But yes ultimately, it might be time for a cam and any AFM lifters that werent replaced. Put everything back together proper torque, gakets, valve seals, etc. This basically deactivates the cylinder deactivation system. What was happening to the first is slowly (or quickly in your case) happening to the others. If a lifter has already started to fail, an AFM delete kit and non-AFM components are the way to go. Was a disaster then but a profitable disaster. I would. I dont plan on installing the delete kit at this time. When they are locked into position, they wont wear further and cause issues down the road. According to CarComplaints.com, several drivers have had excessive oil consumption issues for a while from 2007 to 2011. Change your oil. Is the Pressure relief valve replaceable? Keeping the oil changes regular is important and its possible that a previous owner may not have been as diligent as you are. You will be placed in derate if the ECM does not see the correct resistance from the ATF intake. New plugs and wires. Happened once 1yr ago, truck was not used for a week and worked fine when i started it back up. 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! The Tundra fares better but the frame has the rigidity of wet spaghetti and the 5.7 has had problems with VVT solenoids and the plastic timing chain tensioners. the body is in great shape. Id try the disabler and the screen cleaning first and do the AFM delete if that doesnt solve the problem. Excess oil will be pushed out of the pressure relief valve into the oil pan. I wii be using this truck to haul a camper for full time RV living and am thinking of a tuner to shut off AFM and maximize performance and economy. Brian, I have a 2010 burb with the exact same symptoms and questions as Shawn please help! There are so many more oil passages on engines these days. It will show up as a misfire code in a cylinders 1,4,6, or 7. Side note, after 200 hundred miles of trouble free driving the transmission failed so we had to replace that too. 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. Vehicle has been serviced more regular than the manual calls for and the AFM has caused problem after problem with fouled plugs. I have a 08 6.0L out of a Silverado with an aftermarket oil pan that has no provision for a pressure relief valve. We are looking into the AFM Disabler option, but my question is- how do we know if a lifter is already bad or not? Thank you. Shame this happened. $8500.00 fix. It uses a M14 x 1.5 thread plug like Dorman 65217. The engine is close siblings with the LMG which shared many of the same featuresexcept the LMF isnt saddled with AFM. Getting ready to diy for $450. It depends on the failure mode of the lifter however, certainly worth a try. But after reading this thread, Im a little concerned about the long-term reliability. Ive been reading, with disgust and concern of the lifter/cam situation. lol. The problem:. [], [] Its a Gen. 4 5.3L iron-block engine, so youre getting the better intake manifold, connecting rods, and ECM. I would just have the AFM disabled (tuned out) then. Cylinder deactivation works to save fuel, but it may not be for the reasons you think. Hi Brian please help, yesterday after ice fishing was climbing a hill back home and check engine light flashed. Im curious as to how much tran fluid you put in? Does anyone know how to disable the new Dynamic Fuel Management on the 2019 Silverados? I got a 09 Chevy Ive had the 1 go out then the 7 about 2 weeks apart if I known what I know now I wouldve changed them all at once but now I have a misfire on cyl 4 but it came back in why are these lifters going out one at a time like this the 1st two that went out I was coming off the interstate an stabiltrack came on now the 4 misfired twice both times pullling out my driveway. Hi. 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. I am wondering the same thing. Service manager said nothing else needs to be replaced because the engine has a Teflon coating. Why cant u just unplug the solenoid on back of engine by oil pressure sensor? Delete the AFM, buy a tuner/chip, take it to a performance place and get an actual tune done that fixes it, replace the AFM lifters with non AFM type, change other engine components with thisetc..etc..etc??? Got rid of the bobblehead Rancho offroad shocks immediately and replaced with Bilstein coil overs. put tran fluid in oil for a day till lifter became active, had to change the fouled plug. I bought a new 2017 Cadillac CTS back in January 3.6L V6 with 8-speed trans. While it does still use the GM Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology that caused a plethora of issues on the gen-four Vortec 5300 engines, it seems that GM has solved the issues related to excessive oil consumption. He claims that GM used