Head Gasket FAQs

What Is A Head Gasket Repair?

A head gasket repair is one of the most important repair jobs in any car’s engine. A head gasket repair could potentially prevent fatal damage to the engine if the problem is diagnosed early. Common issues in a head gasket repair are having the seal repaired, blown head gasket, leaking coolant or a leak in the cylinder. A head gasket repair is a very skilled job as it involves removing components of the engine, therefore, can take a lot of labour time to complete. Never the less as it is a vital organ of the engine which makes a head gasket repair crucial.

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What Is A Head Gasket?

A head gasket is basically a seal between the engine and cylinder head. Its core function is to prevent leaks between the two critical engine parts when compression is in process. A head gasket will only perform when the compression seal is functioning, this way nothing can leak out and affect the engine. Where a leak is involved there will be damage to the engine and the car’s overall performance, take a look at this diagram which reflects the engine & head gasket setup.

What Are The Symptoms That Your Car Needs A Head Gasket Repair?

There are a few common symptoms of a blown head gasket one of the most common is extreme engine temperature, this usually happens if there is a leak from coolant or water or sometimes there just isn’t enough coolant or water. Symptoms include:

• Topping up the radiator constantly
• Engine gauge on the dashboard is really high after a few minutes of driving
• Cloud of exhaust fumes when the car starts
• Milky oil on the oil cap
• White exhaust fumes
• Misfire when engine is ignited
• Bubbles in the cooling system

Milky residue on the oil cap reflects that there is coolant leaking into the oil, which would indicate a cracked cylinder head. If there is a constant stream of bubbles in the cooling system this indicates that the head gasket has blown.

If a few of these symptoms are evident then a head gasket repair is necessary. Like most engine issues the symptoms are best spotted early on before any major damage starts to settle in the engine. Get a quote from garages near you for your head gasket repair before it causes any major issues. Take the hassle out of ringing around different garages and waiting for them to get back with a quote, simply type your registration into MyCarNeedsA.com and wait on the quotes coming to you.

Why Do They Fail?

Head gaskets typically take a lot of pressure so it’s only natural that over time they become worn and begin to fail. This can be highly dangerous as far as driving goes, head gaskets can fail from the gases leaking out of the engine and the coolant leaking in.

When the gases leak out the engine will experience performance issues. If the coolant leaks out then the car will overheat instantly. If the car goes above 120 degrees then a head gasket repair is necessary.

A test can be carried out to check for a leak, this basically tests the carbon dioxide levels, if the test turns green/yellow there is a leak and the head gasket will need to be repaired or replaced and if the test turns blue this means there is no leak present.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms then get quotes for your head gasket repair through MyCarNeedsA.com today.