'98 Neon - Not "fixing" lifters - Bad?

[news082702]

A few weeks back, the check engine light came on for my '98 Plymouth
Neon. I took it into the shop, and mentioned that I'd noticed a
"pinging" from the engine, especially when it was cold in recent weeks.
I wasn't sure if that was part of the check engine light situation or
not.

Well, it turned out they weren't related. The check engine light was a
wiring problem, and I had that fixed. But the service rep said that the
mechanics said that the pinging was due to a problem with the lifters,
and that I should have them (I think she said replaced?) and it would be
in the $700-$800 range. She also recommended a tune-up at the same
time.

Seeing as the car is getting on in age, and has nearly 130,000 miles,
the cost of this service would nearly be the value of the car. We
decided not to have the service done, and to start looking for a new
car.

What I'm wondering is, what will be the long-term results of not having
the lifters serviced? What exactly are "lifters"?

Since the car has been back from the dealer, I haven't noticed the
pinging nearly as much as I was before. I'm hoping that the sound stays
away until I can trade it in.

Any comments appreciated.

 

[Richard Ehrenberg]

There are NO valve lifters in a Neon! Lifters are used on cam-in-block
engines. Yours is SOHC or DOHC.

Rick

 

[Bill Putney]

"Richard Ehrenberg

There are NO valve lifters in a Neon! Lifters are used on cam-in-block
engines. Yours is SOHC or DOHC.

You're correct on a semantic technicality. There is a component called
a lash adjuster that serves precisely the same purpose as a lifter, so
much so that it is commonly referred to as a lifter. Case in point: If
you go on the web site of a Chrysler dealer that has a drill-down parts
lookup, they list "lifters" for the OHC engines including the Neon's.

Again - technically, you are correct, but when someone is talking about
an OHC engine and refers to "lifters", anyone who knows anything knows
what they are referring to, and admittedly many do not know that it is
technically incorrect. Those who do generally do not go to the trouble
to correct them.

I should talk - I always correct people (here and elsewhere) when they
make the common mistake of giving torque numbers in pounds. 8^)

All that having been said, care to comment on the service rep's comment
about the lash adjusters?

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")