The head gasket is one of the most important components of your car’s engine. It is a mechanical seal that is fitted between the engine block and piston cylinder head. Its purpose is to ensure that the compression process is contained within the combustion chamber, and to prevent the mixing of fluids such as the coolant and engine oil.

Step 1: How to Check for a Blown Head Gasket

Look for a high engine temperature. High temperatures can cause your gasket to blow, and once this has occurred, your engine temperature will only continue to rise. If your car is constantly overheating, this could be a sign that your head gasket has blown.

Check for lower coolant levels. If your head gasket is blown, coolant may be leaking from the cooling system.

Look out for milky or frothy oil. Check the colour of your oil. If it’s white and milky looking, or if your oil dipstick reveals a frothy substance, chances are your oil has mixed with the coolant and your head gasket has blown.

Beware of light smoke emerging from the exhaust pipe. If you spot white smoke emerging from your exhaust pipe, this could mean that the coolant has leaked into the combustion chamber.

Step 2: How to Repair a Blown Head Gasket

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal, located at the top of the car battery.

2. Remove the intake hose and airbox

3. Take off the air conditioner compressor; this will require you to remove several bolts. Once the compressor is free, lay the device on its side in order to access the cylinder head.

4. Disconnect the water pump hose, by using a screwdriver to loosen the clamp.

5. Remove the alternator. You won’t need to take off the entire alternator harness; simply remove the bolts.

6. Drain the radiator and remove the radiator hoses. Disconnect all the lines running to the air conditioner.

7. The head gasket should now be visible. Refer to your service manual and pay close attention to the tightening sequence for the head bolts that hold the head gasket in place, as these must be loosened in the correct reverse order.

8. Remove the old blown head gasket. Be sure to thoroughly clean the cylinder head, so that the new head gasket sits correctly.

9. Once you have fitted the new head gasket into the space, tighten the bolts again in the correct order. You’ll need a torque wrench to do so, as the bolts must be torqued to a specific tightness, relevant to your particular vehicle. It’s crucial that these bolts are torqued correctly, as otherwise you may cause damage to your new head gasket.