What Is Engine Compression, Anyway?

You might know something about engine compression, but in case you don’t, here’s the crash course.

Your engine relies on compression during operation to pressurize the fuel and air mixture so that it detonates properly and creates power to push the pistons. If your piston rings get worn, they allow this gas and air mixture to escape and your pistons can’t create the right amount of compression. Car engine compression problems can be hard to detect at first but can cause big problems if left to get worse. And for you enthusiasts out there, compression = power.

Our engineering and tech support teams here at Rislone have put together this list engine compression loss symptoms to help you identify when your engine is suffering from low compression and needs attention.

Common Low Compression Symptoms

When your engine compression is low, it’s usually because your piston rings are worn or damaged. While inspecting your piston rings is impossible without tearing your engine apart, you can watch for several symptoms:

  • Black smoke from your tailpipe: This indicates that oil is getting into your combustion chamber, usually due to worn piston rings.
  • Reduced power: When your engine lacks compression, you will feel a noticeable reduction in power, especially when accelerating from dead stop or low speed, passing on the highway, or when your vehicle is cold.
  • Increased fuel consumption: To compensate for reduced compression, your engine needs to burn more fuel to make enough power, which shows up as lower fuel economy.

If you detect any of these problems, it’s best to react quickly. Leaving worn piston rings too long can damage your exhaust and emissions systems, as engine oil gets burnt off and creates soot in your exhaust. Worn piston rings can also score the inside of your pistons, creating uneven wear that is costly to repair.

How to Fix Engine Compression Issues

Once your piston rings are completely worn, the only way to repair them is by taking your engine apart and replacing them. Before you get to that stage, considering using one of our engine repair products, such as Rislone Compression Repair with Ring Seal. Our engineering team here at Rislone has developed some of the best and most proven products on the market to reduce compression issues in your engine, and with over 200K bottles sold, you can rest assured it works.

Check out all the products in our online catalog and then use our locator to find a retailer near you that carries our products. You can also contact our team and get more information. We can help you diagnose your engine compression issues and help you fix your compression so you can benefit from all of the power, economy and reliability your engine has to offer.