Is Your Head Gasket Blown?
When you were a kid and begging for your first car your parents probably warned you about the price of insurance and gas and maybe even upkeep. It's doubtful anyone ever mentioned a blown head gasket to you. By now you've probably heard the expression and you might be wondering what it is, since what you do know is that it practically screams the word money. You're right about that part. Replacing the head gasket is ranked third on a list of the four most expensive car repairs. Taking first place is a blown engine, following by replacing a transmission, then the head gasket, and then replacing the air conditioning compressor.
Okay. So what is this thing? A head gasket is vital to an engine's running right. Aiding in the compression process, the gasket seals an engine's cylinders and stops coolant and oil from leaking. A blown gasket is often caused by problems with timing, cooling, and sometimes manufacturing errors. When a head gasket blows, it's so not good within your engine. Coolant may leak, the engine can overheat, white smoke may come out of the exhaust pipe, and the oil may become discolored with a milky look.
You might think that the white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe is the major clue that you've got a blown gasket. But it's not, and there are others. Your engine could be running oddly, with hesitation or skipping or a lack of power. You could have excessive pressure in the crankcase which would cause an extreme blowout by the oil cap or engine oil seals. You could have exhaust gasses in the radiator. If you think you may have exhaust gasses in the radiator, the gasses would be accommodated by constant bubbling in the radiator.
Not everyone is comfortable enough to open the hood and take a look. You just know that something is really not right with the way your car is running. This is when you should bring it to us. We're very comfortable taking a look and then fixing the problem. We mentioned earlier that this is an expensive procedure. It's not so much the parts as it is the labor. We want to do it once and we want to do it right. We'll do our best to keep the price down and get you back on the road with confidence.
You might be able to skip a carwash, but you can't skip a problem like this. Call Broadway Imports to schedule an appointment. We'll also take care of an oil change or tune-up, or whatever else your car needs. Schedule an appointment today! Come by and see us at 3001 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR 97232.