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Is my engine about to be a goner? Please advise.

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hun6over

15+ Year Contributor
94
0
Feb 17, 2007
Bayarea, California
Hi, everyone. Ive been noticing some problems with my car for a while. About 6 months ago my car overheated. Prior to the overheating, my car was fine. I found out that the thermostat was broken so i got that replaced. I got the compression checked and three of the cylinders were at 165 and one was sitting at about 153. I figured that was ok and have been driving the car ever since.

Well, from that point on, i have been noticing that my car drinks coolant like crazy and my oil pressure is consistently at the maximum when i have my foot on the throttle. The overflow bottle would go from full to empty in just a few days. However, i dont see the engine temperature going over the half mark so i dont bother to add more coolant just because the overflow bottle is empty.

Also, when i first start my car in the morning, the engine jerks for about 2 seconds before starting up. The jerk feels like fuel cut. After the engine has started it makes a ticking noise. This noise is different from the lifter tick. This tick has a deeper tone to it. The ticking eventually goes away if i drive the car for a few minutes.

I'm debating whether i should bring my car to a shop for an engine diagnostic but i trust the DSM community alot more than some average mechanic. Please advise. :dsm:
 
Do you have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge or are you looking at the stock one. The stock one is notoriously unreliable. My oil pressure with my foot in it is 75-100psi.

You probably blew a head gasket or warped the head when it overheated if it's sucking that much coolant.
 
Hi, thanks for all the quick replies. Well, i just checked my coolant and it doesnt look milky or has any bubbles. It does have alot of of dirt particles at the bottom though. I just filled the coolant to the full mark 4 days ago and its now below the minimum mark again. I dont notice any coolant leaks so im so lost right now.

When i took the radiator cap to add coolant 4 days ago, i noticed the the rubber was really dirty. It had green stuff stuck to it that looked like fungus. I cleaned it off though.

Im using the stock oil pressure gauge.
 
First off the stock gauge is not accurate at all. You are obviously burning coolant. Is your car smoking from the exhaust at all?
 
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