In general Aviation this is known as the "differential compression test". It is important because it can show the condition of the engine and indicate the particular area at fault. While this is very important in aircraft, imho it is less so in autos because a gas engine will start and run fine with most of its' compression gone. Performance, i.e.,power on hills, will degrade with the compression as will fuel economy, it is a question of when you've had enough. Also, this test can indicate if you are nearing a catastrohic failure(based on history). A diesel on the other hand just won't run with compression out of limits. A blessing or curse. Did you say why you did the test? Any problems on hills or the like? Ed Lowe 82 Westy Diesel 85 Golf Diesel 92 Cabrio |
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