Compression Problems

[SD99GST]

Whats going on guys? I've been having slight problems with my car, tried doing the search on my own but come out with so many different symptoms that I dont know which one to go with anymore.

Car: 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GST - 125,000 miles. - Basically stock running at 14 pounds.

Car started smoking at idle 3 days ago. When I get going it only takes about maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute to completely stop smoking. Checked oil and I was almost a full quart low. Did my last oil change about 2 months ago. So i definitely know that it is burning oil. Coolant is fine so I am sure its not coolant burning. I did a compression test and came up with these numbers. Did it twice to make sure, and both times read the same. Results were 180 175 150 175. But while doing the compression test i heard a pretty hard clack sound, not sure if I'm supposed to hear that. Tried putting a little oil in the cylinder reading 150 and it raised it to like 230, so I figure its bad piston ring right? but why did I hear that sound? think it can maybe be really off timing?

Heard of all the problems with DSM's but you never realize what your getting into until you buy one!!!!

Thanks in advance for the help guys

 

[Splitpi]

What do the plugs look like? I would suspect cylinder 3 is pretty caked up.

Pull the timing belt cover off and check your timing marks to verify you haven't slipped timing. But I doubt you have.

As for the sound, I have no idea.

 

[SD99GST]

What do the plugs look like? I would suspect cylinder 3 is pretty caked up.

Pull the timing belt cover off and check your timing marks to verify you haven't slipped timing. But I doubt you have.

As for the sound, I have no idea.

Plugs look pretty good, supposed to have been changed right before i got the car and it has not been long, about 3 months. So they might not look bad because they are fairly new.

 

[SD99GST]

Im burning roughly about a quart every week and a half but the car still runs strong.