What is a Head Gasket Leak?

You have been noticing your car has not been running too well lately and you are a bit concerned. You find out that it is a head gasket leak; but when you are told this, you have no idea what a head gasket leak is. The head gasket in your vehicle can and will wear out over time and can either be caused by age and use of your vehicle or even misuse or neglect.

A head gasket leak is when coolant is leaked from your vehicle, combustion gasses or a combination of both. When this happens, you will likely see blue smoke coming from the exhaust. If you notice that it generally means that there is excess oil that is entering into your combustion chambers.

When you have a head gasket leak the intense heat from your vehicle's engine becomes more than normal, your engine can overheat resulting in a head gasket leak. The extra heat in the engine can result in the engine block and cylinder head expanding far too much which can cause failure in your head gasket.

When you have a leak in your head gasket coolant may enter into your cylinders. When you have coolant in the cylinders it can cause the following: bubbling in the radiator and coolant reservoir, your engine overheating, milky white coloration in your oil, unexplained coolant loss with no leaks, and/or white smoke coming from the tailpipe.

The head gasket has a lot of jobs including sealing in the coolant and oil. Because of this, if you happen to see streaks of coolant or streaks of oil it can be a sign that your head gasket has a leak. If you notice any of the above symptoms you may need to replace your head gaskets to make sure they are meeting the specifications that the manufacturer has out.

You can prevent your head gasket from leaking by ensuring the engine coolant is kept at a proper level and looking out for leaks. If you need head gasket repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle to our auto repair shop today!