bad lifters or timing chain?

I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. About 2 months ago, it started making a noise like a loud purring. I think it's gotten louder. It only makes the noise when it's going thru the gears and after that it's quieter. I had it checked out and the guy said it was bad lifters. But he didn't take anything apart. He just listened to it and made the diagnosis. Cost me $90. He said it would be $1900 to fix. I don't have that much money and I wanted to know if the problem could be anything else...cheaper to fix.
My boyfriend said it could be the timing chain. But he doesn't know. He just sells cars. He doesn't fix them. Someone please give me some good news! Ok thanks.

"It only makes the noise when it's going thru the gears and after that it's quieter"

Bad lifters will make noise all the time not just when shifting gears.

I suspect that your hearing torque convertor chatter. Check into a friction grip solution that you add to your transmission fluid. The chatter is somewhat harmless.

First of all $1900 for lifters is totally rediculous!!! You can put another engine in for that price. There are a couple of possibilities here, but it would help to know if this is a 4 cyl or 6 cyl engine. If it is the 4 cyl. then it is possible that the timing chain is going bad but you should hear it all the time. If it is a V6 the timing chain wouldn't make that type of noise. If you hear it all the time then I would suspect some type of engine problem, possibly the lifters but you should heare that at idle just like you do when you go through the gears.

As kos328 says it could be the torque convertor. Have the fluid and filter changed and add a can of Sea Foam or Lucas Oil transmission additive. This should quite it down if the torque convertor is chattering.

I would not have the guy that checked it work on it for you. He just wants your money and you may want to take it to another mechanic to have it checked again just to see if they can give you a better assessment. Try the trans fluid and filter first and go from there. Just don't have the transmission flushed. Just do the fluid and filter change.

Welcome to the forum!!!

First of all $1900 for lifters is totally rediculous!!! You can put another engine in for that price. There are a couple of possibilities here, but it would help to know if this is a 4 cyl or 6 cyl engine. If it is the 4 cyl. then it is possible that the timing chain is going bad but you should hear it all the time. If it is a V6 the timing chain wouldn't make that type of noise. If you hear it all the time then I would suspect some type of engine problem, possibly the lifters but you should heare that at idle just like you do when you go through the gears.

As kos328 says it could be the torque convertor. Have the fluid and filter changed and add a can of Sea Foam or Lucas Oil transmission additive. This should quite it down if the torque convertor is chattering.

I would not have the guy that checked it work on it for you. He just wants your money and you may want to take it to another mechanic to have it checked again just to see if they can give you a better assessment. Try the trans fluid and filter first and go from there. Just don't have the transmission flushed. Just do the fluid and filter change.

Welcome to the forum!!!
Yeah actually I forgot. I do hear it at idle. It's a 4 cyl. quad 4. Thank you.

Yeah actually I forgot. I do hear it at idle. It's a 4 cyl. quad 4. Thank you.
This is from my post '2.4L Bad Engine?"
2.4 TWIN CAM" engine has been fluttering a bit the past week, but I thought it just needed a tuneup. This morning it would not start. Good battery and very strong response from the starter, but it seemed that the flywheel just would not turn. I could hear the starter straining but the engine shaft would not turn. Oil was low but still showing on the stick, and there was never any low oil light, so I do not suspect frozen main bearings. I fear that a valve may have fallen into the cylinder and is blocking a piston from moving. On a different car a timing belt lost its teeth and slipped so much that a piston slammed into a valve in a zero clearance engine and bent the valve. But this Grand Am 2.4L timing is a chain timing and so I would not expect there to have been so much slip that it could result in valve damage (unless maybe the chain broke). I do not know if the 2.4L TWIN CAM is a zero clearance design. I cannot think of anything else that could be the problem besides frozen crankshaft bearings or valve interference with piston. I have no way to tear the machine apart myself and so I must have it towed. It would be nice to hear any ideas that I might talk with the mechanic about, before he tells me that I need $$$$$$$$ work.

I wish I had checked out that "flutter" earlier, like you did. But end result may be the same as you ... need a valve job. Jury is still out for me, I don't know for sure but I fear the worst .. waiting to have mechanic look at it. I hope my mechanic will have a boroscope to peer down into each piston chamber throught the spark plug hole to see if there is a valve that may have dropped into the chamber. At least you do not have to have yours towed yet.