I am having some problems with my '02 civic, not sure if it's an ex or a dx or lx, it's two door.

The car engine starts to shake when the car is idling bellow 1000rpm and the same around 1500 rpm. I have taken it into the local dealership and they have come to the conclusion that it's a #4 cylinder, after replacing several of my parts beforehand. they replaced the fuel injector today but that didn't help at all so they put the old one in which works fine.

they pressure tested my cylinders and the #4 reads at 50psi while the other 3 are around 150 psi.

long story short, they want to take my head off and look into it, telling me that i might have a bent valve or something with oil rings. they say my worst case scenario is to replace the whole engine, which to my horror is a big deal, lots of money.

I want to know whether there is something else I can trouble shoot by taking it into a friends shop before taking it back to honda to take the head off and look at it, which would run me $400, and that's just to find the problem.

thank you.

 

I don't know why they would have to swap the entire engine. At worst I would that that it needs new piston rings or a new piston. Bent valves or stuff like that can be replaced you don't need to swap the engine. I would take it to your friend's shop first before taking it to the stealership again.