A bad head gasket is one of the more serious and more expensive car problems.
Simply put, the head gasket seals the cylinder head and the engine block, and this produces engine compression.
It also prevents engine oil and coolant from mixing with each other.
So, when the gasket is damaged or completely blown, it’s essential to notice it on time to prevent further engine damage.
This article will show you how to do this.
Besides this website, you can also watch videos on our YouTube channel, where we have many car-related videos that may help with maintenance, driving, etc.
HOW TO DIAGNOSE A BAD HEAD GASKET
1. POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE
The first sign you’ll probably notice is lower engine performance.
You’ll notice it mainly on the acceleration pedal.
The car will start feeling heavy, bogged down, and as if you were towing a trailer behind you.
This gets worse over time.
2. ENGINE OVERHEATING
Alongside the bad engine performance, you’ll notice engine overheating.
At the beginning, the overheating will be barely noticeable, while later, the temperature gauge will constantly show higher values than normal.
The overheating will be present all the time.
For more information about overheating problems, click here.
3. FLUID LEAKS
Next, you’ll notice fluid leaks between the engine block and the cylinder head.
When the problem is just starting, you’ll probably see only vague traces of dried coolant just under the cylinder head; it may be in one or more places.
Later, the leak gets more serious, and there will be a bigger loss of engine coolant.
4. WHITE SMOKE
Another major sign is thick white smoke coming from the exhaust.
The smoke appears as the engine starts to warm up and the gasket starts leaking.
5. AN OIL COOLANT MIXTURE INSIDE THE COOLANT BOTTLE
Finally, the definitive sign of a blown head gasket is a brown goo-like substance appearing inside the coolant bottle.
The substance is a mixture of oil and coolant, and in this phase, you’ll also probably notice major overheating.
Once you see this, it’s best to stop driving the car to avoid further damage and make the necessary repairs as soon as possible.
CONCLUSION
A blown head gasket is a rare car problem.
It mostly happens due to engine overheating caused by things like a bad thermostat, thermoswitch, lack of coolant, and others.
In most cases, these problems are not noticed and fixed on time, the engine then overheats, and the gasket blows.
So, prevent overheating and you’ll pretty much prevent a head gasket problem.
Written by: Sibin Spasojevic
Former car technician, life-long car and DIY enthusiast, author for Despairrepair.com
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