Few things strike fear into a car owner’s heart like the words “blown head gasket” or “cracked cylinder.” These issues aren’t just expensive — they can mean the difference between saving your engine or replacing it entirely.
A head gasket seals the space between your engine block and cylinder head, keeping oil, coolant, and combustion gases where they belong. When it fails, symptoms include:
- White smoke from the exhaust (coolant burning)
- Milky oil or bubbling in the radiator
- Overheating and loss of coolant
- Rough idle or power loss
A cracked cylinder, on the other hand, often results from prolonged overheating or poor maintenance. It can cause similar signs — misfires, coolant loss, and oil contamination — but the damage is deeper and harder to repair.
Ignoring either problem can quickly turn a drivable car into a junkyard candidate. Regular cooling system maintenance, watching temperature gauges, and fixing small leaks early can save you thousands down the road.
Bottom line: when your car overheats, don’t just top off the coolant — find out why. Early diagnosis is the key to keeping your engine alive.