2000 CAVILIER 2.2L COMPRESSION TEST NUMBERS

All due respect to dandyoun. The man DEFINITELY knows what he is talking about. But IMO when you get above 100+ in each, I don't see a serious issue. Maybe a little low, but with mileage, the valve seats may be a bit dirty, maybe the piston rings a bit worn, but not enough to tear your engine apart, It will go another 50,000+ miles like that. When you get compression below 100 psi might be time to look in to what is what..valves, rings, etc,

; )

#2!

Thank you as for doing a wet test that will need to wait as i don't have my tester at the moment. I will say that the I am lossing oil and at least once there was a good bit of white smoke and the oil level dropped, however once i replaced the midpipe and the flex pipe and refilled the oil there has been no smoke and the level is staying about norm. Only other issue i can;t figure is that at idea and in summer the temp stays about 195 however in the winter when cold outside the temp goes to 195 but at city speed stays the same, at highway speed drops to about 95-100 but as soon as i slow down to city speed ot get off and stop bottom of ramp it goes back to 195 in less the a min. when showing 100 at highway speed there is no heat, but as soon s it goes back to 195 at reg speed the heat is back. There is no oil in the antifreeze and no lose of antifreeze, however it will not build very little pressue. Acts like i have a 4" intercooler on it at highway speed in winter. the car is bare stock. and about 110K on it.

also yes it is a 9:1 ratio and there is oil in the breather line from the cover to the air intake hose. however there is no actual pcv valve on the car. it comes up at not required when checked and there is no place for one.

Whoa. Every car has a Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve. Not to be confused with EGR. At the very least some sort of crankcase ventilation. Blowby from normal operation will create pressure in crankcase...in the very very olden days it was a simple vent, later a system that sucks fumes from crankcase back in to intake to be re-burned via PCV.

Ok. Does it have a thermostat in it? And how long since water pump was changed?

If I not mistaken it does not have one. Some sort of oil separation valve cover on these. But I not positive.

That's the pcv I was talking about. Sorry I didn't state that. Lol.

ya there is a oil sept. that is moled into the valve cover on the inside with cant be replaced unless replace entire cover, and for the tehermostate yes even chnaged it 3 times and eveytime same deal and all 3 i tested and all worked fine as well, as for the waterpump 2 yrs ago. however still did it, EVERYTHING in the cooling system has been replaced exept the heater core witch was flushed and when water was metered it came out at the same rate it went in and was clean. but it's not building much pressure and the colder it is the lower temp goes at 50+ but jumps to norm when idea, stopped or under 40. unless its 10 or below then it stays low exept at idea then its fine. even replaced the sender unit.

when i cheked the tottle body looking though the butterfly it looks like the entire unit is black and dirtly and there were some small spots on the bottom with small circles of liquid, useing a paper towel to soak a little it smelled like gas but has the color of oil.

don't know if this will help, but the the car was org. bought and owned by the PA dept. of conservation and natural resources (DCNR)

I would check radiator hoses. Are they collapsing or restricted?

all new

radiator, lines, hoses, fluid, pump, gasket, hear core check, sensor, fan motor, belt, replay, fuses all replaced and double checked, check for air 4 times.. any thoughts on the throttle body part above as well with regards to anything.

Oh ok. Sounds like you on top of diagnosing your issues. Rad cap new and proper psi? Any unexplained lose of coolant? Might do a pressure test on cooling system to rule out head gasket issue.

there's the thing, cap is new, however at idea it will build and hold pressure but at hwy speed it losses pressure, basily when it cold outside like 40's or below i can take a drive for 30 miles and then park the car and immedatly remove the cap, or better yet after the 30 min drive i can till squeeze all hoses togther, but when hot out or low speed after 30 min the hoses are firm but pliable, after 10 min there soft again. however there is only about a 1 - 2% loss of fuild over 1.5 - 2yrs. i lose more oil then i do antifreeze. the compression numbers are at the top the number are almost the exact same as they were 3 yrs. ago. all i can say is about 3 yrs ago the rad fan motor broke car overheated to red line and boild the fuild. scine eveything has been replaced but it was shortly after that that this issue started.

car is only driven about 3 to 4K a yr now as it's my mom's car now but tring to get it fixed right for her

I would pressure test the cooling system just for giggles. If pressure starts dropping during test inspect for where the coolant is going. Be sure to look in oil and spark plug holes.

there is a pressure drop, however only at hwy speed at idea the pressure is fine. but for sake: lets say pressure drop on test but nothing in oil or plugs and what if no drop. as said it drops pressure at speed not ideal. I do have a OBD2 live data reader though, not sure is the car capable of reading pressure via live data while traveling? Just did plug a week ago and all 4 were perfectly fine even the gap was still within a 1000th of the factoy gap number.

