I guess the engine should be at normal operating temprature. It is cold just for about a couple of minutes or so. From their on, it's alway runs hot. Especially toyota engine that run a lot better hot instead of warm. Let me see what the Haynes says regarding PSI for the 3SFe engine. OK here I what exactly what it says [Source Toyota RAV4 1996 thru 2002 HAYNES Repair Manual]
3. Cylinder compression check
1 A Compression check will tell you what ; mechanical condition the upper end of your engine (pistons, rings, valves, head gaskets) is in. Specifically, it can tell you if the compression is due to leakage caused by worn pistons. rings, defective valves and seats or a blown head gasket. Note: The engine must be aerating temperature and the battery fully charged for this check.
2. Begin by cleaning the area around the
spark plugs before you remove them (corn-pressed air should be used, if available). The idea is to prevent dirt from getting into the cylinder as the compression check is being done.
3. Remove all of the spark plugs from the engine.
4. Block the throttle wide open.
5. Disable the ignition system by discon-necting the primary (low voltage) electrical connectors from the coil packs The fuel pump circuit should also be disabled (see Chapter 4).
6. Install the compression gauge in the spark plug hole.
7. Crank the engine over at least seven compression strokes and watch the gauge. The compression should build up quickly in a healthy engine. Low compression on the first stroke, followed by gradually increasing pres¬sure on successive strokes, indicates worn piston rings. A low compression reading on the first stroke, which doesn't build up during successive strokes, indicates leaking valves or a blown head gasket (a cracked head could also be the cause). Deposits on the undersides of the valve heads can also cause low compression. Record the highest gauge reading obtained.
8 Repeat the procedure for the remaining cylinders and compare the results to this Chapter's Specifications.
9 Add some engine oil (about three squirts from a plunger-type oil can) to each cylinder, through the spark plug hole, and repeat the test.
10 If the compression increases after the oil is added, the piston rings are definitely worn. If the compression doesn't increase signifi¬cantly, the leakage is occurring at the valves or head gasket. Leakage past the valves may be caused by burned valve seats and/or faces or warped, cracked or bent valves.
11 If two adjacent cylinders have equally low compression, there's a strong possibility that the head gasket between them is blown. The appearance of coolant in the combustion chambers or the crankcase would verify this condition.
12 If one cylinder is slightly lower than the others, and the engine has a slightly rough idle, a worn lobe on the camshaft could be the cause.
13 If the compression is unusually high, the combustion chambers are probably coated with carbon deposits. If that's the case, the cylinder head(s) should be removed and decarbonized.
14 If compression is way down or varies greatly between cylinders, it would be a good idea to have a leak-down test performed by an automotive repair shop. This test will pinpoint exactly where the leakage is occurring and how severe it is.
15 After all of the cylinders have been checked, unblock the throttle and restore the ignition and fuel system functions.
Hope this helps :wink:
