Head gasket failure?
I bought Ford Fiesta 1.4 2002 from an auction.
When I tried to service the car the spark plug snapped, which I removed with an appropriate extractor.
Then I serviced the car and took it for an MOT test car and the car failed on emissions.
I brought car back home and took the engine cover off. I found a puddle of water around same spark plug then I did a compression check on all spark plugs and discovered that they're all down on compression. A friend of mine told me the car's head gasket is gone, now I want to make sure you think the same or do I have to look for other options to get compression and emissions in the right order? I also discovered small white stuff like a yoghurt on the dipstick only.
When I tried to service the car the spark plug snapped, which I removed with an appropriate extractor.
Then I serviced the car and took it for an MOT test car and the car failed on emissions.
I brought car back home and took the engine cover off. I found a puddle of water around same spark plug then I did a compression check on all spark plugs and discovered that they're all down on compression. A friend of mine told me the car's head gasket is gone, now I want to make sure you think the same or do I have to look for other options to get compression and emissions in the right order? I also discovered small white stuff like a yoghurt on the dipstick only.
Asked on 26 June 2011 by car-auctions
Answered by
Alan Ross
When you say there's not enough compression is that from all cylinders? Normally if a head gasket has gone it will show up on two adjacent cylinders, ie 1&2, or 2&3 or 3&4.
This is showing that the head gasket has gone between two cylinders.
The white yogurt type of gunk in the oil is also indicative of a head gasket failure, although it could be that the engine has got a lot of internal wear(how many miles has it done).
Not sure how or why you have water around the spark plug though.
So yes carry out a compression test on each cylinder and if two adjacent cylinders are very low then your head gasket has gone.
If all cylinders are low then you should carry out a wet compression test on the cylinders, ie put a small amount of engine oil in the plug hole, leave for 1 minute then carry out the compression test. If the pressure rises then you may have worn cylinders/piston rings.
If you do repair the engine remember to change the engine oil and also the oil filter.
This is showing that the head gasket has gone between two cylinders.
The white yogurt type of gunk in the oil is also indicative of a head gasket failure, although it could be that the engine has got a lot of internal wear(how many miles has it done).
Not sure how or why you have water around the spark plug though.
So yes carry out a compression test on each cylinder and if two adjacent cylinders are very low then your head gasket has gone.
If all cylinders are low then you should carry out a wet compression test on the cylinders, ie put a small amount of engine oil in the plug hole, leave for 1 minute then carry out the compression test. If the pressure rises then you may have worn cylinders/piston rings.
If you do repair the engine remember to change the engine oil and also the oil filter.
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