the same engine whether it was or was not equipped with AFM in this year and model? My 2012 Silverado 5.3L just did the same thing as your Tahoe Brian. [] for performance, LS9 engines didnt use Active Fuel Management (AFM), Variable Valve Timing (VVT), or Flex Fuel (E-85) technology. At this state, a disabler would probably do what you need it to do. According to some experts, switching to cylinder deactivation reduces the emissions high somewhere between 4 and 10%, which is a huge percentage of saving the air from pollution. I have the towing package on my 13 Tahoe LTZ. I have a 2014 Chevy Z51 [w/dry sump oiling etc.] You also need the disabler installed in your obd connector. I just got a 2013 Silverado extended cab 4X4 with 124,000 miles on it. 2011 Chevy Avalanche LTZ. So bad theyve been rated least reliable midsized truck by consumer reports for 3 years in a row. Jasper makes aGM engine that deletes AFM & will warranty the engine to a 100,000 miles parts & labor . Then had to drive the truck back to Tampa from Cheifland Fl. It was in the late 70s or early 80s and it was a POS, Your memory serves you pretty well I too have the same nightmares lol. I read something the other day which I found to be funny. I am worrking on a 2007 chev Silverado 6.0 engine, [] the L76 that was equipped with AFM and had a ribbed valley cover, the L98 cover was []. I got as high as 23mpg on the highway in my 89 K1500 with 350ci and a five speed manual. Easier said than done. 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. It has AMF. Stopped at nearest gas station and found I was a quart low on oiladded oil and lights eventually went off and luckily we made it the 5 hour drive home. misfire or anything. Regards, 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. How about if they just let us have a manual transmission agains for fuel mileage? We believe this confirmed that the AFM has never been operating in this vehicle. Driver reported this occurred suddenly while driving down the highway. Some drivers want V8 power under their foot at all times. This is in response to pretty much everyone. One must anticipate this. another common cause for low OP is the oil pick up tube O ring. They may be able to find some of those missing ponies. This may show as low oil pressure or code P0521 or P0523 and is a relatively inexpensive fix as well. it is the regulator guy! I wouldnt trade my 2000 Silverado, 5.3 liter that has constantly gotten 20 mpg since I bought it 15 years ago, for a dozen of these new $50,000 POS. 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! Brian, I have the same question as Scott. [], [] 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. I have been assuming this is just a slow to pump-up lifter or lifters. 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. I recently bought a 2018 Silverado 5.3L with AFM. GM get a clue! Thank you again for the response. My 5.3 is. I havent has any lifter or cam issues. I recently bought a low mileage 2013 Silverado and the lifters collapsed. Now the problems back, I have 180k miles on it now. AFM Sucks!!! Plug the tuner into your GM vehicle's OBDII diagnostic port, and follow the instructions provided to update the engine control module's program The new program will make sure that AFM never engages. Stop-start cylinder deactivation, direct injection, variable valve timing, thermal management, and continuously variable oil pump; are just some of the Silverado features of . 2 15 with 5.3 Sierras both with 100k and Only wish Id did my homework, nothing but issues, from 14,000 miles it starts this motor noise,as if lifters at cold starts, let set up for 8 hrs same noise, this noise is on the right side of engine, it lasts 5 seconds but never heard this until we had this cold spell in the state low temperatures or it was just time for this to start? They dont so any better than domestics on mpgs. How did your turn out? 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. This happened on a camping trip with my kids last friday night. It has has 9000 miles and no lifter or other issues or codes so far. General motors sent out a service bulletins to their dealers however, all dealers will not tell you about the bulletin. I have successfully used a gadget that plugs into the ODBII. 