Diagnosing A Blown Head Gasket

But no one can prevent parts from wearing when they have been in use for years. They have given good service during this time and when they are worn out should be replaced sooner rather than later. Worn parts do not fit as neatly as new parts and the result is that water or oil can leak into parts it should not be in. When this happens you will find that there will be smoke coming from the tailpipe.

This is not always a matter for immediate attention; however it is sometimes, depending on the colour of the smoke. The colour you do not want to see is white smoke issuing from the tailpipe because this will tell you that coolant such as water or anti-freeze is getting into the combustion chamber. This is a sure indication of a blown head gasket. Another symptom is a milky look to the oil.

If it is not attended to immediately the engine will overheat and either seize or crack or probably both a far worse problem that a blown head gasket. You should turn the engine off pronto if you see that white smoke coming out. If you want to get home first, keep a sharp eye on the temperature gauge to see if the engine is overheating. If it goes up, pull over immediately and call for help.