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Head Gasket Replacement

doc_loco

doc_loco

Messages
211
Does any one know how much it would cost to replace the head gasket as I think mine is going? I'm seeing the dreaded thick white smoke when I start it but this dissapears after the car is warm, but also my coolant levels are dropping. I've checked for leaks and can't find and visual ones and my oil seems perfect and there's no milky sign to it at all. But worse comes to worse does anyone know how much this costs?
 
Headgaskets in these engines are normaly very tight and will take some serious abuse before they go, although heavy running without the correct lubricant levels will give you problems.

Are you sure that the white smoke is not just the car being cold and warming up?

Does it seem to have lost any power?

Test your coolant levels again, at the same time, say in the moring before you start the car. Also check the radiator cap, make sure that that is ok.

If your still not convinced, take it too a garage and get them to do a emissions test on the coolant.

Cost wise, its labour thats the killer, not parts.
 
I realise that these gaskets take serious abuse and I also realise that it could just be steam especially with the 5zigen exhaust but my coolant levels are going down and I'm trying to put 2 and 2 together. The other day when I drove for about 20 miles and stopped at a traffic light my temp gauge went up to 3/4 of the way. It did not surpass that and it actually stopped there but I got really worried. When I started driving again it went back to normal and again raised when I stopped. So I parked up and filled up my radiator. But upon inspection I cannot see any leaks at all!! I do remember having my fan on full blast but I haven't checked the heater core yet.
 
Check your thermostat underneath the inlet manifold at the front.

Go annd buy some halfords pink coolant. - drain your coolant. fill it up with Halfords PINK stuff. Drive it arroung for 20 mins. turn it off and get undernearth to have a look.

Look for pink marks on the block where its evaporated. or anywhere on the engine, however I am betting the seal has gone on your thermostat.
 
Head gaskets are around £37 + vat, its the fitting that'd sting you..unless you do it yourself of course ;)

Honda's fitting time is 6.7 hours...oh my

I make that over a £500 + vat :eek:
 
Isn't it blue smoke if the head gasket has gone? Plus if your oil is fine then I doubt it's the head.
If it disappears when the car is warm that's normal, alot of cars do it, especially when it's chilly.

As above you may just have a simple coolant leak, my old car had a leak and I couldn't see where it is coming from just looking down at the engine. I got under the car and spotted it straight away.
 
I just looked again today under the oil cap and in the dipstick....the oil cap has got some milky residue now and the dipstick is turned from gold to slightly darker brown so its definitely head gasket i think now.... Will this still happen is it is just a thermostat seal?
 
Get down to a garage and get them to do a emmisson test on the coolant.

I had this done on a Saxo I had, its like bottle with liquid in it and if any CO2 is in it it changes pink or something, but it lets you know if gases are getting into the coolant.

There is only so far we can advise you without being anywhere near the car.
 
If a stone went through the radiator won't it be leaking coolant from it? I don't see any leaks there...i thought these head gaskets can take some serious battering?!!
 
doc_loco said:
If a stone went through the radiator won't it be leaking coolant from it? I don't see any leaks there...i thought these head gaskets can take some serious battering?!!
Click to expand...

It could block the flow of coolant around the system enough to up the pressure and force it out of the bottle top via the pressurised rad cap.
 
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