90 TSi FWD not turning over

[TuRBoTaLooN]

Yesterday I picked up a 1990 talon tsi fwd for $500. Body is straight, no rust, new suspension, 90% stock except for 3" DP, and brand new 16g. Interior was 9/10 as well. 130K on motor and body. Only problem is the car doesn't turn over. The kid I bought it from said it ran fine for a while, felt strong, no shakes, rattles, etc. while driving. Then one day while driving, the car just shut off. He took it to some shop and they said the head seized. I have no idea how they figured that out...they apparently didn't take anything apart. They just looked at it. The seller also stated that there was an oil leak from some hose (I'm assuming the oil return line). But there was still some oil in the car.

The car still needs to be towed to my house, and I have a few things I want to check. When trying to start the car, it cranks, just doesn't turn over. I took a quick peek at the timing belt and it looked more than fine. I'm going to do a compression test. Check for spark, check to see the fuel pump is coming on. Check fuses and wiring.

I will post the results of my findings after these tests, but also wanted to get advice as to other things I can look at to help diagnose the issue. For example, if I determine the fuel pump turns on, how can I check to see that the injectors are pushing the fuel? And if the head is seized up as I was told, how do I check for that? Thanks ahead of time for any help.

 

[TuRBoTaLooN]

Ok, so I did a little troubleshooting on the 1g I picked up...

I checked the oil and it was full and looked pretty new. I checked all the fuses, they were fine. So I decided to do a compression test and check the plugs.....

Compression test showed 30psi in all four cylinders. No, I didn't mean 130psi, I mean 30psi. Also, there was oil all over the plugs and the valve cover. The valve cover gasket also looked torn up around some of the edges. I didn't see any contamination in the coolant reservoir.

When I try to start the car, the cams turn. However, I didn't try to manually crank the car yet. No grinding or irregular noise when trying to start the motor. The CEL comes on when I put the key in the "on" position. I also noticed, that I can crank the motor without the clutch pushed in.

The kid said the head seized up...or rather that's what the shop diagnosed. The kid I bought it from didn't seem to know really what was wrong. Could this just be a bad headgasket? Or do you guys think there is internal damage? I guess my next adventure will be to rip off the head and inspect inside the motor as well as the head.

Please post any thoughts or other things to look for. Thanks!

 

[toyotaturbo]

16G+3" downpipe=fried headgasket. There's a good chance that head has never been off the car. A 17 year old headgasket doesn't respond well to 16G's most of the time. The check engine light is supposed to come on when you turn the key to the on position. I've never heard of a DSM head "seizing". If you were able to do a compression test, then your head is not "seized". Take your head off and take a look at your headgasket. Also, while you have the head off, take it to your local machine shop and get a valve job done. They're usually pretty cheap to have done.

 

[TuRBoTaLooN]

Why does the 16g and 3" downpipe lead to a blown head gasket?

 

[bostonhatcher]

Why does the 16g and 3" downpipe lead to a blown head gasket?

More boost creating more cylinder pressure which can blow a head gasket.

 

[steve]

More boost creating more cylinder pressure which can blow a head gasket.

That's a stretch.

Next test would be a leakdown. Find out where the cylinder pressure is leaking to.
If the compression is 30 psi across all 4 then I wouldn't be surprised if it have bent valves but unless you just want to rip the head off you should do some more diagnostics.

Steve

 

[TuRBoTaLooN]

That's a stretch.

Next test would be a leakdown. Find out where the cylinder pressure is leaking to.
If the compression is 30 psi across all 4 then I wouldn't be surprised if it have bent valves but unless you just want to rip the head off you should do some more diagnostics.

Steve

I plan on doing more diagnostics. However I was planning on just taking off the head and inspecting the rest of the motor. If the head is shot, maybe I can find another one to use and replace the headgasket, etc, and get the car running.

 

[toyotaturbo]

Is there any update on your car? What have your diagnostic checks revealed?