I am looking to buy a new silverado 1500, 2014 model. The last truck I bought was my 92 silverado 1500 2wd with 4.3l V6. I've been very happy with it. I have put almost 200,000 miles on it and I'm the second owner (bought with 54,000 miles already on it back in 02). It's been my daily driver with no major mechanical problems and I got 23 mpg between Albany,ny and Omaha, NE a few years ago (odometer checked against the highway markers). That being said, I have a strong push from family an friends to trade it in for a new model.

It seams that with the cylinder deactivation in the 5.3l over the last few years (at least since 08), the v8 is getting pretty much the same mileage as the v6. And not much difference between the 2wd and the 4wd.

My question comes down to the cylinder deactivation. I know there are a few programmers out there that prevent v4 mode and one of those I've found to also adjust the torque at which it switches back to v8 to help improve mileage. Does anyone know if there is a way to have it switch to v4 when stopped? When in park or neutral, when holding the brake while stopped at a stop light. I'm thinking this could go a very long way in improving in town driving fuel economy as a lot of gas is burned just sitting and running v8 mode.

Is this a gross oversight by gm? Or are they saving it for the next redesign. I'd think it would be simple enough to program in (I'm assuming the status of everything is routed through a central processor).

Any thoughts and info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome to the forum...

You don't want the engine in v4 at a stop, part of what makes the v4 mode work is momentum from the transmission helping keep those other 4 jugs moving...

 

Hmm.. Hadn't thought of it like that. Still though, I'f a 2.0L 4 cylinder can move an older s10 down the highway, why couldn't 2.6l of the 5.3 keep it turning when the truck is at rest? I can understand that it would kick back to v8 mode as soon as I start to accelerate, but I still don't see the need go it at stop.

Thanks for the thought.