How to Test for Bad Head Gaskets
- 1). Open your hood and check the oil dipstick. See if there are remnants of coolant on the dipstick. Once a head gasket breaks, it usually causes coolant to filter into the oil, giving it a milky appearance. To be certain, drain some oil into a pan, place under light and see if there are spots.
- 2). Turn on the engine, leave it in park and walk to the back of your car to check the exhaust pipe. When head gaskets fail, the exhaust has a white color. Sometimes, there is a sweet smell coming out of the pipe.
- 3). Open your hood and use a flashlight to inspect the area around the engine block and compression cylinder. See if there are obvious cracks or coolant leaks that may indicate a bad head gasket.
- 4). Gently rev the engine while the car is in park. If your car feels like it may stall going back to an idle position, you may have a faulty head gasket. Once the head gasket fails, the compression may not be sufficient to keep the engine running. Try this method multiple times to get a better idea if you have a bad head gasket.
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