CSI-WALLEYE

I use redline too. how often do you use it? Also do you change the VLOM filter yourself?

Thanks for this information. My truck has 30 000 km and the afm works great. Can't feel the switch at all. I am on the fence about deactivation. I don't want to mess with a good thing. I use Ansoil Signature and change it often. I do like to keep my vehicles a long time so I may still deactivate.

this is the info I would like to have.

Thanks that link is very informative. Lets you know just how complex these engines are.

Hey Guys, Thanks for the quick replies! The consensus seems to be that the AFM system works fine with proper maintenance. It is difficult to find accurate information. I like to keep my vehicles for a long time. I had my Safari van for 17 years before I sold it. I am using high quality synthetic in my truck (Amsoil Signature) so I don't think I will have oil issues. I also don't like to mess with a vehicle that is working well.

I have a 2017 5.3 4x4 Sierra work truck and I love it. It shifts just fine, I can't even feel it when it shifts from V8 to V4, but I am concerned about lifter failure in the future. I am more than willing to give up a bit of fuel efficiency for reliability. My questions are: 1) Do 2017 trucks have lifter problems, or have that solved that problem? 2) Do the AFM disablers (like Range) solve the problem or do I have to remove the lifters and replace then with the standard lifters? Thanks,

Thanks for the reply Grumpy. I have the same suspicions. There are millions of trucks out there and we are hearing mostly from people who are having problems. Is this due to design flaws? or is it due to abuse? or is it column A and column B? It may be that several different types of abuse may all expose a weakness in the transmission that will never be seen with proper care. I am new to truck ownership but from reading sites like this is It seems that if you avoid modifications and perform recommended maintenance you can avoid a lot of trouble.

Sorry this is on the wrong thread.

Wow. Eat a Snickers. You'll feel better.

Some great input here thanks everyone. This is the first vehicle I have owned that has AFM and direct injection. Also the numerous posts indicating tranny problems has me a bit nervous about changing anything because my AFM and transmission are super smooth. I would prefer to switch to amsoil on my next oil change this summer.

I have a 2017 Sierra with a 5.3. I have had free oil changes for the last two years and have used the dealer's supplied Dexos. My engine and transmission are working great. I have read that many people hare having issues with AFM and hard shifting trannies. I have use Amsiol signature in all my other vehicles. Has any one switched to Amsoil and experienced problems? I am wondering if I should leave well enough alone.

should you use towing mode every time you tow or only when towing heavy items?

How common is this problem? are the problematic transmissions defective or is this a design flaw? If it is a design flaw why don't they all have problems?

Yes this is true but I think everyone would like to find out if their modification is actually beneficial or at least not harmful. Freedom of choice is one thing but you can't make good choices if you do not have good and accurate information on which to base your decision. This is why I started this thread. Catch cans make logical sense but there is data that is missing that makes me suspicious. Unfortunately, I do not have the detailed engineering knowledge to call BS on the theory. I have been going back and forth on the issue. Right now I am leaning on the negative side. If they really were working someone would have performed a study to demonstrate it.

I think the discussion was more in-depth than this thread.

I found this interesting discussion regarding catch cans and GDI engines. https://forums.redflagdeals.com/take-me-school-do-catch-cans-gdi-engines-actually-work-2255037/

What can do you think is the best bang for the buck?

Sorry, I did not quite follow the part about the clean, high quality oil reducing the amount of blow-by. Does the low quality or dirty oil interfere with proper seal or is it that they cause wear and eventually cause poor fit?

You may be correct here. I may be thinking everyone else is thinking like I am. I usually keep my vehicle as long as I can and maintain them well. I bought a 95 Ford Taurus (a Consumer Reports best by!) that was an unreliable POS. It was not just bad luck. That was a bad design. It turned me off Ford forever. Alternatively, I also had a 1997 GMC Safari. It was not perfect but lasted for 17 years and 250K KMs. I sold it and it was still going strong. That build brand loyalty (in me anyways). However, if most consumers are only keeping vehicles until the warranty expires, it would make sense for manufacturers to aim for that goal (sad). On the brighter side I do know two people who manage fairly large fleets of trucks. One is comprised of GM, FORD and RAM. in this fleet the GMs are the most reliable and require 30% less expenditure on repairs vs the other two. I believe RAM was the worst.

sorry my fault. meant the hose connections. GM has those special connectors. did you canibalize the the original connecting hose to get the fittings or did you by new ones.

That really is surprising! There is so much information out there you would think every mechanic would know about it.

Where did you get the fittings attach it to the motor? Did you have to take them from the the original connector?

Quite possibly.

You seem to be frustrated. If you feel that I was mocking you, i apologize. It was not my intention. Perhaps I did not make my point very well. In the smoking analogy, filters on cigarettes do remove tar. However an unintended consequence was that filters caused the tobacco to burn differently that actually caused the creation of even more carcinogenic compounds. The filters also caused the smokers to draw harder on their cigarettes and smoke more. The point to all this is that you can't really know what the effect of an alteration on an end point unless you actually measure that end point. So with deposits on valves, you don't know what the effect of catch can is unless you measure the deposits. You can have a suspicion but sometimes life can fool you. Altering a relatively simple thing like a cigarette had an unintended consequence on the complex human body. Maybe a simple catch can has an unintended consequence on a complex engine.

If anyone does find a study that does show that catch cans do prevent deposits please send me a message. I am ready to install.