How a cylinder power balance test is done
Thecylinder power balance testis used to compare and test each cylinder in your car's engine. There are times when a car's cylinders may not be work properly. For example, in a six cylinder vehicle, two cylinders might have a very low rating and the other four cylinders may have a very high rating on a power balance test. This test informs the technician that there is a problem with two cylinders in the engine. In most cases, the two cylinders are lacking power and are hurting the engine's performance.
This condition can occur for many reasons. It can happen if there are faulty valves, worn pistons rings, ignition problems, or fuel pressure problems. You can learn right now how to do yourown power balance test. The key to this test is to learn how the cylinders are functioning without taking the engine apart. Here are the steps that will help you perform the power balance test on your car's engine.
Obtain a copy of your car's repair manual. You can use a Haynes or a Chilton's manual. Read the instructions in the manual about inspecting the cylinder heads. Always think safety first whenperforming this test. Clean the areas around the spark plugs well to prevent dirt from falling into the cylinders.
Make sure the engine is at its normal operating temperature. Set the engine's RPMs between 1200 and 1400 by blocking the engine's throttle open with a device. Do not hold the throttle open with your hand.
Keep in mind that you may have to disconnect some systems on your car to prevent them from interfering with the analyzer. You might have to disconnect the fuel system, the emission controls system, the computer system or the oxygen sensor. Refer to the owner's car repair manual.
Use an engine analyzer that will stop the cylinder from firing the spark plug. The analyzer will shut down the cylinders automatically. You can rent or buy an analyzer from an auto parts store. Make sure you carefully read the operating instructions that come with the analyzer.
Simply put, when youstart performing the cylinderkill test with the analyzer, the analyzer will read the RPMs for each cylinder. The RPMs should be equal among all cylinders. Once the test is completed, the analyzer will compare the test results to the engine's standards. The cylinders with the lowest RPMs are the weakest cylinders.
The numbers on your analyzer say that cylinders one, two, three and four all have a reading of 95 percent. However, cylinders five and six have a reading of 50 percent. This means that there is a serious problem with these two cylinders. The cylinder rates should be at least 75 percent.
Finally,you can also useautomotive engine software programsto conduct this type of test. The software programs are very easy to use, they are expensive and they are not always accurate. Therefore, it makes sense for the auto mechanic to learn how to do the cylinder power balance test manually or with an engine analyzer to get the best results
