Is my head gasket gone?

Question

My car is misfiring but there’s no smoke or water coming out of the exhaust but there’s bubbles in the coolant.The water in the coolant is gone all brown. The temperature gauge is ok. The car drives ok but lately it feels like it losing power. My local garage told me its the head gasket.

VW Golf 2002 ( 75k Mileage)

Answer 1

Go get the car checked. To be honest with you I don't know much about cars, but I would suggest getting it checked to make sure everything is okay.

Answer 2

Dipstick. Pull it out. If there are any bubbles in the oil, it's head gasket.  

Answer 3

sorry but it sounds like the head gasket to me

Answer 4

Brown scum in the coolant is a very strong indication of tiny amounts of oil getting into the coolant - this is very often the first indication of a head gasket failure. add to that the bubbling in the coolant it is about a 98% certainty that the head gasket has failed - the other 2% possibility is a cracked cylinder head and we do not want to go there!  Unless you have a mechanic in whom you have absolute confidence ... get three or more estimates for repair (by phone - say the following: I believe my 02 VW golf has a blown head gasket how much will the replacement cost? ) based on the following assumptions: Replacement of head gasket, Replacement of timing belt (just do it!) Flushing coolant system and installing all new coolant.  Replacing engine oil and filter. Replacing the spark plugs using factory original spark plugs - accept no substitutes! If the mechanic objects to using factory plugs on your request go elsewhere!

Choose the shop with the middle quote!  

Answer 5

Take the dip stick out and if the oil is a milky colour it's gone. Get a mobile mechanic to change it otherwise you run the risk of doing some serious damage.

Answer 6

check the oil. if it,s not going out the tail pipe, then the anti-freeze might be going into the oil.

Answer 7

did you do a compression and leak down test?? dont let them sell you until u do ... is it tuned up? pull a plug or two and look

Answer 8

Sounds like it.

PLEASE,get it fixed ASAP. If it fails on a journey you stand every chance of killing the entire engine.

Answer 9

when my head gasket went was pourin out smoke n went through loads or oil  

Answer 10

It sounds like it. There's a LONG list of symptoms and those are among the big ones. It could also be simply rust in the water, and low level of antifreeze in the mix. Did the shop you asked to a cylinder compression test?

   That's where they disconnect the ignition, and cylinder by cylinder remove the spark plug, and attach a compression gauge. The ideal number will vary from make to make, but what you'll want to look for is the difference between readings in the cylinders. A major difference from one to the other pretty much seals the question. Just make sure a reputable shop does the test. A novice, or dishonest mechanic may report a valve train problem if/when it's ONLY the head gasket.

   Another quickie test you can do yourself is to run the engine, and put your hand over the exhaust pipe. (make sure it's not HOT first!) In many cases, head gasket trouble can manifest as vaccume THEN positive pressure in the exhaust. there should ONLY be positive pressure. A sucking effect sucks, cause it means big trouble with your rig.  

Answer 11

It could be a stuck Thermostat but when you say brown is it oily like engine oil? if so it is the head gasket but if it's just the tye of antifreeze it uses it may be that color. Change the antifreeze replace the thermostat and gasket then try if it still bubbles then it's a head gasket but that's cheaper.

Answer 12

well i know when my head gasket had gone it was leaking water from the head gasket and there was water in my oil  i would get a second oppinion if i were you it cost me £800  

Answer 13

Certainly has all the classic symptoms of head gasket failure.

Answer 14

Sounds a lot like a head gasket.

Don't drive it any more because if it blows through INTO the engine, that's the end of the engine. It sounds like you're lucky that it has only blown on the outside so far.

Answer 15

yeah it the head gasket

it releasing  pressure threw the radiator