Hello, I have a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT LD 5.3L V8, 25K automatic and want to know if my truck has the cylinder deactivation mechanism in it. If it does how do I turn it off since I do not want any engine wear from this feature. Thanks in advance for the replies.
Yes, the 5.3L engine in that truck has cylinder deactivation (what GM calls Active Fuel Management or AFM). That engine is the L83 Ecotec3. In order to disable it, you can install an aftermarket dongle from Range Technology: that’s what the C7 Corvette guys have been using since 2014 to disable AFM on their engines. It’s true and tried.
Go here and enter your vehicle information, but when I checked it was supported. I recommend your order from them directly to get the latest firmware:
https://www.rangetechnology.com/products/afm-dfm_disabler/
Keep in mind if you show up to the dealer for warranty work (esp. something related to the powertrain) they can potentially deny a warranty claim if they see it.
Keep in mind the actual AFM hardware within the engine is still there, i.e. the lifters, cam, lifter oil manifold assembly (LOMA), oil pressure relief valve, signal path to the LOMA and while the Range Technology ODB-II dongle will prevent the engine from entering V4 mode any of those parts can still potentially fail, but at least the risk is mitigated now. A full proof solution would be to replace the lifters, cam, etc. with non-AFM ones and retune the ECU but that is thousands of dollars from a reputable shop.
Excellent post, but what really caught my eye is the success you noted on using the dongles on Corvettes. I'm glad to see they are having success going that route.
Thanks @mod_man it’s the only aftermarket device I can currently recommend at least for GM vehicles based upon the results those C7 guys have had. It also won’t drain the battery when plugged in unlike some other aftermarket ones.
That's good to know. Thanks for sharing! I've heard of some battery drain issues with certain devices, so I'm glad that one avoids that issue.