The reason why a cracked head gasket overheats the engine is twofold. New Castle Auto Repair advises that the engine loses coolant through the head gasket crack and heat rises through the head gasket crack. It is important to play it safe and avoid driving your automobile with a blown head gasket. Rather, have your vehicle towed to our shop.
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As you will learn, the cracked head gasket is going to cause your engine to overheat all the time. This is why we recommend you do not drive your vehicle. Repairing a cracked head gasket requires a partial engine rebuild, so you already have enough damage in the engine. If you continue to drive the vehicle when the engine is overheating, you could also crack the exhaust manifold and cylinder block.
The reason why the car gets so hot is that coolant leaks out of the engine and into the cylinders through the crack in the head gasket. Naturally, if the coolant level is reduced in the engine, the engine is going to run hotter. You may think that you can resolve the problem by adding coolant to the radiator and overflow reservoir, but this coolant will also leak into the cylinders through the cracked head gasket.
In addition, the combustion chamber is sealed by the head gasket. This is designed to keep the heat and compression inside the chamber for engine combustion. The chamber is extremely hot, the hottest part of the engine, and the heat rises out of the chamber through the head gasket crack and into the engine. This, too, overheats the engine significantly. In fact, your coolant may even start to boil.
Additional Signs of a Cracked Gasket
An overheating engine is just one sign that your head gasket is cracked. There are other signs that are associated with the cracked head gasket that you may or may not notice. You will notice the first sign. When the coolant leaks into the cylinders, the spark plugs fire it up with the air and fuel. As the coolant burns away, it produces exhaust that is white and flows out of your tailpipe.
Another problem that occurs when the head gasket cracks is the coolant dilutes the motor oil. If you check your motor oil and see that it is milky and white, it is diluted by coolant. This is another reason why you should not drive your automobile. The diluted motor oil can damage the engine.
Call New Castle Auto Repair in New Castle, PA, today to schedule an appointment for a cracked head gasket.
