The cylinder head gasket of your car’s engine is a machined casting with cylindrical holes to accommodate the pistons. It is designed to perform three major functions: contain the pressure controlled explosions in each of the cylinders, separate the cylinders, oil, and cooling channels from each other, and provide a seal between the engine block and the head that covers the cylinders.
The head gasket must maintain its sealing capability to prevent leakage between the engine block and the cylinder head especially during the compression process. In simple terms, the cylinder head seals the cylinders to ensure maximum compression.
Head gaskets are meant to last, but they can be damaged by overheating or extreme engine temperature.This happens when engine temperature rises due to coolant leak or simply because there’s not enough coolant in the radiator. When the head gasket gets damaged, it is possible for water or coolant to mix with oil, and cause severe damage to the engine.
How to Know that Your Head Gasket Needs Replacement
When the head gasket fails, coolant can leak into the combustion chambers and allow coolant to find its way into the exhaust manifold. This causes the engine temperature to rise, triggering a warning light. Another sign of a blown or damaged head gasket is steam or something that resembles white smoke coming out of your exhaust system. When this happens, you should shut your engine off immediately and have your car checked. If you own a Nissan, bring your car to a Nissan repair specialist for possible head gasket replacement.
Other Signs of Head Gasket Damage
Excessive Coolant Consumption – A damaged head gasket allows coolant to leak into the cylinder. This makes your engine consume coolant excessively. It can also be manifested by water dripping from the exhaust. If you are driving and you notice that your engine temperature rises to an alarming level abruptly, a blown head gasket could be preventing your cooling system from working properly. When this happens, shut the engine off and call a certified technician like the Nissan mechanic in Broomfield for professional advice. Allowing the engine to run further could be fatal to your engine.
High Oil Consumption– If your car idles roughly and emits a bluish-white smoke, it could be consuming oil excessively, and one of its most possible causes is a leaking head gasket.
Mixing of Coolant and Oil – A blown or damaged head gasket allows oil and coolant to mingle. Coolant that mixes with oil can have a bad effect on the oil’s lubricating properties, and can cause severe damage to the moving parts in the engine block including the cylinders, pistons, connecting rods, engine bearings, and other essential parts.
There is no predetermined period for replacing your car’s cylinder head gasket. However, you must keep an eye for signs of damage to make sure that the issue is addressed before they can grow worse.
The head gasket of your car’s engine is not very costly, but it can it can trigger a major expense when it causes damage to other major engine parts like the cylinder and piston. When signs of damage appear, take your vehicle to a competent mechanic such as a Nissan repairexpert as early as possible.
If your car manifests any symptoms of head gasket damage, you should bring it to a car repair specialist like New Way Auto Repair’s for checking. It is always good to be one step ahead. We’ve got the skills, equipment, and commitment for service for your automotive problems.
Call us at (303) 593-2434.