compression-How much is good.

[dohc v6]

Thats exactly what I did. more pressure in the cyclinder the more pressure on the rings, the more they have to expand. I am going to keep driving it. I see the gauge creeping up to 18

[TurboSedan]

sounds like you have good vacuum. the smoke in the dipstick sounds like blowby, but whether or not it's bad enough to warrant replacing the rings is iffy....it doesn't sound too bad at this point though. i've never seen smoke in my dipstick tube; maybe it's a PCV system problem?

 

when you do a compression check, you should also disable the spark and/or fuel (maybe just unplug the connector to the coilpack/ICM) to prevent fuel from entering while you test. also, hold your foot down on the gas pedal (open TB wide open) while someone else checks the gauge.