Type: 3.5L V6 ( LZ4 )
Displacement: 3510cc (214 ci)
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Valve configuration: overhead valves (2 valves per cylinder)
Assembly site: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Tonawanda, NY
Valve lifters: hydraulic roller
Firing order: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
Bore x stroke: 99 x 76mm ( 3.90 x 3.00 in. )
Fuel system: sequential fuel injection
Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Fuel shut off: 6400 RPM
Emissions controls: catalytic converter
evaporative system
positive crankcase ventilation
Applications: Horsepower: hp ( kw )
Saturn Aura 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Impala 211hp ( 157kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 211hp ( 157kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( coupe ) 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( sedan ) 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( convertible ) 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Applications: Torque: lb-ft ( Nm )
Saturn Aura 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Impala 214lb-ft. ( 290Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 214lb-ft. ( 290Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( coupe ) 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( sedan ) 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( convertible ) 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
MATERIALS
Block: cast iron
Cylinder head: Aluminum
Intake manifold: cast aluminum
Exhaust manifold: High Silicon Molybdenum
Cast Nodular Iron
Main bearing caps: powder metal ( 1,2,3 ) cast iron ( 4 )
Crankshaft: steel
Camshaft: Assembled steel
Connecting rods: forged powder metal
Additional features: 58X Crankshaft
Variable Valve Timing
Cam Phaser
U-flow Cooling
2007 GM 3.5L V6 (LZ4,LZE)
3.5L V6 (LZ4, LZE) CAR ENGINE
2007 Model Year Summary
• New Application in 2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Max, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura ( RPO LZ4 )
• Carryover application of E85 FlexFuel application for Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo ( RPO LZE )
• E38 Engine Control Module
• PZEV Emissions Certification ( LZ4 for Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo )
Full Description of New and Update Features
New Application in 2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Max, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura (RPO LZ4)
GM Powertrain’s new-generation 60-degree 3.5L V6 is now available in the Malibu, G6 and all-new Aura sedan. In these cars it is installed with the Hydra-matic 4T45 four-speed automatic. In Malibu and G6, the new-generation 3.5L replaces RPO LX9, and delivers a substantial increase in horsepower without a decrease in fuel efficiency.
E38 Engine Control Module
An advanced controller manages the multitude of operations that occur within the 3.5L V6 every split second. The E38 is the mid-line controller in GM Powertrains new family of engine control modules (ECM), which will direct nearly all the engines in Powertrain’s line-up. In combination with advanced sensor technology, the E38 includes the ability to control and synchronize advanced technologies such as Active Fuel Management and cam-in-block variable valve timing.
The E38 features 32-bit processing, compared to the conventional 16-bit processing in previous 60-degree V6 engines. The E38 operates at 59 MHz, with 32 megabytes of flash memory, 128 kilobytes of RAM and a high-speed CAN bus, and it synchronizes more than 100 functions, from spark timing to cruise control operation to traction control calculations. The E38 works roughly 50 times faster than the first computers used on internal combustion engines in the late 1970s, which managed five or six functions.
The family strategy behind GM’s new ECMs allows engineers to apply standard manufacturing and service procedures to all powertrains, and quickly upgrade certain engine technologies while leaving others alone. It creates both assembly and procurement efficiencies, as well as volume sourcing. In short, it creates a solid, flexible, efficient engine-control foundation, allowing engineers to focus on innovations and get them to market more quickly. The family of controllers means the ECM and corresponding connectors can be packaged and mounted identically in virtually every GM vehicle. Powertrain creates all the software for the three ECMs, which share a common language and hardware interface that’s tailored to each vehicle.
The E38 also applies a new, rate-based monitoring protocol sometimes known as run-at-rate diagnostics. Rate-based diagnostics improve the robustness of the Onboard Diagnostics System (OBD II) and ensure optimal performance of emissions control systems. The new software increases the frequency at which the ECM checks various Vortec 3.5L systems, and particularly emissions-control systems such as the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. Rate-based diagnostics more reliably monitor real-word operation of these systems, and allow regulatory agencies to more easily measure and certify emissions compliance.
PZEV Emissions Certification.
The 3.5L V6 (LZ4) engines built for vehicles sold in California and the Northeast states meet the PZEV tailpipe and evaporative emissions standard. They are equipped with a three-point, single-bank air injection reaction (AIR) system. AIR lowers HC and CO levels by injecting warm, fresh air into one exhaust manifold to create an exothermic reaction that combusts fuel residue. With improvements to manifold and other intake sealing gaskets, the 3.5L V6 generates essentially zero evaporative emissions.
