General Motors is now building 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks without Active Fuel Management (AFM) and Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) technologies due to the ongoing global microchip shortage.
In a recent report from Reuters, GM acknowledged that certain 2021 light-duty pickups were being produced without AFM and DFM, affecting fuel economy ratings. Affected models include those equipped with the naturally aspirated 5.3L V8 L82, which previously featured Active Fuel Management, and models equipped with the naturally aspirated 5.3L V8 L84, which previously featured Dynamic Fuel Management.
Active Fuel Management improves fuel economy by deactivating half of an engine’s cylinders under light driving conditions. Dynamic Fuel Management works in a similar manner, but improves on the AFM system with up to 17 different cylinder activation patterns, providing optimized efficiency and power delivery.
In a statement to Reuters, GM spokeswoman Michelle Malcho said that the omission of AFM and DFM on new Chevy Silverado and GMC pickups is expected to lower fuel economy by 1 mpg.
“We routinely monitor our fleet for compliance in the U.S. and Canada, and we balance our portfolio in a way that enables us to manage unforeseeable circumstances like this without compromising our overall (greenhouse gas) and fuel economy compliance,” Malcho said.
Malcho also said that GM will continue to build Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles, although the volume of vehicles affected by the omission of AFM/DFM was not specified.
“By taking this measure, we are able to meet the strong customer and dealer demand for our full-size trucks as the industry continues to rebound and strengthen,” Malcho wrote in an email to Reuters.
The change is expected to continue through the 2021 model year.
The global microchip shortage has had an affect on the entirety of the auto industry, with nearly 60,000 GM vehicles expected to be cut from the automaker’s North American production schedule as a result, as well as reduced availability for various vehicle options.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet Silverado news, GMC Sierra news, Chevrolet news, GMC news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Good! I’ll take one of these! Not a fan of AFM or DFM.
I hear you , I hate that AFM system on my truck I went so far as to buy a Range technologies plug in control for my 2014 truck so far so good no complaints works to keep the truck in full V8 mode 100% of the time no dropping off 4 cylinders and running short on power and making the transmission downshift more than it should .
Yes!!!! Bought a Range unit for my wife’s 2012 Tahoe. Had nothing but problems with AFM. Dealer laughed at us. Told us we used wrong oil. Just like cam shaft problems in late ’70’s-early ’80’s. If it’s not a safety issue, consumer takes it up the wazoo. Get a Range unit, worth every penny.
Will the customer be made aware of this? Will truck be cheaprr?
There will be a note on the window sticker, and there will be a $50 credit applied on the sticker also.
WOW. If I had known this was coming, I’d have bought a GM without DFM or AFM instead of a Toyota.
Not sure about DFM, but AFM is absolute garbage. It ruined one of the most durable engines in existance.
DFM is the same as AFM. With the difference being the truck can run on a single cylinder (DFM) verses a V8/V4 mode (AFM).
Oh yeah because none of these make it past a 100k let alone hundreds of thousands of miles with out issue. Stop reading in to the few handful of failures, so few actually have it happen and part of the time it was on the consumer and user error. You want to nit pick a few failures out of millions of production and spew false claims? Ok, that Toyota you have has a known issue with cam shaft failures, ohhhhhh. You better run away from that truck! See how silly that sounds…
Its ok untill the 4,000 to repair the heads and cam comes out of your pocket as mine did. Drove GM all my life, but considering something else now.
They all have issues. Dodge has a similar system w/issues.At the first sign of valvetrain noise deal with it,since it is only going to turn into a disaster. IMO turn that crap off after the powertrain warranty expires and you are unlikely to have to have an issue and if you do have an issue go with a DOD elimination kit.A catch can and synthetic oil w/a quality filter and change it regularly also recommended.A highly reliable engine (pre-DOD/VVT) is now less reliable,I am sure some have got lucky and put 200k on them without an issue but many have had issues.
