"No Compression in Cylinder 2" = Engine is Toast?

[Millbridge]

Hello. First of all, I know very little about car mechanics. So, please, I need your help.

I started by 2014 Fusion S yesterday and the engine began to rumble and vibrate significantly. I drove about 300 metres with this rumbling and then the check engine light came on. I parked immediately and had it towed to a Ford dealership. Their assessment over the phone: "no compression in cylinder 2, catastophic engine failure... approximately 10-15 days to get new engine at a cost of roughly $10,000 Canadian". What would you do in this situation? Get it towed to an independent garage for a second assessment? Ask the Ford shop to visually prove the diagnosis to me in the garage, in person? And if this assessment is true, does this clearly mean complete engine replacement or can this sort of thing be repaired at significantly lower cost? Thanks for your time and knowledge.

[bbf2530]

2 hours ago, Millbridge said:

Hello. First of all, I know very little about car mechanics. So, please, I need your help.

I started by 2014 Fusion S yesterday and the engine began to rumble and vibrate significantly. I drove about 300 metres with this rumbling and then the check engine light came on. I parked immediately and had it towed to a Ford dealership. Their assessment over the phone: "no compression in cylinder 2, catastophic engine failure... approximately 10-15 days to get new engine at a cost of roughly $10,000 Canadian". What would you do in this situation? Get it towed to an independent garage for a second assessment? Ask the Ford shop to visually prove the diagnosis to me in the garage, in person? And if this assessment is true, does this clearly mean complete engine replacement or can this sort of thing be repaired at significantly lower cost? Thanks for your time and knowledge.

 

Hi Millbridge. I would definitely get a "second opinion" on a major cost decision such as that.

 

As to if/how it can be repaired without an engine replacement? It is virtually impossible to say without more information. A "catastrophic engine failure" can have various underlying causes and results. For example, Is it a cracked block? Damage due to a failed piston? Failure due to damage from broken valves...etc. etc. etc.

 

By definition, "catastrophic engine failure" usually means engine replacement, since the damage was "catastrophic". So it the Dealer is correct, then yes, it means engine replacement. However, we don't really know what the damage is, so all we can do is blind Internet guess.

 

Again, I would definitely recommend a second opinion from another Ford Dealer or an independent shop you trust.

 

I am sure other members will jump in with more advice and recommendations, so let us know how you make out and good luck.

[WKelley]

$10K for an engine swap, even with a new engine, is too much.  I'd definitely would get a second opinion and hopefully a better price.  Dealerships will only install new engines, you could try your luck with a used engine and an independent shop.

 

Knowing which engine you have would also help. 

[drolds1]

A 20i4 Fusion S should have the 2.5L engine.  These are workhorses and are pretty durable engines. We haven't seen many "catastrophic" failures here with that engine, as seen more frequently with the EB engines.  Could you confirm that it's the 2.5 and how many miles are on it?

 

I agree WRT to exploring other options if it does indeed need a new engine, so long as the rest of the car is in good condition.

[Millbridge]

@drolds1Yes, it's the 2.5L. 167,000 km. The car has been regularly maintained and the rest of the car is in good condition.

[andyross]

It may be a good idea to see what the value of the car is. You can check the value assuming it wasn't broken first. If it costs more to repair than the value, then it may not be worth fixing it. You can probably get some money from a dead car from a junkyard or similar.

[Millbridge]

@andyross Thank you for your input. My best guess is that the car was worth $9000 Canadian (if sold privately) before the engine failure. I don't know if it would have this value if the engine was rebuilt or replaced. Perhaps it's value drops significantly if a used engine is swapped in? I have no idea. I also wonder how much a used engine would cost, if one can even be found through an independent garage. This is all new territory for me.

[WKelley]

No, the value of the car will not go down with a used engine and a new engine would not make the car worth more than current retail.  I'd call it a $10K car with a good solid used engine installed.  The car market is stupid around here, I would fix my car over buying right now.  It all depends on what you can find in the used market around you.

[Millbridge]

Thanks, @WKelley. Good to know about the effect (or lack of effect) of a used engine on car value. Thank you. Any rough idea of what a used 2.5 L engine would cost and what the labour cost would be to swap it in -- all arranged through an independent garage?

[Millbridge]

Once again, I want to thank everyone for their help. Here's an update on my story... It turns out that the "zero compression" diagnosis was a bad reading. After asking the dealership to show me exactly what was wrong, the technician suggested that he could blast air through some part of the engine (I'm not sure how this was done exactly). Anyway, after this was done, the engine started up smooth immediately and the zero compression reading for cylinder 2 was gone. Their theory was that there was carbon build up on one of the injectors, keeping it open and causing it to misfire, leading to a misreading on their computer. I'm glad I sought some advice here and asked for more information! Otherwise, this bad reading could have led to an engine replacement and a big hole in my wallet!! Thanks, everyone!!

[drolds1]

I'm glad to hear that.  As I noted earlier, the 2.5 is a pretty durable engine.  There are any number of reasons for a bad compression reading in one cylinder.  As you've illustrated, not all are catastrophic failures, and you did the right thing by asking them to show you exactly what the problem was.?

[mozz]

2.5l are known to have valve problems, after high mileage and neglect. I'm on my third vehicle with that motor and haven't had any problems, though i tend to sell at 85k-100k when the rust is starting.