If your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s motor oil looks like milk, you’ve got a cracked head gasket underneath the hood. It is crucial that you have this repaired right away because the motor oil is mixing with the coolant. As the diluted motor oil circulates through the engine, it will damage it. A cracked head gasket also allows the motor oil into the combustion chamber where it is burned along with the coolant, air, and fuel. This is just one serious problem that occurs when the head gasket blows.
Engine Coolant Loss
The engine will also lose coolant quickly because it, too, will leak into the cylinder block when the head gasket cracks. Consequently, it will burn with the oil, air, and fuel. The more the coolant leaks into the cylinder block the less coolant you have in the engine. As such, you will see that your engine is getting too hot very quickly. Let’s talk about this next.
Quick Overheating
Any time the engine does not have enough coolant in it, it will overheat. The maximum temperature your engine should get is 220 degrees Fahrenheit. When the head gasket blows and starts to allow the coolant to leak into the cylinder block, the circulation of coolant through the engine decreases. Consequently, until you have the head gasket replaced, your engine is going to overheat.
Scorching Coolant
In fact, it can get so hot that it can overheat the coolant to the point that it boils. Even though you have coolant escaping the engine through the cracked head gasket, there will still be coolant in the radiator and the radiator overflow reservoir. As the engine’s temperature increases, the coolant will get hotter. Eventually, you will hear it boiling. You should never drive your automobile when the engine is this hot. Doing so can damage it beyond repair and the cracked head gasket is already a serious repair.
White Exhaust Smoke
Finally, as we mentioned above, the coolant is going to burn in the combustion chamber. When this happens, you will see white exhaust coming out of the tailpipe. If the exhaust is blue, the motor oil is burning in the combustion chamber. Aside from the noticeable exhaust, the hot engine may also release steam and smoke out from underneath the hood.
Call John Ellis & Son in Sacramento, CA, today if you have motor oil that looks like milk. As an aside, it’s safer for the engine if you have your vehicle towed to our shop rather than driving it.
