Low Compression on 96 Camry

[Jags~Beach]

Mechanic just replaced my broken timing belt, and car now won't start due to "low compression."

There was an oil leak, prior to the chain breaking.

Mechanic said he had put some oil in the cylinders in case of wash out from gas as a result of trying to start it with a broken belt.

Mechanic claims the gears are alligned right so the valves aren't supposedly leaking due to that.

How else could a perfectly running engine all of a sudden lose compression from all cylinders because of a chain breaking. Does not make any sense at all.

[Stillrunning]

Low compression will not inhibit starting, NO compression, but not low. If it was starting ok before the belt change then the mechanic probably installed the belt off time. What is the compression? I suspect it's zero in more than one cylinder, a sure sign the belt's not installed correctly. Is this a 4cyl'd or 6?

[JimBowNut]

Well, i would check to see if he did t-belt install 180 degrees off......easy to do if you don't work on this all the time....

[JohnGD]

^ +1

The mechanic probably didn't align the belt properly. 5SFE timing isn't hard to do, but like Jim said the mechanic may not be familiar with it.

If this is the case then I think you need a new mechanic.

[Jags~Beach]

Originally Posted by Stillrunning

Low compression will not inhibit starting, NO compression, but not low. If it was starting ok before the belt change then the mechanic probably installed the belt off time. What is the compression? I suspect it's zero in more than one cylinder, a sure sign the belt's not installed correctly. Is this a 4cyl'd or 6?

I told my mechanic about the belt maybe being off, and he said with 30 lbs compression, it would have to be 180 degrees off. It is a four cylinder.

[Stillrunning]

Originally Posted by Jags~Beach

I told my mechanic about the belt maybe being off, and he said with 30 lbs compression, it would have to be 180 degrees off. It is a four cylinder.

So how was your car running before the belt was changed?

[Jags~Beach]

Purrfect

[JimBowNut]

Well we do know somethings different. I would check my timing. Get repair manual from store and check the timing by pulling dist.cap off. Then you can follow instructions in manual to find if you are 180 off. If you can carry on this conversation you can do it. Also, i haven't looked but i bet there is a sticky on this forum to help guide you. You may not even need a repair manual. There are all kinds of diy's stickies at the top of this forum. Hope this helps some.

J.

[JohnGD]

Perfect until the mechanic worked on it. Enough said.

Double check timing like everybody else said. Look at various DIYs on timing belts and such.

Originally Posted by Jags~Beach

Purrfect

[zythr]

Originally Posted by Jags~Beach

Purrfect

You did not take it to a Toyota dealership or a mechanic that has experience working on Toyota's did you?

[toovira]

Timing belt isn't hard to do. Your car would've been running like crap with 30 PSI compression in a 4 stroke engine. You would have no power and hard time idling. I can guarantee that the timing between crankshaft and camshaft is off causing the valves to open early.....hence, leaking the air out....leading to no compression.

Any mechanic who truly understands engine can make sense of what I'm saying....don't have to be a Toyota mechanic....although his know-how of where alignment marks are would be handy. See step 15 and 16:

My Timing belt change (very detailed, pics) Gen 4

You are lucky it's non-interference...and hopefully, he was smart enough to have turned the crank two full revolution before he started the engine.....and if he did this, he would've felt that the engine has no compression.

[fenixus]

timing alignment marks are off hence the problem. mechanic sucks, change him before he talks you into "repairing bent valves" now (not really possible on non-interference engine).... probably a honda guy.

[Jags~Beach]

Yep it was 180 degrees off. Thanks everyone for all your help.

Car runs great now with the exception of a new noise.

Sounds like the fan tapping on something when it is in drive, but it stops when I place it in neutral. What is that?