If you’re searching for a Chevy Silverado for sale in Sacramento, it’s hard to ignore all the exciting technology packed into this storied full-size pickup, but it’s a little-known feature that has really been turning some heads as of late. It’s not the Silverado 1500’s huge 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Multi-Flex tailgate, or Super Cruise hands-free-driving technology. It’s not even the pickup’s 420 hp, 6.2L engine, but that’s getting a little closer. Since the debut of the fourth-generation model in 2019, the Silverado 1500 has been offered with an intriguing new piece of fuel-saving tech known as Dynamic Fuel Management. This technology, along with an older system known as Active Fuel Management, goes a long way in addressing a challenge unique to the modern pickup: they’ve got more power than the average driver needs on a daily basis.
Why is that a problem that needs to be solved? Well, take the 2023 Silverado 1500, for example. Chevy’s marquee pickup can tow up to 11,500 lbs when equipped with the 5.2L V8 and some 13,300 lbs when upgrading to the 6.2L engine. But the simple fact is that outside of some commercial and industrial applications, today’s pickups aren’t doing a lot of towing. In a study by automotive research and consulting firm Strategic Vision, 75 percent of pickup drivers will tow once a year or less. There’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but it does make the Silverado 1500’s V8 offerings seem like overkill when you’re just cruising the streets of Sacramento.
Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) and Active Fuel Management (AFM) are Chevy's attempt to resolve this conundrum, giving the pickup the ability to selectively deactivate a number of the engine’s cylinders in a bid to improve fuel economy for those times when you’re towing more kids and groceries than bricks and lumber. But what exactly is DFM? How does it differ from AFM, and which Silverado 1500 models have this intriguing, eco-friendly tech under the hood? We’ll get into that and more as we take you through a quick primer on Chevy's Dynamic Fuel Management system.
What Is DFM?
Thanks to a combination of technological innovations and government emissions standards, our vehicles have been getting steadily more efficient over the years. In the mid-1970s, the average vehicle’s fuel economy hovered around 13 MPG, but that number nearly doubled to 21 MPG by the early 1980s. Things did stall out there for a bit as a new breed of larger cars, trucks, and SUVs hurt the average, keeping the number in the low 20s for much of the next two decades. However, the introduction of hybrid vehicles, along with tightening emissions standards, has seen the industry make some major strides in the last few decades, with the average fuel economy growing to 25.7 MPG in 2020.
Cylinder deactivation systems like DFM and AFM have been an important part of this new, greener generation of vehicles, and Chevy has been a leader in the technology since day one. Cadillac, which is also part of GM, was the first to experiment with cylinder deactivation back in 1981, introducing a number of models that featured the automaker’s “V8-6-4” technology. While it wasn't nearly as sophisticated as more recent offerings like DFM and AFM, this engine worked on much the same principle, selectively deactivating cylinders in order to give drivers exactly as much power as they needed. Sure, it’s nice to have a big, powerful V8 when you need it, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword. If a large engine like the Silverado 1500’s 5.3L or 6.2L V8 is working at a small fraction of its true capability, fuel economy tends to suffer.
How exactly does DFM work? The system constantly monitors the current driving conditions and driver inputs, tracking the movement of the gas pedal and using computers to calculate how much torque is required 80 times every second. If you’re moving down I-80 at a steady cruising speed, the DFM system could deactivate two cylinders, four cylinders, six cylinders, or any individual cylinders that will help it meet the current power demands. In fact, there are 17 different deactivation patterns in total.
The DFM system relies on a system of electromechanical solenoids which control ports in the engine’s lifters, engaging and disengaging the lifters’ latching mechanism as required. When DFM sees an opportunity to deactivate a cylinder, the lifter is locked into place, which prevents the cylinder’s valves from opening. When it needs to kick back into action, the solenoid opens the latch, allowing the engine to work at its full capacity. According to Chevy, a DFM-equipped Silverado 1500 with a 6.2L V8 will see a 2 MPG boost to its overall fuel economy. If you’re in the midst of a more power-intensive activity like towing or hauling, you’ll still have all eight cylinders to work with, but the ability to selectively deactivate cylinders is a nice bonus for those times when a little less power will do.
DFM vs AFM
DFM might be Chevy's newest and most advanced form of cylinder deactivation technology, but it’s not its first. As we mentioned above, GM has been a trailblazer in the cylinder deactivation arena since the early 1980s. But the brand’s first contemporary crack at the formula came in 2005 when it introduced Active Fuel Management. From a mechanical perspective, AFM works much the same as the newer DFM, with the difference being that it's simply not as customizable. Whereas the DFM system can switch between 17 distinct deactivation configurations, AFM was far more limited, with just four and eight-cylinder modes to choose from. DFM’s complexity all comes down to its programming, with some 69,000 lines of code dictating the cylinder firing sequences.
With AFM, the same four cylinders are deactivated every time the system is engaged. While this does help to conserve fuel, it’s a bit of a simplistic approach compared to DFM. In its lower power modes, DFM will alternate which cylinders are shut down and can change how many cylinders are active on the fly. This approach holds a number of advantages over the AFM design, reducing engine vibrations and allowing each cylinder to maintain its heat for the highest possible efficiency. The DFM system has been tested in a range of temperatures and put through all the rigors of dyno testing with over five million simulated driving miles.
DFM is also savvier about when to kick into action than AFM ever was. With the ability to calculate the required power 80 times per second, DFM can quickly activate, improving efficiency without interrupting the overall driving experience. A Silverado 1500 with a 5.3L engine and AFM operates in V8 mode around 50 percent of the time. When the same engine is upgraded to DFM, the Silverado 1500 will be in V8 mode just 40 percent of the time and operate with fewer than four cylinders 16 percent of the time. That means more savings for Sacramento drivers.
Which Silverado Models Have DFM?
As you might expect, Chevy has been steadily replacing AFM with DFM over the last few years. When the fourth-generation Silverado 1500 hit the market in 2019, AFM was standard on its 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and 6.2L V8 engines, although the 5.3L and 6.2L could be upgraded to DFM on certain trims. Things got a little simpler when Chevy unveiled the updated 2022 Silverado 1500 and made DFM standard on both V8 options…in most cases.
The recent microchip shortage wreaked havoc on the auto industry, making vital components difficult to come by and limiting certain features that are dependent on electronics. Power mirrors, heated seats, and advanced tech like DFM all fell victim to this shortage, forcing Chevy to ship a number of units that lacked such features. If you're looking for a used truck with DFM, make sure to confirm that it’s included in your specific Silverado 1500.
Making a Full-Size Engine Better Value
The introduction of hybrid and electric vehicles has gone a long way in greening the automotive industry, but it’s only part of the solution. Gas-powered trucks will still be around for the foreseeable future, and while it would be all too easy to keep doing business as usual, it’s nice to see automakers like Chevy stepping up to the plate and doing their part to create a more fuel-efficient pickup. DFM has allowed the automaker to offer drivers the best of both worlds, combining the power and reliability of a classic full-size pickup with the sort of efficiency that one might not expect from the segment. As one of the country’s most beloved pickups, the Silverado 1500 is the perfect showcase for DFM, proving that fuel savings don’t need to come at the cost of performance and making one of America’s best-selling full-size trucks an even better value.