DFM and lifters question?

Jsd · October 20, 2021

I wanted to know if anyone had any real data on the percentage of lifter failures on the 5.3 engine. I purchased a Range DFM delete a post about 4 miles to the gallon. That's about 100 miles for a tank of gas. I like how it drives, no hesitation and smoother overall but with fuel prices going up I wondered if I should just let the DMV do it's thing. Is there any real data out there? I know people have had trouble with their lifters but I know a couple of guys at work who haven't ever had a problem. I could pick any vehicle out there and find people who had problems. Is the failure rate that high or overblown? Anyone have any real info?

Snakes709 · October 21, 2021

1 hour ago, Jsd said:

I wanted to know if anyone had any real data on the percentage of lifter failures on the 5.3 engine. I purchased a Range DFM delete a post about 4 miles to the gallon. That's about 100 miles for a tank of gas. I like how it drives, no hesitation and smoother overall but with fuel prices going up I wondered if I should just let the DMV do it's thing. Is there any real data out there? I know people have had trouble with their lifters but I know a couple of guys at work who haven't ever had a problem. I could pick any vehicle out there and find people who had problems. Is the failure rate that high or overblown? Anyone have any real info?

The thing is you see posts about all the failures but you dont see all the posts with no failures. I am at 52,200kms and haven't had any issues

fatwhiteboy · October 21, 2021

GM would squish any numbers out there. I know 3 people that had lifter or cam failures but GM would not state that it was due to cylinder deactivation. I saw about a 1 maybe 2 MPG drop with it off on the freeway, no difference at all in the city. I think the start stop is more aggravating then the cylinder shut down.

Anacortes Army Guy · October 21, 2021

11 hours ago, Snakes709 said:

The thing is you see posts about all the failures but you dont see all the posts with no failures. I am at 52,200kms and haven't had any issues

4 mpg? While the Range Technology device will probably reduce your mpg's, it shouldn't be that bad. Sounds like there's another issue with your truck that is resulting in such poor mileage. I'd recommend disconnecting the device and see what your mileage is then.

newdude · October 21, 2021

If counting 2014-2021 model year, we've done 11 lifter jobs involving AFM/DFM lifters from Jan 1st 2021 to current. One of those wasn't an AFM failure, 2018 NYS Police truck that had a non active cylinder eat the crap out of the cam lobe.

Of those 11, five of the trucks were built in the known production window. One of them was a 2020, the rest 2021.

So 5 out of probably 50-60 new trucks/SUVs we've sold this year (good ol chip shortage). We see hundreds of 2014-2021s in every year, large majority have had no failures.

(I included 2014-2021 in general because same lifter part # is still used to this day for the active lifter.)

Edited October 21, 2021 by newdude

KARNUT · October 21, 2021

24 minutes ago, newdude said:

If counting 2014-2021 model year, we've done 11 lifter jobs involving AFM/DFM lifters from Jan 1st 2021 to current. One of those wasn't an AFM failure, 2018 NYS Police truck that had a non active cylinder eat the crap out of the cam lobe.

Of those 11, five of the trucks were built in the known production window. One of them was a 2020, the rest 2021.

So 5 out of probably 50-60 new trucks/SUVs we've sold this year (good ol chip shortage). We see hundreds of 2014-2021s in every year, large majority have had no failures.

(I included 2014-2021 in general because same lifter part # is still used to this day for the active lifter.)

Wondering, do you have that rate of failure with any other part?

newdude · October 21, 2021

40 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

Wondering, do you have that rate of failure with any other part?

2.4 Equinox/Terrain pistons and timing chains blow the lifters out of the water for us in terms of # done/failures. I know those have all sorts of special policies on them and what not for oil consumption and the chains, but we were doing those more than anything else. They've slowed down now, but they were bad.

2017-2020 various front drive crossovers and cars for shift to park warning. Tons of the shifter filter harnesses, shift levers and now the new switch kit for it. Its like two or three part #s for the shifter assemblies but they all use the same park position switch. Equinox, Traverse, Acadia, Malibu, Volt and Terrain.

2007-2012 3.6 V6 Traverse/Acadia/Enclave/CTS timing chains used to be a big thing back like 2009-2016.