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. []. I just took a long trip and it used 1.5 quarts of oil. Loved the looks and interior and thought a I got a great deal at $6k even. Who knew? He stated if I continued to exceed 4500 RPM it would blow the lifters out. I know I felt the same way. Hopefully he can free up the stuck/collapsed lifter. I could just transfer over the AFM lifter cover, but it is really nasty on the bottom side & I do not want to risk damaging this replacement engine if it is loaded with debris from the lifter & camshaft failure. I had to replace them all and the camshaft as well. AFMis good for gas mileage and can be 5-7 percent more fuel-efficient under certain conditions. AFMengines use special lifters for cylinders 1, 4, 6, and 7. Would it be fine to go ahead with the AFM Disabler? What type of disabler did you go with? I have a 12 wit 4.8 Silverado 75000 miles It is currently at the dealer having a new long block installed under warranty. I have a Yukon 116k it now needs its 3rd set of lifters and cam. Vehicle has 40k miles been maintained well and shows no signs of lifter concerns at present. 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. 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. Having it fixed now, just curious Seems like a problematic design. The 1st design (built prior to April 1, 2006) was had afm components but wasnt connected. They took the engine down today found so much damage inside they ordered a new engine from Detroit. GM should recall every vehicle with this terrible design flaw! Now im thinking of buying a disabler asap, am i in the clear to do so without the oil splashing problem? A problem with the software caused the engine to idle with most of their cylinders, thus overheating the exhaust . Yes, always change all the lifters at once. AFMlifters have a history of failing and oil consumption can be a problem. Help appreciated. Any guidance would surely be appreciated. I cant stand seeing customers continuously going thousands of miles over on the oil and wonder why theres problems. Did not help. They should let us the better mileage. Most will want to get rid of the AFM immediately. I am a long time GM fan but after reading how they messed up the 5.3 ( I had a fantastic 2003 Z72 off road) Ill look else ware for my next vehicle. The older truck gets 19 mpg the newer truck with fuel management gets 14. [], [] way. 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. I just got new warranty engine and dont want this issue again? Install the AFM disabler now or wait until my warranty just about to expire to get this AFM issue resolved? They are being forced by the feds to use stuff like AFM to meet the CAFE requirements. Teflon coatings does not last. But then she passed away from cancer. Question I have a 2015 Silverado and had a transmission go bad when I had it rebuilt I had the AFM/DOD turned off. Is this due to the AFM being shut off? Didnt change exhaust nor tune so likely no change in power/torque. Very expensive repair too! Pulled the inntake and replaced valleypan With all the solenoids. I already ordered the parts to replace myself and remove the code. Keith, were happy to help. I will be installing the AFM deactivator tonight when I get hoe. I own a reputable repair shop. Thanks. Call chevy.They should being paying most of that. Install the disabler when you get your Yukon back and it will remain in good working order. they are known to become plugged. As GM issued 13 updatesnone of which workeddealers disabled the system on their customers' cars, leaving them permanently in V-8 mode. Todays computers are faster so it does work. Whats the next step? Its not GMs choice to use AFM. 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. An AFM Disabler is an electronic device that plugs into the OBD-II port, under the dashboard. [] For more information on AFM, including a comprehensive guide on how to completely remove it from your engine, check out this article. This is my project car and will be my drive (about 5000 miles a year). What can I expect with the AFM in place, or, with AFM disabled (not deleted)? My local mechanic suggested whatever I buy with an AFM he will send off the ECU to have the AFM flashed out. I am hoping this does the trick. Why would GM ever produce such problems with such little to gain. It replaces the AFM components with standard parts. Your email address will not be published. thanks brian love the info Im thinking of buying a ford now, I am going to buy a new truck in about a month it would be a Chevy but Dodge has lifter problems so they are out and Chevy has DoD problem.If they come out with Silverado without the DoD then i would buy one.But they arent so i will become a Ford man from now on, Have fun with that Ecobust motor & stretched timing chain . They shift cam lobes by sliding the cam, never actually shutting down the value but riding a different lube! 50,000 miles. In 2015, I purchased a new Tahoe with the AFM and two weeks ago with 71K miles on it, the engine light came on. Did gm make a non-dod version of the 5.3 with iron block that would work in my application? Install ls3 valley cover. I had an 82 caddy 4100 with alumn block and cast iron heads ,, Exploded in Philidelpha, Garbage.. 