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A blown head gasket is nothing to play around with and ignoring the problem or putting a bandage on it can be catastrophic for your engine. A head gasket is a thin piece of material that lies between the engine block and cylinder head of your engine.  Its primary function is to seal in the internal combustion and keep coolant and oil from mixing together.

A gasket is not an expensive part to replace. However, the location of the gasket within your engine makes it a very difficult task. By the time a head gasket goes out everything else in your engine might be cooked as well.

We recommend watching for the following warning signs of a blown head gasket

Smoking Exhaust – Coolant in the cylinders become heated in the combustion process and comes out as steam.  This is happening in your engine but often shows as smoking exhaust. 

Dropping Coolant Levels – Watch for low levels with no major visible leaks. Some vehicle owners will ignore or not realize that this is an engine problem and simply keep adding coolant to top off the levels. If you have to keep adding coolant to your radiator or coolant reservoir you should take your car to a mechanic before the problem gets worse.

Engine Misfire – Loss of power, loud noises, or the smell of gas usually accompany a misfiring engine. Listen for unusual sounds coming from your engine.

If you have noticed these problems, more than likely your head gasket needs attention.  Pacific Coast Tire & Service can diagnose any auto repair issue.  It often requires in-depth knowledge of cars as well as skill to perform a gasket replacement. Unless you have a lot of mechanical experience and an extensive tool collection, this would be an extremely hard task to take on by yourself.  Pacific Coast Tire & Service would be glad to take a look at your vehicle and see what will be best for you and your car.