What is the purpose of a cylinder head gasket?
The cylinder head gasket is a part of a car’s combustion engine. It keeps the cooling circuit and the engine oil lines from getting into the combustion chamber. The gasket goes between the cylinder head and the crankcase and has to be able to handle a lot of heat and stress. The cylinder-head gasket also makes sure that no gases or liquids can get into or out of the combustion chamber. If the cooling system stops working, the engine can’t get rid of the heat properly, and the engine gets hotter.
Defective Cylinder Head Gasket
If the cylinder head gasket is broken, one sign is that the cooling water is leaking out and needs to be added again and again to keep the level up. Another sign of a problem is exhaust gases or pressure in the cooling system. You can tell this is happening by the bubbles that form in the cooling water while the machine is running. Another sign is a lot of air leaking out and radiator hoses that are very stiff. If you see oil in the cooling water, like a brownish colour in the expansion tank, it could be because the CCD is broken. This can cause the cooling circuit to get clogged. If you find cooling water in the engine, like yellow slime on the oil filler neck, it means there is a problem. When the engine is running at high speeds, like when you’re driving on the highway, the temperature of the engine going up can be another sign of possible damage. White smoke coming out of the exhaust is a clear sign that the head gasket is broken.
Damage to the engine caused by a bad cylinder-head gasket
If any of the above problems with the broken cylinder-head gasket happen, you need to do something. This can lead to more damage if the damage is not found in time. You could damage the engine if you don’t respond. This can lead to very high repair costs and, in the worst case, even losing everything.
What will it cost to fix the damage?
In the workshop, the expert has to take off the cylinder head to get to the head gasket. The amount of work that needs to be done is also high, but the cost of the materials is reasonable. You need a new cylinder-head gasket, engine oil, and, if necessary, an oil filter and coolant. The inspection of the cylinder-head gasket, the removal work, the gasket replacement, and the oil and coolant change all add up to the labour costs. Cleaning the cooling system, which may be necessary, is another possible cost.
Of course, the prices are very different for each make and model. Also, the question comes up naturally: should repairs be done at an authorised workshop or at a workshop that isn’t affiliated with the company?
These cost ranges should give you a rough idea:
- The price of a cylinder head gasket ranges from about 15 AUD to 200 AUD.
- Oil for the engine costs between 30 and 150 AUD.
- Oil filter: about 20 AUD
- Installation costs between 400 and 1,500 AUD.
- Change in time to avoid damage that follows
You should have your vehicle checked right away if the way it behaves suggests that the cylinder-head gasket is broken. If a problem is found, a professional should replace the gasket right away, or else serious damage could happen.