How to measure the compression of the car engine

Many times we ask ourselves if the state of our vehicle is right, and if it is good to support a long trip or all the use we give it daily. Beyond doing a basic review of the car and to go to the recommended services according to the mileage, there is a very simple way to check the status of our engine, in .com we explain how to measure the compression of the car engine effectively.

one

The tool you will need to perform this procedure is a pressure gauge to measure the compression of the motor. This can be purchased at stores specializing in car accessories or on the Internet.

two

Start by turning on the car and letting the engine warm up, acquiring its regular temperature. You do not have to perform this procedure with the cold engine, so it is best to carry it out after driving around with the vehicle.

3

Stop the engine and once the car is turned off, disconnect the high voltage cables located in the spark plugs, always checking what you are doing, then you must connect them in the same position. If you do not want margin for error, you can take a picture of the spark plugs before disconnecting the cables.

4

Unscrew a spark plug and place the tip of the pressure gauge in the hole in the cylinder head where the spark plug is inserted. It is very important that the manometer nozzle completely cover this hole.

5

Now you must ask someone else to start the engine of the car and accelerate for about 4 seconds, this way you will measure the compression of the engine of this spark plug. Turn off the engine and repeat the previous process with each of the spark plugs of your car.

6

Each of the spark plugs of the car must have the same pressure, and it is also important that they match the pressure indicated by the manufacturer of the car in the manual of the same. In the case of gasoline engines, the difference between cylinders can be up to 1.5 bar, something perfectly regular.

7

If you do not know the manufacturer's data regarding the compression indicated for the engine of your car, then base yourself on the compression ratio of your engine (either petrol or diesel) and add those numbers. For example, in a compression ratio of 14: 1, add 14 + 1 and the result, 15, must be the value of the pressure indicated on the manometer.

8

If the engine of the car has compression problems, it is best to take it to a review to determine the source of the leak and allow the specialists to solve it.