low compression

I did a dry compression test today and here is what i got
#1-178
#2-155
#3-160
#4-155
low compression in 2-3-4? what should be a good average?
going to do a wet test tommorow,didnt have any oil :disappoin

Those numbers arent bad at all really. 160 is good for an engine of its age

did it on my bro's hatch and his #'s where lower.
145/150/150/155 and burns oil like a bitch.
leakdown next

how do you do a compression test and what is it exactly for

to check compression in each cylinder, to see if there are any leaks or potential problems with the engine. If you don't have good compression, you're engine isn't going to run well.

thanks for the answer but how do you check it??

compression tester

Its just a little rubber hose with threads on one end (they thread into your spark plug hole) then on the other end of it theres a pressure gauge. You crank the engine so it turns over 5 or 6 times and with each stroke of the piston, air is compressed which causes the gauge to raise. If your numbers are low, the air isnt being compressed too well, its escaping somewhere like the rings, a valve thats either stuck open or isnt closing all the way or through the head gasket. The thing about compression testers are that you cant tell where the air is escaping from. Thats where a leakdown tester comes in as Jos4dcivic mentioned. It pinpoints where you are losing air.

jos4dcivic AkA joey :biggrin: