A head gasket is a critical seal in your engine. If it's leaking, your engine could overheat and damage can occur. A head gasket leak is an issue that definitely needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. Learn about what head gasket leak is, the causes, and the symptoms.
What Is a Head Gasket Leak?
A head gasket leak is a leak in the engine block, and drivers can sometimes only detect it by an unusual level of coolant consumption. Most drivers will know about a head gasket leak when the engine overheats, and they observe that bubbles are coming from the overflow tube or radiator.
What Does a Head Gasket Do?
A head gasket is a critical part of your engine that prevents oil from leaking into your coolant and vice versa. The head gasket also seals the combustion chamber and prevents air from escaping into the cooling system or water leaking into the gas tank. If you have a leaky head gasket, you can either replace it or have it repaired by a professional mechanic.
What Are the Causes of Head Gasket Leak?
- The engine may be overheating
- Insufficient engine oil supply to the head gasket
- Excessive pressure created by over-fueling or over-compression
Blown Head Gasket Cause of Leakage
It may happen when too much air pressure is in the engine because vapor leaks into the combustion chamber. The pressure forces liquid coolant through the joint where the head meets with the engine block and blows out a chunk of material that acts as an effective seal.
What Are the Symptoms of Head Gasket Leak?
The Head gasket is the second most essential part of an engine. It makes sure that the coolant is at a specific temperature before it enters the engine.
Symptoms include:
- The coolant begins to leak out of the radiator cap or overflow tank
- The engine will begin to overheat
- The gas pedal may feel soft
- Black smoke may begin to emit from the tailpipe
- Engine will lose power and idle roughly
- Headlights may flicker on and off when trying to turn on at nighttime
- Coolant will begin to leak from the bottom of the automobile
If you need head gasket repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle to Bock Automotive in Pequannock, NJ, today!