OK so about a week now I've owned this car and did a compression test and it has 150 on all 4 cylinders.. I'm reading on every other post and I know where its supposed to be so now I'm stuck with this payment too any idea how long I might be able to get away without it blowing up? Obviously it depends on how u drive it but in reality like a year maybe more maybe alot less? Any help guys I would really appreciate it!

 

Blow up? that's a bit dramatic. I think you need to do some troubleshooting.

Did you do the compression test on a cold or hot engine? 150 psi across the board isn't factory spec but the numbers are all consistent at least. How many miles are on the engine?

 

With the comp numbers that low and even across all cylinders, with the car running well, id be very suspect of the accuracy of the test and or tester being used. Really the car should run like poo if actually 150 on all cylinders.

 

Did you have the T/B open when doing the test?
If yes, then put a little oil(little means 1/8 to 1/4 tea spoon) in the cylinder and see what the compression is then.

ROD

 

Use a different gauge and make sure the engine is warmed up

 

Is there a reason you're running the compression test after buying the car?

continue to do your maintenance, get your valves adjusted properly, and enjoy the ride.

welcome to the club

darcy

 

like otheres have said use a different gauge on a hot engine, I have had problems with bad gauges. The consistent numbers and no problems I wouldnt start to worry yet.

 

Along with all of the suggestions here, it might help if you post your elevation. If you're in the mountains it might have an affect on your readings. The fact that it's consistent across the board is a good sign. I find it unlikely that all of your cylinders would start failing compression so consistently.

 

I'll chime in too, but I'm just parroting what others have said. If the car seems to run alright and the numbers are within 5% of each other, it's sort of a non-issue. All four cylinders could be a little low due to worn rings, but you don't have any one cylinder that is going to be overly weak. It's highly doubtful the engine will 'blow', but it may be down on power and could start burning oil if indeed the rings are worn.

Re-test with a different gauge and maybe with a squirt of oil in the cylinders, but otherwise just enjoy the car and squirrel away some cash for when it comes time to do a rebuild.

 

Did you ever find out what the problem was? I just did a compression test on mine and all my cylinders are low. And yes, my car drives like poo atm. Gas mileage is low. I just replaced new spark plugs too and im getting 180-200miles average.