If you're wondering, “is it worth fixing a blown head gasket?” The short answer is it depends. If fixing the blown head gasket will cost you close to 75% or more of your vehicle's value, then it's definitely not worth fixing the vehicle. But, if your vehicle's value is much more than the price if they had the gaskets, you are definitely recommended to fix it.
A head gasket is placed between the cylinders and the other parts in the engine’s compartment. The head gaskets maintain the right pressure level so your engine can produce the right amount of energy at the right time. It also prevents any fluid leaks the cylinders, which results in many negative consequences.
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Since the consequences of blown head gaskets are extremely severe, drivers are still required to replace the head gaskets when it blows out.
Head gasket replacement cost is very expensive, and there are plenty of people who are still wondering, “is it worth fixing a blown head gasket?”. So let's take a closer look at the answer in this article and learn more about the negative consequences of blown head gaskets.
What is the head gaskets and what happens when it blows out?
The head gasket is a thin metal layer sitting between the cylinders and the engine compartment. This small thin layer plays an important role and preventing engine damages and maintaining the rights combustion process.
Here are some of the main roles of the head gaskets in your vehicle:
1- Protect the engine
The head gasket is connected to these cylinders to prevent any harmful gases from leaving the cylinders and therefore damaging the engine compartment. It also prevents any fluids leaks inside the cylinders like the coolant or oil. If any of these fluids made their way to the cylinders, it impacts the overall combustion process and results in many different problems.
2- Maintain cylinders pressure
Since the head gaskets seal the cylinders completely, it keeps the right pressure level to generate the proper combustion process. Without the right level of pressure, the combustion process will not happen properly, and therefore, will engine will not provide the right amount of power no matter how much fuel you send.
You've probably heard the term “a blown head gasket,” which is the worst thing any driver wants to deal with. This is because the head gaskets are continuously exposed to extreme temperatures inside the cylinders. Therefore, the head gasket can blow out and gets cracked overtime reviews. Many terrible outcomes and consequences immediately occur when that happens, impacting the vehicle's health and energy production.
What are the side effects of a blown head gasket? Does a blown head gasket ruin the engine?
Before we highlight whether it's worth fixing a blown head gasket or not, it is important to step back and understand the negative consequences that could happen when your vehicle's head gasket blows out.
Here are some of the things that will happen and you will notice once the head gasket blows out:
1- Engine damage is due to overheating
When the head gasket blows out, the ceiling covering the cylinders is gone, and therefore, hot gases escape from cylinders towards the different engine parts. Thus, the engine temperature will increase significantly, resulting in engine overheating, ruining the entire engine, and cause self-destruction.
Also, when the head gasket cracks, it allows the coolant to escape inside the cylinders. Therefore, the coolant will not do its job of reducing the engine temperature when it overheats.
Similarly, the other component that helps reduce the engine temperature is the oil might also escape inside the cylinders resulting in a higher potential for engine overheating and, therefore, engine damages.
2- Significant reduction and vehicles power
After the head gasket blows out, the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinders can get affected. Also, the combustion process requires a certain level of pressure to continue properly, and when the head gasket is gone, there is no such thing to contain the pressure and help maintain the good combustion process.
3- Contaminated oil
The oil and coolant run around the engine continuously. The oil is responsible for lubricating the internal moving components and preventing overheating, while the coolant is responsible for reducing the engine temperature every time it exceeds a certain threshold.
When the head gasket blows out, it impacts the pathways of both the oil and coolant. Therefore, the coolant and oil can get mixed, which means that none of them will maintain their right to do their job. Thus, you'll notice that the oil will get contaminated with coolant, and it will see this clearly if you look around the oil reservoir and see a Milky substance floating on the top.
4- White exhaust smoke
Also, as the coolant gets inside the cylinder, there is a very high chance for this coolant to get burnt, and when the coolant burns out, it generates very thick white smoke, and you'll notice it coming out of the exhaust tailpipe.
Keep in mind that big smoke must be thick and white to confirm that the problem is coming from coolant burning inside the cylinders. This is because there are some chances for white smoke when you get your vehicle started at a cold engine, and it's important not to confuse with both situations.
5- Leaking fluids
Finally, another common consequence of a blown head gasket is fluids leaking outside of the vehicle. Every fluid must be maintained at a certain level in the vehicle to do its job properly. When the head gasket blows out, it impacts pathways and creates many holes, then cracks in these pathways forcing the fluids to leak outside the vehicle.
