Head Gaskets Repairs & Replacement in Corby

Common Symptoms of Possible Head Gasket Failure

• A white / yellow mixture inside the oil filler cap – This is often referred to as “mayonnaise” as it really does ape the look of it. Be careful though, because an engine that receives little use can display mayonnaise due to condensation within the cap. This is nothing to worry about, although you may want to drive your motor more often to avoid parts seizing up through lack of use.
• Flat spots whilst driving – This can often be a sign of poor timing or issues within your fuel system, yet it can also be a sign that water / oil is getting into the combustion chamber, occasionally getting in the way of ignition.
• Blue smoke from the exhaust – This is often a sign of piston ring wear, especially in older cars with more than 100,000 miles on the clock. In this case it is not an immediate breakdown threat, although you should have the ring fixed when you can. However, if you spot blue smoke plus a white mayonnaise inside your oil cap, it can be a sign oil is entering the combustion chamber and being detonated. The blue smoke is basically the result of a dirty fuel (Engine Oil) being burnt instead of petrol.
• Occasional uneven engine tick-over – Head gaskets do not always “fail” straight away. Often, they fail in one small section of the gasket, causing slight symptoms that can come and go over time. Things to watch out for are uneven running on specific parts of the rev range, plus white smoke that may only occur on tick-over or at certain speeds. This happens because the head gasket might only be failing within one section, effecting a specific cylinder chamber or only weeping when the momentum of the car “warps” the cylinder head in a way.