Why does stabilitrak cause lifter to stick

[YbNormal]

2010 silverado, 5.3 LTZ , 4 wheel drive.

This is my third time replacing a bad lifter after the stabilitrak has come on.

Last year in October it was number 1 cylinder, then in March this year it was number 4 cylinder.

I haven't even thrown out the old head gaskets and within a week again stabilitrak comes on and again

Number 4 cylinder intake lifter takes a shit.

Looking on line there can be a few different reasons why the stabilitrak is coming on.

I bought a steering wheel position sensor and put that in yesterday, I hope maybe this will help.

I will be picking up the head gasket and bolts today after work and start to put it back together tonight.

Not sure what I what to do with this truck when I'm done.

But getting back to the question at hand, does anyone know why the lifter gets stuck when the stabilitrak comes on.

 

 

 

[MaverickZ71]

Think you have it backwards.  The bad lifter is throwing an error code and then that triggers the Traction Control and Stabilitrak OFF warning in the Driver Info Center (DIC) display.  

 

Almost any engine misfire/powertrain control module brain fart causes the Traction Control Off and Stabilitrak Off warnings in the DIC.  

[2017Darkness]

10 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

Think you have it backwards.  The bad lifter is throwing an error code and then that triggers the Traction Control and Stabilitrak OFF warning in the Driver Info Center (DIC) display.  

 

Almost any engine misfire/powertrain control module brain fart causes the Traction Control Off and Stabilitrak Off warnings in the DIC.  

Nailed it

[newdude]

2 hours ago, YbNormal said:

2010 silverado, 5.3 LTZ , 4 wheel drive.

This is my third time replacing a bad lifter after the stabilitrak has come on.

Last year in October it was number 1 cylinder, then in March this year it was number 4 cylinder.

I haven't even thrown out the old head gaskets and within a week again stabilitrak comes on and again

Number 4 cylinder intake lifter takes a shit.

Looking on line there can be a few different reasons why the stabilitrak is coming on.

I bought a steering wheel position sensor and put that in yesterday, I hope maybe this will help.

I will be picking up the head gasket and bolts today after work and start to put it back together tonight.

Not sure what I what to do with this truck when I'm done.

But getting back to the question at hand, does anyone know why the lifter gets stuck when the stabilitrak comes on.

 

 

 

 

As said above, the Stabilitrak is coming on due to a misfire/AFM cylinder failure. 

 

Get all the AFM lifters for each bank if even one cylinder fails.  Looks to me this would be the third time you've pulled heads?  Add the VLOM too as those solenoids can fail over time. 

[C/K Man]

That's it, you have the cause and effect backwards.  BTW- have you ever changed the small filter screen under the oil pressure switch?  If it is restrictive, it could affect oil flow to the lifters.  

[YbNormal]

49 minutes ago, C/K Man said:

That's it, you have the cause and effect backwards.  BTW- have you ever changed the small filter screen under the oil pressure switch?  If it is restrictive, it could affect oil flow to the lifters.  

Yes, replaced it two weeks ago when I had the engine apart. The old filter looked good, but replaced it anyway.

[YbNormal]

1 hour ago, MaverickZ71 said:

Think you have it backwards.  The bad lifter is throwing an error code and then that triggers the Traction Control and Stabilitrak OFF warning in the Driver Info Center (DIC) display.  

 

Almost any engine misfire/powertrain control module brain fart causes the Traction Control Off and Stabilitrak Off warnings in the DIC.  

If this is the case whats going on with theses lifters, why are they stuck in the down position.

I read about the oil pressure and control issues form Melling.

But what can be causing this ?

I'm at the end of the rope.

[Kylebr1]

1 hour ago, YbNormal said:

If this is the case whats going on with theses lifters, why are they stuck in the down position.

I read about the oil pressure and control issues form Melling.

But what can be causing this ?

I'm at the end of the rope.

Have you had the DOD AFM turned off ? how many km on the engine ? 

[dsr611]

AFM delete kit from TSP...replace all lifters with non-AFM lifters, ditch the cam and go with a non-AFM cam, new valley plate, new timing cover (non-VVT), send ECM off to Brendan at LT1swap.com to program VVT out

 

http://www.lt1swap.com/afm_delete.htm

[YbNormal]

12 minutes ago, Kylebr1 said:

Have you had the DOD AFM turned off ? how many km on the engine ? 

The engine has 90,000 miles on it.

No I have not had DOD AFM turned off.

I saw that there is a Diablosport programmer that will disable those.

That will be my next step.

[YbNormal]

12 minutes ago, dsr611 said:

AFM delete kit from TSP...replace all lifters with non-AFM lifters, ditch the cam and go with a non-AFM cam, new valley plate, new timing cover (non-VVT), send ECM off to Brendan at LT1swap.com to program VVT out

 

http://www.lt1swap.com/afm_delete.htm

I was thinking this is the way to go. It's alot more work, but in the long run, no more problems.

[Kylebr1]

Just turn it off I have 95,000 km on my 2016 and no issues at all . You can go and cam the engine but then you should replace valve springs and your fuel mileage will suffer . 

[MaverickZ71]

21 hours ago, YbNormal said:

If this is the case whats going on with theses lifters, why are they stuck in the down position.

I read about the oil pressure and control issues form Melling.

But what can be causing this ?

I'm at the end of the rope.

I'm far from the expert on this, but from the considerable reading I've done on the subject, the valve lifters on the AFM cylinders are a special design that either pump up or collapse down due to oil pressure changes from the special internal oil manifold (VLOM).  That is all regulated by the AFM programming in the powertrain computer, when it decides to be in 4 cylinder mode as opposed to 8 cylinder mode.  The regular lifters stay the same all of the time.  GM has had at least 2 different manufacturers for the AFM lifters, and one is worse, but both have problems.  Once an AFM lifter breaks inside (plastic/composite parts inside?), it can rotate in it's bore and scar/pit the camshaft.  Many on here have had this happen repeatedly.  The main thing is to turn off the AFM as soon as possible via a Range V8 module or tuner, and to use a Dexos rated synthetic oil and change it about every 4k miles.  After you get high mileage with gummed up piston rings etc, when you are having to do partial rebuilds anyway, it would be better just to do the whole AFM delete kit and get rid of that whole crappy system, and it wouldn't hurt to do the pistons/rings while you're in there.  The whole AFM debacle is questionable engineering built with cheap parts and indifferent tolerances, all in the name of 1-2 mpg.  And most of us who have turned off AFM haven't noticed any significant change in fuel mileage.  

[dsr611]

On 4/8/2019 at 3:38 PM, Kylebr1 said:

Just turn it off I have 95,000 km on my 2016 and no issues at all . You can go and cam the engine but then you should replace valve springs and your fuel mileage will suffer . 

AFM in the 2016 models isn't an issue (that I've read of).  The issues are with the early model year's with AFM (I think 2013 is when they updated the AFM components).  I had a Range module on my 2010 and still had a lifter collapse, so it's not as simple as just turning it off.

I replaced all lifters with non-AFM lifters, a new non-AFM cam (collapsed lifter gouged up the original AFM cam), new valley plate, oil pump, non-VVT timing cover, new gaskets, head bolts, cam bolt, etc....and fuel mileage increased after trashing the AFM.  Before, I was averaging 16-18 mpg...after removing all AFM parts, I was averaging 18-19 mpg.  Only time the AFM ever kicked in before I got the Range module, was on the interstate, and going down a grade. 

[YbNormal]

Thanks everyone for the input.