What are the symptoms of a burnt cylinder head gasket?
2 Answers
Automobile cylinder head gasket burning failure phenomenon is: 1. After the engine starts, there will be a sharp popping sound from the damaged part of the cylinder head gasket. In severe cases, exhaust gas can be seen escaping, and moving your hand along the perimeter of the cylinder head gasket, you can feel hot air rushing against your hand; 2. At the joint surface between the cylinder head and the cylinder block, water, oil, or bubbles may emerge. The reasons for cylinder head gasket burning include: 1. Uneven or insufficient tightening force of the cylinder head bolts, deformation of the joint surface between the cylinder block and cylinder head; 2. The engine frequently operates under conditions of high load, early ignition, engine overheating, or detonation; 3. The cylinder head gasket itself has quality issues.
After all these years of repairing cars, I've seen quite a few cases of cylinder head gasket erosion. The main symptoms include a rapid rise in engine temperature, with the coolant temperature gauge alarming quickly; coolant leaking into the engine oil, turning it into a milky white mixture resembling milk; thick white smoke emitting from the exhaust pipe, smelling like antifreeze; a noticeable drop in engine power, unresponsive throttle, and unstable RPM; in severe cases, warning lights illuminate on the dashboard, the car shakes, or even stalls. Owners should regularly check the coolant level and color. If the coolant level drops without reason or the oil appears foamy, it's time to be alert to potential cylinder head gasket issues. Cylinder head gasket damage is often caused by overheating, such as cooling system failures or prolonged overloading. If not addressed promptly, the engine could suffer severe damage, with repair costs starting from thousands. Therefore, I recommend checking the cylinder head seal during regular maintenance.
