What Does a Head Gasket Do?
If your car is constantly overheating, you may not need overheating engine service, but engine head gasket service. The head gasket is what is a cap that helps control pressure levels in the engine and separates the oil and coolant, preventing them from mixing and causing engine failure. You may be wondering, does a blown head gasket ruin an engine? In some severe cases, yes, but most of the time it will cause a lot of engine malfunctions, breakdowns, and loss of power. That is why it is important to get your blown head gasket repaired or replaced as soon as possible. If you have a blown head gasket in Lombard and Wheaton, IL and need head gasket repair, call J1 Auto Repair at 630-932-4427 today. We are experts at blown head gasket replacement.
What is Head Gasket Failure?
For Blown Head Gasket Replacement or Repair, Call Our Mechanics Today
Found between the engine block and cylinder head, the primary function of a head gasket is to control pressure levels in the combustion chamber. Basically, it keeps the compressed air, fuel, and oil inside the cylinder head ready to go and easy to be ignited so your car can start. If you have a blown head gasket, you will then experience engine failure as there is no compressed fuel being lighted to power your engine. What usually causes a blown head gasket is when the coolant liquids and oils end up getting into each other’s chambers, causing the car to lose fluids and not function properly. This happens because the combustion cap or the head gasket could have come completely off. If not fixed, a blown head gasket can lead to extreme car troubles.
- Overheating
- Engine failure and loss of power
- Contaminated oil that ruins the engine
- Smokey exhaust
- Coolant or oil leaks under your car
What Causes a Head Gasket to Blow?
If you are wondering, can you drive with a broken head gasket? The answer is no. the head gasket keeps liquids in their proper places, but when the engine head gasket broken, liquids are free to cross into unwelcome territories. Coolant gets into the oil line, and gases leak out of their combustion chambers, creating such high pressures inside the engine of your car, that it starts to crack and leak!
- If your engine’s temperature gauge is constantly in the “hot” area instead of on the cooler side or right in the middle, your car is on the verge of overheating. Your car may already be overheating every day, but not enough to wear there are large plumes of smoke coming out from your hood.
- If you notice white smoke coming out f your exhaust, this is a serious clue that your head gasket could have been blown off! Don’t avoid this problem just because the smoke smells sweet or it’s only water dripping from the exhaust. This is a sign you need major head gasket repair, and quickly, as you are breathing in dangerous gases and emissions.
- Your engine gets extremely hot running at high speeds and having to control so many things in your car. Coolant is needed to help lubricate and cool the engine down to prevent it from overheating and dying. If you notice that your car is constantly running out of coolant, there could be a leak in your coolant system where the coolant is going into the oil pan where it shouldn’t be.
- Just like coolant, oil helps keep your engine and other parts in the car lubricated and cool. Check the oil dipstick, and if there is a frothy residue, coolant is mixing with your oil due to a leak caused by a broken head gasket.
Why Repair a Head Gasket?
It is important to repair your blown head gasket in order to prevent complete engine failure. A small repair like a engine head gasket fix is much more affordable then an entire engine rebuilding or having to buy a whole new car! A cost effective solution to repairing a blown head gasket is by using head gasket sealant. This liquid is poured into the radiator cap and travels through your coolant system until it finds the leaky hole where the head gasket burst. There the head gasket sealant coagulates and seals the leak in under 30 minutes so your car is safe to drive again!
Will head gasket sealer work? This type of repair will only work if the blown head gasket requires minimal repairs without the use of heavy mechanical work. If your head gasket is completely missing or ruined, then replacement is the only other option. Can you prevent a blown head gasket? There are a couple of ways, including using head gasket sealer. The others include proper installation and being able to identify the causes of a blown head gasket and getting repairs quickly before the problem exacerbates. For repair or replacement of a blown head gasket in Lombard and Wheaton, IL, call J1 Auto Repair at 630-932-4427 today.