A blown head gasket is major work on your car, but if you ignore the signs, you may find yourself on the side of the road with a car that doesn’t run. This makes knowing these five signs of a blown head gasket essential:
1. Engine Overheating
When a head gasket blows, oil leaks into the coolant system. Oil in the coolant system means that it doesn’t function properly. This slows the coolant system’s ability to keep the engine cool and it overheats as a result.
2. White Smoke Coming From the Tailpipe
You really shouldn’t see anything coming out of your car’s tailpipe. However, when you have a blown head gasket, oil, gas, and coolant mix in the engine’s combustion chamber and come out of the tailpipe as white or gray smoke.
3. Low Coolant Level
With a blown head gasket, your coolant has to work harder to keep the engine cool. It also gets into the engine’s combustion chamber. This can cause the coolant level in the radiator to drop.
4. Contaminated Engine Oil
The oil in your car should be black or brown. If you have a blown head gasket, coolant mixes with the oil to give it a milky look, or it might appear beige.
5. Loss of Power
Your engine won’t run evenly when you have a blown head gasket. As fuel and air leave the combustion chamber, they will create a momentary loss of power. While the power may quickly return, you need to have car looked at by a professional.
Choose Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers to Repair or Replace a Blown Head Gasket
At Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers, we strive to meet all your car repair needs. Our team has the experience and skills to replace or repair a blown head gasket. To learn more about our engine repair and replacement services, contact us today!