Well prior email was about my son's car at college. Went up tuned it up. Still could not get it started.

Had it towed to the garage that put the timing belt in.

The garage who I have known for years tells me I have little compression average 30 on the cylinders.

I told him that, the engine just doesnt blow on these cars 129K and the timing belt must have been an issue (roller seized, belt jump a few teeth( He said that he checked the belt every thing lines up. I told him spoke to 3 dealers never have they had a 850's engine blow with it being attributed to belt or no oil.

He said that he wouldn't know what happened unless he pulls the head. Son was on the highway when the check engine light first went on.

The station has insurance and he doesn't own the station just runs the service. I have used him for years. I am at a loss.

Told him to pull the valve cover off and tell me the damage from there.

More thoughts from my chair:

When your son got multiple misfires and the CEL, that could have been from a clogged fuel filter.

A bad timing belt install would have raised its ugly head immediately.

If your son turned the engine on for just a few seconds and shut it down, the lack of oil pressure may have caused the terrible "lawn mower" syndrome. The LM syndrome causes the valves to be in the wrong place and zero compression. The answer to that is to floor the gas pedal and crank the engine for a minute or two until it starts. Good battery required!

Fuel pressure needs to be checked, perhaps the FP regulator died. Check the vacuum line from the FPR to the intake manifold for signs of gasoline.

Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)

Klaus,

your a wealth of knowledge. I am still Baffled.

The station tells me good spark, good fuel and apparently the timing belt is lined up correctly.

However compression runs 60 30 25 30 40 on the cylinders.

Car had no performance issues prior. No tail end smoke, little oil consumption which is natural for the 850. How could all the cylinders blow, just like that.

I still suspect the valves are wiped out and it had to be timing belt related.

The station still has the car and the guy who runs the service, said for me to leave it, his first thoughts were also the belt. He did not do the work one of his workers did.

There is a relationship here, the service guy's wife works with mine and I have used this guy for years, with no rip offs.

I could understand one cylinder or two failing but all.

Madness

Tell your service guy about the lawn mower syndrom. Let him crank the starter for a few minutes and see if the compression increases enough to fire it up.

Unless the valve cover is still off... But he could put it back on with out the gasket sealer stuff and try it? A little oil dribbling out of a running engine is better than not running :)

EDIT: Your original misfires could have been a bad vacuum line for the fuel pressure sensor? That would make it run very rich at idle, slow speed.

Klaus

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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)

There really is no valve cover per se - only the upper cam tower housing and then the head.

If you can catch them before they yank off the head have them fully charge the battery dump a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder. Put the spark plugs back in and keep cranking until it starts. They should do this outdoors as the smoke cloud will be amazing.

...Lee

I wonder if the prior owner, you have only had it for a couple of months, ran the engine without oil. Have your mechanic add a spoon full of oil in each cylinder and re-check the compression. If it comes up to 130, then the rings are gone. Or the cylinder walls are terribly scarred.

A missed timing belt would have damaged the valves, and you would have heard it as soon as you started it up. Plus, the cam position sensor would have prevented a complete start.

I wouldn't blame the mechanic, just yet.

Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)

Klaus,

was it a bad idea than to have him pop the valve cover off?

Madness

There are no bad ideas at this point. Only wishful thinking.

Lots of luck,
Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)