Your car engine is made out of a lot of different parts. Each part is important, though some are more important than others. One important part of your vehicle’s engine is a head gasket.

A head gasket works as a seal. It seals off any air or coolant from going to places where it should not go. The head gasket seals in engine oil so it stays where it needs to be.

The head gasket has an important job. It needs to be in top form in order for your engine to work properly. If a head gasket blows there are certain signs to watch out for.

Fluids mixing – When coolant is mixed with the oil this is a good sign that there is a blown head gasket. Intermixed fluids, whether that is water and oil, or coolant in oil, means that the gasket is failing to keep them properly separated. This is an obvious sign that Utah auto repair work needs to be done.

Low fluid levels – If you are having an issue with low coolant fluid levels it can be caused by a blown gasket. There shouldn’t be any sign of leakage. Instead, the levels are lowered because there is no longer a gasket there keeping the fluid where it needs to be.

Hydrolocking – Hydrolocking happens when your car will not turn over. This is caused because coolant has moved in to the engine’s cylinder. The blown gasket is no longer sealed the coolant away from the cylinder. Your Utah auto repair mechanic will need to be called for assistance.

White Smoke – If you notice a white smoke that comes from your car exhaust this can be a sign that you have a blown head gasket. This white smoke is caused because the coolant in the engine is burning. Coolant would burn if it flowed in to a section of the engine it wasn’t supposed to be in.

Overheating – Overheating of the engine can be caused by a blown head gasket. When the engine overheats, and there is no sign of coolant leaking, a blown gasket would explain your trip to the Utah auto repair shop. When coolant and liquids flow in to parts of the engine where they are not supposed to overheating can occur.