CHAPTER 9 + Automotive Engine Designs and Diagnosis is generally found beside the serial number. A typical engine code might be DZ or MO. These letters indicate the horsepower rating of the engine, whether it was built or an automatic or manual transmission, and other important details. The engine code will help you determine the cor- rect specifications for that particular engine. \=va Engine ID Many engines have ID tags or stickers attached to various places on the engine, such as the valve cover or oil pan. The tags include the displacement, assembly plant, model year, change level, engine code, and date of production. The location of these stickers or tags on a particular engine may be given in the service information Casting Numbers Whenever an engine part such as an engine block or head is cast, a number is put into the mold to identify the casting and the date when the part was made. This date does not indicate when the engine was assembled or placed into the vehicle. A part made during one year may be installed in the vehicle in the fol lowing year; therefore, the casting date may not match the model year of the vehicle, Casting numbers should not be used for identifying the displacement of an engine, They only indicate the basic design of an engine. The same block or head can be used with a variety of different dis- placement engines. Underhood Label All vehicles produced since 1972 have an underhood label called the Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) label. This (Figure 9-34) gives some useful information regarding the emissions’ rating of the vehicle and, at times, information necessary to perform rOMOWATIONS 21tARY Figure 9-34 A current VECI Label. Figure 9-35 Some information that may be also included on a VECI. maintenance (Figure 9-35) and an emissions inspection, or to order engine and engine management parts. ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS AAs the trend toward the integration of ignition, fuel, and emission systems progresses, new diagnostic tools and techniques are constantly being developed to diagnose electronic engine control systems. However, not all engine performance problems are related to electronic controls; therefore, technicians still need to understand basic engine tests. These tests are an important part of modern engine diagnosis. Compression Test Internal combustion engines depend on the compression of the air-fuel mixture to maximize the power produced by the engine. The upward movement of the piston on the compression stroke compresses the air-fuel mixture within the combustion chamber. The air-fuel mixture gets hotter as it is compressed. The hot mixture is easier to ignite, and when ignited it generates much more power than the same mixture at a lower temperature If the combustion chamber or cylinder leaks, some of the air-fuel mixture will escape when it is compressed, resulting in a loss of power and a waste of fuel. The leaks can be caused by burned valves, blown head gasket, worn rings, slipped timing belt or chain, worn valve seats, a cracked head, and more. ‘An engine with poor compression (lower compression pressure due to leaks in the eylinder) will not run correctly. Ifa symptom suggests that the cause of a problem may be poor compression, a compression testis performed, ‘A compression gauge is used to check cylinder com- pression, The dial face on the typical compression gauge indicates pressure in both pounds per square inch (psi) and metric kuloPascals (KPa). Most compression gauges22B SECTION 2 + Engines have a vent valve that holds the highest pressure reading on its meter. Opening the valve releases the pressure when the test is complete. The steps for conducting a cylinder compression test are shown in Photo Sequence 6. Ford, Toyota, and other hybrids have Atkinson cycle engines. ‘These engines delay the closing of the intake valve, which means that the overall compression ratio and displacement of the engine are reduced. Therefore, when conducting a compression test on these engines, expect a slightly lower reading than what you would expect from a conventional engine. To conduct a compression test on a Ford Hybrid, you must use a scan tool and the one from Ford is preferred, ‘The scan tool allows you to enter into the engine cranking diagnostic mode. This mode allows the engine to crank with the fuel injection system disabled. It also makes sure that the starter motor/generatoris not activated (except for activating the starter motor to crank the engine), which not only is good for safety purposes, itis also good because the load of the generator cannot affect the test results because it is not energized. Always follow the sequence as stated in the service information. Failure to do so will result in bad readings, Wet Compression Test Because many things can cause low compression, it is advisable to conduct a wet compression test on the low eylinders. This test allows you to identify if it is caused by worn or damaged piston rings. To conduct this test, add two squitts of ol into the low cylinders, Then measure the compression of that cylinder. If the readings are higher, it is very likely that the piston rings are the cause of the problem. The oil temporarily seals the piston to the cylinder walls, which is why the readings increased, Ifthe readings do not increase, or increase only slightly the cause of the low readings is probably the valves Running Compression Test Some engine problems, such as worn camshaft lobes, are not easily detected using a cranking compression test When diagnosing a cylinder that is not producing as much power as other cylinders yet shows normal erank- ing compression, a running compression test may be needed, Using a standard compression test kit, remove the Schrader valve from the testers adaptor hose and thread it into the spark plug hole for the cylinder being tested. Start the engine and note the gauge. Note, because the gauge will show both pressure and vacuum, the needle will sweep up and down. This can cause the needle to impact the needle stop on some gauges. With the engine running, note the maximum pressure, During running compres- sion tests, cylinder pressures will likely be