Low Compression/ Leak Down Test/ Need some help!

[TalonTsi_291]

I need a little help. Ive got alot of questions and hoping for some answers. Im on the local forum utdsm but havent gotten much help there... Ive got a 92 tsi that ive owned for almost a year. The car has excessive crankcase pressure (you can watch it come out of the dipstick tube at idle). Ive ran a compression test with the car completely cold with a tester im not sure worked properly and got 120-110-100-70. When I bought the car I ran one and got about 155 across the board if im not mistaken. The kid informed me that he had to replace the head for some reason. My question is could my problem be a bad head gasket.. Like maybe he used the old one or some crap. It seems to be consuming coolant. Not at an alarming rate but I have had to refill the bottle a few times in the past wile. As far as I know though, no coolant is entering the oil, no milky oil or anything, and I havent noticed any oil in my coolant. I also started it, completley cold and pulled the radiator cap and there was bubbles coming up. Not foaming up or anything but there were bubbles. The car doesnt smoke at idle or under low rpms, but if I get on it hard it will smoke some. I know I need to do a leakdown test. Im shooting for doing it on thursday. Ive been searching and havent really found anything that gives the guidelines to perform one correctly. I was curious if anyone knew where I could find a lay out. And also if anyone had any insight on what my problem could be. I know rings could be the culpret but im just praying not. I havent put many miles on it since I bought it. Maybe 5k. But when i got it i did turn the boost up. It had these crappy little inline valves on the vaccume hose to the waistgate actuator so i got rid of them and installed the turbo xs mbc. I had it set at like 16psi. So could the increase in boost blow the headgasket? Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Calan]

Ive been searching and havent really found anything that gives the guidelines to perform one correctly.

Really?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/338152-compression-test-vs-leak-down-test.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/336535-do-you-have-blown-head-gasket.html

It sounds like a typical DSM that has been "modded" by somebody that had no business working on cars, and you need to go through it and make sure all the maintenance is done, etc.

16 psi should be no problem as long as the engine is mechanically ok and you don't have fuel or tuning issues that is causing it to go lean and knock. Have you got anything for logging/tuning? That should be your first priority after all the maintenance is up-to-date.

On the compression results, 155 across would be about right. Follow the procedures in the article I linked to and check it again.

Also make sure to do a boost leak test (BLT). Boost leaks are extremely common, and I would say they account for a vast majority of drivability and tuning issues.