Some queries about car overheating / radiator / head gaskit

[Farhansa]

Comments of experts are requested regarding car overheating issue??
Following are the queries?

1. At what intervals we should clean / service radiator?

2. Is there any device available for checking about the status of head gaskit, whether its blown or fine?

3. What are the symptoms of blown head gaskit?

4. What is possibly the reason if we see white foam in radiator water?

5. Is there any drawback of continuing with weak head gaskit?

[cracked]

1. At what intervals we should clean / service radiator?
   A:radiator service is coolant dependent..i mean if ur using good quality coolant, radiator will last like a decade cuz coolant makes sure no rust develops..tap water use kro gy to every year or alternate year

2. Is there any device available for checking about the status of head gaskit, whether its blown or fine?
   i guess not.i mean there are symptoms tht will tell gasket is failed,but device i cant say!

3. What are the symptoms of blown head gaskit?
   water in mobile oil and oil in radiator coolant.also some milky thingy in tappet cover area!

4. What is possibly the reason if we see white foam in radiator water?
   white foam is prolly oil,caused due to blown gasket

5. Is there any drawback of continuing with weak head gasket?
   its advised to get it fixed early before bigger problem occurs like maybe engine seizure!

[PKTUN]

compression guage can help assess or confirm blown gaskit as well sticky foamy coolant is sign of kappot head gaskit

[Farhansa]

Thanx @ cracked
for detailed reply

[Farhansa]

Is this the sign of blown head gaskit if radiator throw water outside with pressure??

[faziljaved]

Comments of experts are requested regarding car overheating issue??
Following are the queries?

1. At what intervals we should clean / service radiator?

2. Is there any device available for checking about the status of head gaskit, whether its blown or fine?

3. What are the symptoms of blown head gaskit?

4. What is possibly the reason if we see white foam in radiator water?

5. Is there any drawback of continuing with weak head gaskit?

your answers here:
1. use any good quality coolant and you dont need to clean radiator. if you use water then once a year at least.
2. there is a device but i am afraid it might not be available in pakistan. it takes water sample from radiator and checks it and tells if gasket is leaked or not.
3. the easiest of all the symptoms is small air bubbles will be visible in the radiator when the engine is running.
4. cant tell you
5. yes. if you continue to drive the car with leaked gasket, the leakage will increase with time and water will contaminate the engine oil. once the water is in the engine then it will destroy everything inside. crank pins , cylinders, cams, and every part that is made of cast iron or steel will be damaged with rust or corosion plus seals will also be damaged. the whole engine can be damaged from inside

[Vajih102]

1. What are the symptoms of blown head gaskit?

A/C begins to throw mixed air, at times cold and otherwise warm. In cars like Honda City 2006 which do not have the temperature gauge, this a/c indication is how my friend judges his car is about to get overheated.

[umarpal7]

Is this the sign of blown head gaskit if radiator throw water outside with pressure??

yes the water doesn't stays in the radiator. as you rev the car, water comes out and secondly the car starts to miss giving very bad jerks and if you dont replace the gaskit quickly your rings and piston also get blown........

when water is mixed with oil due to blown head gaskit then the oil changes its texture and turns into white creamy stuff.

[Farhansa]

If radiator throw water out with pressure, its also the sign of chocked / blocked thermostat.

My car was being overheated and radiator threw water out with pressure. temperature gauge also stayed over the normal limit. Two mechanics advised me to replace head gaskit.

Same day i took my car for a long drive. From Islamabad to Wazirabad. During the journey i noticed that the temperature needle returned to its normal position.

Since then the temperature is normal.

I consulted the mechanic who told be that he was wrong. gaskit was fine infact the thermostat was chocked.

thats strange !!!!

[Xulfiqar]

if the thermostat sticks shut (quite rare) - the engine will overheat and you will not have any movement of coolant in the radiator.

[Farhansa]

still having no problem of overheating.
thank God. i didn't undertake gaskit replacement

[fahadwizz]

I had a bad water body (rusted impellers) and the rad was throwing out water. It was not the gasket. If you've been using tap water, kindly check water pump before opening the head.

[irfan44]

if the thermostat sticks shut (quite rare) - the engine will overheat and you will not have any movement of coolant in the radiator.

Actually it happened with me on a mehran. my car occasionally threw water out from overflow/ reserve bottle but the water use to be cold not hot. Got the radiator cleaned & was travelling on motorway when saw my temp needle rising & stopped the car in time. the water was flowing from the bottle. the mobile workshop man of motorway just took 5 minutes to remove the thermostat valve & all went fine..

[Xulfiqar]

Actually it happened with me on a mehran. my car occasionally threw water out from overflow/ reserve bottle but the water use to be cold not hot. Got the radiator cleaned & was travelling on motorway when saw my temp needle rising & stopped the car in time. the water was flowing from the bottle. the mobile workshop man of motorway just took 5 minutes to remove the thermostat valve & all went fine..

Your case seems like air lock or corroded water intake pipe rather than stuck Tstat

[revengez]

Your case seems like air lock or corroded water intake pipe rather than stuck Tstat

Removing thermostate is the favourit job of our local mechanics.

[Xulfiqar]

its like prescribing panadol to every patient

[taskheershamas]

its like prescribing panadol to every patient

agreed 100%