5.3l Oil Consumption Fixed?

TheGreekIndian · December 15, 2010

I've been looking at a new 2011 Silverado 5.3L W/AFM 6-speed and am still concerned that long term the 5.3L is still consuming oil like I have read about on this forum and others. Did GM ever fix this issue?

if not, I'll settle for a little Colorado. ha!

Snow White · December 15, 2010

if you consider the number of people on this forum.... then consider how many are complaining versus how many could be complaining and compare that to the total number of trucks sold and I think you can figure out for yourself what to do.

every vehicle has problems. you could buy a toyota, go over a big pot hole and have it slam into the back of your cab or have the tail gate split apart. i wouldn't personally buy a colorado over a silverado though because of some low percentage oil consumption complaints....

ColoradoSkiCountry · December 15, 2010

If you consider the fact that the majority of truck owners out there don't even know about these forums to come out and bitch on, there is likely an even higher percentage of those out there with Oil Consumption issues as a result of the good for nothing AFM system. I would not risk it until we know for a fact that GM has addressed the issue.

441G · December 15, 2010

X2 - i thought afm was ok until i got 58,000 on mine - its not if its when

nickvrebel · December 15, 2010

AFM works great in my truck, 2009 5.3L aluminum block (SLT)

23 mpg (@55 mph staying in 4cyl. mode) and no sign of excessive oil consumption.

music · December 15, 2010

If you consider the fact that the majority of truck owners out there don't even know about these forums to come out and bitch on, there is likely an even higher percentage of those out there with Oil Consumption issues as a result of the good for nothing AFM system. I would not risk it until we know for a fact that GM has addressed the issue.

Why would you think that folks not having an issue are more likely to be on a forum than those that are? I'm exactly opposite. I usually only show up at a forum *when I have a problem*. The current truck is the exception, as I came here before buying and stuck around.

Re: the orig question: I wouldn't hesitate to buy another 5.3 w/ AFM.

edit: I can't type today, so had to edit to make sense.

knightr · December 15, 2010

Seems to me, from all the post I have read, that AFM may be only one reason for excessive oil consumption.

The other & more important to me at least is the 5.3 aluminum block thats a contributing factor.

If I was buying another truck today to replace mine, I would definitely go with an iron block engine.

Aluminum heads are one thing, but I just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling with an aluminum block.

5829BMG · December 15, 2010

Seems to me, from all the post I have read, that AFM may be only one reason for excessive oil consumption.
The other & more important to me at least is the 5.3 aluminum block thats a contributing factor.

If I was buying another truck today to replace mine, I would definitely go with an iron block engine.

Aluminum heads are one thing, but I just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling with an aluminum block.

I may be wrong, but doesnt the corvette and camero have all aluminum engines in the HP models? I work with aluminum engines all day and have yet to see a block fail because of it. Most failures are rods coming out of it due to poor maintenance. My truck is a 5.3 AFM it used a little oil upto the second oil change then I had the AFM disabled and hasn't used a drop since.

kdixer · December 15, 2010

Seems to me, from all the post I have read, that AFM may be only one reason for excessive oil consumption.
The other & more important to me at least is the 5.3 aluminum block thats a contributing factor.

If I was buying another truck today to replace mine, I would definitely go with an iron block engine.

Aluminum heads are one thing, but I just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling with an aluminum block.

I guess the praised non oil burning 6.2 is not an option for you then. The aluminum block 5.3 was around before afm.

nickvrebel · December 15, 2010

Seems to me, from all the post I have read, that AFM may be only one reason for excessive oil consumption.
The other & more important to me at least is the 5.3 aluminum block thats a contributing factor.

If I was buying another truck today to replace mine, I would definitely go with an iron block engine.

Aluminum heads are one thing, but I just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling with an aluminum block.

the 5.7L LS1 is an aluminum block. It has been in the corvette since 1997 and F body since 1998 (later replaced with other aluminum block V8 variants).

the block itself is aluminum, the heads are aluminum, but the sleeves in the cylinders are still iron.

I've haven't noted any issues with oil consumption with my aluminum blocked 5.3L. I change my own oil, truck has 21,000 miles on it and I spend a considerable amount of time with the truck in V4 mode as I travel to my hunting camp.

brownie152 · December 15, 2010

You are more than free to do what you want and whatever you think is right. My dealership is in a town of about 30,000 people and they stated that they did the "fix" to about 100 trucks and have since replaced the pistons in 3 of those trucks that the "fix" didn't seem to work. The dealership stated that the rings in some cases may me caked up with too much carbon and need to be replaced. My truck didn't start consuming oil until after 30,000 miles and i ended up bing one of the lucky 3 to get the pistons and rings replaced. Would I buy another 5.3, no. Do i agree that every truck may have problems, yes. I am concerned that this engine has been out since the 2007 model year and that the "fix" just came out in August 2010 despite knowing about it much longer. I love my truck, but i wouldn't recommend the 5.3 to a friend based on MY experiences. This is just my opinion and everyone else on here is entitled to their own, so do what you think is best.

441G · December 15, 2010

imo i think afm's oil consumption problem is with the oil getting splashed up on the rings and making them get stuck to the piston. its not going to matter if you have a iron or aluminum block - the other problem with the afm motors is the lifters - they have alot of tiny moving parts. we have had 2 where they have gotten stuck closed. on top of all that my 2005 got better mpg than my 2007 - 18 city 20 highway vs 17 city 17 highway the only difference is my 2005 had 3.23 gears vs 3.73 in the 2007. i think gm should let us turn off afm and see if some of these problems go away.

rodram · December 15, 2010

My opinion, for what it is worth... if you are looking at buying a new Chevy/GM truck then avoid the 5.3 AFM as GM has still not sorted out how to prevent or remedy the oil consumption issue ... if you are basically a light duty truck guy then get the 4.8L (yes with the 4L60E transmission and just budget for a rebuild somewhere around 150,000 miles) or go for the 6.2L with the 6sp transmission... or get a 2500HD

... or get the 5.3L AFM ... get the AFM tuned-off, (which will void your entire powertrain warranty..)

I've been looking at a new 2011 Silverado 5.3L W/AFM 6-speed and am still concerned that long term the 5.3L is still consuming oil like I have read about on this forum and others. Did GM ever fix this issue?

if not, I'll settle for a little Colorado. ha!

Silverado4x4 · December 15, 2010

If you consider the fact that the majority of truck owners out there don't even know about these forums to come out and bitch on, there is likely an even higher percentage of those out there with Oil Consumption issues as a result of the good for nothing AFM system. I would not risk it until we know for a fact that GM has addressed the issue.

But how about the percentage of people out there that DOESNT have the oil problem. I dont.

papastoy · December 15, 2010

I have a theory about the oil burning issue. I'm not a machinist or engine builder so maybe those that are out there can comment/correct me. There was an similar issue with the GM performance 454HO Gen6 crate motors from a couple of years ago. Started burning oil at 150 miles. After going round and round with GM, the guy took the engine to his machinist to diagnose the problem. Machinist found that there were spots on the cylinder walls that the rings were not touching due to block not being honed with a torque plate. A torque plate is used to simulate the heads being bolted to the block. He also mentioned low tension oil rings that are used. I was wondering if maybe the honing process is not being done properly on the sleeves or not being done at all to save money. Or some combination of the above? Also in another forum mention was made that AFM was removed from the 2011 3.9 V6 used in the Impala and Buick Lucerne.