The Head Gasket in your car is supposed to stop your car from overheating and it also prevents the water from getting mixed up with the oil. Any problem with the head gasket can result in serious car issues and replacing a blown gasket is often considered as a costly affair. With regular maintenance, it is possible to protect the car gasket, but repair costs are much less if you are able to identify the head gasket repair at an early stage. Many car owners ignore small symptoms and forget that it can culminate in a major car disaster.
Known Gasket Problems
Your car head gasket is essentially made up of different materials like cork, rubber, metal and a mixture of others. It is always possible that the wear and tear of these elements leads to failure. There is nothing you can do about it. If the component is not strong enough, the problems can occur at a very early stage. Heavy usage can always lead to a failure of the gasket because more stress and pressure is exerted on the gasket. In most of the cases, blown gaskets can’t be repaired and they must be replaced.
- The cracks in the gasket cause a leak between the cylinder and the coolant chamber. This will enable the cooling water to enter into the cylinder. Water is supposed to stay inside the cooling chamber and problems will surely arise if it rises up to the cylinder. You may experience white exhaust smoke as cooling water gets mixed up in the cylinder. Often, this problem is ignored because car owners rarely pay attention to the exhaust smoke.
- Major leaks in gasket will result in water getting mixed up with the coolant. Sometimes, oil may enter the cooling chamber and get mixed up with the water. Either way, it will create trouble for your car. If your oil in the cylinder looks like some dark concoction of coffee, then it is most likely that there is a leak in the gasket. The coolant water will also become cloudy due to the inclusion of oil.
- A broken head gasket will result in messing up of the cooling system and overheating of the car is often a major symptom related to head gasket problem. Sometimes, you can solve this problem for a while by letting your car to sit and cool off. However, overheating problem won’t go away by itself and it will keep haunting you until you replace the gasket.
No one can really tell you precisely when a head gasket can blow and create trouble. It all depends on how you maintain your car. Compression in cylinders should be checked frequently and any anomaly must be attended to immediately. Prolonged exposure to failed gasket can cause major troubles for your car and hence, you need to identify the first sign of failure and do whatever is necessary. Modern cars have more complex designs that make replacement of the gasket troublesome. However, professional car repair specialists can do all the things necessary to replace the gasket and get your car back in shape on the roads.
Most importantly, always remember to get information first! Check the following website : Head Gasket Pro or this great article about “Head Gasket Preventive Maintenance“.
