Expedition Max to Yukon XL?

[DontTaseMeBro]

Question - I found a fully loaded 2021 XL Denali. It has 43k miles. Just looked at the Carfax and it's valve lifters were replaced at 14k miles, a year into it's life. No other major work was done before or after. Is this a stay away from kind of vehicle or is this actually a good thing that it has updated parts?

 

[StephenPT]

I've heard of rigs getting the lifters replaced on one bank of the engine and then going back shortly thereafter to get the other bank replaced. This was earlier on and now I think GM just replaces all of them if there's any failure.

What I've not heard of is someone getting them replaced and then going back in later in the life of the vehicle to get them replaced a second time. Whatever they changed on the lifter design seems to be working...

 

[Marky Dissod]

... found a fully loaded 2021 XL Denali ... 43k ... looked at Carfax ... valve lifters were replaced at 14k miles, a year into it's life ...
Is this a stay away from kind of vehicle or is this actually a good thing that it has updated parts?

IFF Cylinder Confusion was disabled / deleted when the new lifters were installed, only thing left to be concerned about, is that Direct Injection does not keep the back of the valves clean from carbon buildup like Port Injection does, but that comes later.
IFF the engine still has all SEVENTEEN firing orders enabled, I'd be hesitant.
Said the guy planning on keeping his '02 Tahoe with 163k miles for another 10 years ...

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

IFF Cylinder Confusion was disabled / deleted when the new lifters were installed, only thing left to be concerned about, is that Direct Injection does not keep the back of the valves clean from carbon buildup like Port Injection does, but that comes later.
IFF the engine still has all SEVENTEEN firing orders enabled, I'd be hesitant.
Said the guy planning on keeping his '02 Tahoe with 163k miles for another 10 years ...

When you say "IFF Cylinder Confusion was disabled / deleted ", are you talking about by the previous owner by way of an independent shop OR is this something GM did after they replaced the lifters under warranty?

 

[StephenPT]

GM didn't touch the DFM system when the lifters were replaced. Old ones removed, new ones installed and off it goes with the same DFM system.

VERY recently a company called "Trifecta" has said they will re-program your ECM to turn off DFM, but I've only heard of people getting quotes to have it done - nobody has posted on this forum that they've successfully deleted DFM.

The rig you're looking at will have DFM still activated, but I wouldn't let that deter you - there's plenty of 5.3/6.2 owners that have never had an issue with their lifters and there hasn't been anyone say they had failure of lifters a second time.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

GM didn't touch the DFM system when the lifters were replaced. Old ones removed, new ones installed and off it goes with the same DFM system.

VERY recently a company called "Trifecta" has said they will re-program your ECM to turn off DFM, but I've only heard of people getting quotes to have it done - nobody has posted on this forum that they've successfully deleted DFM.

The rig you're looking at will have DFM still activated, but I wouldn't let that deter you - there's plenty of 5.3/6.2 owners that have never had an issue with their lifters and there hasn't been anyone say they had failure of lifters a second time.

Appreciate it Steve. I'm not letting 2021's deter me, especially the "higher" mileage ones cause it tells me that it's been driven and any issues that would have cropped up at lower miles either never came or were addressed(such as with this one). In fact, I'm more drawn to them since I've heard that their pre-Google infotainment is better. Only thing missing is the digital gauge cluster that 2022+ gets. Also I've seen many 2022's without wireless charging pads or with 2-way lumbar rather than 4. So I'm open to whichever I can get a good deal on.

 

[Marky Dissod]

When you say "IFF Cylinder Confusion was disabled / deleted ", are you talking about by the previous owner by way of an independent shop OR is this something GM did after they replaced the lifters under warranty?

Only the previous owner could answer that question for sure.
That said, if Cylinder Confusion had at least been disabled - disabled and deleted are NOT the same thing - the lifters would last longer regardless pf what type of lifters were used.
I'd think that if the dealer did the repair, Cylinder Confusion would almost certainly be left enabled by the dealer.
Typically Cylinder Confusion is disabled by the owner separate from the dealer being aware of such an improvement.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Only the previous owner could answer that question for sure.
That said, if Cylinder Confusion had at least been disabled - disabled and deleted are NOT the same thing - the lifters would last longer regardless pf what type of lifters were used.
I'd think that if the dealer did the repair, Cylinder Confusion would almost certainly be left enabled by the dealer.
Typically Cylinder Confusion is disabled by the owner separate from the dealer being aware of such an improvement.

It appears disabling AFM is not a thing yet with the 2021+ vehicles.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Still on the hunt. Looking at a 2022(43k miles on it) that had it's engine replaced @ 29k under warranty in May of 2023. Is an engine replacement an automatic no-buy for you guys or would you still buy knowing that it had it's engine replaced?

 

[Marky Dissod]

Is an engine replacement an automatic no-buy for you guys, or would you still buy knowing that it had its engine replaced?

If it was a brand new engine, no.
If the engine was already used, then that'd require a closer look - but I'd not immediately disqualify it.