Blown head gasket - 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora

• coolant from exhaust indicates a blown head gasket or a cracked head on the block

Hi there:
Pay attention. here is the most common symptoms a Blown Head Gasket are:
- Your car is overheating. You know it's not the Fan or Thermostat.
- White Smoke is coming out of the tail-pipe and it smells like Anti-Freeze being cooked.
- The car won't start:
* You have already verified it's not an Ignition System problem because you have Spark coming out at all of the Spark Plug Wires.
* You know it's not a Lack of Fuel, because you have verified that the Fuel Pump is delivering Fuel to the Fuel Injectors.
- The Engine Oil is thick and tan to off-white color.



Hope this helps.

a blown head gasket is the gasket between the bottom half of the engine and the top , a blown head gasket can cause many problems ,ie oil water getting into the pistons ,

If you have coolant leaking out of the muffler the head gasket is most likely blown. The head gasket has passageways through it for coolant water, exhaust, intake and engine oil. Depending on which location the gasket has ruptured you can mix fluids or gasses in several combinations. The only way coolant can get to the exhaust is through a cracked head or blown head gasket. If the head is cracked and another head is installed a new head gasket is installed because reusing a used gasket is very risky. The only to be sure what is broken is to take the heads off. If only the head gasket is blown the head is usually warped and should at least be milled if not replaced. I hope this helps.

head gasket water getting into cylinders

Blown head gaskets for sure, no way of knowing if heads are cracked without taking it apart, there no quick fix for this, only fix is to take it apart and repair as needed.

You answered the second part of your question with the first part. Your car will not start because of the blown head gasket. You'll need to repair the head gasket and any other damage first. Often a blown head gasket is just a symptom of other problems and sometimes it's the cause of other problems.

a cracked head or blown head gasket,will cause your vehicle to have a miss in the cylander where the crack is or where the gasket is blown. you can also see coolant leaking if the gasket is blown. you can also see water in the oil,and white smoke come from the exhaust.
to tell for sure that the head is cracked,and not just a blown gasket is to remove the head. you will instantly see if the gasket is blown. if its not,then turn the head upside down and look at the small space between the valves,as this is where 99% of cracks occur.

Often (but not always), a blown head gasket will also cause deposit of water on a piece of cardboard held an inch from the tailpipe output while the engine is running (when this is happening, it is likely that the catalytic converter has been ruined and the muffler will corrode in short order as well).

Sometimes drops of water will be seen dropping from the end of the tailpipe. Another clue: turn on the heater; often when the head gasket is blown an odor of antifreeze and synthetic rubber will emanate from the heater vents.
Many of the symptoms of blown head gasket can be caused by some other problem in the cooling system, without the head gasket being damaged. Conversely, other problems with the cooling system can cause a blown head gasket and/or warped head.

When checking for a blown head gasket, one of the most common tell-tale signs is a milky-gray ring around your oil cap. When coolant enters the engine oil through a crack in the head or through a blown gasket, it evaporates and leaves a milky ring around the oil cap. Another easy way to tell is to check your oil dipstick. Change your oil and pull out the dipstick. Make sure that you take note of how far up the dipstick the oil is. Top off your cooling system and fill your cooling reservoir to the top. Screw radiator cap back on and start engine. Run engine for about 20-30 mins. or until it reaches normal operating temperature. Allow engine to cool (engine must cool completely to get accurate oil reading!!). Check oil dipstick again. If the oil has a watery appearance and has risen noticeably up the dipstick, the you probably have a blown head gasket or a warped head. Also look for a dripping, sweet-smelling liquid coming out of your tailpipe. Any of the above symptoms could be the result of a blown head gasket. The easiest way to tell is with a compression meter. This replaces the spark plug and lets you know what compression each cylinder is running at. If your compression is abnormally low, then you have a blown head gasket or a warped head. (note: consult repair manual for appropriate compression of each cylinder.)

there are many was a head gasket can blow . sometimes they just leak to the outside sometimes they leak to the coolant and then it blows out your antifreeze. if you have a blown head gasket you will see it when you pull the head. and yes you should hace the head checked at a machine shop and install with a new head set never reuse a gasket .
later paul