Symptoms of a failing Cylinder Head

Check engine warning light

Listen, it's a safe space here. We know you tend to ignore that check engine light. But the check engine light exists to offer you a warning when something with your car is wrong. And no matter how hard you hope, you’re not going to fix any issues by looking away. There are a lot of things that could be wrong if the check engine warning light is on, and one of them is a cylinder head that is damaged or malfunctioning.

Engine is misfiring

If the check engine light won't get your attention, then you’ll probably notice if your engine starts acting up a bit. If your cylinder head is cracked or otherwise compromised, the combustion chamber won’t have the ideal level of compression. That will lead to the engine running a little poorly. You’ll start to notice the engine misfiring as rough running or lack of engine performance.

Leaks

There are a lot of different fluids in a car, so a leak can be many different things. One of those fluids is coolant, which is tasked with keeping your car’s engine at a safe temperature. If your car is leaking coolant, it may be due to broken cylinder head. If the cylinder head is cracked, coolant will have an easy way of escaping the system. In some instances, the cylinder head may leak oil as well.

Low coolant level

Ready to put two and two together? If your car is leaking coolant, what do you think might happen to the coolant level? If you guessed that it might be lower, then go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. Well done. Look, I won’t judge you if you don’t spend your precious free time checking your car’s fluid levels. I’m sure you have much more important things to do. But checking fluids is a good habit to get into. It only takes a few minutes, and then you’ll notice it when your car is running short on coolant.

Engine overheating

So, in more mind-blowing news, if the cylinder head is cracked, and the car is leaking coolant, the engine might not cool down successfully. Shocker! Your car has a temperature gauge for the engine. Pay attention to it. And if the engine gets too hot, stop driving, and get your car looked at. Driving with an overheating engine is like trying to drink a cup of boiling hot water. You might feel tough, but it’s flat out dumb.

Smoke from the engine

Smoke emerging from the tailpipe of your car? Not a good thing. Not a good thing at all. It’s often caused by coolant leaking into the engine, which could be the result of a cracked cylinder head. Another possible cause is valve guide seals in the cylinder head allowing oil to leak into the engine.

Low oil levels

Checking your oil is always a good habit, even if you always forget to do so. It might help you catch a busted cylinder head before things get worse. If your car’s cylinder head is cracked, oil loss may result. . If you notice the oil level dropping quicker than usual, it’s worth having the car looked at.