Lincoln Town Car Compression Problem

Tiny
DAVVA
  • MEMBER
  • LINCOLN TOWN CAR
I have a 1998 Lincoln Town Car which has been stretched into a 10 passenger limo. It has 182,000 miles on the clock and is running rough. It is also using quite a lot of oil. I'm putting in a quart every 200-300 miles. I'm pretty sure this is due to a leak but not certain. I have changed the plugs and as I'm not getting an engine fault code coming up, I did a compression check. 6 of the cylinders were in the range of 145 - 165 PSI but on the other 2 one was 90 PSI and one was 45 PSI. I don't see any smoke coming out of the exhaust and I don't see any evidence of water in the oil. I do get a knocking sound from the engine when the oil is getting a little low. Now it doesn't want to crank over? What is likely to be wrong and how difficult is it going to be to fix?
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 AT 3:23 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
JWALTH02
  • MEMBER
  • 180 POSTS
Try tapping on the starter or if it has a solenoid built into it try tapping on that with a ratchet or a small hammer, if that doesn't work take the starter off and have it tested the same place you took your battery. This guide can help for the compression problem.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/the-reasons-for-low-compression

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Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 AT 2:02 PM
Tiny
FLAHOME3
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  • 2 POSTS
----tried the tapping, had starter tested it's good, the sil is on the fender
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Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 AT 2:08 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Sounds like a Battery problem. Try a jump, if that works replace batt
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Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 AT 3:47 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Ok the compression test was run with injectors diabled? All plugs removed? On he olw cylinders, squirt a little oil in and retaest, if the reading come up, you have bad rings, if not you have bad valves.
Either way, time for some major work.
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 AT 3:35 PM
Tiny
DAVVA
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  • 3 POSTS
Yes, all the plugs were removed and I took out the fuel pump fuse as well.
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 AT 4:03 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Wich 2 cyls were low? If it's side by side, you could have a blown head gasket as well.
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 AT 4:26 PM
Tiny
DAVVA
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
The one at the back on the right hand side was the lowest and the one next to it was the other that was low.

I was thinking it was a valve problem but I assume the head gasket would be changed as a matter of course when the cylinder head came off.

If it is a valve problem would it be better to get a reconditioned cylinder head or to just change the valves?
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 AT 6:06 PM

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