Shums Auto Repair advises that you should not drive your car, SUV, or truck if the motor oil looks like a milkshake. This is a sign that the head gasket has blown and coolant has diluted the motor oil. If you drive your vehicle, you can damage the engine irreparably because the oil cannot protect the engine due to the dilution. You should have your automobile toe to our shop if the oil looks like a milkshake.
The Coolant Leaks Out of the Engine, Too
In addition to mixing with the oil, the coolant will also leak out of the engine through the crack in the head gasket. Think of this leak as a water faucet that you cannot turn off. The more coolant you add to the engine the more it will leak out of the engine. Consequently, you will not be able to maintain enough coolant in the engine to keep the temperature under 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
This Makes the Engine Overheat
In fact, this makes the engine overheat whenever you drive your vehicle. As we just mentioned, you cannot keep enough coolant in the engine to prevent it from overheating. Consequently, your engine will run too hot until you replace the head gasket. We can do that here at our shop, but it takes a little bit of time because it requires rebuilding the engine to a certain extent.
Your engine is also going to overheat all the time because it will be exposed to the heat that is produced inside of the combustion chamber. Usually, the engine does not feel this heat because the head gasket seals off the chamber. Once the gasket is cracked, the heat will rise out of the chamber and increase your engine’s temperature. This is another reason why you shouldn’t drive your car.
It Also Produces White Exhaust
Finally, a blown head gasket produces white exhaust because burning coolant produces white exhaust. When the coolant makes its way through the crack in the head gasket, it lands in each cylinder. You may already know this but there is also fuel and air in each cylinder. The spark plugs create sparks with the intent to ignite the fuel and air. The coolant also burns when the spark plugs generate a spark. This is the reason why you can see exhaust that is white in your rearview mirror.
Have your automobile towed to Shums Auto Repair in Philadelphia, PA, if it is showing the signs of a cracked head gasket. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
