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Cars for Sale - car needs a head gasket!
Posted on: Sunday, December 13, 2009
Cars for Sale - car needs a head gasket!
We see those Ads for sale way too often. What does it mean "car needs a head gasket"?
Well, it means 85% of the time - "Car needs a new engine".
Lets' see what makes a head gasket to go bad.
Engine head gasket is not a part that affected by wear and tear and it can not go bad if engine was operated normally. Period!
Only one thing can make it go bad - engine overheating. Not just any overheating - excessive overheating which translates to a very bad thing - excessive engine wear during pro-longed time.
It does not matter what seller of the car will tell you - if engine was not re-built by the professional after overheating - it does not have many miles left in it.
If you hear that engine just had a head gasket replaced and it did not have cylinders honed and crankshaft bearings replaced to a new specs and head repaired - this engine is soon to be gone South.
Engine overheating
Many things could contribute to engine overheating. Depending on a length of time it was overheating and the actual temperature it was reaching damage could be very excessive.
Contributing factors to engine overheating:
- Leaky radiator
- Low engine oil level
- Old oil or oil with condensed water
- Wrong oil type
- Improper fuel mixture
- Clogged radiator
- Radiator airflow disruption
- Faulty thermostat
- Improper/outdated cooling system design
- Faulty ECU
- Faulty temperature gauge that fails to operate cooling fan and dashboard warning light to warn the driver
- Careless driver who did not take proper action when engine overheated
Engine life expectancy.
Unless you know exactly all contributing factors to engine overheating and how long and how extensive was overheating - always treat the engine that needs a new head gasket as a dead one! No ifs or buts. Better be safe than sorry!
There are no miracles in this world and engine only needs a new head gasket when it was overheated or somebody did a major repair on it without proper technical knowledge and experience.
There is nothing worse price-wise than fixing somebody else's errors in repair.
Drive safely and always consult with knowledgeable mechanic if in doubt - never take car seller's word.
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