A cracked head gasket is going to increase your engine’s temperature. Scotty’s Automotive will talk more about this below. We will also talk about the other signs that you’ve blown the head gasket in the engine. Generally, this happens if the engine is running too hot. This is one reason why we recommend you never drive your automobile if the engine is overheating.
Coolant in the Cylinders
The reason why the engine gets too hot when the head gasket blows is that the coolant leaks out of the engine and into the cylinders. Unfortunately, this leak is a continual one. You can add coolant to the engine, but it will just leak into the cylinders. The cylinders will burn the coolant away, so, unfortunately, there will be more room for more coolant to leak into the cylinders.
Continual Overheating
Of course, if the coolant is leaking into the cylinders, there is not enough of it circulating through the engine. Consequently, one of the most common signs that the head gasket is cracked is a continual overheating of the engine. Not only is the engine low on coolant but the heat from the combustion chamber is also rising into the engine out of the crack in the head gasket.
This can make the engine so hot that you will start to hear boiling coming from it. This boiling sound is the coolant overheating in the radiator and overflow reservoir. We cannot stress enough that you should pull over right away and turn off your engine. If you continue to drive the vehicle, you will blow the radiator cap and have scalding coolant spraying out of it.
White Engine Exhaust
You will also notice that your engine is producing exhaust that is white in color and releasing it out of the tailpipe. This is caused by the coolant that is being burned in the combustion chamber. In addition to coolant leaking out of the head gasket, motor oil can leak, as well. When this happens, it is also burned in the combustion chamber and creates exhaust that looks blue.
Oil Diluted by Coolant
Finally, you should not drive your automobile with a cracked head gasket because of the excessive heat that builds up inside the engine. In addition, you don’t want to drive your automobile because the oil gets diluted by the coolant and loses its effectiveness.
Therefore, have your vehicle towed to Scotty’s Automotive in Montague, NJ, if the head gasket is cracked.