Overview
GM’s new overhead-valve V6 engines define the concept of high value in powertrain development. They apply and refine time-tested design principles, yet they are new from the cylinder block up. The deliver advanced, industry exclusive technologies with real benefit for customers, yet they keep both the cost of production and the cost of ownership low. By any measure, the 3.5L V6 delivers a top-notch balance of good specific output, low-end response, even torque delivery, low maintenance and value, with vehicle packaging flexibility in a wide range of applications.
This new generation V6 allows a high level of flexibility, with common castings over a range of displacements. The 3.5L V6 shares its block, pistons and cylinder heads with Powertrain’s new 3.9L (RPOs LGD, LZ8 and LZ9). A common bore measures 99 mm; displacement is increased in the 3.9L with a longer stroke (84 mm, compared to 76 mm for the 3.5L). The two engines share 80 percent of their parts.
Thanks to its relatively narrow 60-degree block angle, the 3.5L V6 is compact, giving vehicles teams more latitude with platform design and styling. More importantly, the 60-degree V is inherently balanced, ensuring powertrain smoothness without the additional cost of balance shafts. The new 3.5L V6 differs from previous GM 60-degree designs in its offset cylinder bores. The centerlines through the bores on each bank do not intersect at the crank axis; rather, they intersect 3 mm below the crank axis. The offset bores present a number of advantages, including room for larger cam journals and flexibility to stroke the engine for more displacement. The 3.5L block also features a unique “U-flow” coolant path. The coolant passages flow coolant in a specific, predetermined path, starting at the front of block, then rearward toward the transmission, up through the cylinder heads and back to the front. The thermostat is placed near the inlet from the radiator, decreasing warm-up time. The fill point is at the highest point of the cooling system to prevent air pockets in the hoses or passages.
New cylinder heads apply design features developed for the high-output LS1 and LS6 Corvette small-block V8s. The 3.5L V6’s valves are similar to those in the LS1, as is its combustion chamber design. Low-friction hydraulic roller lifters work the valves, improving the engine’s efficiency and reducing vibration. The 3.5L also applies the latest electronic throttle control (ETC) technology, streamlining the system by eliminating a separate throttle actuator control (TAC) module. The ECM controls the throttle motor directly. The direct link improves throttle response time (albeit in millisecond increments that are not apparent to the driver) and improves system security by removing a device (the TAC) the must be monitored for malfunction.
The 3.5L V6’s “returnless” fuel injection system is the new standard at GM. It eliminates fuel return lines between the engine and the gasoline tank, essentially eliminating heat transfer from the engine to the tank and reducing the amount of vapor emissions substantially. New generation fuel injectors with shrouded nozzles are designed to minimize clogging and maintain optimal performance in extreme heat. The 3.5Ls flex-fuel technology (LZE) is simpler and more robust than that used on previous flex-fuel engines. The standard valves and valve seats are durable enough to withstand the long-term corrosive effect of E85 ethanol, so no upgrade is necessary. Nor do flex-fuel 3.5Ls require a separate fuel sensor. The advanced E38 ECM uses data from the oxygen sensors to determine fuel composition, and within miles of a fill up adjusts fuel and spark timing for optimal performance with whatever fuel is used.
For all the advanced systems in the 3.5L V6, perhaps the most significant—certainly the one that has garnered the most attention—is variable valve timing (VVT). GM’s new generation V6s were the first cam-in-block engines with VVT—an accomplishment engineers considered extremely difficult, if not impossible, just a few years ago. The 3.5L’s dual-equal VVT uses a hydraulically operated vane-type cam phaser that turns the camshaft relative to its drive sprocket.
The advantages of cam-in-block VVT are pronounced. The cam phaser changes valve timing on the fly, maximizing engine performance for given demands and conditions. At idle, for example, the cam is at the full advanced position. That allows exceptionally smooth idling. Under other operating demands, the phaser adjusts to deliver optimal valve timing for performance, drivability and fuel economy. At high rpm it might retard timing to maximize airflow through the engine and increase horsepower. At low rpm it advances timing to increase torque. Under a light load (say, casual everyday driving), it can retard timing at all engine speeds to improve fuel economy. Without cam phasing, a cam design must be biased toward one strength or another—high-end horsepower or low-end torque, for example—or profiled at some median level that maximizes neither.
Variable valve timing allows linear delivery of torque, with near-peak levels over a broad rpm range, and high specific output (horsepower per liter of displacement) without sacrificing overall engine response, or drivability. It also provides another effective tool for controlling exhaust emissions. Because it manages valve overlap at optimum levels, it eliminates the need for an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system.
