it comes with directions (should);
it will tell you the procedure to determine if it is rings or valves.
may be able to lease (free) at autozone

 

I honestly wouldn't do a compression check just yet. Narrow it down a little bit. There is a lot you still have to find out. Like I said above, is it smoking on acceleration, deceleration or smoking all the time. A vacuum test can show you if there is a problem mechanically. I would do a vacuum test before I would waste my time doing a compression test.

 

Smoking occurs in the morning after sitting a long time, then it settles down significantly at low rpms, blows on acceleration... It doesn't have a tach so I don't know the specific rpms it starts blowing at. It's like theres a fire under my hood when I dump on it though. :/ no smoking on decel. It doesnt seem to affect performance at all though. ---

Cars known issues and fixes:

1) Bought car under the impression it was a blown head gasket, turns out that it was a water pump causing overheating issues and coolant loss.
Replaced head/intake/exhaust/valvecover/throttlebody gaskets and the water pump and some spark plugs and fresh oil.

2) Car has speratic idle. The problem is intermitent(spelling?) and I found out today that when the car is idling smoothly, when I pump the brakes (in neutral), it hesitates into the speratic idle and immediately goes away when I stop pumping. It's very random.
Going to replace vaccum hoses ASAP.

3) I noticed after I fixed the water pump/gaskets, when I first fired the car, the wheels were spinning (while on jack stands) in neutral (wtf?) It wasn't strong, I could stop the wheels with my hands quite easily, I've still never seen/heard of this.
NO CLUE

4) Smoking --- (for blinding pursuing cops, you know, nightrider stuff man.)

5) Check Engine Light. --- Haynes says to reset codes after repairs but I do not know how to do this, and do not know how to pull the new codes (if any) even if I did know how to reset.
NO CLUE

I know I veered a little off topic but I thought any helpees should know what's going on completely so to fully understand the prognosis of the cars issues. I just landed a new job tonight with a take home company vehicle (YEA BABY!!![sm=bounceybounce.gif]) --- So I can park this badboy and work on it without completely destroying it. I've been told VACCUM for the speratic idle, but I'm hoping it has something to do with that retarded clutch-spinning-tires-in-neutral thing and that maybe it's an adjustment? -- I'm going to replace all vaccum hoses upon my first paycheck.

 

Oh ya, it's an 89 Honda Civic Sedan - 1.5 (I think --- don't know engine numbers or specs,used hood before I bought it, catylist is gone.[X(])

 

You say smoke is coming out of the engine bay? For some reason I think you just have an oil leak somewhere and it is burning on the manifold or something hot. Just trying to make suggestions before you have to spend money.

 

#3) that's normal
#5) there are no codes to pull unless your CEL is on.

to reset the codes (ecu), you disconnect the battery at the neg for a couple of minutes, or there is a fuse you remove for a couple of minutes