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97 Grand AM SE V6 ticking noise


somethingkat
06-01-2005, 10:55 PM
Hello,
Ok, I have that ugly tick tick tick sound first thing in the am, it stops after it warms up. The mechanic who never seen it suggested Resilon, it still ticks. So is everyone right? Collapsed lifter or lifters? If so how long can I continue to drive it, does anyone know. I've driven it about 1000 miles since it started and what happens if I keep driving it? The mechanic said if he's going to fix 1 lifter he should fix all the lifters, is this true? He quoted me around 800 to fix all the lifters and additional for oil, filter etc!! What is the etc, and is 800 reasonable or not? Yeah I'm a woman, a car poor one, who now has a 95 Contour that won't start, a Pontiac with bad lifters, and man I am gonna get stuck driving a mini van. Are there any possiblities other than lifters?
Help

Ridenour
06-01-2005, 11:18 PM
It is probably your lifters, but they aren't neccesarily bad. It's a fact - our stock lifters tick alot. They're pnuematic, and it takes a long time for oil to get up to them, which is why they tick bad until the engine warms up. Another factor probably adding to this is carbon build up. I would highly suggest pouring 1/2 a can of seafoam carbon remover in your crankcase oil, driving at least 60 miles, and then getting your oil changed. This may solve a majority of the ticking (caused by sticking due to carbon).

somethingkat
06-03-2005, 08:22 PM
It is probably your lifters, but they aren't neccesarily bad. It's a fact - our stock lifters tick alot. They're pnuematic, and it takes a long time for oil to get up to them, which is why they tick bad until the engine warms up. Another factor probably adding to this is carbon build up. I would highly suggest pouring 1/2 a can of seafoam carbon remover in your crankcase oil, driving at least 60 miles, and then getting your oil changed. This may solve a majority of the ticking (caused by sticking due to carbon).

Thank you, I bought the seafoam as you suggested, NAPA also said it's the best stuff on the market for this. I put it in today, we'll see 57 more miles to go then I'll get the oil changed and we'll see what happens. Thanks for the advice. At this point I sure am open to all the advice I can get.

JonJailer
06-04-2005, 08:34 PM
I haven't seen a 3.1L (191cu in) engine with more than 70,000 miles on it that didn't have a tick yet. The engines are STRONG and as long as you change oil when you're supposed to they will keep going and going as much as any jap-crap out there.

Ridenour
06-04-2005, 10:52 PM
Hey no problem kat. Actually, you don't even neccesarily have to wait till 60 miles. I was kind of thinking freeway miles. 20 miles of "normal" driving should deffinately be enough.

And yeh Jon, your right - the 3.1 is a work horse. You can't kill it. I drove an un-rebuilt 3.1 Lumina a few weeks back with over 300,000 miles on it. The thing ran great - unbelievable.

Baird31
07-06-2005, 01:09 AM
my 97 grand am has 265000 km and it has never ticked

skibum1111
07-06-2005, 05:31 PM
I've seen a few of the 3.1's with over 100k on them that didn't tick, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Also, the people that I know with them have been running synthetic oil, dont' know if that makes a difference or not. I run synthetic in my quad, and when we changed the timing chain, head gasket, head, etc. 2 weeks ago, the chain guides were hardly worn, but I have seen chains break after 150k miles with regular oil due to the guides being worn out...

luapsided
01-03-2007, 08:33 PM
Ok, first things first, I take great care of my car and I have some basic knowledge of cars, however I made one stupid mistake yesterday. I have realized over the past few weeks that I've had to add oil more often than I should for a 97 grand am. Most of my driving in just in town. However, I made a trip that covered, I'd guess, around 1200 miles or so. I was about an hour away when my oil light came on as i passed through a town, and I was going to stop but then the light turned off. So i drove the last hour since I was in a hurry and didn't check my oil. When I pulled into town, and just three blocks from my house, a ticking developed and my performance when almost to sh*t. I got home and added 3.5 quarts(5 quarts it hold) to my car! So now I drove it today and the ticking stills there but gets more quiet as it warms up. However the performance still stinks. It almost feels as if a spark plug went out, but i know thats not the case. Did i royal eff up my car or is it maybe the lifters? Im not sure where the oil leak is but it must get worse when traveling on the highway, cause in town it doesn't lose that much oil. Any thoughts from anyone would be great. I dont really ever see any oil spots on the ground either. So I'll end this novel now :screwy:

xeroinfinity
01-04-2007, 07:44 AM
Sorry luapsided, but we do not bring up threads older then 3 months.

If you are having trouble please feel free to post a new thread.

This iss CLOSED !

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