I have an '08 WRX sedan (112,000-ish miles) and, after a leak down test, was told I should replace the short block when the cylinders read: 9% 11% 12% 10% This seems crazy to me as the car drives fine. I had a check engine light come on in the winter and it was recommended I replace the spark plugs. Did that a day or two after the light came on. A month ago the check engine light came on and it was recommended I change the ignition coil on at least one cylinder. It took 3 hours to come up with this recommendation after I was told diagnostics would only take 1.5 hours and I had to leave before getting that work done. I waited a month and the check engine light came on again. Above is the recommended solution. Does this seem like regular wear? I'm weighing my options. Do I get another test done somewhere else? Do I trade in and get a new car (was thinking about it anyway)? Appreciated, Mike
What dealer was this done at? I've seen similar results to be recommended for a whole new block and many other things. I doubt your car is getting diagnosed correctly and those results are normal wear and tear. Especially with the mileage and valves being worn on a turbo engine.
Because your numbers are only within ~3% of each other I wouldn't be too alarmed. If one was significantly different than the other 3 cylinders (or if all 4 cylinders were significantly leaking), then that would indicate a problem. I think I'd either get a second opinion (from JMA or elsewhere) and/or look for a problem elsewhere that would be causing the misfire.Is the misfire code thrown on the same cylinder each time? If so, you could swap coil packs and see if the code follows. If the code stays on the same cylinder even still, can try the same thing with injectors. Swap the injector on the misfire cylinder to a different cylinder to see if the code follows. I'd start with that. I found this basic guide on leak test results. Your results seem to be "normal" given the mileage on your engine. LEAK TEST What is a "leak down" test? Answer: A leak down or "cylinder leakage" test is similar to a compression test in that it tells you how well your engine's cylinders are sealing. But instead of measuring pressure, it measures pressure loss. A leak down test requires the removal of all the spark plugs. The crankshaft is then turned so that each piston is at top dead center (both valves closed) when each cylinder is tested. Most people start with cylinder number one and follow the engine's firing order. A threaded coupling attached to a leakage gauge is screwed into a spark plug hole. Compressed air (80 to 90 psi) is then fed into the cylinder. An engine in great condition should generally show only 5 to 10% leakage. An engine that's still in pretty good condition may show up to 20% leakage. But more than 30% leakage indicates trouble. The neat thing about a leakage test (as opposed to a compression test) is that it's faster and easier to figure out where the pressure is going. If you hear air coming out of the tailpipe, it indicates a leaky exhaust valve. Air coming out of the throttle body or carburetor would point to a leaky intake valve. Air coming out of the breather vent or PCV valve fitting would tell you the rings and/or cylinders are worn. A leakage test can also be used in conjunction with a compression test to diagnose other kinds of problems. A cylinder that has poor compression, but minimal leakage, usually has a valvetrain problem such as a worn cam lobe, broken valve spring, collapsed lifter, bent push rod, etc. If all the cylinders have low compression, but show minimal leakage, the most likely cause is incorrect valve timing. The timing belt or chain may be off a notch or two. If compression is good and leakage is minimal, but a cylinder is misfiring or shows up weak in a power balance test, it indicates a fuel delivery (bad injector) or ignition problem (fouled spark plug or bad plug wire).
Last one was at walser as well. We fixed the car with a coil pack... customers car still runs to this day. They quoted him nearly 8k worth of work at that time. Get a second opinion at a different shop. In South metro try RS motors or if your near the north metro your welcome to contact us www.jmautomn.com www.facebook.com/jmautomn
Much appreciated sir. Due to your responses and the fact you recommended a place closer to me, I'll likely make an appointment with you. Thanks
