2011 5.3 low milEage

[dinoedwards]

Found a nice 2011 Chevy Avy LS 2WD with 102k all original with 5.3. Asking 10500 got him down to 9k.
I own a 2003 Tahoe 5.3 and is perfect!
Would you delete AFM at this point or leave it and do oil chances every 4k miles?
Seen some do the 5th gear around town under 65 thing which I might do.
Just can't find a good low milage per '07 in good shape.
Thought of going with a newer GMC 4.8 w/o AFM, no heaving towing just basic to the dump once a month maybe pull a small trailer twice a year.
BTY<Yes, I know it need rear shocks (ZWL Smooth Ride)I already told him not to replace them yet, this guy has no idea that there are so many types of rear shocks!
PS, my mechanic (dealer mechanic for 30yrs) says leave it and just do oil.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Would you delete AFM at this point or leave it and do oil chances every 4k miles?

If you can afford to delete v4 mode hardware, and plan to keep it for at least 10 years, YES, damnt, YES.
If not, there is a lil sensor on the brake booster or master cylinder (not sure which).
Disconnect that, you'll disable V4 mode (with a Check Engine light, but you'll know why it's there) and keep 6th gear.
An ecm & tcm tune will cost more, worth it to disable Engine Half@$$ and protect the engine & transmission better til you're ready for the Engine Half@$$ delete.

Thought of going with a newer GMC 4.8 w/o AFM, no heavy towing, just basic to the dump once a month maybe pull a small trailer twice a year.

Even struggling comedians won't keep a 4.8L truck / suv for very long. Save yourself the trouble and avoid the 4.8L, unless you have a 6.0L ready to swap in its place.

 

[kbuskill]

Changing the oil regularly certainly helps but I would at least have it turned off with a tune.

Options are as follows:

1. 5th gear/manual mode or Unplug the sensor that @Marky Dissod mentioned. (This wasn't an option on my '08).

2. Buy an AFM disabler and plug into the OBD2 port. I'm not a fan as you will have to unplug it eventually, at which point the AFM lifters become active again. I have heard of guys having to Unplug/replug them to reset them once in a while. You will also have to Unplug it when checking codes or if you have emissions testing.

3. Find someone on market place and buy a used Diablo tuner for probably less than $200. It will allow you to turn off AFM as well as give you some other features like the ability to firm up the transmission shift points and such. Just make sure they loaded their stock tune back into their truck so the license is open.

4. Have it tuned locally or remotely and get a much better running and shifting transmission. You can even have them turn off the PWM control of the Torque converter to kick that can down the road for a while. If not, start saving for a new Torque converter and transmission rebuild, as that is one of the weak links on the 6L80E.

5. There is a guy that will turn off AFM (only) for relatively cheap, I want to say like $50-$75 plus shipping, but your truck will be down until you get your ECM back.

I have a 2008 Suburban LTZ with the 5.3L LMG Flex fuel engine that just rolled 340,000 miles on the original engine with the AFM hardware still intact. I have had it tuned out since I bought it at 154k miles.

I also run extended oil change intervals of 15k+ miles, although my oil system is heavily modified, dual oil filters that equate to approximately 5 times the stock filter capacity, internal and external oil coolers, HV/HP oil pump, and holds between 9-10 quarts of oil. I do oil analysis and they tell me I could keep running the oil if I wanted to even at 15k miles.

Point being, if you tune it out early, so the lifters aren't constantly unlocking and collapsing and relocking, they can last a very long time, especially with good oil and maintenance.

 

[Marky Dissod]

1. 5th gear/manual mode or Unplug the sensor that @Marky Dissod mentioned. (This wasn't an option on my '08).
2. Buy an AFM disabler and plug into the OBD2 port. I'm not a fan as you will have to unplug it eventually, at which point the AFM lifters become active again. I have heard of guys having to Unplug/replug them to reset them once in a while. You will also have to Unplug it when checking codes or if you have emissions testing.
3. Find someone on market place and buy a used Diablo tuner for probably less than $200. It will allow you to turn off AFM as well as give you some other features like the ability to firm up the transmission shift points and such. Just make sure they loaded their stock tune back into their truck so the license is open.
4. Have it tuned locally or remotely and get a much better running and shifting transmission. You can even have them turn off the PWM control of the Torque converter to kick that can down the road for a while. If not, start saving for a new Torque converter and transmission rebuild, as that is one of the weak links on the 6L80E.
5. There is a guy that will turn off AFM (only) for relatively cheap, I want to say like $50-$75 plus shipping, but your truck will be down until you get your ECM back.

