The hydraulic lifters or tappets of your vehicle are small hydraulic cylinders, which are located next to every valve in the engine. They work to help the engine run more smoothly and quietly. The lifter mechanism will wear out over time, especially when the oil is dirty or because there isn’t enough oil, causing lifter ticking or tapping noise.
If you ignore this sound, you may create more problems that in time would be more costly. To help avoid this expensive result, we put together the following list of bad lifter signs that you just cannot miss.
What are Lifters on a Car?
Engine lifters enable your automobile’s engine valves to function and every engine configuration has a unique lifter design.
As the camshaft turns, the lifters operate on several push rods and subsequently operate a rocker arm to open and close the engine valves. The lifters also automatically adjust the valvetrain lash (clearance) for the engine.
Lifters in OHV Engines
For as long as I can remember, the words “lifters,” referred to parts mounted onto the shaft of the cam in an overhead valve engine. There are lifters in the Overhead Valve (OHV) Engine, but they are properly named “cam followers.”
As the camshaft rotates, the pushrods work off of the increase of a rotating shelved element, called cam. The pushrods actuate the rocker arms, which open and close the engine valves. In addition to these tasks, the engine also opens the valvetrain lash.
There are two lifter designs; solid (mechanical) and hydraulic. Solid lifters use some form of mechanism to set the lash, and thus need to be set periodically. In contrast, hydraulic lifters are self-adjusting as they utilize pressurized engine oil to adjust the lash and make more frequent adjustments.
Lifters (tappets) can be further categorized into flat and roller lifters. Older cars utilize a flat lifter with a suitable flat face that works against a cam. Roller lifters have a cylindrical roller that rides along the cam contour. Roller lifters have been a standard design in nearly all OHV engines since 1990.
Lifters (Lash Adjusters) in OHC Engines
The terminology “lifters” is sometimes used for lash adjusters in regard to hydraulic systems and OHC valve trains.
Lash adjusters are used to compensate for gaps in the valvetrain. Depending on the design of the engine, each lash adjuster may be located between the cylinder head (and a camshaft follower), or in a bucket on top of the valve, or it may be exquisitely included as part of the rocker arm.
What Does a Bad Lifter Sound Like?
If you know what a bad lifter sounds like, you can deal with the issue promptly and save hundreds of dollars in repairs. Unlike intermittent banging noises, faulty hydraulic lifters will consistently produce tapping sounds.
Over time, this performance worsens, and the occurrences increase. Regardless of if the engine is cold or hot, the sounds will vary depending on the nature of the issue. If things worsen, you will experience a very heavy banging or knocking sound.
Bad Lifter Symptoms
In addition to noisy valve lifters, other signs of a faulty hydraulic lifter include the following:
#1. Sticky Lifters.
Sticky lifters remain physically collapsed, not moving in and out as they should when compressed. As movement is restricted, the system can no longer build the necessary oil pressure, and also causes the inner components of the lifters to bang around excessively, which produces a much noisier noise than is expected.
#2. Higher RPM = More Noise.
Due to a change in certain components, higher RPMs will feature a higher frequency and volume of lifter noise.
#3. Misfires.
Due to the failure of a lifter, a cylinder’s ability to blend and combust air with fuel is severely interrupted. Because of this, it is likely you will experience a consistent misfire occurring from that cylinder, which will also reduce acceleration speed.
#4. Dead Cylinder.
The failure of a lifter will cause the pushrod to either deform or displace within the mechanism. This will result in a dead cylinder and could break valves or rocker arms, or even destroy the entire engine.
#5. Check Engine Light.
If the issue is getting worse, the check engine light will come on, allowing you to diagnose the problem based on the error codes.
How Much Does a Lifter Replacement Cost?
Replacing one or more lifters is a costly and labor-intensive repair. Ultimately, if you’re going to pay someone to do it for you, it usually costs between $1,000 and $2,500. This cost will depend on the year, make, and model of the vehicle.
A skilled mechanic will usually charge $60 – $150 per hour to replace the lifters. A professional mechanic will usually charge between $1,000 – $2,500 total for the replacement. Costs will usually differ depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle.
If you have plenty of experience and the right tools, you may be able to replace the lifters on your own to save some money.
The table below shows the cost of engine lifters on different vehicle models.
| Vehicle Model | The average cost of an engine lifter |
| Volkswagen Jetta 4 Cylinder | $550 to $875 |
| Ford F150 8 Cylinder | $1,100 to $1,500 |
| Dodge Charger 8 Cylinder | $1,900 to $2,300 |
| BMW X5 8 Cylinder | $1,200 to $1,800 |
| Hyundai Sonata 4 Cylinder | $750 to $1,000 |
If you have the proper tools and experience, replacing lifters is a way to save money.
How to Fix Noisy Lifters
You can take steps to prevent noisy valve lifters:
Timely Oil Changes
Regular oil changes are important because they help keep oil up to the proper level and prevent dirty oil from building up, which could cause damage to the lifter. Make sure to watch the engine oil you are using, and pay attention to the lifter noise.
Oil Additives
An oil additive that works well, like Liqui Moly or Marvel Mystery Oil, can improve the quality of the engine oil and help stop up the lifters. Oil additives are also good for stopping up rocker arms, valves, and many other engine components. This is what you want to do; it’s also a cheaper alternative.
Alter the Spacing Between Lifters
If all else fails, perhaps the distance between the lifters and other components will have to be addressed by a competent service technician, as this is usually included in the service contract.