Are You Able to Achieve High Mileage withOUT Disabling AFM/DFM/DoD?

[San Diego Tahoe]

Hi folks, I've had my 2018 Tahoe LT for less than 2k miles, and for sure have appreciated reading through all the helpful info here!

If you were to read only the forums, you'd get the impression that every single owner has disabled their AFM/DFM, most in the interest of preventing lifter/engine failure further down the road. But is that practice actually as prevalent as it appears?

QUESTION: are there owners who go about their happy lives without ever thinking twice about disabling that technology, yet are still well above +150k miles on their 4th gen Tahoe?

 

[STORMIN08]

yes you can, regular oil changes with the recommended fluid and you should be fine. anything can happen, but count the hundreds of thousands of 5.3's going down the road with out issue vs the number of boards members who are worried and doing it because.

is it better for the engine over all to delete the dod, YES.

 

[lbenson]

175k on my 2015 6.2L with the AFM. Engine runs like a dream still. Now the transmissions on the other hand... My 8 speed ran great until today. Had a fluid flush Friday and now first gear slips. Back at the dealer. Be careful with your 6 speed on the 5.3L. My Uncle had his '16 Suburban 6 speed destroy itself at 78,000. Make sure to keep the fluid flushed every 45k.

 

[San Diego Tahoe]

Thanks for the inputs. This is my first non-Toyota vehicle, so I'm a little wary of long-term reliability. I'm hoping that strictly adhering to necessary maintenance, and the fact that it's a 2018, will let me take this into the 200k mi. range. ::fingers crossed::

 

[Joeltz]

Hi folks, I've had my 2018 Tahoe LT for less than 2k miles, and for sure have appreciated reading through all the helpful info here!

If you were to read only the forums, you'd get the impression that every single owner has disabled their AFM/DFM, most in the interest of preventing lifter/engine failure further down the road. But is that practice actually as prevalent as it appears?

QUESTION: are there owners who go about their happy lives without ever thinking twice about disabling that technology, yet are still well above +150k miles on their 4th gen Tahoe?

well I got my 2015 used with 95,000.
The first time I wound it up to 4500 as I letoff it had a small burp and engine light came on for 30 seconds and it ran rough BUT healed up
I got the RANGE disabler and it ran NICE without doing the V8-V4 Thing


A couple weeks went by and pulling out to 4 lane I juiced it up to just over 4000 and it BURPED Big Time..... engine light ON and rough running dogging out from a stop.... Only ran 10 miles home.... Tried every shop in town #7 cyl Dead, ticking noise....... ended up in a shop 150 miles away that Would do Cam and lifter shop
Texas Speed recommended them

They had the Tahoe a couple weeks so I waited my place in line...
Picked it up SMOOTH as SILK I have put 700 miles on it SMOOTH.... On Interstate at 67/68 it gets 22.8 mpg Smooth
Time to change “ break in oil and Filter

the one lifter is stuck down Collapsed there was no sludge or buildup , the lifter guides were not sludged but replaced . I can send a picture if anyone wants

I have that Range Disabler that was fresh New E Bay Buy with 700 miles on it
It worked great.... the lifter went Bad

$140. mailed to you

Did I mention its a Smooth operator Now

 

[Duster50]

Mine is a little older, but I have a 2007 Tahoe LS with the 5.3, all stock, no mods, and just turned 285,000. Original engine, replaced trans and transfer case, otherwise just regular maintenance.

It's a daily driver with a 100 mile roundtrip 3+ times a week, and makes 3000 mile+ road trips 2-3 times a year.

If you read deeper in some of the threads, you'll find a lot of high-mileage Tahoes and their brethren out there that are still stock. The big secret (i think) is KEEPING UP ON YOUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE. Regular oil changes, fixing that which is broken or going bad, and generally taking care of the ride.

YMMV

 

[fozzi58]

Before I started modding my truck I could get 24+ on the highway. My best was 26.2. I saved it on my dash just cause that is crazy high mileage for a 6000lbs+ truck with a V8.

After mods (intake, headers, exhaust, tune = afm/dod delete) I was still able to get 24mph on the highway when not driving like an animal. Clock is about to turn 60k and she runs perfectly.

 

[Miami-Dade]

I have 105K miles on my 2016 5.3 Tahoe. AFM is still enabled. Still works seamlessly. A friend has a 2007 and his wife has a 2010 Tahoe. Both vehicles have around 150K miles and so far no issues with the AFM.

 

[San Diego Tahoe]

I'm only now realizing that there's probably not a ton of 4th gens even passed 150k mi at this point. 4th gens are at most around 7 years old...~20k mi/year. Oh well.