How long can a car run with a blown head gasket?
3 Answers
It is best not to continue driving a car with a blown head gasket. A blown head gasket can cause a rapid rise in coolant temperature and severe water shortage in the radiator. You should stop immediately and contact a tow truck to take the car to a repair shop for inspection and repair. Continuing to drive may lead to engine seizure or even severe engine damage, rendering it irreparable. Below are the symptoms of a blown head gasket failure: 1. Burnout between two cylinder edges: The car will experience a lack of power, and the engine will underperform. When the air filter is removed, abnormal noises can be heard at the intake pipe opening while the engine is idling. 2. Burnout connecting to the water jacket hole: The radiator may produce bubbles, overheat, and the exhaust may emit white smoke. 3. Burnout connecting to the oil passage: Some engine oil may enter the cylinder and burn, resulting in blue smoke from the exhaust.
A while ago, my neighbor's car had a blown head gasket but kept driving for several kilometers, and the engine ended up completely ruined! A blown head gasket means the gasket is punctured by high temperature and pressure, causing coolant to mix with the engine oil. The emulsified oil loses its lubricating properties, leading to metal-on-metal friction in the engine—warning signs include the dashboard's coolant temperature gauge maxing out and white smoke from the exhaust. Continuing to drive is like pouring sand into the engine, and it could seize up and stall within ten minutes. The worst case I've seen was a driver who tried to save on towing fees by driving an extra 800 meters, only to end up with a repair bill close to 20,000 yuan after the shop found a warped cylinder block, melted pistons, and a seized crankshaft. Never take chances—if the coolant temperature warning light comes on, shut off the engine immediately and wait for help.
When I was young and often drove freight trucks, I frequently encountered fellow drivers with blown head gaskets. They basically didn't dare to restart the engine after it stalled. Once the head gasket was damaged, coolant would rush directly into the crankcase, turning the engine oil into a milky tea color quickly, and the engine sound would gradually become a dull metallic clanging. I remember an old driver stubbornly drove for twelve minutes, only for the connecting rod to punch through the cylinder block, with the oil pan leaking a slurry-like emulsified oil mixture like tofu dregs. Nowadays, mechanics can easily detect a blown head gasket: by pulling out the dipstick to check if the oil is foamy, observing if the temperature gauge skyrockets, or detecting strange odors in the heater lines. In such cases, driving even one more meter is a gamble, and the repair cost can easily increase tenfold or more.
