We hate to say it but a cracked head gasket causes a lot of problems in your engine. In fact, it’s a better idea to tow your vehicle to our shop rather than drive it. There’s a lot going on underneath the hood that should not be going on, and if you continue to drive your SUV, car, or truck, you may cause additional and expensive engine damage. The head gasket is bad enough. Here’s what we mean.
Coolant Loss
The cylinder block is technically the combustion chamber. Air and fuel are added to each cylinder so the spark plugs can ignite them. This starts your vehicle and keeps it running. The only thing that should be in the cylinders is air and fuel, but when the head gasket cracks, coolant also flows into the cylinders. This reduces the amount of coolant that is circulating through the engine.
Overheating
Obviously, without enough coolant in the engine, it’s going to overheat. In a standard engine, overheating means the engine is running hotter than 220 degrees Fahrenheit. The head gasket is the only part that keeps the coolant out of the combustion chamber. Once it cracks, the coolant is free to flow into the chamber and will continue to do so until you replace the head gasket.
This isn’t the only thing that will increase the engine’s temperature, however. The head gasket also forms a seal to keep the heat generated in the combustion chamber in the combustion chamber. When the gasket cracks, the heat escapes and heats up the engine even more. This can leave you with boiling coolant that causes the radiator to explode – well, the radiator cap, that is.
Milky Oil
So, excessive heat is one reason why you should not drive your car with a blown head gasket. The motor oil is another reason. The motor oil will also leak out of the engine and into the cylinders. In addition, it will mix with the coolant and turn into a milky solution that is not good for your engine. If you keep driving your vehicle, you do not have clean motor oil protecting the engine.
White Exhaust
Finally, if you suspect you’ve cracked the head gasket, take a look in your rearview mirror while you’re driving. If you see white or blue exhaust – or a combination of the colors – you’ve got coolant and motor oil burning in the combustion chamber, respectively.
We can help, so call us today. We will replace your head gasket if it is cracked.