Virtually every component and system in GM’s new generation cam-in-block V6s was reviewed in an effort to enhance durability and reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Piston-cooling jets remain the exception rather than the rule in overhead cam engines, yet each piston in the 3.5L V6 has its own pressure-actuated jet that sprays oil toward its skirt, coating its underside and the cylinder wall with an additional layer of lubricant. The extra lubrication cools the pistons, reducing both friction and operational noise and helping ensure durability. The cam-drive chain has a leaf spring-type dampener that maintains optimal chain tension for the life of the engine and eliminates any flapping motion that might develop as the chain stretches with mileage. It ensures that the timing chain operates as smoothly and quietly as new, even as the engine accumulates high mileage.
Multi-layer steel gaskets are sandwiched between the block and cylinder heads to maintain optimal sealing for the life of the engine. The cast-iron exhaust manifolds are fitted with heat shields fabricated from stainless steel and insulating material. These limit heat transfer from the engine to the engine bay, allowing the 3.5L to reach optimal operating temperature more quickly, yet reducing heat in the engine compartment once that temperature is achieved. They also dampen the sound of exhaust gas rushing through the manifolds and further reduce the amount of engine operational noise that finds its way into the vehicle interior. A cast aluminum oil pan increases engine rigidity and radiates less noise than a conventional steel pan. An acoustic engine cover further reduces the amount of noise transmitted to the passenger compartment from the engine.
Low maintenance was a development priority. The spark plugs have an iridium tip and core to maintain spark density over their 100,000-mile life, helping ensure the same fuel efficiency and emissions performance over the last 10,000 miles as the first. The coolant and accessory belt are both expected to last 100,000 miles. Maintenance in typical use is limited to oil changes, and even those are made as simple as possible. The GM Oil Life System measures how hard the engine is used and calculates the optimal life expectancy of the engine oil, indicating an oil change when it’s actually needed, rather than according to some predetermined mileage interval.
With its new generation of 60-degree overhead valve engines, GM Powertrain has once again demonstrated that the inherent advantages of cam-in-block technology can be applied in the environmentally sensitive 21rst century, in trucks and cars. The 3.5L V6 brings innovation to the mainstream, with wide application in a high-value package the typical consumer can afford.
Displacement: 3510cc (214 ci)
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Valve configuration: overhead valves (2 valves per cylinder)
Assembly site: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Tonawanda, NY
Valve lifters: hydraulic roller
Firing order: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
Bore x stroke: 99 x 76mm ( 3.90 x 3.00 in. )
Fuel system: sequential fuel injection
Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Fuel shut off: 6400 RPM
Emissions controls: catalytic converter
evaporative system
positive crankcase ventilation
Applications: Horsepower: hp ( kw )
Saturn Aura 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Impala 211hp ( 157kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 211hp ( 157kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( coupe ) 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( sedan ) 224hp ( 167kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( convertible ) 217hp ( 162kW ) @ 5800 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Applications: Torque: lb-ft ( Nm )
Saturn Aura 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Impala 214lb-ft. ( 290Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 214lb-ft. ( 290Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( coupe ) 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( sedan ) 220lb-ft. ( 298Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
Pontiac G6 ( convertible ) 217lb-ft. ( 294Nm ) @ 4000 rpm SAE CERTIFIED
MATERIALS
Block: cast iron
Cylinder head: Aluminum
Intake manifold: cast aluminum
Exhaust manifold: High Silicon Molybdenum
Cast Nodular Iron
Main bearing caps: powder metal ( 1,2,3 ) cast iron ( 4 )
Crankshaft: steel
Camshaft: Assembled steel
Connecting rods: forged powder metal
Additional features: 58X Crankshaft
Variable Valve Timing
Cam Phaser
U-flow Cooling
2007 GM 3.5L V6 (LZ4,LZE)
3.5L V6 (LZ4, LZE) CAR ENGINE
2007 Model Year Summary
• New Application in 2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Max, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura ( RPO LZ4 )
• Carryover application of E85 FlexFuel application for Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo ( RPO LZE )
• E38 Engine Control Module
• PZEV Emissions Certification ( LZ4 for Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo )
Full Description of New and Update Features
New Application in 2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Max, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura (RPO LZ4)
GM Powertrain’s new-generation 60-degree 3.5L V6 is now available in the Malibu, G6 and all-new Aura sedan. In these cars it is installed with the Hydra-matic 4T45 four-speed automatic. In Malibu and G6, the new-generation 3.5L replaces RPO LX9, and delivers a substantial increase in horsepower without a decrease in fuel efficiency.
