So my 07 Tahoe with the 5.3 AFM and 102000 miles on her used the first full quart of oil ever in about 4500 miles... that is not bad but I used to never have to add oil... that said it could also be related to the much colder weather, a stretch, I know, but plausible....( but I also know that the pending failure of the AFM can also start with oil consumption)
So that said I saw in another part of the forum that someone used Range technology AFM disable-er and thought I would give it a try to see if indeed it would reduce the oil consumption and also see how it impacts MPG... I generally get about 16-18 mpg... FYI leaving your transmission in "3" will also prevent AFM activation....
The widget should be in next week, will update then... I purchased from Amazon, but you can also get it from Range's site... I prefer Amazon because of their buyer protections, but the cost was the same... $ 199...





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AFM or not, an American V8 taking down a quart every 4500 miles, when it has 100,000 on the clock, seems... sadly normal to me.

I'm not sure it's AFM or just age...

I should check my Tahoe, it goes so long between changes it now makes me nervous after the one time the oil pressure was low and I was down 2 quarts.

Why the hell isn't there an oil level sensor?!

I have a fuel level sensor. I have a tach. I have a speedo. I have a transmission temp sensor. a battery temp sensor. a butt sensor (airbag). an air temp sensor. and every sensor known to man, but golly gee, you know what? Oil Level? something that's beyond critical to the life of an internal combustion engine... GM said... let's skip that. They can always buy a new engine, right?

Anyway; I don't wish you engine failure, but AFM seems one of the best fuel saving methods that works in real life... a V8 when you need it, and a V4 when you don't.

 

I agree it makes great sense but GM apparently did not vet it out over a period of time and let the consumers be the lab testers....
I'm willing to try the disabler to see if it in fact works...

 

I will be interested in the results of your MPG and oil consumption. I just fear that real world testing has WAY too many variables to be directly relied upon...

Like my father -in-law who claims he gets more MPG from gas at Station X over gas Station Y...

yea, ok, temperature, time, hills, driving style, traffic, air pressure in the tires, what you had for lunch...

WAY, WAY too many variables man!

lol

 

R u sure there isn't a level sensor?

 

There is a sensor, but it only detects when the oil has gotten pretty low....
I don't know what that threshold is though.. 3 maybe 4 quarts I'd guess

I suspect they had to placed so that various angles and dangles would not falsely activate it, and it would need to be below a level that crank lobe splash would not affect...

 

Or they could shield it so it only sees the level.

 

They could delay the warning so that it doesn't throw a code (or warning, or whatever) unless the oil level is too low for say 3 restarts and 3 hours. This would make sure that it's not just because the person drove up a steep hill

 

I'm anxious to see how this works on a AFM engine that has started to burn/use oil. I think when get your widget in I'll turn AFM off on my tahoe and maybe we can compare the results?

 

Im in for your results as well. I think I'm burning about 1.25 quarts every 3500-3700 miles. I have ~184,000 now, its a 07 Tahoe.