How do i check if i have a blown head gasket ?

I have a 2001 Taurus (100,000) and having problems with my car heating up... how do i check if i have a blown head gasket ? ive already done a flush and changed the thermostatHow do i check if i have a blown head gasket ?water in oil air bubbles in Radiator rough idle water leak on side of block
How do i check if i have a blown head gasket ?
A head gasket is a possible problem, but there could be another problem lurking causing the same symptoms given the information you have told me. It could be the heater core. Its basically a mini radiator inside your car where all the hot coolant goes and the heat from that is transferred into you cars air ducts to come out as heat. This part is normally very cheap, but labor could be expensive seeing it is normally a lengthy job. Go to your nearest Automotive shop and see what they say. If not this, one sure way you can find out your head gasket may be compromised is by checking these two things. Check your spark plugs. If on or more of them look very clean, or have a orange like discoloration, then coolant may be getting into the cylinder. The only other place it can go aside from on the ground (leaking out) is into your oil. This you can find out by simply looking at your Oil fill cap. If it is filled with gunk, also possibly discolored, then it is going to into your oil. You will notice your oil being more liquidy, and you will supposedly have %26quot;more%26quot; of it since your coolant will be going into you oil, adding to its capacity. This is especially bad for your motor because It will not be receiving the proper lubrication that pure oil would. Hope this helps
How do i check if i have a blown head gasket ?
You should be a little more specific about %26quot;heating up%26quot;. Do you mean it is slow to heat up or it gets too hot? Being too cold isn't desirable, but it is livable. As I understand it, and I have no personal experience of this, the symptoms of a blown head gasket are things like water in the oil (it appears as a white or grey goo in the oil).

If it is getting hot, then is it actually loosing water or not? If it isn't (except if the engine overheats) then check the radiator fins to see if they are corroded. These are the fine metal pieces that make the %26quot;grid%26quot; on the radiator (usually they are horizontal) and sit between the metal pipes that hold the water. You need to check from the front of the radiator, not the back. Remove leaves and any debris as this will affect cooling. The front should look similar to the back (bugs and the like aside). If they are corroded the best option is to replace the radiator. The fins should all be flush with the front of the radiator. Go and look at a fairly new car to see what the radiator fins should look like.

If it is loosing water you need to fill it up to the manufacturer's maximum and go for a drive to get the engine %26quot;warmed up%26quot; then check to find out where the leak is. Take a torch with you. If the leak is a damaged hose: replace it. If the leak is a poorly sealed hose connection then tighten up the %26quot;clip%26quot; (or whatever it's called). You may need to replace the hose as well.

If the leak is a crack on the radiator you could try some heat resistant epoxy resin over the crack (sand the surface first so the resin sticks to the metal and not the paint), otherwise you will need to consider getting a new radiator (or a refurbished one, but not a second hand one unless you know your radiators).

Do NOT use one of those %26quot;fix any radiator leak pour it in the water%26quot; stuff they sell in auto shops unless the leak is extremely minor. These leave a sort of %26quot;tar%26quot; inside the engine which I suspect actually hinders cooling the engine.
a blown head gasket would result in compression loss at the cylinders,



1. Are you loosing water from your radiator?

2. Are you overheating or not getting heat?



You could try:

1. A compression test on your engine

2 See if your water pump is working:

Remove radiator cap,

Start engine, let run for 5minutes then carfully look into radiator

if the thermostat and water pump are working the fluid will first %26quot;swell as the water heats and then begin to circulate as the thermostat opens and the pump begins to move thte water.

3. Your cooling fan or radiator may not be working properly.



more trhan likely your fan is not working.
The easiest way is, are you losing coolant? When you start your car is there a big puff of white smoke coming out the exhaust (not to be confused with cold air)?



Also check the seal of the radiator cap and make sure there is no air in the coolant lines. this can cause the car to heat up as well.
do a compression test and if that doesn't find it, have a pressure test done on the cooling system but first pull the dipstick check the oil if its brown and creamy you have a bad head gasket.
If your gasket is blown you will have water in your oil and it will look like a nasty chocolate milkshake.
With a annalyzer. It will read high HC at the radiator filler cap

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