Buying a 2020 Yukon with L83 5.3L EcoTec - Should I worry about AFM Lifter Failure

[weo1209]

Thanks for all the input. I feel better about the AFM issue now. Maybe 2020 is a good sweet spot if I heed the advice on maintenance and driving style. Carfax shows is had regular oild changes about at 6K intervals. It also shows it was a Hertz vehicle I think ("Fleet" on window sticker and title in Oklahoma City OK.) All the miles are Florida (36K) so it was probably rented for Disney Vacations in Orlando and Tampa.
I don't see any reason to be scared off by the rental designation if it only has 36K and minimal interior wear - do you?
Thanks in advance.
Marc

I bought a 2020 Yukon back in Jan 2022 with 60k on the odo (rental as well). December 22 the Trans went out. Fast forward to last month the lifters went out and is back in shop this week for another transmission. 3k left on Extended warranty, thinking of ditching it or purchasing another warranty but at this point pretty fed up with it.

 

[fasteddy]

My 2 cents. DOD is great in concept but in application has high probability of failure. I know a shop where HALF of their work is DOD delete on LS and LT engines, $4100. They love it. Without DOD, the 5.3's and 6.2's are great! My 6.2 made it to 90K and I "tuned" out DOD at 50K. I would not buy without planning to delete the system. OMG just type in DOD delete in Youtube......100's and 100's of videos. I deleted mine and love it! It's just expensive surgery.

 

[BlaineBug]

Hi Everyone:
Have a deposit on a used 2020 Yukon SLT and just discovered the AFM Lifter Issue online. I cannot figure out if the Service Builletins include the 2020 year or just 2021 L82. Lot's of stories about older Sierras and Silverados but can't narrow it down.
Should I back out and look for another year? It has 36K on it. It has the L83 5.3L Ecotec. I am hoping it is not in the bad batch even though it looks like the class-action lawyers are casting a wide net if you look at their websites.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Marc

Lifter failures are extremely common regardless of how well the engines are taken care of and how often the engine oil is changed. I inspected one the other day, a 2017 Escalade with just barely over 100,000 miles, the block, valvetrain, and head was still silver in appearance, that's how immaculate it was, and still one of the lifters experienced a roller that got a flat spot on it.

You will either have lifters where the roller gets a flat spot in them both AFM and non-AFM lifters, or AFM lifters where the lifter gets seized in its collapsed state. Typically, the only time the cam is damaged is when the roller stop spinning, as the permanently collapsed lifters do not seem to damage the cam.

 

[RobH]

Ok. I give.

AFM is Active Fuel Management. Collapse lifters for four cylinders and shut off fuel to those cylinders under low load conditions.

DOD is Displacement On Demand. Same as AFM. Collapse lifters for four cylinders and shut off fuel to those cylinders under low load conditions.

For what does "VLOM" stand? Variable Lifter Oxymoronic Management?

How about K2XX? Is my 2016 Tahoe LT a K2XX?

 

[Marky Dissod]

Ok. I give.

AFM is Active Fuel Management. Collapse lifters for four cylinders and shut off fuel to those cylinders under low load conditions.
DOD is Displacement On Demand. Same as AFM. Collapse lifters for four cylinders and shut off fuel to those cylinders under low load conditions.
For what does "VLOM" stand? Variable Lifter Oxymoronic Management?

How about K2XX? Is my 2016 Tahoe LT a K2XX?

Your 2016 Tahoe is a GMT K2UC.
Variable Lifter Oil Manifold Assembly.
AFM (aw, f me?) is ... Engine Half @$$.
DFM (damnit, f me?) is ... Cylinder Confusion.

 

[fozzi58]

2017 Burb 102k miles. Supercharged , bolt-ons, tuned. Driven like its stolen. Lays down 14 flat at 98mph with 3.08's out back.

Oil change every 3k with the GM Dextron 3 or whatever is recommended.

No issues.