2. If you buy an Engine Half@$$ disabler, you may want to unplug it after shutting the vehicle down, and replugging it in just before starting;
some have been known to drain the battery if the vehicle is unused for more than a few days.

3 & 5, vs 4. Some 'canned' tunes do a decent job, but they don't adjust torque converter clutch lockup or line pressures,
they ONLY change shift points. A thorough & proper ecm & tcm tune SEEMS like it costs more, but it'll pay off when your transmission lasts longer.

 

[kbuskill]

2. If you buy an Engine Half@$$ disabler, you may want to unplug it after shutting the vehicle down, and replugging it in just before starting;
some have been known to drain the battery if the vehicle is unused for more than a few days.

3 & 5, vs 4. Some 'canned' tunes do a decent job, but they don't adjust torque converter clutch lockup or line pressures,
they ONLY change shift points. A thorough & proper ecm & tcm tune SEEMS like it costs more, but it'll pay off when your transmission lasts longer.

Agreed, although the Diablo does give options to up line pressure.

I started off with the Diablo tuner, then had a custom tune done by Diablew, and now I have HP Tuners which is what I probably should have done from the get go. HP tuners has SO many more options.

 

[dinoedwards]

Great info! Apparently this is still and will be a big topic for years!
I don't want to do Delete Kit with new cam, lifters just want to disable it.
I've read about torque converter issues as well.
kbuskil, is ur list in order of preference as in #1 is best option and #5 least?
I have a speed shop here in town, what should I ask them to do exactly or will they know given the history of the AFM?
Thanks!
Marky, do u have a photo of sensor on brake booster?

 

[kbuskill]

Great info! Apparently this is still and will be a big topic for years!
I don't want to do Delete Kit with new cam, lifters just want to disable it.
I've read about torque converter issues as well.
kbuskil, is ur list in order of preference as in #1 is best option and #5 least?
I have a speed shop here in town, what should I ask them to do exactly or will they know given the history of the AFM?
Thanks!
Marky, do u have a photo of sensor on brake booster?

No, that list was kind of in order from cheapest to most expensive, except #5, that was added in after the fact... lol.

I prefer a legitimate custom tune as there are so many more advantages over just turning AFM off.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Marky, do u have a photo of sensor on brake booster?

'fraid not ... but ...
If you look on an older vehicle - even a GMT900 that lacks Engine Half@$$ -
there are NO electrical connectors of any kind on the brake booster or master cylinder
but
on the GMT900 suvs that have Engine Half@$$, you'll find it, I promise.

 

[baddogdgs]

Found a nice 2011 Chevy Avy LS 2WD with 102k all original with 5.3. Asking 10500 got him down to 9k.
I own a 2003 Tahoe 5.3 and is perfect!
Would you delete AFM at this point or leave it and do oil chances every 4k miles?
Seen some do the 5th gear around town under 65 thing which I might do.
Just can't find a good low milage per '07 in good shape.
Thought of going with a newer GMC 4.8 w/o AFM, no heaving towing just basic to the dump once a month maybe pull a small trailer twice a year.
BTY<Yes, I know it need rear shocks (ZWL Smooth Ride)I already told him not to replace them yet, this guy has no idea that there are so many types of rear shocks!
PS, my mechanic (dealer mechanic for 30yrs) says leave it and just do oil.

I have a 2011 Chevy Tahoe with a 5.3 and 170k miles, I bought it used with 90k on it. Shortly afterwards, the traction control light came so I took it to a transmission shop, and they told me that it was an AFM error code. Instead of paying 4k to 8k on an AFM delete, I bought a Diablo Sport AFM deactivation chip for the OBDII port. I change my oil at 50% usage or 4k miles and have had no issues.