Blown head gasket damage catalytic converter

Many of the symptoms of a blown head gasket are signs of other problems as well. Conversely, many seemingly simple issues are the first signs of a blown head gasket.

It is important to pay special attention to these signals because early diagnosis might be able to save you thousands of dollars. The radiator constantly requires additional fluid. This is a common issue that normally does not indicate anything as disastrous as a damaged head gasket.

It could be a small leak in a cooling system hose or in the radiator itself. If you find yourself topping off the radiator repeatedly, get it checked for leaks. If no leak is identified, a mechanic should search for other symptoms of a blown head gasket.

The temperature gauge shows the car running hotter than usual. Again, this may or may not be related to a head gasket leak. Certain normal conditions can heat up the engine. Towing a heavy load, running the air conditioning full-blast, and stop-and-go driving on a blazing hot day can all drive up the temperature. So can loss of coolant , which can happen for a variety of reasons. A mechanic can search for more likely causes before concluding it is a blown head gasket.

Bubbles are forming in the radiator and coolant reservoir. This might be nothing. It might be a blown head gasket. Bubbles can form when air gets into the cooling system.

This can result from a poorly fitting radiator cap or even from nothing at all. If it persists even after fixing the cap, it is time to suspect trouble.

Thick white smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipe. It is important to distinguish white smoke from steam. Condensation can occur when a vehicle is started after standing still on a cold day. In that case, a thin stream of clear or white smoke can emanate from the tailpipe. It is not a problem and should disappear after a minute or so. This is never a good thing and should be investigated. Even if it is not a blown head gasket, a crack in the cylinder head or engine block is also big trouble.

The dashboard temperature gauge has pinned. Stop the car! Make sure there is coolant in the radiator. If not, address the coolant problem and buy time to determine if there is an underlying issue.

The oil is discolored. If coolant crosses the head gasket and leaks into the engine oil, it can give the oil a frothy look, like someone has just whipped up some warm milk. Milk is good for you, but frothy engine oil is not. The engine misfires when starting up. Again, this could have a host of causes, most of them not quite as potentially catastrophic as a blown head gasket.

When combined with white exhaust, that is a tell-tale sign that coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber. Get that checked immediately. BlueDevil Pour N Go Head Gasket Sealer is poured into the radiator and circulated through the engine to find and seal leaks in metals and composites.

It then bonds to a variety of surfaces for a permanent seal. While nothing is better than the original parts or replacement parts made specifically for a vehicle, sealant is a great backup plan that can provide a permanent solution while averting large car repair bills. Happy to hear that.. And no major white smoke or smell out the exhaust i list a bunvh of coant after a longer trio onto the ground as i got home..

Even though i. Having heat issues as well? Im nit a mechanic but i retend when i have too.. Thank you for asking about your Chevy Duramax.

Based on your description, it sounds as though you may be losing coolant a little too quickly for the product to be beneficial. A hard part repair may be your best option.

Synthetic Power Steering Fluid. In the case of the original question, the actual problem was that the plugged cat had caused the problem of the blown head gasket, not the other way around.

Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Can a head gasket leak cause the cat to plug? Ask Question. Asked 7 years, 9 months ago. Active 3 years, 10 months ago. Viewed 8k times. Improve this question. Zaid Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes.

Here are the reasons given on the website: Engine Tune-Up Required. Excess Fuel Entering Exhaust The fuel that powers your vehicle is meant to burn in the combustion chamber only. Oil or Antifreeze Entering Exhaust. Oxygen Sensor Not Functioning Properly. Road Damage or Broken Hangers. Improve this answer. Community Bot 1. I didn't realize that that was even possible! I found out after the fact, from the driver's description, that the cat had been plugged for a while, but he continued to drive the truck harder and harder until the head cracked due to over pressure.

This happened over time. I mean, he just kept pushing the throttle trying to make the truck go faster not even worrying about the why it was happening or if something needed to be fixed. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. Featured on Meta. New post summary designs on greatest hits now, everywhere else eventually. Linked 6.

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