Leaking/Blown Head Gasket

[Deleted User]

How long can I expect to drive with a leaking/blown head gasket before the car packs up altogether?

Krach

I wouldn't be driving it at all, get it seen to. It'll cost a lot less to repair now, rather than when the engine goes bang.

Norman_Castle

It depends on how bad the leak is.

[Deleted User]

It has been leaking at least 18 months. Garage quoted £400 to fix.

Foxy-Stoat_3

When you say its leaking, you mean you have been losing coolant and or oil or the coolant has been mixing with the oil for the last 18 months. Leaking HG can last for ages if you keep an eye on the oil, coolant and engine temperature and how hard its driven.

Failed HG's only cause damage to the head when the driver doesn't notice the that the oil and or coolant has disappeared and the engine overheats and still continue to drive it.

Jamie_Carter

Deleted_User wrote: »

It has been leaking at least 18 months. Garage quoted £400 to fix.

I'd try getting quotes from different garages

vaio

For £10 this has got to be worth a try http://www.kseal.com/uk/

Joe_Horner

It depends where it's leaking.

If you have a water leak to a cylinder, as long as you keep the water topped up you'll probably be ok but it's likely to get worse over time and you run a slight risk of bursing radiators or hoses because of the extra pressure.

If you have a water leak to oil then it'll probably stay as a minor leak, but the oil will suffer so you'll need to change it far more frequently.

If you have a leak between two cylinders then it'll be blowing hot combustion gas through the gap on every revolution and will wreck the head and / or block by burning a groove in them.

[Deleted User]

Oil and coolant have always been kept at correct levels but oil is mixing in the coolant. Car doesn't over heat either.

londonTiger

vaio wrote: »

For £10 this has got to be worth a try http://www.kseal.com/uk/

this may work for old carberrator engines that were a lot more simple mechanically. But I would not do this on a modern car.

OP. Don't drive the car at all. You can make the car worse and make it irrepairable. Get it fixed my a competent mechanic who will also diagnose and fix the cause.

vaio

londonTiger wrote: »

this may work for old carberrator engines that were a lot more simple mechanically. But I would not do this on a modern car.......

your choice obviously, but I'd be interested in why as I'd have thought cooling systems have remained basically the same over the years

londonTiger wrote: »

......OP. Don't drive the car at all. You can make the car worse and make it irrepairable. Get it fixed my a competent mechanic who will also diagnose and fix the cause.

Bit late given the OP has been driving around with the leak for at least 18 months

OP if you have an oil to water leak then K Seal won't work so you'll either have to spring to get it fixed or live with it, obviously the general advice has to be "fix it" but depending on severity, car, mileage etc etc you might well be better living with it.