New and looking at an 08 in San Antonio

Chicksdigmiatas · February 16, 2014

Hi everyone!

My name is Myles and I am stationed at Lackland here in San Antonio. This looks like a pretty good forum to collect information, and I have searched around a good bit. Prior to joining the Air Force, I was a Mazda technician prior to joining. I am most of a mechanical engineer, currently a nutritionist, and a washed up musician.

Obviously, I have a miata, and I have just used this name since I was 17 when I bought the thing (11 years ago). For the past few years it has been getting worked on more and more, and pretty much completed the transformation to a corn fueled street/strip car. It just became less and less driveable. Over the years I have owned a number of second vehicles, including a fuel injected 86 302 Ranger, 94 Taurus SHO, 97 200sx (annoyingly unkillable),Grand Prix STE turbo, lumina Z34, and my first car an 86 corolla GTS. If you ask me about ever owning a Saab, I will deny it. All but the Grand Prix had a proper 3 pedal manually actuated transmission. There may of been others, but they aren't important enough to remember. Just one time things...

So, anyways, down to the business at hand.

I wasn't really sure where to post it, so I thought I would take the noob way out, and post it here. I am considering a 2008 silverado crew cab 5.3 4x4 with 125k on it. This will easily be the nicest and newest vehicle I have ever owned.

Like someone who is a moderator at another car forum, and exposed to anon-a-joe's always expert opinion on everything, I am just dying to know yours.

When I search for problems with this vehicle, apparently there is a problem with the AFM. The opinions vary wildly on to why this causes failures on the engines, ranging from starvation to the lifters while 4 cylinder mode is activated (didn't know a LS oiling system was that complicated), to my grandma cursed me with bad car luck when she died. Anyways, I thought it was just some people with a common failure with your typical internet cry babies. But then, I got to digging in the carfax and apparently the lifters were changed on this particular vehicle at 118k and 124k. It was under the dealership possesion from 117k and finally offered up for sale. Interesting. It is all adding up.

So, now allegedly this vehicle has new lifters as documented in the vehicle history report as well as the receipts and records furnished. Will deactivating the AFM via some sort of tuning device save it? Will it keep the truck from killing itself? I ASSume I can work whatever tuner is best as I have been able to successfully tune and operate both a megasquirt and AEM standalones without nuking my engine.I also only use synthetic oils.

I also looked at a 2007 F150 5.4 and a 06 F350 6.0 powerstroke today. The Z71 was my favorite (although the powerstroke was fun because it was huge). Can't find a cummins or duramax in the price/mileage range wanted. I am not driving a Dodge gasser.

Anyways, this 08 silverado is at the top of my list. Will it work for at least 8 years (80kish miles) if I treat/maintain/upgrade it right?

Thanks all!

KMGZ400 · February 16, 2014

Hi everyone!

My name is Myles and I am stationed at Lackland here in San Antonio. This looks like a pretty good forum to collect information, and I have searched around a good bit. Prior to joining the Air Force, I was a Mazda technician prior to joining. I am most of a mechanical engineer, currently a nutritionist, and a washed up musician.

Obviously, I have a miata, and I have just used this name since I was 17 when I bought the thing (11 years ago). For the past few years it has been getting worked on more and more, and pretty much completed the transformation to a corn fueled street/strip car. It just became less and less driveable. Over the years I have owned a number of second vehicles, including a fuel injected 86 302 Ranger, 94 Taurus SHO, 97 200sx (annoyingly unkillable),Grand Prix STE turbo, lumina Z34, and my first car an 86 corolla GTS. If you ask me about ever owning a Saab, I will deny it. All but the Grand Prix had a proper 3 pedal manually actuated transmission. There may of been others, but they aren't important enough to remember. Just one time things...

So, anyways, down to the business at hand.

I wasn't really sure where to post it, so I thought I would take the noob way out, and post it here. I am considering a 2008 silverado crew cab 5.3 4x4 with 125k on it. This will easily be the nicest and newest vehicle I have ever owned.

Like someone who is a moderator at another car forum, and exposed to anon-a-joe's always expert opinion on everything, I am just dying to know yours.

When I search for problems with this vehicle, apparently there is a problem with the AFM. The opinions vary wildly on to why this causes failures on the engines, ranging from starvation to the lifters while 4 cylinder mode is activated (didn't know a LS oiling system was that complicated), to my grandma cursed me with bad car luck when she died. Anyways, I thought it was just some people with a common failure with your typical internet cry babies. But then, I got to digging in the carfax and apparently the lifters were changed on this particular vehicle at 118k and 124k. It was under the dealership possesion from 117k and finally offered up for sale. Interesting. It is all adding up.

So, now allegedly this vehicle has new lifters as documented in the vehicle history report as well as the receipts and records furnished. Will deactivating the AFM via some sort of tuning device save it? Will it keep the truck from killing itself? I ASSume I can work whatever tuner is best as I have been able to successfully tune and operate both a megasquirt and AEM standalones without nuking my engine.I also only use synthetic oils.

I also looked at a 2007 F150 5.4 and a 06 F350 6.0 powerstroke today. The Z71 was my favorite (although the powerstroke was fun because it was huge). Can't find a cummins or duramax in the price/mileage range wanted. I am not driving a Dodge gasser.

Anyways, this 08 silverado is at the top of my list. Will it work for at least 8 years (80kish miles) if I treat/maintain/upgrade it right?

Thanks all!

I personally would stay away from that truck.. Sounds like a ticking time bomb. Also highly reccomend staying away from a for 6.0... Also a time bomb. That f150 would be a good choice or a GMT800 GM truck would be a cheap and reliable choice

Chicksdigmiatas · February 20, 2014

Thanks for the advice. As I was getting ready to pull the trigger on the Ford then I found a sweet deal on a 06 duramax 4x4 at the last second. Talk about one hell of an upgrade.