blown headgasket easy fix?
You have to have a pretty big gasket failure to get anything out of a compression test. If your headgasket is only seeping, your compression difference may be too small come to a solid conclusion
A hydrocarbon test (aka block test) isn't overboard at all, and certainly not as extensive as a compression test. You fill up a tube with a solution they give you. Remove your radiator cap and place the tube over the radiator's spout and turn on your engine. If combustion gas is present in the cooling system, the color of the solution will change. Most of the solutions they have in the market is blue and will change to green or yellow (when its really bad). The color will change even at the slightest hint of hydrocarbon.
A hydrocarbon test (aka block test) isn't overboard at all, and certainly not as extensive as a compression test. You fill up a tube with a solution they give you. Remove your radiator cap and place the tube over the radiator's spout and turn on your engine. If combustion gas is present in the cooling system, the color of the solution will change. Most of the solutions they have in the market is blue and will change to green or yellow (when its really bad). The color will change even at the slightest hint of hydrocarbon.
I recently had a blown HG on my Toyota Previa. The hydrocarbon test came back negative and the compression test gave good results. The car did burn coolant though, that was the only indication of the HG failure.
If the color changed just a bit, then it just means you have very very little hydrocarbon. It's not a major failure so keep your coolant level full and you should be good for a while.
Does white smoke come out of the tailpipe? Sometimes the color change is subtle, and you must run the car for a while to let the air make it back up to the radiator neck.
How much coolant were you losing? Did you do a leakdown test to make sure it wasn't leaking. My father's 93 Camry V6 had the same issue. I had to pour in coolant every 3 weeks because it would be low. I thought it was a headgasket issue but it turned out to be a leaking hose. The rate of the lost was so low (maybe 6 drops per day?) that the any coolant that leaked would be burned up by the engine right away so I never found it without a leakdown test.
@ GSTeg
Yeah the car was blowing white smoke. That's why I began thinking I had a blown HG. Took the car to the mech' and he did the test I previously mentioned. He was pretty sure it wasn't a blown HG.
I was also losing coolant. So my mech' looked at it again and found a leaking hose, which he replaced. But then the car began smoking more and more and when the engine was warm it would stall for some reason (had to wait for it to cool before it would start again).
That's when we decided to open the engine and saw that it was indeed a blown HG.
Yeah the car was blowing white smoke. That's why I began thinking I had a blown HG. Took the car to the mech' and he did the test I previously mentioned. He was pretty sure it wasn't a blown HG.
I was also losing coolant. So my mech' looked at it again and found a leaking hose, which he replaced. But then the car began smoking more and more and when the engine was warm it would stall for some reason (had to wait for it to cool before it would start again).
That's when we decided to open the engine and saw that it was indeed a blown HG.
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
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From: tx
Driver School Candidate
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Buy a leakdown tester @ Harbor Frieght for $35.00 you need some compressed air & the guages screw right into the spark plug hole on a hose. Air it up on TDC compression & the guages will tell you if you have a leak. Look up a leakdown tester on google I have one & they work great! Also look for oil in the water or water in the oil.
You have to have a pretty big gasket failure to get anything out of a compression test. If your headgasket is only seeping, your compression difference may be too small come to a solid conclusion
A hydrocarbon test (aka block test) isn't overboard at all, and certainly not as extensive as a compression test. You fill up a tube with a solution they give you. Remove your radiator cap and place the tube over the radiator's spout and turn on your engine. If combustion gas is present in the cooling system, the color of the solution will change. Most of the solutions they have in the market is blue and will change to green or yellow (when its really bad). The color will change even at the slightest hint of hydrocarbon.
A hydrocarbon test (aka block test) isn't overboard at all, and certainly not as extensive as a compression test. You fill up a tube with a solution they give you. Remove your radiator cap and place the tube over the radiator's spout and turn on your engine. If combustion gas is present in the cooling system, the color of the solution will change. Most of the solutions they have in the market is blue and will change to green or yellow (when its really bad). The color will change even at the slightest hint of hydrocarbon.
well its probally blown to to overheating.. id do a thermostat from lexus while your at it but its not entirely difficult you might be able to get away with doing it over a couple days while mil-ing the head.. just make sure you have accurate torque wrench..
Me personally, I wouldn't buy it due to the fact it is a confirmed blown head gasket, overheated engine with 200K miles on it. Unless you are factoring in the cost of the car, plus an engine swap there are better deals out there. Heck, too bad you are not in Hawaii. I'm selling my 03 GS430 with 149,xxx miles on it without a blown HG for $5K. Or at least I will be soon.
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Carfreak70
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Oct 5, 2008 09:04 PM
