Alright here is the problem: I'm visiting my parents in Raleigh, NC right now and last night my car decided to die. I tow it to a garage where they spent all day trying to figure out what the problem is. Oh, btw, my car will crank, but it won't start. They tested the compression and it was 30 and under on all four cylinders!

I think I am going to get a second opinion, but if this is the case, then I'll either need to do an engine rebuild (i.e. valves, bearings, piston rings, etc) or I will have to get a new engine. While most people would look at this situation and say this would be a great time to go turbo or get a JDM. I can't do that because I'm in college, I don't have a lot of money, and I need my car ASAP.

Here is my question: If I do get a new engine, where should I get one and what would be the price for a USDM or a JDM?

The mechanic said he would do an engine swap for $750 which I don't think is all that bad. If you guys could help me out I would greatly appreciate. As soon as my car died the first place that I thought to come look is on the sr20deforums. You can't beat this place for getting info. Thanks for reading

Derek

i thought it was typical for one cylinder to go then the other and so on...not all 4 just like that. I dont think he did the test right or his tool is bessed or something...i dont know but thats too low for your car to be even running in the first place.

i dont know but thats too low for your car to be even running in the first place.

My car wasn't running. It would crank, but it wouldn't start. I had to tow it to a garage to get it worked on.

What happened when the car died? Were you driving and it shut off? run rough and then die?

what is the milage on your engine? I have never really heard of the valve train getting that bad on one of these engines. I think usually something else will go first. I think it might have been a bad reading.

Do you hear any odd noises while you crank it?

Did it die while you were driving it, or did it just not start after you shut it off?

If it ran fine, but did not start later, I would check the ignition system and the fuel system. shoot some starter fluid in there and see if it starts.

He could be right though. In which case, you can get a JDM engine very cheap from several sources including K watanabe. You can check www.se-r.net classifieds if you want a USDM. Either way, you shouldn't pay more than $500 for a used engine.

The car should run with 30psi lower compression. Did you actually watch them do the test? sounds pretty fishy for it to be low an even 30psi on all 4... hmm

30psi is the sort of reading you get if the throttle isn't opened during the compression test.

Originally posted by DTyne
My car wasn't running. It would crank, but it wouldn't start. I had to tow it to a garage to get it worked on.

i was talking about before it died

and go with what steveb said...thats what i was trying to say in my first post

I got one from there $550 shipped to the shop
here ther number first..1-866-364-8726
there site is
http://www.soshinusa.com/

oh if the engine is blow of course! a rebuild will cost more
dont you rather have an engine with 40,000 miles nice clean
and for cheap than a rebuild I do! lol

Look under your hood and check your fuses. One time at the drag strip i did a mean launch and blew an engine control fuse from the wheel hop. Car would crank all night but would never start. Replaced fuse and waalaa. Thats my .02

Thank you to everybody who has replied to this post so far. To answer the questions that were asked. It died when I was cruising down the road. I was pushing it up to 70 mph and I started slowing down and then when I was almost at a stop (I was turning) it died.

I have 114,000 miles on my engine. When the guy first told me that my engine was "tired", I felt like saying look buddy this is an sr20........these engines don't "tire". I wasn't there when he ran the compression test.

I think I am going to get a second opinion at the dealership, but what else should I tell them to look at (i.e. fuses, ignition, etc). I really really want to get a JDM, but in NC (which is where my car is registered) we have emissions testing and I don't think a JDM engine would pass. What fuses should I check?

Here's a newbie question for ya: What is the procedure for doing a compression test? I know you have to remove the spark plug and put the gauge in there, but do you have to hold to throttle open? How many times must it be cranked? Like I said before thanks for all of the help so far. You guys could end up saving me alot of money and frustration.

Derek

Assuming you are driving a b14. There is a fuse box by your power stearing resivoir and one by the battery. These are the ones that have the engine control fuses and stuff, thats the one that went out on me at the track and same situation, just like you explained. To do a compression check. In your car pull the fuel pump fuse out. Start your car, let it run till it dies. Pop your hood, pull the first wire off the plug, take the plug out, screw the compression tester in, turn the car over about five times to assure a good reading, now some say hold the gas pedal down while doing it, i'm not sure, you can do it both ways, the compression tester I have makes a loud pop sound when I use it, so if that happens, dont worry. Then put the plug back in, put the wire back on, and repeat on the other three. don't forget to put your fuel pump fuse back in or your car won't start. Reading should be 175 across the board, i think, give or take a few. Good luck. Anyone can chime in if they wish.

Actually, I don't know why I didn't mention it, but I have a B13. A 91 se-r to be exact. So is it feasible that if the mechanic didn't do the compression check properly that he could have come out with those numbers (he said that 3 were around 30psi and one was reading close to 0)?

Nismotic,
When you had your problems, the car wouldn't start up at all right? It would just crank and crank? I think I am going to call the mechanic tomorrow and find out what procedure he used to check to compression.

I was trying to figure this out in my head (and please someone say otherwise if my thinking isn't correct), but how the heck could all of the compression go on every cylinder? Is it possible that the timing chain skipped a tooth? There was no noise when my car died, so I sort of ruled that one out. The cams can't just screw up like that can they? It isn't really concievable that at least one valve per cylinder would get a hole in it or become "misaligned" or whatever may be the problem to cause the low compression?

I just thought of something. How the heck can I do a compression check if I can't even start the car. Isn't the car supposed to be at operating temp? If so, what should I do? Secondly, I called the mechanic and he said that he didn't hold the throttle wide open. Could this have something to do with the readings that I got?

Just pull ALL of the plug wires out screw in the guage and crank the car over with the pedal to the metal and dont stop till the guage stops moving. It is as simple as that! If you were driving at highway speed and you let off worst case scenario is that your timing chain somehow took a crap (dont know if this is possible) and wrecked the whole motor. It sounds like something small though. Spend a couple hours troubleshooting. Mechanics love making money off people who they think dont know anything.

Mechanics love making money off people who they think dont know anything.

This mechanic I'm dealing with is in for a big surprise. Between the help I receive on these forums and what I know about cars, I am not going to let him dick me over. :cool:

Yea, my car would turn over but never start.

Okay so here is my checklist for things to check:
Check fuses
Check engine ground
See if rockers are cracked/damaged
Check timing chain
Test compression correctly

I've a ton of searches and this is what everyone else suggested. Anymore suggestions?

Derek

Check fuel.
Check spark.