We do AFM/DFM lifter failures, but in all honesty over the 12 years where I've been, there are many other GM failure issues we work on over those.

Edited October 21, 2021 by newdude

Amcguy1970 · October 21, 2021

The failure rate is in the decimal of a percent, for the few you hear about on the forums with how many members are on here and all the millions that have been sold it is probably like 0.01%. People need to stop asking questions that no one knows an exact answer to and stop reading too much in to the forums, it just makes a mountain out of a mole hill. Follow the maintenance schedule and chances are incredibly high you won't have an issue. If it were a bigger problem the 800k ish per year trucks GM has produced with these motors there would be a ton more complaints on here about them, but you hear of like 1 or 2 a month it seems...

Tyler

Bob Kellerman · October 21, 2021

my 2021rst lifter failure 9000 miles only pulled motorcycle on trailer 1 time dash lit up add trans fluid, service parking brake, service esc. not happy new truck.dealer sail lifters backordered

KARNUT · October 21, 2021

It took many years before the reality of the 5.7 diesel failure was realized. Usually the second or third owner was saddled with the expense. At least you put a gas engine in and get back on the road. They were easy to work on in comparison. The engines were plentiful. I did one in a weekend. Anyone who would buy a cylinder deactivation engine out of a salvage yard without doing a delete would be foolish. The whole ordeal would be expensive and out of reach for a second or third owner.

AirForceAngler · October 21, 2021

2 hours ago, newdude said:

If counting 2014-2021 model year, we've done 11 lifter jobs involving AFM/DFM lifters from Jan 1st 2021 to current. One of those wasn't an AFM failure, 2018 NYS Police truck that had a non active cylinder eat the crap out of the cam lobe.

Of those 11, five of the trucks were built in the known production window. One of them was a 2020, the rest 2021.

So 5 out of probably 50-60 new trucks/SUVs we've sold this year (good ol chip shortage). We see hundreds of 2014-2021s in every year, large majority have had no failures.

(I included 2014-2021 in general because same lifter part # is still used to this day for the active lifter.)

Thanks for posting this info. I have a 2021 RST with the 6.2 that was made during the "bad" timeframe. I have about 2400 miles on it with no problems yet, even been pulling a 5,000# trailer frequently. I'm aware it can happen and have a good dealership to work with if/when it does. I just hope it doesn't happen when I'm halfway across the country pulling my little fishing boat!

Jsd · October 21, 2021

Someone above misunderstood me about mileage. I was getting 21 mpg and after the Range delete it went to 17 mpg.

Jsd · October 21, 2021

Also, if 5 out of 50 trucks had a lifter problem that is 10% , which is a lot.

AirForceAngler · October 21, 2021

49 minutes ago, Jsd said:

Someone above misunderstood me about mileage. I was getting 21 mpg and after the Range delete it went to 17 mpg.

That's still a huge drop in mileage. I disabled the AFM in my 2016 Suburban and hardly noticed a change in MPG at all.

Phantom 4D · October 21, 2021

6 hours ago, newdude said:

2.4 Equinox/Terrain pistons and timing chains blow the lifters out of the water for us in terms of # done/failures. I know those have all sorts of special policies on them and what not for oil consumption and the chains, but we were doing those more than anything else. They've slowed down now, but they were bad.

2017-2020 various front drive crossovers and cars for shift to park warning. Tons of the shifter filter harnesses, shift levers and now the new switch kit for it. Its like two or three part #s for the shifter assemblies but they all use the same park position switch. Equinox, Traverse, Acadia, Malibu, Volt and Terrain.

2007-2012 3.6 V6 Traverse/Acadia/Enclave/CTS timing chains used to be a big thing back like 2009-2016.

We do AFM/DFM lifter failures, but in all honesty over the 12 years where I've been, there are many other GM failure issues we work on over those.

My wife's Impala LTZ just turned 71,000. I hope I don't jinx it, but she has had few problems with it. I had a 2004 Silverado LT and had no issues. Sold it and bought a 2017 Silverado LT. Piece of junk transmission. So what is the "time frame" for the lifter issue? I have a 2019 Sierra SLT X31. Have a bit over 12,000 on the clock. Biggest problem so far is hard downshift to first when coming to a stop.