Derf wrote:If the compression test fails, remove the dipstick try compressing cylinder one and see if air comes from the dipstick tube or breather, that indicates rings over valves, likewise listen to the intake and exhaust manifold.
You can also squirt just a little oil into the spark plug holes. If the compression comes up, your rings are worn. If it doesn't change, your valves are the issue.
Both valve stem seals and piston rings can be bad. If you were ever lackluster with oil changes, the oil piston ring will gunk up and get stuck, and the two compression rings will get caked in as well.
If you can do the work yourself, you can overhaul the engine for fairly cheap. I can give you a list of the gaskets you need, as you can save some money vs. getting the whole gasket kits.
The heads on the 1ZZ engines are really simple, it would be no problem to change the valve stem seals yourself. There's a chance your valve clearance could change from this (supposedly), and then you'd need to special order the little valve buckets ($12-18 each), but then again it may not.
"If you don't love me at my diddliest, you don't deserve me at my doodliest." - User ktluvscricket of reddit