in the 70 to 80 psi range, To more accurately see what is happening in thecylindes while the engine is running, many technicians perform this test using electronic pressure transducers and a scope. Cylinder Leakage Test Ifa compression test shows some leakage in the cylinders, a cylinder leakage test can be performed to measure the percentage of compression lost and locate the source of leakage. The cylinder leakage tester applies compressed air to acylinder through its spark plug hole. The tester’s pres sure regulator controls the pressure supplied into the cyl- inder. A gauge registers the percentage of air pressure lost when the compressed air is applied to the cylinder. The scale on the gauge typically reads 0 percent to 100 percent. ‘The amount and location of the air that escapes gives a good idea of the engine’ condition and can pinpoint where compression is lost Make sure the engine is at operating ‘consiton, Remove the radiator cap, oll filer cap, dip- ‘tick tube, alr fiter cover, and all spark plugs. Rotate the crankshaft with a remote starter button so thatthe piston ofthe tested cylin der is at TDC on its compression stroke (Figure 9-36). This ensures that the valves of that eylinder are closed. Insert the threaded adapter on the end of the tester’ air pressure hose into the spark plug hole, Allow the compressed air to enter the cylinder. Observe the gauge reading (Figure 8-37). Listen and feel to identify the source of any ‘escaping air. igure 9-36 Rotate the engine so that the piston of the cylinder that will be tested is at TDC before checking leakage.Tee ewe eeu yess OM Before conducting a Prop the throttle plate into a Remove all of the engine's compression test, disable the fgnition wide-open position to alow an spark plugs. ‘and the fuel injection system. Most Unrestricted amount of air to enter the ‘manufacturers recommend that the cylinders during the test. engine be warm when testing. Connect a remote starter ‘Many types of compression Careful install the gauge into button to the starter system. gauges are available. The screw-in ype the spark plug hole ofthe first cylinder tends to be the most accurate and easiest to use. 4 Connect a battery charger to Depress the remote starter Allow the engine to turn the car to alow the engine to crank at button and observe the gauge's reading through four revolutions, and observe consistent and normal speeds needed _afler the first engine revolution. the reading after the fourth. The reading for accurate test results ‘should increase with each revolution,ucting a Cylinder Compression Test (continued) Before removing the gauge Each cylinder should be from it using the release valve on the viieg) gauge. == Readings observed should be recorded. After all eylinders have been tested, a comparison of cylinders can be made. Squirt a small amount of of Reinstall the compression into the weak cylinders) gauge into that cylinder and conduct the test ‘After completing the test on all cyinders, compare them. f one or . ‘more cylinders is much lower than the If the reading increases withthe presence of oll in the cylinder, the ‘others, continue testing those cylinders most likely cause of the original low readings was poor piston ring sealing. Using with the wettest. oi during a compression testis normally referred to as a wet testCHAPTER 9 * Automotive Engine Designs and Diagnosis foe malitin |= =) Figure 9-37 The reading on the tester is the percentage of air that leaked out during the test. A zero reading means there is no leakage in the cylin- der. Readings of 100 percent indicate thatthe cylinder will not hold any pressure. Any reading that is more than 0 per- cent indicates there is some leakage (Figure 9-38). Most engines, even new ones, experience some leakage around the rings. Up to 20 percent is considered acceptable, When the engine is running, the rings will seal much better and the actual leakage will be lower. The location of dominant compression leaks can be found by listening or feeling around various parts ofthe engine (Figure 9-39) Always follow the precautions given by the manufacturer when conducting a compression test or other engine-related tests, especially when doing this on a hybrid vehicle. In most hybrids, the engine is cranked by a high- voltage motor. Because this motor is required to run the test, the high-voltage system cannot be isolated. Therefore, extreme care must be taken and all appropriate safety precautions must be followed. 231 Measured Leakage Conclusion ¢ Less than 10% Good > Between 10 and 20% Acceptable | E Between 20 and 30% | Wornengine |= Above 30% Definite problem | £ 100% Serious problem | 5 Figure 9-38 Cylinder leakage test results. Probable Cause Faulty head gasket Cracked cylinder head Cracked engine block [2 Throttle body Damaged intake vane |? Tailipe Damaged exhaust valve | Oilfileror lipstick tube Wom piston rings i ‘Adjacent spark plughole Faulty head gasket : Cracked oyinderhead | Figure 9-39 Sources of cylinder leakage and the probable causes. ‘Some leakage testers read in the opposite way; a reading of 100 percent may indicate a totally sealed cylinder, whereas 0 percent indicates a very serious leak. Always refer to the manufac turer's literature before using test equipment. Cylinder Power Balance Test The cylinder power balance testis used to see ifall of the engines cylinders are producing the same amount of power Ideally, all cylinders will produce the same amount. To check an engine’s power balance, each cylinder is dis- abled, one at a time, and the change in engine speed is recorded. Little or no decrease in speed indicates a weak cylinder. Ifall of the readings are fairly close to each other, the engine is in good condition, Ifthe readings from one or more cylinders differ from the rest, there is a problem Further testing may be required to identify the exact cause of the problem. If all of the cylinders are producing the same amount of power, engine speed will drop the same amount as each cylinder is disabled. Unequal cylinder power balance can be caused by the following problems: Defective ignition coil Defective spark plug wire Defective or worn spark plug Damaged head gasket Worn piston rings