Question on AFM collapsed lifter failure

[bowtiemark]

On 4/25/2018 at 9:27 PM, WesternMike said:

115,000 on my 14 with not a single problem, like not one issue at all with this truck.

Mobi 1 every 5k
91 octane since purchase
Diablo Trinity with AFM and DoD disabled
91 octane tune
Super 10 muffler
Cold air Intake

Run the sea foam every oil change or two as well, will only help! YouTube the process.

If we look after these trucks like we do our bodies.. they will last.

just wondering but why mobile 1? why not ac delco since it’s recommended on there owners book? just wondering since many people say mobile 1 and some say ac delco... 

[HeySkippyDog]

Ask Melling. They make the lifters. They say allllllll the failures are from oil pressure dropping below....read:
 
https://www.melling.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Melling-tech-bulletin-on-GM-LS-Deactivation-Lifter-Issues-3.1.18-1.pdf

That is for the LS engines. GM stopped building AFM LS engines with the 2013.

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[swathdiver]

2 hours ago, bowtiemark said:

just wondering but why mobile 1? why not ac delco since it’s recommended on there owners book? just wondering since many people say mobile 1 and some say ac delco... 

ACDelco oil is not always easy to purchase.  Not as simple of going to Walmart or even the local auto parts store.  I had to hunt it down and drive a ways to get it.  Thus far it seems to be better than plain Mobil 1 synthetic.

1 hour ago, HeySkippyDog said:

That is for the LS engines. GM stopped building AFM LS engines with the 2013.

2014 for the SUVs.

[HeySkippyDog]

2014 Tahoes and Suburbans got the same L83 (Not LS) that the Silverado got, but ok.

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[Frankielozano214]

I did a afm/dod delete on my 2014 due to  lifter collapse when I when to race a old school Chevy ? the first week I bought my truck costed me a good 1500$ due to parts and labor just for the non  afm cam and kit, another 320$ for the y-pipe that messed up due to driving with with no tune, and 140$ for the tune, but now I kinda get ok gas mileage Ig for a truck better then my mothers Dodge Ram with the hemi!!! Glad I don’t have to worry about the lifter collapsing again or the v4 mode kicking in 

[Frankielozano214]

Went out of pocket about 2000$ and some change, was hurtin for alil while but now it’s good

[Baytrucker]

On 4/25/2018 at 2:46 PM, Doublebase said:

I don't know much about this system, how it operates, the stress that is placed on the lifters during cylinder deactivation. How common is this failure?

The possibility exists. No one can tell you what the odds are. Its a fundamental flaw in the way the design of the engine, with regards to how it has been modified to meet EPA requirements. Until GM comes up with a new design, this won't change. People are saying that GM  have corrected a lot of the AFM issues, but they don't seem to ever site sources for this. As far as I can tell, GM has not published a media release on this issue other than the dealer bulletin. There has been no released description as to what exactly they have done to make the lifters more reliable, so I have to assume nothing has changed since the early models. GM doesn't release their reliability or warranty statistics, so anyone saying that "fewer people are having problems with the newer models" have no basis for knowing if that is true.

 

The manufacturer of the lifters apparently got fed up with GM sending back faulty lifters and blamed the design of the oil system. GM hasn't really responded to this in any official way.

 

The repair basically requires a rebuild of your engine. You technically can replace just the lifter that failed, but you are better off changing out the cam too since it has likely been damaged or scored. When a metal part is scored, you have to ask where the metal shavings went. They don't just disappear. They go further into your engine. If this repair is under warranty, GM often won't investigate this far. They just replace the broken lifter and stop at that.

 

Given how extensive the damage can be when the lifters fail, I wouldn't continue to run a truck following the failure. I'd generally consider it to be an instant trade-in.

 

 

 

[MaverickZ71]

On 7/9/2019 at 4:30 PM, 3tspapat said:

So of all of the GMs produced with AFM and is currently out on the road, what is the percentage of ones that have failed so far? 

Dunno.  And GM sure as hell isn't saying.  It's a miracle they haven't had a class action lawsuit on this.  But the actual number is high enough that the Service Manager at my GM dealer says there are 2 types of DOD/AFM/whatever-they're-calling-them-this-week vehicles: 1)  Those vehicles that already have AFM problems, and 2) Those vehicles that will have AFM problems.  He only drives Toyotas, by the way.  (And I don't like Toyotas.)  They have one full time Technician that just does engine teardowns for AFM fixes--that's all he does, every day, and he has gotten really good and fast at it, but even with that, sometimes they have to have other Techs assist--there are that many problems.  

