The head gasket is located between the engine block and cylinder head. As you can imagine, if you blow the head gasket, this will cause serious engine damage. It’s important to have any of the signs listed below looked into right away. The sooner we here at CAR FIX determine the problem, especially if it is the head gasket, the sooner we can get it fixed to reduce your engine’s damage.
Leaks
When the head gasket blows, two automotive fluids can leak and get mixed. These fluids are engine coolant and motor oil. You may notice the fluids leaking out from underneath your automobile. A blown head gasket can introduce coolant or motor oil into your vehicle’s cylinders.
Misfiring
One clue that you have oil or coolant in your cylinders is the engine misfiring. The only things that should be in the cylinders are air and gas. If any other fluid makes its way into the cylinders, your engine will misfire as your spark plugs try to ignite the air and fuel mixture in each cylinder.
Hard Starting
Another sign you’ve blown a head gasket is problems starting your automobile. You may see white exhaust smoke coming out of the tailpipe once you get the automobile started, and this exhaust smoke indicates that coolant is being burned in the engine.
Blue Exhaust
If the color of the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe is blue, motor oil has made its way into the cylinders and it is being burned along with the air and fuel mixture. This can cause serious engine damage, so it’s best to get towed to our shop.
Overheating
Naturally, with coolant and motor oil everywhere in your engine instead of where it’s supposed to be, your vehicle’s engine will overheat. This is one of the most common signs of a blown head gasket. No matter what you do, your engine will constantly overheat.
Fluid Mix
As we mentioned above, a blown gasket will mix engine coolant with motor oil and this can create a thick and frothy concoction that can destroy your engine. Your motor oil will get foamy and your coolant will get milky. This is a sure sign that the head gasket has blown.
Call CAR FIX in Oak Ridge, TN, right away if you suspect you are driving an automobile with a blown head gasket. If you continue to operate the vehicle, you run the risk of seriously damaging the engine beyond repair. Let us fix the problem as soon as possible to protect your engine.
