with most of their cylinders, thus overheating the exhaust . In four-cylinder mode, they act like air springs and allow for smooth operation. Any help would be appreciated. I still get a P0336 code every once in a while but still good to drive around town. Have an 06 Yukon with 5.3, original engine had bad knock, was told it was lifters so had them replaced. Fortunately I received a reducing in house shop hourly rate. The older truck gets 19 mpg the newer truck with fuel management gets 14. I have an 07 Yukon with 230k on the engine. Truck ran fine before that. Regardless of the AFM solenoid being commanded on or off. The GM 2.7-liter L3B Turbo four-cylinder engine for Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups is meant to change minds about power and torque in a small package. You will be placed in derate if the ECM does not see the correct resistance from the ATF intake. Covers me to 100K. It works . 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 have been assuming this is just a slow to pump-up lifter or lifters. Seems like the AFM disabler device is working for a number of people including myself as the 5.3l AFM engine has inherent design faults. 50,000 miles. 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! 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. Do you think it would be wise to put a AFM disabler on a brand new truck to avoid engine damage? of cranking pressure because the duration is longer on those cylinders to being with to offset the AFM lifter design. Love the truck so far. I plan on getting a tuner to disable the AFM. the body is in great shape. A bad lifter can be a minor repair if you get it fixed immediately after you hear an issue. If Problems regarding Chevy 5.3L engines, if the running compression of the misfiring cylinders stays below 25 PSI. The market for nonhybrid gasoline-powered vehicles is expected to fall by 20 percent during that time, but with tech like smarter cylinder deactivationin these upcoming GM V-8 trucks, for . On the caddis it helped to relocate the computer inboard the passenger compartment to keep them cool helped . GM should recall every vehicle with this terrible design flaw! Was a disaster then but a profitable disaster. He used seafoam and changed to synthetic oil. So I researched and got an AFM disabler. Or is the shuddering indicative of failed/failing lifters that need to be replaced before moving forward? Im crossing my fingers it does the trick! If I had wanted a 4 banger I would have bought one. please respond with your opinion. The engine is running on only four cylinders. 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. changed oil , its all working now, but want to disable this sorry system. Pod. 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? A custom tune by a knowledgeable tuner with access to a chassis dyno will pay a lot of other dividends other on top of turning off afm and VVT. My 2002 I had over 298K on it with no engine related issues.