I suspect my head gasket may have gone. Don’t know if that would cause the loss of heating too or whether that is another related issue.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

I was driving about a mile when I realised:

  1. Heating wouldn’t come on
  2. The temperature gauge was to the max

I drove home (about a mile) and found the coolant expansion tank was low, which I filled. I let it run at idle temperature for about 15 minutes, the temperature indicator mid tange, and then took it for a test drive.

After a mile the temperature indicator suddenly shot up from the middle to max and flashing. I pulled over, left it for 10 minutes, then started it up and it got me home.

I topped up the coolant. Again the indicator was in the middle of the temperature gauge when idling but after I revved the engine a while the coolant level went right down again. I also checked the oil cap at this time and noticed a creamy milky brown deposit.

I have done no more.

So:

  1. Brown emulsified deposit on oil filler cap
  2. When driven ar above idling, temperature shoots up to max and coolant goes down.
  3. No heating

Thanks.

  • Antonio_Malochio@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Yep, sounds like a head gasket. I’ve had it before in a couple of cars, and lack of heating is one of the first symptoms of a real bad time - the cabin heater works off hot coolant coming out of the engine. So when hot coolant decides to hang around inside your block and make friends with your oil instead, it won’t warm the cabin.

    Replacing a head gasket isn’t the worst job in the world - but driving while overheating can do things like warp the head, which isn’t fun to fix.