ls1mike
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I have a BTR in the Caprice with Delco LS7 lifters plus all the other stuff.
2017 Silverado AFM Disabler
- Thread starter Phishin
- Start date
In states with emissions testing if your AFM is deleted you fail and cannot register it. With the disabler, you unplug it get tested and reinstall without a trace.
Not 100% true, Here in Texas it will pass with the AFM disabled via tuning software in emissions testing counties.
Any state with the ****ty CARB standards will.
4WD
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Getting rid of constant activation and deactivation of the lifters - plus torque converter interactions is what the Range plug-in is for. Results ? Doubt anyone will provide empirical evidence one way or the other …
The whole "lifters still fail when disabled" thing...as I understand it, there are multiple modes of failure on these engines.
1. Afm lifter pins/body breaking. This results in permanently collapsed lifter. Disabling can prevent wear of these parts, and remove controls like the VLOM from the equation, hopefully extending life.
2. Plastic lifter guide tray allowing lifter to rotate in it's bore. This failure if completely independent of AFM, and can happen disabled or not.
3. Lifter roller bearing failure. Also independent of AFM, can happen disabled or not.
Case in point: the Gen III engines experience numbers 2 and 3, and they aren't equipped with AFM.
Frankly, regular AFM lifter failure is best case scenario. At least it doesn't wipe out the cam.
1. Afm lifter pins/body breaking. This results in permanently collapsed lifter. Disabling can prevent wear of these parts, and remove controls like the VLOM from the equation, hopefully extending life.
2. Plastic lifter guide tray allowing lifter to rotate in it's bore. This failure if completely independent of AFM, and can happen disabled or not.
3. Lifter roller bearing failure. Also independent of AFM, can happen disabled or not.
Case in point: the Gen III engines experience numbers 2 and 3, and they aren't equipped with AFM.
Frankly, regular AFM lifter failure is best case scenario. At least it doesn't wipe out the cam.
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2x, I'm in the less AFM cycling, less wear camp. Time will tell as always. And I'm not performing an autopsy on a live ''person'' to prove anything.
OR-around town you can just use the gear (manually) and set it to "5" and the AFM will not come on. That's what I did with my last two trucks. Then for highway driving where it does make a mpg difference I just set it to drive. (Yes-I have owned three so I know what I am talking about.)
More of a threat to stick open a AFM Solenoid than it is to trash a lifter, Rule of thumb is to never let a deactivated AFM system activate again.
Understood but I am in one of those emission states so I have to unplug to get tested.
I am wary as I saw in another forum that people unplug their devices and after 3-7 days they throw a lifter because of film or poor oil that can build up on the back of the lifter or in the vlom which when activated after unplugging basically sends it to it's demise.
There has not been wide spread truth or an evidence that you need to do this. I have owned three. And always let the AFM do it's thing for optimal highway driving. But would not let it come on in city driving.
If one of the AFM Solenoids sticks open....It will cause both lifters on that cylinder to collapse, This is usually an easy remedied by pulling the Intake & VLOM, Then plug the 8 AFM Lifter Feed Holes or replace the VLOM assembly.
On rare occasions....A stuck open AFM Solenoid can cause a Mistimed Lifter Deactivation Event & damage the "Locking Pin Shelf" inside the lifter causing it to stick in the collapsed position.....I've had great success unsticking them, And as long as the affected lifter/s never get deactivated again.....It seems to be a permanent repair. Outlined HERE.
I guess in some people eye's.....A stuck collapsed calls for lifter replacement, I guess if you want the AFM to work again.....That's true.
For your particular concern.....Run a ODB-2 Splitter HERE, This one is GM style & will bolt in place of the original port, Then you can zip tie the Range Disabler & Splitter up under the dash.
Me & you have been down this road before....You buy New or Low Mileage trucks & trade them in before they accumulate any real mileage (150,000+).
Granted, I've seen some AFM 5.3L's with high mileage that have never been touched/tuned/disabled. Then you have engines that have had 4-5 sets of lifters in 200,000 miles.
This is wide spread enough to consider it a Pattern Failure just like 6L80E Converter Clutch's going "metal to metal". I've even seen these two failures happen within a few hundred miles of each other.
So... My 2009 Suburban has 225,000 miles on the original 5.3. engine is 99% stock. All I ever did was put a Summit bushing kit in the rockers and a Moroso oil vapor filter on the PCV line. I have a Range Technologies AFM thing. I take it out when inspection time is coming up. Haven't yet had a lifter fail. My brother has in his 07 Tahoe.
Anyway, I have been gearing up to replace my engine with a fresh 5.3 with the AFM stuff all eliminated. If I do this and have it turned off in the computer, I'll fail inspection? I hadn't thought of that. This is a no good.
Anyway, I have been gearing up to replace my engine with a fresh 5.3 with the AFM stuff all eliminated. If I do this and have it turned off in the computer, I'll fail inspection? I hadn't thought of that. This is a no good.
I don't know the answer to your question but just wondering what oil your running in it?
Not sure if New York is checking for altered ECM Calibrations?, From what I've red....It's only California? But doesn't New York follow suit with CARB.
There are still ways around this using your Range device.....Plug all 8 AFM Feed Holes under the VLOM, Reinstall the VLOM & reconnect the electrical connector.
Install 16 standard lifters.
Stock LQ4/LQ9 Camshafts work flawlessly with stock Gen IV 5.3L Calibrations.
Run a OBD2 splitter so you can leave the Range plugged in at all times
You're fortunate to not have VVT, It was added in 2010 & complicates Camshaft selection without being able to Tune the ECM.
THANKS! That was my next question... How to eliminate it but have it for inspection purposes.
For the first 100,000 miles I ran Mobil 1 5w-30. After that I switched to 10-30. I always run either a Baldwin, Mobil 1 or AC Delco oil filter. Baldwin is my favorite.
I don't think they know if your AFM is not functional. In NJ where vehicles must have CA emissions, they just plug in to see if all the onboard emissions monitors have run the self-test and are ready and no codes are present. That's all they care about, so they qualify for Fed. highway funding.