E38 Engine Control Module
An advanced controller manages the multitude of operations that occur within the 3.5L V6 every split second. The E38 is the mid-line controller in GM Powertrains new family of engine control modules (ECM), which will direct nearly all the engines in Powertrain’s line-up. In combination with advanced sensor technology, the E38 includes the ability to control and synchronize advanced technologies such as Active Fuel Management and cam-in-block variable valve timing.
The E38 features 32-bit processing, compared to the conventional 16-bit processing in previous 60-degree V6 engines. The E38 operates at 59 MHz, with 32 megabytes of flash memory, 128 kilobytes of RAM and a high-speed CAN bus, and it synchronizes more than 100 functions, from spark timing to cruise control operation to traction control calculations. The E38 works roughly 50 times faster than the first computers used on internal combustion engines in the late 1970s, which managed five or six functions.
The family strategy behind GM’s new ECMs allows engineers to apply standard manufacturing and service procedures to all powertrains, and quickly upgrade certain engine technologies while leaving others alone. It creates both assembly and procurement efficiencies, as well as volume sourcing. In short, it creates a solid, flexible, efficient engine-control foundation, allowing engineers to focus on innovations and get them to market more quickly. The family of controllers means the ECM and corresponding connectors can be packaged and mounted identically in virtually every GM vehicle. Powertrain creates all the software for the three ECMs, which share a common language and hardware interface that’s tailored to each vehicle.
The E38 also applies a new, rate-based monitoring protocol sometimes known as run-at-rate diagnostics. Rate-based diagnostics improve the robustness of the Onboard Diagnostics System (OBD II) and ensure optimal performance of emissions control systems. The new software increases the frequency at which the ECM checks various Vortec 3.5L systems, and particularly emissions-control systems such as the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. Rate-based diagnostics more reliably monitor real-word operation of these systems, and allow regulatory agencies to more easily measure and certify emissions compliance.
PZEV Emissions Certification.
The 3.5L V6 (LZ4) engines built for vehicles sold in California and the Northeast states meet the PZEV tailpipe and evaporative emissions standard. They are equipped with a three-point, single-bank air injection reaction (AIR) system. AIR lowers HC and CO levels by injecting warm, fresh air into one exhaust manifold to create an exothermic reaction that combusts fuel residue. With improvements to manifold and other intake sealing gaskets, the 3.5L V6 generates essentially zero evaporative emissions.
Overview
GM’s new overhead-valve V6 engines define the concept of high value in powertrain development. They apply and refine time-tested design principles, yet they are new from the cylinder block up. The deliver advanced, industry exclusive technologies with real benefit for customers, yet they keep both the cost of production and the cost of ownership low. By any measure, the 3.5L V6 delivers a top-notch balance of good specific output, low-end response, even torque delivery, low maintenance and value, with vehicle packaging flexibility in a wide range of applications.
This new generation V6 allows a high level of flexibility, with common castings over a range of displacements. The 3.5L V6 shares its block, pistons and cylinder heads with Powertrain’s new 3.9L (RPOs LGD, LZ8 and LZ9). A common bore measures 99 mm; displacement is increased in the 3.9L with a longer stroke (84 mm, compared to 76 mm for the 3.5L). The two engines share 80 percent of their parts.
Thanks to its relatively narrow 60-degree block angle, the 3.5L V6 is compact, giving vehicles teams more latitude with platform design and styling. More importantly, the 60-degree V is inherently balanced, ensuring powertrain smoothness without the additional cost of balance shafts. The new 3.5L V6 differs from previous GM 60-degree designs in its offset cylinder bores. The centerlines through the bores on each bank do not intersect at the crank axis; rather, they intersect 3 mm below the crank axis. The offset bores present a number of advantages, including room for larger cam journals and flexibility to stroke the engine for more displacement. The 3.5L block also features a unique “U-flow” coolant path. The coolant passages flow coolant in a specific, predetermined path, starting at the front of block, then rearward toward the transmission, up through the cylinder heads and back to the front. The thermostat is placed near the inlet from the radiator, decreasing warm-up time. The fill point is at the highest point of the cooling system to prevent air pockets in the hoses or passages.
New cylinder heads apply design features developed for the high-output LS1 and LS6 Corvette small-block V8s. The 3.5L V6’s valves are similar to those in the LS1, as is its combustion chamber design. Low-friction hydraulic roller lifters work the valves, improving the engine’s efficiency and reducing vibration. The 3.5L also applies the latest electronic throttle control (ETC) technology, streamlining the system by eliminating a separate throttle actuator control (TAC) module. The ECM controls the throttle motor directly. The direct link improves throttle response time (albeit in millisecond increments that are not apparent to the driver) and improves system security by removing a device (the TAC) the must be monitored for malfunction.