The pressure test I talking about is done on cooling system by use of a hand air pump and gauge attached to the rad inlet. This pressurizes the system with air without the engine running. While doing this test if pressure drops the cooling system is compromised somewhere. Even if just a small drop in pressure. If pressure does not drop while doing this test system is ok.

i know i had that done about 8 months after the prob started by the dealer and the deal said the on pressure test and temp test both eveything was fine and there there no drop in pressure at all. however at idea pressure hold fine, but as soon as the car hit more then 40mph or when car is moveing in winter temps it losses all pressue but rebuld the pressue as soon as stationary again. so when not moving pressure hold and test confermed that at dealer, house is hard also, but onse you drive the car in cold air you lose all pressure and can squeexe house, thats what the deliema is it only does it while moving but when stopped eveything test fine.

i do appologize for this long thread but this if very confussing at this point because it will not do it unless car is moving and it's cold out. in summer speeds at 70+ will cause temp and pressure drop. in winter speeds over 30 or so will cause the temp and pressue drop. but even then onse stopped temp go back to norm, heat comes back and in a few min the pressue is back. move again over 30+ in winter and you lose pressure, heat, and temp.. thomo is a 205 and temp norm. at 195. but winter at over 30 temp drops to about 100, but when stopped it goes back to 195, it's not the sender because as the temp drops so does the amount of heat in vents, but stoopped vents get hot, and temp goes up to norm. very confuseing.

thats why i said when moving the temp acts like i have a 4" intercooler on it in the winter. where the faster you drive the colder it gets but slower the hotter

the air temp coming from the vents comes that as well. as it does the same

What temp thermostat you running?

i don't want to tear down the engine and replace all the gaskets and seals and such and check the vales and rollers, replace the rings. and that and then have it be the head or block or even something else

Oh ok. 205. So it's not an over temp issue it's a too cool issue. I get it now.

im running the factoy thomo. i just checked it. the thomo is a 180. and all 3 or 4 were all stant's. the part number is 14028

the 205 was wrong it's a 180

yes at idea the car stays at 195 witch accroding to dealer is correct. so idea i have 15psi and 195 temp. in winter when moving 30+ you have maybe 2psi and 100 temp. but the second you stop moving you get 195 temp and in about 5 min you get back 15psi. so at idea and stop the psi and temp is fine the moving both drop. as i said the colder it isss the lower the temp goes but at stop it goes back norm. i even for example unplugged the fan so it wouldnot run i let temp hit 210 and went for a drive and it stayed below 115 with no fan in mid winter but when i stopped it hit 210 in no time. then i turned reconnected fan and it went to 100 moving and 195 stopped

so yes in winter it;s like i have no thomorstate and a intercooler on it when im moving but when stopped all is perfectly fine temp and pressure. if i wait till all hoses are rock hard then drive 10 min or so and check the hoses are soft like i just tured it on. but there is no loss of fuid

Hmmm. Sorry but just have to ask. Is thermostat installed correctly? Again sorry for asking.

yep, and about a yr ago hit a deer and the dealer actually ended up putting in a new thomo also and a new rad. again, so currently the one in was installed by the dealer. also the thomo on is also only able to be put in one way due to the housing design as well. when i asked the dealer on this issue they said nothing exept that i would have to pay 100.00/hr till they find it and that could take a few days. they said well then just buy a plug in heater for the cig. outlet.

And you used the bleeder valve to remove all the air out of the cooling system?

yep and even let for over a hr w/o cap on as well.

And so I know exactly which one you have. Your thermostat is not on block but down in front left of engine by radiator with two large hoses going to it and one small hose coming off going around top right of engine.

i firured though if it had a ait bubble then it would not hit psi or temp at ideal but eveything is perfect but only at idea

let me check quick, brb

the thomo houseing is bolted to the block oppisit of the water pamp. the pump is almost in exact same spot but on oppsing side of the block mount. there are 2 houses to the thomo. one from the side on from bottom, the one on the side go towards rear around the side of block the on on the bottom looks to go to the rad. i have included 4 pics.

last pic

1st

2nd

3rd

Ok yes that's the one I was thinking of. The smaller hose that goes around the engine to right side of car has a bleeder valve in it to get all the air out. Almost right beside all of you spark plug wires

yeppers, been done by me and dealer as well

like i said it started after the severaly overheated past the top red line mark on gaudge to the point that it flooded out the overflow and you could hear the fluid hard boiling, took it more then 20 min to cool off and it was about 30 degress out at night. ever scine then is this issue. and scine eveything been replaced as well

Ok I am stumped. Have found three other cases similar to yours but three different causes. 1) air in system was the cause(vapor locked heater core) 2) stuck open thermostat was the cause and 3) was head gasket leaking only at highway speeds causing air(combustion gas) to get in system and vapor lock heater core. Now last one did not really make since to me cause it would seem that they would be having an overheat issue. But anyways that's what they supposedly found. Please when you figure this out let's us know. Also any other opinions from others on here would be greatly appreciated. Sorry I could not be of more help.

With your last post leans me toward head or head gasket issue again.

im actuly thinking that possibly because of following. 1) currently intermitly burn oil and obtain white smoke but only under high rpm and only sometimes. 2) only lose pressue/heat under high rpm allowing abent air to cool like a intercooler. no loss of antifraze means not leaking into system but loss of presser could be ventinte into antifreeze caueing vapor lock witch at low speed gravity fixes when stopped (low spped on water pump). therefor in general a combo of the 2. high rpm is causeing vapor lock the core, but also some backleak between cyclders but mild allowing oil blowby into the cyclinders but again only sometimes, scine there both intermittent and very specific and both point same direction, i'm thinking that when the engine "flex expands at higher rpm it just enough exanshion that issue happens but when slow and no examtion/flew eveything seals. i'd love your thoughts on this. and i'll let you know when i di into it in a few weeks. i could also post or send you pics as i get into engine if you like as well. will be ab out a month before i can get all the parts, seals, etc to do almost a full rebuild (pistons, rings, seals, rollers, etc..) anyone that wants to follow in privet my email is Xteam19@Gmail.com

also the local napa shop also has a in-house fab/machine shop. so i will take the heads there to inspection/test as well once i have them out.

Yes keep us informed. I am not positive about my conclusion but I too feel that it's highly possible. Good luck and enjoy the build.

How much can be shaved off the heads of a 2001 2.2 Moyer and still work