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. Hello! In 2010, GM added a deflector (p/n) NAL-12639759 to redirect in into the pan. Put an S&B cold air intake on last week with huge oiled filter and it made a big improvement in throttle response and it appears possibly a slight improvement in mileage. Pulled right valve cover an rockers on syl 6 dont move. WATCH THIS VIDEO https://youtu.be/1MJMf3nnQhQ. i have a 2007 suburban 6.0 and the number 4 intake lifter took a dive.i have already started to disassemble the engine as i plan on replacing all the lifters and reassemble the engine as i never had any other problems with it. I guess what Im really trying to ask is,, are there any cons/disadvantages to installing the AFM delete Electronic module? Have misfire code and engine has what I would call a surge while driving. No it runs fine on sylinder one but not on 6 or 7!!! 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. Most of all, my concern is reliability. A 17 with 5.3. Happened to me twice 2009 Silverado, finally deleted DOD and installed a performance cam and lifters. 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. I have 1999 Silverado with out AFM that gets 21 mpg and a 2008 with it that gets 14.6. CAM motion says no just have to disable the AFM and VVT with a stock tune as the camshaft is not an aggressive camshaft but a drop in. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. If you just crack it without it starting it moves all the time . There is no way cylinder deactivation and the resulting temperate decrease, with sudden piston heat expansion when all cylinders are engaged, can't have undo wear and tear on the rings, valves, piston and bore. This will spray oil on the bottom of the cylinder walls which can cause oil burning, especially in high-rpm engines. Thank you. The VLOM consists of 4 electronically operated solenoids and is bolted to the top of the engine block beneath the intake manifold assembly. Took it to a shop and they advised that it could be due to the AFM system not functioning properly. One month to the day driving on the highway got the Service Stabiltrak message quickly followed by the misfire code. Power will be sent to the rear axle via a beefed-up 4L60E [], Have a problem with 09 Chevy Any truth to that? Or is the shuddering indicative of failed/failing lifters that need to be replaced before moving forward? 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. They are taller and have special oil holes. Chris, when you did your delete, did you also change the cam at the same time? How do you know if the lifter has failed? It prevents the computer from switching over to four-cylinder mode. I bought a 2010 GMC Sierra 5.3L Truck in 2013 with 24K miles. Diablo says yes but they do not provide tunes. The engine has flex-fuel capability. If you installed a factory truck cam, there shouldnt be any particular reason for it to be down on power. Have a lifter problem on my 2010 5.3 Silverado. Yes a poor design but a flaw ? Brian, thank you for the quick response. is it still working good since you have done that with the trans fluid? It works . Our 2013 yukon with 47k miles just failed. Since no air can get in or out, four cylinders provide no power. With the nipple, or without? Thankfull for any ideeas! 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. There may be an ignition related issue on that cylinder. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BR1R8N8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A359W9MWR50ZG1&psc=1. Required fields are marked *. In October of 2010, GM added a deflector (p/n NAL-12639759) to keep oil from being sprayed directly on the rear cylinders. Im confused from the write up about the plug in. 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. I have a 2012 Chevy Avalanche. The car runs great apart from the shuddering at those speeds. Had nothing but trouble out of it. Just one or two. But if you dont like it. Question i just bought a 2005 Saab 9-7 with 5.3 v8, (same as GMC envoy) which came with AFM, the car runs fine, so if i just install the OBDII electronic device, is it just as likely that my lifters will still go bad? Many people find the four-cylinder sound annoying if their vehicle is equipped with a louder aftermarket exhaust. Now it appears GM and their handlers want to push the electric market with throw away junk that is mechanically weak . (Bought car 1 day before lifter died!) No problems with any to this point. Sometimes it will do it all the time and other times can drive it for 10 miles and then it starts but doesnt do it constantly when driving. Cylinder deactivation--branded Active Fuel Management by GM--shuts off some cylinders when extra power isn't needed, to improve fuel economy. Can they be faulty? also in the pan is another AFM oil filter near the external engine oil