head gasket

Diagnosing a head gasket can be difficult. Some of the problems have similar issues with other engine components. This can be a chipped or warped cylinder head. This could affect the head gasket, but wouldn’t necessarily be the result of a blown head gasket. Also you may notice corrosion at the surface of the head gasket. This would indicate a leak, but one that wouldn’t necessarily be due to a head gasket blown. Having the vehicle maintained on a regular basis can help prevent a severe issue from occurring.

Gasket failure

When head gasket failure occurs between two or more cylinders, several symptoms will be noticed. The most common symptom in this case is a misfire, which would result from the leakage of compression between cylinders. Evidence of this could include a lowered compression due to rough idling. You may also notice the engine overheating. There could be coolant leakage to the oil compartment. If you check under the hood, you may notice coolant on top of a spark plug. Any sign of an issue should be inspected immediately. This can help to prevent time, money, and stress in the long run.

Signs to look for

The failure of a head gasket between a coolant port and cylinder can cause leakage from one to the other.  When this occurs, a misfire is likely to happen during vehicle ignition. This happens especially if the motor is revved up, cut and then restarted. While such a problem might evade a regular compression test, it could be more easily identified. This can be done by revving the engine immediately after putting the cooling system to a pressure test. If you do notice an issue with your vehicle and head gasket, make sure to contact us. We can inspect the vehicle and ensure everything is working correctly. This can help you to have a safe and efficient vehicle when you drive.