The 3.5L V6’s “returnless” fuel injection system is the new standard at GM. It eliminates fuel return lines between the engine and the gasoline tank, essentially eliminating heat transfer from the engine to the tank and reducing the amount of vapor emissions substantially. New generation fuel injectors with shrouded nozzles are designed to minimize clogging and maintain optimal performance in extreme heat. The 3.5Ls flex-fuel technology (LZE) is simpler and more robust than that used on previous flex-fuel engines. The standard valves and valve seats are durable enough to withstand the long-term corrosive effect of E85 ethanol, so no upgrade is necessary. Nor do flex-fuel 3.5Ls require a separate fuel sensor. The advanced E38 ECM uses data from the oxygen sensors to determine fuel composition, and within miles of a fill up adjusts fuel and spark timing for optimal performance with whatever fuel is used.
For all the advanced systems in the 3.5L V6, perhaps the most significant—certainly the one that has garnered the most attention—is variable valve timing (VVT). GM’s new generation V6s were the first cam-in-block engines with VVT—an accomplishment engineers considered extremely difficult, if not impossible, just a few years ago. The 3.5L’s dual-equal VVT uses a hydraulically operated vane-type cam phaser that turns the camshaft relative to its drive sprocket.
The advantages of cam-in-block VVT are pronounced. The cam phaser changes valve timing on the fly, maximizing engine performance for given demands and conditions. At idle, for example, the cam is at the full advanced position. That allows exceptionally smooth idling. Under other operating demands, the phaser adjusts to deliver optimal valve timing for performance, drivability and fuel economy. At high rpm it might retard timing to maximize airflow through the engine and increase horsepower. At low rpm it advances timing to increase torque. Under a light load (say, casual everyday driving), it can retard timing at all engine speeds to improve fuel economy. Without cam phasing, a cam design must be biased toward one strength or another—high-end horsepower or low-end torque, for example—or profiled at some median level that maximizes neither.
Variable valve timing allows linear delivery of torque, with near-peak levels over a broad rpm range, and high specific output (horsepower per liter of displacement) without sacrificing overall engine response, or drivability. It also provides another effective tool for controlling exhaust emissions. Because it manages valve overlap at optimum levels, it eliminates the need for an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system.
Virtually every component and system in GM’s new generation cam-in-block V6s was reviewed in an effort to enhance durability and reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Piston-cooling jets remain the exception rather than the rule in overhead cam engines, yet each piston in the 3.5L V6 has its own pressure-actuated jet that sprays oil toward its skirt, coating its underside and the cylinder wall with an additional layer of lubricant. The extra lubrication cools the pistons, reducing both friction and operational noise and helping ensure durability. The cam-drive chain has a leaf spring-type dampener that maintains optimal chain tension for the life of the engine and eliminates any flapping motion that might develop as the chain stretches with mileage. It ensures that the timing chain operates as smoothly and quietly as new, even as the engine accumulates high mileage.
Multi-layer steel gaskets are sandwiched between the block and cylinder heads to maintain optimal sealing for the life of the engine. The cast-iron exhaust manifolds are fitted with heat shields fabricated from stainless steel and insulating material. These limit heat transfer from the engine to the engine bay, allowing the 3.5L to reach optimal operating temperature more quickly, yet reducing heat in the engine compartment once that temperature is achieved. They also dampen the sound of exhaust gas rushing through the manifolds and further reduce the amount of engine operational noise that finds its way into the vehicle interior. A cast aluminum oil pan increases engine rigidity and radiates less noise than a conventional steel pan. An acoustic engine cover further reduces the amount of noise transmitted to the passenger compartment from the engine.
Low maintenance was a development priority. The spark plugs have an iridium tip and core to maintain spark density over their 100,000-mile life, helping ensure the same fuel efficiency and emissions performance over the last 10,000 miles as the first. The coolant and accessory belt are both expected to last 100,000 miles. Maintenance in typical use is limited to oil changes, and even those are made as simple as possible. The GM Oil Life System measures how hard the engine is used and calculates the optimal life expectancy of the engine oil, indicating an oil change when it’s actually needed, rather than according to some predetermined mileage interval.
With its new generation of 60-degree overhead valve engines, GM Powertrain has once again demonstrated that the inherent advantages of cam-in-block technology can be applied in the environmentally sensitive 21rst century, in trucks and cars. The 3.5L V6 brings innovation to the mainstream, with wide application in a high-value package the typical consumer can afford.
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