My head gasket might be going.

[beaniebby]

Hey guys.

The other day my friends were having a look at my engine and checked out my radiator and coolant and said that there was oil in my coolant. The coolant is a light brown. I'm not positive they knew what they were talking about but they said my head gasket was going. My car has never overheated and I do have smoke coming out of my exhaust sometimes. Not like thick thick smoke, very light smoke like a cigarette for like 10-30 seconds at the minimum. I could get some pictures of the coolant inside my reservoir, but not so much for the rad.

I used some lucas engine stop leak, because personally i think it's a valve seal. because the smoke is kind of whitish blue, just did this yesterday. I was thinking of draining the coolant and starting it fresh. Would that help if lucas has stopped the leak? I need this car to last another year at the minimum. I can't afford another car and this is my daily driver.

 

[MrGiggles]

Could just be scum from old coolant or stop leak residue from a previous owner.

Are you losing oil?

90% of the time when a head gasket leaks it'll leak combustion gas into the cooling system. They can leak coolant into the oil and vice versa, but you don't see it as often because the pressure in the combustion chamber is much higher.

 

[beaniebby]

Could just be scum from old coolant or stop leak residue from a previous owner.

Are you losing oil?

90% of the time when a head gasket leaks it'll leak combustion gas into the cooling system. They can leak coolant into the oil and vice versa, but you don't see it as often because the pressure in the combustion chamber is much higher.

I am losing a lot of oil yes. I was running dry without knowing it this week. Didn't think to check. But i used some high milage oil and lucas stop leak and i don't seem to be losing anymore. I also flushed my coolant today. And there was oil in my radiator. I put all new coolant in, hoping that no more oil leaks in. But the only thing I can think of that would cause that is the head gasket like my friends told me, is this a sign that it is on its last life?

Car is an automatic if that makes a difference.

 

[MrGiggles]

The transmission cooler in the radiator can leak and mix the two. Check the the trans fluid, if it's pink or milky you have found the problem.

 

[beaniebby]

The transmission cooler in the radiator can leak and mix the two. Check the the trans fluid, if it's pink or milky you have found the problem.

The trans fluid is labeled "atf" right? If so it's not pink or milky. Damn.