You'll see, for example, some puddles of either engine oil or coolant sitting under the vehicle if you load it idle for some time.
If you notice any of the mentioned consequences of blown head gaskets, you must take immediate action. In some scenarios, you are required to pull over and stop your vehicle as soon as possible to prevent ruining the engine and causing major internal problems.
Keep in mind that no matter how high the price of the head gasket, it's never close to the price of the engine, and therefore, if you think that it's worth fixing a blown head gasket, it might not be worth replacing the entire engine if you waited for an extended time frame on the problem.
Are blown head gaskets expensive to fix?
Before we decide whether it's worth fixing a blown head gasket or not, we need to understand the rough estimate of head gasket replacement costs. According to experts, to your place of blown head gaskets, you might pay somewhere between $1400 and $1600. Obviously, the price range is very high.
Is it worth fixing a blown head gasket?
Deciding whether it's worth fixing a blown head gasket or not differs on a case-by-case basis. To help yourself answer the question accurately, you need to compare repair costs to the vehicle's value. For example, if you noticed that fixing the blown head gaskets requires close to 75% or more of their vehicle's value, then it's definitely not worth the investment.
Many drivers get nervous when hearing that it's not worth fixing the blown head gaskets while understanding that they can't run the vehicle without a head gasket. The good news is that Cash Cars Buyer is one of the limited companies that guarantee to buy your vehicle even if it has a blown head gasket and any major damage to the engine or the transmission.
We advise you to get in touch with our team and learn how much you can make out of your vehicle before fixing it. The nice thing about Cash Cars Buyers is that the process does not take a lot of time, and getting your quote will not take you more than a couple of minutes. You can do that by either visit the website or give the team a call at 8669244608.
How long will a car last with a blown head gasket?
Unfortunately, dealing with a blown head gasket is a big deal, and according to experts, your vehicle will not last more than one month if it has a blown head gasket. Therefore, you are recommended to visit the nearest repair shop or consult your dealership to resolve the problem before losing the entire vehicle's value.
Think about it this way: if the head gasket blows out, it will require a certain amount of money to be fixed. However, ignoring the head gaskets and continuing driving the vehicle will add up and cost you much more money. Therefore, either you fix the problem or get rid of the vehicle and have other people take care of it to maintain the other components and take advantage of the working parts.
Is replacing a blown head gasket a lot of work?
Of course, yes! Replacing a blown head gasket is a labor-intensive job, and it's not something you can do at home by yourself as a DIY exercise. Even if you have some level of experience and replacing head gaskets, remember that you're dealing with one of the most sensitive components in your vehicle, which is your engine, and any mistake results in major damages.
Therefore, even if it'll cost a lot of money and is labor-intensive, a blown head gasket replacement must be done by the right mechanics with the right experience level. That's why you'll see some people choosing to get the head gasket replaced at a dealership even though the labor cost is much higher than small independent shops. This is because they know that expert mechanics hold the vehicle very well and are working on it, and can replace the head gasket without causing measure problems by mistake.
What happens if you don't fix a head gasket?
A blown head gasket is not a problem that you can ignore because it can immediately result in major damage is costing you thousands of dollars. When the head gasket blows out, it impacts and cracks the pathways of fluids in the vehicle like the oil and the coolant.
Therefore, one of the first complications of ignoring a blown head gasket is significant leaks in these fluids and complicated undesirable outcomes impacting major components like the engine.
Also, when the head gasket blows out, and oil keeps leaking inside the cylinders, it results in significantly reducing the fuel economy of your vehicle and the engine's power production. Thus, your vehicle will be just wasting fuel and not providing you with the right amount of power to drive.
Most importantly, ignoring the head gasket will not lead you anywhere except to losing the value of the entire vehicle.
Conclusion
The head gasket is a very critical component in any vehicle. It not only prevents fluids leaks inside the cylinders but also maintains the right pressure level in the cylinders to help create the proper combustion process.
Over time of use, the head gasket can blow out and crack due to the extreme pressure and temperatures. When that happens, many negative consequences occur, including fluids leaks, weird smokes, and engine damages.
Since fixing the blown head gasket is a very complicated job and requires very high repair costs, many drivers and customers still wonder, “is it worth fixing a blown head gasket?” The short answer is it depends. Before making the final decision and investing this amount of money, you need to evaluate the situation and check if repair costs are approaching the vehicle's value. If that happens, you need better sell the vehicle and use the money towards a better car that doesn't have major issues.
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