Looking at a Suburban, should I be worried about the 5.3 AFM issues?

[Hotsauce]

Down to a short list of vehicles to replace my rock solid 03 Montana (195K miles)

04-06 Burb / YXL
07-09 Burb / YXL

I prefer the 07+ look, but read about the reasonably frequent issues of the 5.3 failing because of the AFM witch craft.

That puts me in an 04-06 but they looked dated a bit inside & out.

In the end reliability & some reasonable gas mileage is #1 (6.0 will drink too much I think). Should I be concerned about the 5.3's with AFM? Recommendations?

 

[CrashTestDummy]

No. The AFM issues seem to be hit or miss. If it is an issue with your particular vehicle, you can add a catch can pretty easily, or tune the AFM out.

 

[Hotsauce]

So avoiding the whole 5.3 AFM blown motor is just a tune away? The lifters don't need replacement?

 

[CrashTestDummy]

AFAIK, it can be tuned out with no updates to the engine. There's also a company that has a module you plug into the OBDII port that disables the AFM while it is plugged in, so if you have to go to the dealer for any issues, just unplug the device and leave it in your pocket.

 

[harveje]

the Plug and play module i found was still 199, how much more would a tune be? The modules come in different flavors, MPG or AFM overide / delete. And I'm not sure if the module pulls power while the vehicle is off, if it does that adds to the battery drain issue some have.

 

[992dr]

This is the device that plugs into your OBDII port.
http://www.rangetechnology.com/

They got nothing but good reviews, if anything happens they will replace it for free or return your money back in a specified amount of time.

Tunes typically run around $300+

The module does draw from the battery, it is recommended to remove it if you are not driving the vehicle for more than two days.

A catch can is a good idea as well in the future to remove your DOD all together with the available kits from several companies.

 

[YukonXLPerk]

This worries the hell out of me. I have an 07 yukon xl with the AFM system. I actually love having this option. I had no idea that it may cause some issues.
I have 76k miles on my vehicle and have had no problems so far.

What type of issues can the AFM cause?
Will the "catch can" fix this issue?

Sorry, did not mean to step all over this thread.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Some engines pump excessive amounts of oil into the intake tract when AFM is actively disabling some cylinders. This can be a quart or two between oil changes. If your engine does this, you can either disable this, and/or add a catch can to trap the oil and not burn it and have it dirty up the intake tract. But this issue is specific-vehicle dependent, not across the 5.3 product line.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. Annoyed if my truck did it, certainly, but not worried. There are ways to keep it from becoming an issue.

 

[Goodinblack]

AFM is a good technology poorly implemented on GMT900s

 

[NautiKev]

Don't buy and 07+ with a J motor code. They will start burning oil and then one day all of a sudden they will loose oil pressure and you will need a new motor. Have seen this happen 10+ times on J code motors. (8th digit of the vin) Tahoes Yukons and Avalanches