“How to tell if a vehicle has active fuel management?” We see many people keep asking this question on many vehicle forums to find out the answer they need. So in this article, we are going to find out how you can say whether a vehicle has active fuel management or not. So read this until the end because we discuss almost everything related to active fuel management in this article.
What is active fuel management?
Active fuel management is a system where a system inside your vehicle controls the fuel usage actively by doing some mechanical changes automatically inside the engine. So when a car has this management system installed, it can reduce fuel usage up to 7% when driving.
Active Gasoline Management is a patented technology developed by General Motors for their variable displacement technology. It was conceived and executed to save fuel in low-power operating scenarios. The method works by turning down half of the cylinders in the engine until they are reactivated by increased demand performance (such as acceleration).
Apart from Active fuel management, another system is called Dynamic fuel management. So let’s see how it works.
What is Dynamic fuel management?
The Dynamic Fuel Management system is a step up from Active Fuel Management, with a DFM computer that performs rapid calculations to decide how many — and which — cylinders need to be disabled for the engine to run at its best.
This clever technology, which uses 17 distinct cylinder designs, can make this determination 80 times each second (GM Authority). This is a first in the industry, and it can be found in new vehicles like the 2021 Sierra 1500.
How does the Active fuel management system work?
When we talk about vehicles that have active fuel management, it is better to have a pretty good idea about how it works. So here is how the AFM works.
In general, shutting off the intake and exhaust valves is the first step in deactivating cylinders. The hydraulic roller lifters are activated and deactivated by a solenoid control valve assembly indicated by pressure oil.
These lifters control the actual closing and opening of the exhaust and intake valves. When both valves are closed, the exhaust gas in the cylinders expands in one while decompressing in the other. During low-demand scenarios, this compression effectively maintains power.
The exhaust valve is reopened to release the previous exhaust gas and allow a fresh cycle to begin if more power is required. Cylinders 1, 4, 6, and 7 on V-8 engines are turned off during this operation.
How to Tell If a Vehicle Has Active Fuel Management? Which vehicles?
GM now produces four distinct engines that have Active Fuel Management technology.
- The Vortec 5.3-liter V-8,
- Vortec MAX 6.0-liter V-8,
- 3.9-liter V-6,
- 5.3-liter small-block V-8 is the four engines.
The vehicles which have active fuel management are,
- The Chevrolet Avalanche,
- Chevrolet Impala,
- Chevrolet Silverado,
- Chevrolet Suburban,
- Chevrolet Tahoe,
And Chevrolet TrailBlazer is all available with Active Fuel Management.
Larger GM cars with V-6 or V-8 engines are more likely to use Active Fuel Management. The technique converts V6 engines into inline V-3 engines for a short period. The performance of V-8 engines is temporarily decreased to V-4 levels.
Cadillac’s ill-fated 1981 L62 V8-6-4 engine was the first to use the technology. The technology was criticized for unreliable operation until the 2005 model year when developments allowed for more consistent performance.
The technology was initially known as Displacement on Demand in concept automobiles like the Cadillac Cien and Cadillac Sixteen. Still, it was renamed Active Fuel Management before it was commercially accessible.
How can you disable the AFM kit when not needed?
There are two methods for disabling or removing Active Fuel Management from your GM or Chevy Gen IV LS or LS-based Vortec engine: the first is to install an AFM Disabler; the second is establishing an AFM Delete Kit. What you have to know is as follows:
Installing an AFM Delete Kit is one of the solutions.
While an AFM lifter break or when doing performance enhancements, an AFM Delete Kit is advised. It does it by substituting conventional components for the AFM components.
When installing an AFM deletion kit, the following procedures must be followed:
- You MUST switch to a non-AFM camshaft due to the unique geometry of the cam lobes in the four AFM cylinders. Compression in those four cylinders will be reduced by 25 pounds, resulting in a misfire code.
- You must disable the AFM mechanism using a computer programmer or custom tuning.
- Although it requires additional effort, it is advised that you plug the pressure release valve in the oil pan.
- Additionally, it is recommended that you install a standard-volume oil pump.
Some related FAQs for How to Tell If a Vehicle Has Active Fuel Management.
What year did GM come out with active fuel management?
In 2005, General Motors launched its Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology.
Does GM still use AFM?
Due to the persistent worldwide microprocessor scarcity, General Motors is currently constructing the GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks and Chevy Silverado 1500 and without AFM and Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) technology. The modification is planned to last through the 2021 model year.
When did Chevy stop AFM?
General Motors detailed a substantial adjustment to the 2021 5.3L L82/L84 engines with AFM and DFM in a note distributed to dealers this morning. Due to the global scarcity of semi-conductors, the business has opted to temporarily disable certain fuel-saving technologies on the 5.3L engines.
What does DoD AFM delete?
While an AFM lifter break or when doing performance enhancements, an AFM Delete Kit is advised. It does it by substituting conventional components for the AFM components. When installing an AFM deletion kit, you MUST switch to a non-AFM camshaft due to the differing ground cam lobes in the four AFM cylinders.
Should I disable AFM on Silverado?
A V8 will always be a V8. Therefore, turning off the AFM allows you to do it if you want your V8 to operate like a beast. The AFM maintains half of the cylinders inactive, preventing the vehicle from reaching its full capability. This is why it is critical to shut off the AFM before returning to that model.
We hope you’ve got the answer that you’ve needed for the question, “How to Tell If a Vehicle Has Active Fuel Management?” reading our explanation. If you have more questions just leave a comment below, and we are really straightforward to help you further. If you need review of the How to Get Pen Ink off Leather Seats? check this link for it. Thank you.
