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Edit: 100K miles? That narrows it down, IMO the best option is to replace or rebuild the engine. I would not try to solve the problem in one cylinder in an engine with that many miles.
The magical 100K miles mark is not what it used to be 20-30 years ago. Nowadays, 100K is just getting broken in. No reason to not expect a well-maintained engine to reach 150-200K without much issue.
"Still looking at it. He reset the check engine code and drove around but it didn't go off again. I think he said he replaced the ignition coil"
Reading your posts, I'm very nervous about the mechanics you are finding!
It's usually not the best option, but given the strange answers you've been getting, it might be worth spending $100 for a diagnosis at the dealership. Might save you thousands, at least compared to that first guy.
Reading your posts, I'm very nervous about the mechanics you are finding!
It's usually not the best option, but given the strange answers you've been getting, it might be worth spending $100 for a diagnosis at the dealership. Might save you thousands, at least compared to that first guy.
There you go.
I understand the economics, and certainly no one is infallible, but generally speaking, you want to take your car to the dealer from whence it came. Theoretically, they specialize in your brand of car, they have experience, expertise, parts, and a backup team to help them out. Nothing wrong with a "good wrench" in a local shop, but by definition, they many times don't have the knowledge/equipment to quickly diagnose a problem and solve it outside of the "trial and error" (you pay) process.
Replacing a coil is a LONG way from having a loss of compression in cylinder number one. Certainly the "rough" running issues could be traced to a bad coil, but the cylinder either holds compression, or it doesn't.
My husband just came back from that mechanic here is what he said the guy told him
The cylinder is off about 15 lbs from the rest... And says that the engine block and head doesn't appear to be damaged
He cleared it the code and drove it around for a while. The code did not come back. While he was driving it, it didn't seem to be bucking/ running rough. So he said if the code comes back bring the car back and they'll be able to determine what exactly is causing the problem. And that the problem may seem worse than it is due to a loud noise from an exhaust leak. He said to bring the car to a muffler shop and they can weld the exhaust leak shut.
He also said it is ok to drive around with the cylinder being off 15 lbs and that we wouldn't be doing any additional damage to the car. He didn't wind up replacing any coils. Didn't charge for the visit either...
Being off 15psi in one cylinder isn't the end of the world, but certainly odd for a vehicle 5 year old vehicle.
Based on the age suspect a head gasket leak on that bank. Without major compression loss or missing/leaking coolant, a mechanic isn't going to be able to pin point this. If it is the head gasket on that bank, the issue will gradually get worse until the car water locks a cylinder and you're stranded. Expect a repair bill for ~$800 as you shouldn't need to replace the other bank's gasket...which was likely a fluke.
Disclaimer; My first car was a 1995 Ford Mustang V6, which experienced head gasket failure on one bank and the total job was $1100.
My husband just came back from that mechanic here is what he said the guy told him
The cylinder is off about 15 lbs from the rest... And says that the engine block and head doesn't appear to be damaged
He cleared it the code and drove it around for a while. The code did not come back. While he was driving it, it didn't seem to be bucking/ running rough. So he said if the code comes back bring the car back and they'll be able to determine what exactly is causing the problem. And that the problem may seem worse than it is due to a loud noise from an exhaust leak. He said to bring the car to a muffler shop and they can weld the exhaust leak shut.
He also said it is ok to drive around with the cylinder being off 15 lbs and that we wouldn't be doing any additional damage to the car. He didn't wind up replacing any coils. Didn't charge for the visit either...
It sounds like this mechanic is out for your best interest instead of his. I agree 15 pounds loss in compression isn't the end of the world, but it will effect performance of the vehicle. Just keep that in mind when driving the car.
I'm going to assume the mechanic threw a compression tester on it and found it low. Possible causes are burst head gaskets, burnt valves, and cracked heads. Which it is is hard to tell until you get that head off.
A leak-down tester, or even just applying some compressed air to the "dead" cylinder will let you determine what is wrong without taking anything apart. If it's a burnt valve, almost always this is the exhaust valve, assuming you get the engine in the correct position to test # 1 cylinder, if you hear a hiss at the exhaust pipe, you know it's a burnt valve. If it's a head gasket, very rare to have a "dead" cylinder with that, without having other issues like overheating and the coolant disappearing as it's blown out the tail pipe.
There may or may not be an aftermarket exhaust valve made of better material than the originals. This is not exactly a "cult" car.
Edit to say: If you are down 15# in one cylinder, that's not a burnt valve. That *could* be a head gasket leak, although I still say you would have cooling system issues besides the rough running.
Your second mechanic seems like the guy you should keep.
I'd always pick someone who looks for the simple things to fix before diving into major engine repairs. Often times it can be attributed to something simple (like an ignition coil) so it's best to test those types of parts FIRST before it's possible to make a determination on how to fix the vehicle. At 100k miles, there should be no need to replace an engine (and certainly not a transmission as one poster mentioned "just because") because of a studder.
A tune up would have been my first recommendation. 15psi isn't a big deal honestly. I'd be more concerned if it were between 25-30 psi. 15 is a perfectly acceptable range.
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