2.4l won't start, has spark fuel

Should be about 130... Will vary with ring/cyl bore wear. What you are looking for should be % difference between cyls. None should be more than 15% of any other, either up or down. Unless you crashed the valves into the pistons, there is no way you will come up with low readings across the board all of a sudden!!!! If two adjacent cyls are low, you could have a bad head gasket, but generally you would have had some idea something was not right way before now!!

Should be about 130... Will vary with ring/cyl bore wear. What you are looking for should be % difference between cyls. None should be more than 15% of any other, either up or down. Unless you crashed the valves into the pistons, there is no way you will come up with low readings across the board all of a sudden!!!! If two adjacent cyls are low, you could have a bad head gasket, but generally you would have had some idea something was not right way before now!!

That's the difficulty of diagnosing by "remote control".In your original post, you mentioned nothing about steam, temperature or overheat!!!
What you posted were the classic symptoms of a failed timing belt.
With todays aluminium engines, a "warning light" serves only to tell you that your engine has just destroyed itself...(after the fact) Even with gauges, they must be monitored or they are useless!
If you opt for head gasket replacement, the cylinder head must be taken to a shop and dye checked for internal cracks. It should also be checked for warpage. Valve seats must also be checked for shrinkage. In the block, cylinders should be checked for out of round condition. If oil is coolant contaminated, bearings are suspect as well. Changing just the head gasket is like playing the lottery... your chance of winning is not good. A complete engine swap is usually expensive and time consuming. Only you can determine it's cost effectiveness.
I have always maintained that aluminium belongs in race cars.(which are torn down after every race) You can thank the EPA for making rules that caused the manufacturers to go there.(you can't get more milage without taking weight out)
The "growth rate" of aluminium is almost 3 times that of cast iron when heated. Most manufacturers don't use a really good grade alloy to begin with which leads to crackingand warping, under high temp operation. Add to that mix, an inexperienced driver, who is unaware of the delicate balance between safe and dangerous operation (with regard to temperatures) and you end up where you are now!!!
You used to be able to overheat an old 283 chevy engine so badly that you could cook on it an hour after you parked it, then fix whatever caused the problem and drive away with no problems. Can't do that anymore!!!! And they wonder why the "big3" and everyone else for that matter are in trouble?????
Good luck with it. If you decide to do repair, make sure you find what caused the problem (water pump, thermostat or other leak), so that you don't repeat history!!!


That's the difficulty of diagnosing by "remote control".In your original post, you mentioned nothing about steam, temperature or overheat!!!
What you posted were the classic symptoms of a failed timing belt.
With todays aluminium engines, a "warning light" serves only to tell you that your engine has just destroyed itself...(after the fact) Even with gauges, they must be monitored or they are useless!
If you opt for head gasket replacement, the cylinder head must be taken to a shop and dye checked for internal cracks. It should also be checked for warpage. Valve seats must also be checked for shrinkage. In the block, cylinders should be checked for out of round condition. If oil is coolant contaminated, bearings are suspect as well. Changing just the head gasket is like playing the lottery... your chance of winning is not good. A complete engine swap is usually expensive and time consuming. Only you can determine it's cost effectiveness.
I have always maintained that aluminium belongs in race cars.(which are torn down after every race) You can thank the EPA for making rules that caused the manufacturers to go there.(you can't get more milage without taking weight out)
The "growth rate" of aluminium is almost 3 times that of cast iron when heated. Most manufacturers don't use a really good grade alloy to begin with which leads to crackingand warping, under high temp operation. Add to that mix, an inexperienced driver, who is unaware of the delicate balance between safe and dangerous operation (with regard to temperatures) and you end up where you are now!!!
You used to be able to overheat an old 283 chevy engine so badly that you could cook on it an hour after you parked it, then fix whatever caused the problem and drive away with no problems. Can't do that anymore!!!! And they wonder why the "big3" and everyone else for that matter are in trouble?????
Good luck with it. If you decide to do repair, make sure you find what caused the problem (water pump, thermostat or other leak), so that you don't repeat history!!!