We aren’t going to lie; a cracked head gasket is a serious repair. This is why we here at Auto Service Kingston recommend that you have your car, SUV, or truck towed to our shop if you suspect that the head gasket is compromised. Towing the vehicle ensures that you don’t drive it while it is overheating and cause additional engine damage that will be even more expensive to repair.
Loss of Engine Coolant
One of the first things that is going to happen when the head gasket blows is the engine is going to leak coolant into the cylinders in the cylinder block. Unfortunately, even if you add coolant to the cooling system, the level will continue to reduce as the coolant leaks into the cylinders. The only way to stop the coolant from leaking out of the engine is to replace the head gasket.
Instant Overheating
Naturally, if the engine is losing coolant, its temperature is going to rise. You never want your temperature to be higher than 104 degrees Celsius. It’s important to note that your engine may have been overheating before the head gasket blew. A common cause of a blown head gasket is heat. Do not drive your automobile if the engine is overheating.
Boiling Engine Coolant
If you continue to operate the vehicle, you may end up heeding the coolant so much that it will start to boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, it will create pressure inside the radiator that could cause the radiator cap to explode. This is extremely dangerous because scorching coolant sprays all over the place when this happens. If you are standing in front of the radiator, you could be burned seriously.
White Exhaust Smoke
We mentioned previously that the coolant leaks into the cylinders. When this happens, it gets burned along with the petrol and air that are already in the cylinders. When coolant is burned away by the engine, it creates white exhaust that may or may not flow out of your tailpipe.
Milky Motor Oil
Finally, you have already figured out that we recommend towing your vehicle to our shop because the engine is going to run too hot if you have a cracked head gasket. We also recommend the tow because the coolant will mix with the motor oil and dilute it. Driving your automobile with diluted motor oil can damage the engine to the point that we will not be able to repair it.
Call Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, today if you suspect that the head gasket is cracked in your vehicle’s engine.