Edited July 19, 2019 by MaverickZ71

[MaverickZ71]

On 4/25/2018 at 4:46 PM, Doublebase said:

I don't know much about this system, how it operates, the stress that is placed on the lifters during cylinder deactivation. How common is this failure? Been watching some YouTube videos on the repair and it's very labor intensive...heads have to come off, etc. I see that you can buy the entire kit (lifters, gaskets) for around $500.

 

Have a friend that told me...just change your oil, you'll be fine. The number one cause of this failure is neglected maintenance. That true? Or is it an inherited problem with the design of the system? 

 

The system came out in 2007, there must be some improvements made to it since then, no? 

 

I must say that the AFM is allowing me to get some excellent fuel economy out of a full size truck.

 

So is this a common problem, or are there people with 200,000 on these trucks that never had an issue with it?

Unfortunately, it has been an all-too-common problem for many of us.  

The most common 'fixes' are:

1) Use a good quality full-synthetic Dexos-rated engine oil in the correct viscosity and quantity, and a good oil filter that's not too restrictive.  GM's own Dexos oil, Shell Rotella Gas Truck, and AMS oil seem to be the top-rated oils now.  Consider changing the oil more often than the Oil Life Monitor indicates.

2)  Consider installing an oil catch can into your PCV system.

3)  Turn off AFM via a Range V8 module or PCM tune as soon as possible.  Some AFM lifters seem to have a short lifespan, and the more cycles of 8-cylinder mode to less-than-8-cylinder-mode that you subject them to, the more likely they are to fail.  

4)  Some have even gone so far as to have their engines torn down and rebuilt with an AFM-delete kit from Texas Speed (or such).  

5)  GM's own documents suggested that Generation 1 AFM saved about an average of 7% on fuel economy.  But many of us who deactivated AFM noticed little to no difference in our fuel economy, and some have reported better drivability (no surging with AFM kicking in/out, better transmission shifting, better sounding aftermarket exhaust) with AFM turned off.  

Edited July 19, 2019 by MaverickZ71

[swathdiver]

On 7/13/2019 at 6:28 PM, swathdiver said:

ACDelco oil is not always easy to purchase.  Not as simple of going to Walmart or even the local auto parts store.  I had to hunt it down and drive a ways to get it.  Thus far it seems to be better than plain Mobil 1 synthetic.

Deal of the century for ACDelco oil:  https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=9721864&jsn=254

[Frankielozano214]

Idk my truck is lifted 4” and has 20in wheel with 33s it waste gas but not as much as a hemi truck I was driving.

[Doublebase]

Well 33,000 miles later and everything seems ok (averaging 24.5 mpg over the life of the vehicle). Change the oil every 5,000 miles, no mods aside from a catch can. We'll see how it goes...hoping for the best but won't be shocked if/when it happens.

 

Reading through a couple of posts on here regarding dealer feedback...I have a totally different experience of feedback. When I ask about the lifter collapse they tell me it's a non issue, that people complain about the "feeling" of when it switches between V4/V/8, but as far as repairs, it doesn't seem to be a major issue where I am. I mean they may just be lying to me (talked to 3 different dealers). 

 

And i do work with 6 different people that own these trucks, none of them have had an issue yet (although one does experience bad oil consumption). And one of them has over 200,000 miles now. Personally on mine, I do experience some oil use...probably 1/2-3/4 a quart over 5,000 miles.

[Colossus]

4 hours ago, Doublebase said:

Reading through a couple of posts on here regarding dealer feedback...I have a totally different experience of feedback. When I ask about the lifter collapse they tell me it's a non issue, that people complain about the "feeling" of when it switches between V4/V/8, but as far as repairs, it doesn't seem to be a major issue where I am. I mean they may just be lying to me (talked to 3 different dealers). 

 

 

You might be surprised how many dealers out there don't even know an issue with AFM and lifter collapse exists until they get one for the first time. 

[KARNUT]

I don’t think GM tells the dealer anything. In 1993 I read an article in hot rod mag about the impala ss. I went to the dealership to put down a deposit. They laughed and said go to auction and buy a police cruiser, caprice. 6 months later I’m driving one, all they said was oops.


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[Trnr1995]

2015 Silverado High Country 6.2 60,000 miles. Went to Tennessee on Friday the 12th for vacation. Pulled 2 waverunners down. Came back yesterday with a rental car that I had to pay for. Collapsed lifter. Been a Gm man for 30 years. Not happy. Truck will be there for a couple of weeks. Then go back down from Illinois and get truck and waverunners. VERY Inconvenient. I'm pretty sure me and Gm broke up.