BY NICOLE WAKELIN / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 29, 2018 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / You’ve probably heard it can be an expensive repair, but do you&hellip;{"id":10982,"date":"2019-01-31T11:35:44","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T19:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=10982"},"modified":"2019-01-31T11:35:44","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T19:35:44","slug":"what-causes-a-blown-head-gasket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/31\/what-causes-a-blown-head-gasket\/","title":{"rendered":"What Causes a Blown Head Gasket?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\">BY NICOLE WAKELIN \/ ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 29, 2018 \/<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION<\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\/<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You\u2019ve probably heard it can be an expensive repair, but do you know what causes a blown head gasket? Here\u2019s what your head gasket does to keep your engine running smoothly, common causes of a faulty one and what you should do if you suspect something is wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Is a Head Gasket?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A head gasket is a relatively straightforward part. It\u2019s basically a seal that sits sandwiched between the engine block and the cylinder head. The head gasket doesn\u2019t look like much, but it\u2019s one of your engine\u2019s essential components.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The head gasket does two things. First, it creates a seal to keep the internal combustion process contained. Second, it keeps coolant and oil from mixing as they circulate through your engine near each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Getting to a\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/p\/FPB9918PT?cid=social_blog_112018_cylinder_head_gasket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">head gasket<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">can be tricky and that\u2019s what makes this a difficult repair. Replacing it means removing the engine\u2019s head, which is a challenging job that\u2019s not for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Causes a Blown Head Gasket?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are several possible causes, including engine age, but two common culprits are overheating and preignition issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">1. Overheating: When an<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a class=\"SWhtmlLink\" href=\"http:\/\/knowhow.napaonline.com\/engine-overheating-heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">engine overheats<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, the metal expands and pinches the head gasket so it no longer seals properly. A telltale sign of this problem is white smoke coming from your exhaust, which is from coolant leaking around the head gasket.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2. Pre-Ignition Problems: If the timing of the combustion process is off even slightly, it can send too much pressure into the cylinder head. This can cause the head gasket to fail. If this happens, you may notice the car running roughly, especially when you first start the engine or at idle.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Preventing a Blown Head Gasket<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The best way to prevent a blown head gasket is to ensure your coolant system is functioning properly. Start by checking the radiator and the coolant overflow tanks whenever you check the oil. While you\u2019re under the hood, inspect the radiator hoses, too. If there are splits, frays or any signs of damage, get them replaced promptly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Also, take note of any leaks under your car. If you see a puddle of coolant or if you find yourself refilling the coolant frequently, those are signs of an issue with your coolant system that need to be addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Should You Do if You Suspect a Blown Head Gasket?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you think you have a blown head gasket, you should get it repaired as quickly as possible. A blown head gasket left alone can cause additional engine damage that will only add to your repair costs. Don\u2019t wait it out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Check out all the<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/c\/engine-parts-gaskets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">engine parts<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">available on<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NAPA Online<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">or trust one of their 16,000<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.napaautocare.com\/store-finder.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NAPA AutoCare locations<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on engine placement, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/store-locator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>local NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Photo Credit:<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Head_gasket_on_block.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Head gasket on block<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">by<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/User:Collard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Collard<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/legalcode\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more<\/span>\u00a0<\/i><strong><i><a href=\"http:\/\/knowhow.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/i><\/strong><i>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">from NAPA, or here for more information on<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/event-info\/car-show-hours-dates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the next Pomona Swap Meet &amp; Classic Car Show<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":10984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[805],"tags":[4672,25,6800,4010,6046,6808,3052,6801,6807,6300,6802,3491,3037,3026,6353,6713,6804,6712,6803,6805,6310,6806],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1024px-Head_gasket_on_block.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9nnZN-2R8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10982"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10985,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10982\/revisions\/10985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}