Ask The Tech: My Head Gasket Went Out

Ask The Tech:
My name is Landon. A bought a new minivan and it started smoking out the tail pipe. My Plainfield service center said my head gasket went out. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

napasa-head-gasket-oct-2013

Douglas Automotive Repair, Inc. Answer:
The head gasket fits between the top of the engine and the cylinder head. Its job is to seal that connection and keep oil and coolant circulating in the right parts of the engine.

When it leaks, oil can get in the coolant and vice versa. Sometimes coolant or engine oil can get into the combustion chamber where it gets burned with the fuel – which is what makes all that smoke Landon was talking about.

He said his car was new, so it’s likely that the head gasket failed because it was improperly installed – which is very rare. Sometimes they just burn through.

Engine overheating is a leading cause for blown head gaskets. Following the automobile manufacturer’s schedule for cooling system service is a great way for Plainfield drivers to avoid overheating.

Replacing a head gasket is fairly expensive. It’s definitely worth investing in regular cooling system maintenance at Douglas Automotive Repair, Inc. to avoid that job. Ask us if it’s time for a cooling system service for your vehicle.

Give us a call!

This entry was posted in Cooling SystemPreventive MaintenanceSafety and tagged Cooling System MaintenanceHead GasketOverheatingPreventive Maintenance on .

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