Comp or leak down test?

[sjb]

Sorry to say it sounds like the HG. I too heard a pink with mine but still bought it thinking it could be plugs. I changed plugs, coils and even the lambda sensors luckily covered in the warranty but James (monkey) later confirmed my HG was spectacularly fucked! You have to be careful no head or block face damage happens too. Didn't you buy it from NJ? If it turns out to be the HG it might be covered in the warranty if he supplies one...I would have thought a specialist like him would be able to spot HG symptoms. James is spot on about the uneven lumpy idle and at low revs, mine sounded like an impreza until ML fixed it :clown:

[Monkey]

Having a slight pinging noise on load at 2-3k. So want to get it checked asap. Not happy, as i heard it on the test drive, but thought nothing of it really.

Got a compression tester, but leak down tests seem to be better. So trying to see if i can borrow one! But wondered if usually HG signs will show in hopefully early stages. Unless it could be anything else? Plugs, coil packs all new.

How many miles has your's done Chris? Regardless of that if you have any doubt get it checked asap.

Compression test will show something if the HG has gone, cylinder leakage is a definitive test though. Pull the fuel pump fuse with the car running, wait for it to stall. Remove all the plugs, then do compression test. Look at the values relative to one another, this will tell you if your HG is gone. If it is you can normally hear blowback from the spark plug hole on the cylinder next to the one you are testing. You can normally hear a slight misfire in the exhaust note on idle at the back of the car too.

As I say, cylinder leakage test will not only give you a definate answer, you will also be able to tell where the head gasket has failed. This is nearly always between cylinders though.

Hope that helps, good luck finding the issue.

[Chrisc]

Having a slight pinging noise on load at 2-3k. So want to get it checked asap. Not happy, as i heard it on the test drive, but thought nothing of it really.

Got a compression tester, but leak down tests seem to be better. So trying to see if i can borrow one! But wondered if usually HG signs will show in hopefully early stages. Unless it could be anything else? Plugs, coil packs all new.