Car will not run, cylinders one and two have zero compression?

Tiny
JESSIRBY1
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE
  • 1.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • TURBO
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 161,000 MILES
I had an oil leak from the engine valve cover gasket that took me months to identify. I replaced the engine valve cover, gasket, all 4 spark plugs, the coil pack and started using fuel injector cleaner as well as Lucas with high mileage oil. I kept throwing a cylinder 4 misfire, and then my ignition coil codes. The car started to struggle to accelerate and then rough idle. Until it started to shake, and then eventually stopped. It struggles to turn over, when it does only after flooding the engine, it rattles and rough idles until it quickly backfires and shuts off. I have been losing fuel efficiency and oil pressure life rapidly. The car has never overheated, and the oil isn’t mixed. Cylinders one and two read zero compression while three and four read 165. No blown fuses but after it cut off the MAF, MAP, EGC, and TP codes all popped up. I’m at a complete loss on what to do from here. The shops are all booked out in advance and I cannot get anyone to actually help diagnose what I should do next.
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 AT 9:45 PM

6 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 46,489 POSTS
It sounds like you have a blown head gasket between the #1 and #2 cylinders. But to be sure let's remove the valve cover to see if you have any broken valve springs or valve train issues. Here is how to remove the valve cover. Once the valve cover is off, crank the engine over to observe the valve train operation. Check out the images (below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem so we can see what's going on.
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Sunday, May 7th, 2023 AT 10:33 AM
Tiny
JESSIRBY1
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  • 4 POSTS
The oil isn’t mixed so I wasn’t sure if it was a head gasket, but I have someone coming to look at it today and I’ll have them check that for sure.
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Sunday, May 7th, 2023 AT 10:35 AM
Tiny
JESSIRBY1
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  • 4 POSTS
This is what it sounds like when it’s cranked before it shuts off.
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Sunday, May 7th, 2023 AT 10:36 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 46,489 POSTS
Thanks for the video, it helps. When the head gasket blows between two cylinders it may not leak coolant into the engine oil. From looking at the video it seems like that is the problem. But I would start by taking off the valve cover as described above for inspection. Please let me know.
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Monday, May 8th, 2023 AT 12:59 PM
Tiny
JESSIRBY1
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  • 4 POSTS
This is what the mechanic said today.
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Monday, May 8th, 2023 AT 7:25 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 46,489 POSTS
Hmm, it could just need a head gasket, what is the reason for the no compression, he doesn't say?
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Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 AT 10:50 AM

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