GM trucks lose fuel economy feature due to chip shortage

[Graybeard]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/gm-trucks-fuel-economy-chip-shortage

Cylinder deactivation technology removed from pickups

By Gary Gastelu      FOXBusiness

he semiconductor shortage is chipping away at General Motors' fuel economy.


The automaker has confirmed that it has paused the production of V8 engines equipped with a feature that allows them to run on fewer than eight cylinders at certain times to improve their efficiency.

The 5.3-liter V8s are used in the automaker's full-size trucks and the feature won't return before the 2022 models arrive mid-year.

GM spokeswoman Michelle Malcho told Reuters that the loss of the cylinder deactivation system would result in a 1 mpg drop in fuel economy for vehicles using the engines, but that it wouldn't make a significant impact on the automaker's overall corporate average fuel economy.

GM has prioritized the production of its full-size pickups and SUVs during the chip shortage hitting the auto industry.


Production at several factories that build cars and smaller utility vehicles has been temporarily suspended entirely, including the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Michigan that builds the Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5, which was shut down this week and isn't expected to reopen before April.

[Argent 88]

How does it shut down cylinder,s? By cutting off the fuel of course and cracking open a valve to stop compressing? And yet the engine does not have a bad miss to it? I'd like to know how that works. 

[Lloyd Smale]

How does it shut down cylinder,s? By cutting off the fuel of course and cracking open a valve to stop compressing? And yet the engine does not have a bad miss to it? I'd like to know how that works.

A miss you feel is more of a cylinder that fires but doesnt fire everytime. When you cut off fuel to those cylinders and ignition there is no miss fire. Gms new system doesnt just cut off 4 cylinders. It can cut off one cylinder or 7 cylinders or anything in between depending on the load on the motor. there first gen of the 4 cyl cutouts had problems and led to early motor failures. but they got that straightened out. My last two chevs had hit a 2015 and a 2017. You couldnt tell when it kicked or out. Same with my new ram. Its pretty much seamless. Personaly though id rather a truck without it and if i was still buying chevs would proably go looking for one of these without it. Just more crap to go wrong to gain maybe a mile to the gallon or two.

[BUGEYE]

My question is, how much more does a truck WITH the chip cost, versus one without the chip??
If it's a lot, then it might take years to pay for itself.

[Argent 88]

Unless it's a lifter problem, like the Ford 4.2 engine was known to have. The miss will stay there, and it's an expensive repair. Never ever will have a 4.2 again. I like the 4.6 V8, especially after changing out that plastic intake manifold with an aluminum Edelbrock.
 

[Lloyd Smale]

they dont do it to save YOU money on gas. they do it to meet corporate fuel economy standards. I disabled the one in my 2015 silverado and it lost me maybe 1-2 mpg. My guess is it will not be any cheaper to manufactures. Chev has to go back to redesigning the motor to run without it which will cost them. Even if it is cheaper in the long run you arent going to see it on a window sticker. I think kind of the same about my ram. It is a gas hog. Gets maybe 18mpg compared to the 21 i was getting in my chevs. Love the truck but not the fuel economy. I was talking to me wife about maybe next year trading it on a 1/2 ton diesel. There getting near 30 with them. But its a 5k option. You can buy alot of gas for that and i dont usually keep them long enough that it pays off economicaly. I guess part of my thought process says that gas is going to skyrocket in price with biden in office. Its possible that diesel doesnt see quite as bad of a price hike because he knows its nessisary to transport food so the welfare people with there wic cards can eat. He also knows that electric trucks are WAY down the road. It does have me thinking though. 

My question is, how much more does a truck WITH the chip cost, versus one without the chip??
If it's a lot, then it might take years to pay for itself.

[BUGEYE]

they dont do it to save YOU money on gas. they do it to meet corporate fuel economy standards. I disabled the one in my 2015 silverado and it lost me maybe 1-2 mpg. My guess is it will not be any cheaper to manufactures. Chev has to go back to redesigning the motor to run without it which will cost them. Even if it is cheaper in the long run you arent going to see it on a window sticker. I think kind of the same about my ram. It is a gas hog. Gets maybe 18mpg compared to the 21 i was getting in my chevs. Love the truck but not the fuel economy. I was talking to me wife about maybe next year trading it on a 1/2 ton diesel. There getting near 30 with them. But its a 5k option. You can buy alot of gas for that and i dont usually keep them long enough that it pays off economicaly. I guess part of my thought process says that gas is going to skyrocket in price with biden in office. Its possible that diesel doesnt see quite as bad of a price hike because he knows its nessisary to transport food so the welfare people with there wic cards can eat. He also knows that electric trucks are WAY down the road. It does have me thinking though. 

My question is, how much more does a truck WITH the chip cost, versus one without the chip??
If it's a lot, then it might take years to pay for itself.

I don't think the democrats/communists really care what it cost to transport food etc.
So IMO diesel will go up too, and so will the price of everything we buy.

[Lloyd Smale]

most likely your right. But when food goes skyrocketing there going to loose ALOT of votes and they know it.