Or just stick to early 2000s GM trucks with non of that complicated fuel saving BS.
Tough to do in the salt belt unless you want to drive a crusty truck.
On the consumer and user error? Please tell me what I did at 3,000 miles to have my lifters collapse (they replaced half of bank based on bulletin at time), and then the other half failed at 6,000 miles and still only replaced that half even though the updated bulletin said all. Oh they already replaced those! Again, what was my error? Other than buying the truck. Garbage powertrain!
Nobody wants that cylinder deactivation garbage anyway! All it does is create more problems than it’s worth!!
Most are fine with it, have no idea about it or are good with it. It is only a few people who read in to a few issues that many are due to the user and claim tons of failures and it not working. I bet you are the same person that says it has zero impact in mpg yet countless third party tests and common sense as well as others show otherwise. The system is extremely reliable, most have no idea it if even working (it was designed to be nearly imperceptible) as they driver 100’s of thousand of miles before trading it in on their next truck. Please find something else to whine about and be more accurate with your claims…
What is the user error? And only a few issues. Go sit at my dealership where my truck sat a month before they got to it, and see the Tahoe’s and Silverado’s roll in, some on wreckers. Watched it with my own eyes.
V864 ruined Cadillac. Get liberalism OUT of manufacturing and make biden LOWER gas prices!
Vv864 was a great engine. It just didn’t meet emission requirements and GM was fined for every 8-6-4 sold. It was still a small block V8 and were indestructible. Cadillac used the 8-6-4 as the scapegoat of the “fleet wood” cars. The 4600 was the real problem. Overheated, overworked and was rushed into production when the 8-6-4 failed emissions testing. It had les than a year of validation testing. 4600 needed rebuilt every 60-80k miles. 8-6-4 are known to go 150k without any problem, and some can be found used with 300k+miles. The real problem is when government steps in and says, “ok, we are moving the goalposts on you and expect a fine tomorrow and we are giving you no time to prepare and adjust, surprise!!!”
v864 broke all the time because liberalism rushed it to market with poor technology.
Here’s Joe’s number, you can talk about gas, bloating, and occasional constipation. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.
202-456-1111
only call if you want to compliment whacko pinko pork barrel spending,all other calls will be disregarded and do not bother calling back because your # will be blocked like you were calling from the middle east because your computer is sending error messages.
Probably a good therapist would be willing to listen.
Therapy is for LIBERALS.
Ding dong the witch is dead!!
I ordered a new truck, just came in. $50 credit for truck not equipped with Dynamic Fuel Management.
My 14 GMC with Active Fuel Management was great !
$50 my ass,what does GM give you for $50 you cannot even get $20 walmart grade mud flaps for $50.
So trading 1 MPG for a more durable engine? Seems like a win to me.
Just bought a AT4 in August. Should have waited. They can have the dfm outta my truck
How is it more durable? It has the same internals. There have been no massive influx of failures, no more than any other brand. So please clarify how this is more reliable… Or is it just spitting out what a few people say on the forums?
Troy, the $50 credit is for the omission of the module. The engine still has all the valvetrain that may fail you down the road….
I’m curious to know if I can retrofit/change the ecm in my 21′ truck for the one without the DFM.
I have AFM on my 19 LD 5.3. Don’t even know its working, very smooth. Hope it’s not bad as some say.
Good news, one less thing to go wrong. I hope there’s another chip shortage for the 2023 model,
FUEL MANAGEMENT DEFINITION: a leader in the white house who LOWERS GAS PRICES.
I have the AFM on my truck, 2014, and it saves me more than 1 mpg. I get 22 mpg on the open road and that saves a lot of gas cost on long trips.
I have a 2006 GMC Envoy Xl Denali 5.3l with lifter turned sideways and beat itself flat on bottom of lifter. Can’t get it out. Beautiful SUV with a piece of CRAP for a engine. GM has gone from their wonderful engines of the past and turned them into junk.
X GM Buyer.