filter. CHANGE YOUR OIL!!!!! I service plenty of these vehicles with AFM, and the ones I have to open up the engine for repair because of a failure doesnt surprise me anymore. NOTE: Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations. Definitely dont want to do anything to fix one problem and create another. I went with the new motor for the warranty. Why have you not gotten a reply from Mr Nutter, Buying a Silverado 6.2L. Plugs spark fine engine has power at higher RPMs although it is still in Limp mode / stabilitrack message, even after driving it a few times above 60 MPH then clearing errors with handheld programmer. in your opinion will this work, i really dont see any reason it wouldnt. Where can I buy a bolt to replace this relief valve ?? But the problem at that time was the computer technology. I sold them when they were new. Better airflow reduces drag on the pistons and the associated pumping losses. This should be added to your earlier model if you experience oil consumption. 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. The exhaust valve remains open during the intake stroke and closes just before BDC. Have not had a problem yet. Ayush Srivastava Would installing the Disabler solve this? I did noticed the oil consumption but it was rare that I would have to add oil. When cruising on the freeway (for example) in 4 cylinder mode and jumping on the throttle to pass or get out in the fast lane, there is CONSIDERABLE and annoying and dangerous lag, like 3 seconds, and this is a problem. Id wait until the warranty expires then disable. Do you think I can still disable AFM? Next day, fired it up to take the the junk yard and it ran great. A 14 gmc 5.3 Sierra 85000 miles However, the fuel savings are not always as much as expected. This replacement engine has the same camshaft sensor plug plug, 5 wire like the AFM would use, instead of the 3 wire. Hello. There has been a lifter noise since I bought the truck 1 year ago. I have an 08 Suburban that is currently getting the lifters replaced a second time within a three month span. The pressure relief in the pan opens at around 45psi to prevent over pressurization of the vlom solenoids. Love the truck. I still get a P0336 code every once in a while but still good to drive around town. It could be the filter screen under the oil sending unit. Would never take it on a long trip. An electromechanical system deactivates and reactivates all 16 of the engine's hydraulic valve lifters, controlling valve actuation. stalled in a certain way a warning wouldn be a bad idea. 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? Most will want to get rid of the AFM immediately and VVT isnt for []. Oil consumption problems can be caused by a number of factors, including low oil pressure, worn oil seals, or worn engine parts. Because its not just GM that have engine problems. Yeh truck has 5237 miles on it Some guys have been able to use a tool through the top with the cover off to get it to release. When a deactivated cylinder is reactivated, the control system opens the exhaust valve first to evacuate the trapped exhaust gas, before reactivating the intake valve to allow reactivated cylinders to revert to the normal operation of the compression/combustion exhaust/intake cycle. This update also saw the usage of cylinder deactivation technology or Active Fuel Management. I ran 0W-20 on more the 5000 miles between changes. Solenoids, new lifters also test voltage to solenoid pack all good their, 91 GMC Sierra K1500 F44 6.2 NA Plow truck with 7.5ft Leo Plow 94 K3500 CC DRW 6.5TD DE exhaust . 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. 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. Once I get it back, could I install the Disabler safely. The write up confuses me. Very confusing stuff out there. 2012 5.3 Tahoe AFM, #4 lifter collapse,replaced all lifters,started engine ran ok, then rough, got #6 misfire code. I traded in a 2004 4.8 L with 256000KM on it that ran like a clock and never gave me a problem. Dod is the biggest failure sence the 8-6-4 caddie in 1981. It has the orings in place, that seals the towers. Number 7 cylinder lifters stops moving when truck starts. What if I was able to trick the computer into thinking it is in 5th gear when it is actually in 6th? Only issue might be the oil consumption due to pressure run off and spraying of oil in crankcase? We figured we already had the intake manifold off to install the engine, why run the risk of MIL only to have to removed the intake manifold again without being paid. What if the pressure relief valve is stuck OPEN and the oil pressure never gets up to where it needs to be? But it also restricts passages that the oil runs through. All New lifters were from AC delco. Dont want to make a move on a new truck or jump to a 2500 yet.