Hey guys, you can buy a kit for around $50 that will do the job of this gas analyzer that I am using in this video. Here is the link www.jbtoolsales.com/uview-560000-combustion-leak-detector-kit#oid=1014_1 and here is a video of me using it ua-cam.com/users/edit?o=U&video_id=k5VVcNKAK6U
my suggestion: get the one with the hand pump bulb on it instead of the vacuum hose [the one you listsed has the vacuum hose and requires it to be hooked up to a vacuum source, ie, throttle body]. its IMO a better option. that way you dont have to worry about unhooking anything or finding a suitable vacuum location. just pump the bulb and go. napa usually carries it, or u can order it off amazon. its the same price. they also usually carry the fluid for about 7$. it has a shelf life.
Hi, I’m Rey Z. I had the same thing done to my 70 Impala last month I have a 350 engine. and the reading for the HC was 15. The smog guy and the mechanic said I had a blown head gasket. But when I took off the intake my intake gasket was blown.. because I had no water in my oil. on the valves. And no bubbles in my new radiator. Gasses was leaking throw my intake. I cleaned up the intake and replaced the old gasket with a new Fel-Pro gasket. Now my car doesn’t over heat and it runs beautifully.😇🙏🏽👍
You are a true master of your craft ScannerDanner. I find all of your videos extremely informative and educational. Even though I will never be able to afford a full feature scanner like a Modis, I can still take something away from your videos. I really wish I could work with someone as knowledgeable as you, instead of all these pre-maddonas and hack-jobs, its very disillusioning and frustrating. Im saving up to buy your book, and thanks again for all you've done for the learning community.
I must say some of the derogatory comments on here towards Paul are completely out of order,I've been in the motor industry for over 30 years and have learned a lot from his videos,please show the guy the respect he deserves.
There always gona be haters even if you are doing good works the hater are gona come out of their misarable state of mind and try to spew some of that misery onto others
I've stepped up my game 10 fold as to quick diag points thanks to Scanner Danner. I'm a break down tech and I can tell if it's a go or not within about 20 mins these days. If I had wiring diagrams and parts I could almost guarantee a go for basic issues such as fuel pumps, starters and coils.
Yes, you can buy a test kit, kind of like a litmus test where your looking for the color of a test strip to change a certain color. I never used one but I know they are out there. In fact I think there are some videos on it on youtube.
This is the second video of yours I watched, neither pertained to a problem I had in common, they just appealed to my intellectual principle by intrigue and interest. ...You, My friend, are now My favorite UA-cam Mechanic. Hopefully, I'll have a problem that You have covered. Until then, the educational value is very high. Thanks for knowing WTF you're talking about. Good job!
@@ScannerDanner My problem is that of compounding health ailments have developed into a "Catch 22" as a result of the vastly inferior Medical Profession associated with public healrh care in L.A. County, leaving Me in a state of immobility, frustration and suffering with no realistic expectation to ever receive the treatment I need. Thank you for your willingness to help though. Peace.
If you're hurting financially, email me at support@scannerdanner.com and I'll give you access to my premium channel for a few months while you are on the mend. Just trying to help out. Thanks!
@@ScannerDanner thank you for the offer, but I'm at like 15% of what my past abilities were physically. You have a good heart and a keen mind built into a strong character. If I have anything you can walk me through, I'll email you. Thanks again and thank you for being.
No problem man, all of those tests are good. I just found this one to be the quickest and most accurate. Although I've never used the "blue fluid kit". You know as well as I that all of the other tests you mentioned are NOT 100%. This one is. I have had many cars pass all of the conventional head gasket tests over the years with an early head gasket failure.
Good tip Jeff. I believe another one to watch out for is the GM 3800 engine. Not sure about the HCs in the coolant but all the other symptoms of a head gasket will be there
"As a mechanic you should identify and eliminate problems first" what do you think I did? and it took me 5 minute to do it. there was no tailpipe white smoke, no milkiness in the oil and compression would have tested good too. (typical early stages of headgasket failure) why would you not want to do this easy test first? not sure what you are fighting me on here. simple test to do, present the customer with his options right away. No need to be a parts changer to figure out the problem
if I was doing the repair I would most likely follow up this test with a leak down test. this way I would know exactly what cylinder and would be able to focus better in that area once the cylinder head was removed. also if I'm pulling 1 cylinder head off they're both coming off.
long crank startup and leaking oil (wet spots) near the head gasket area = confirmed blown head gasket in my case. I also experience loss of power and bad gas mileage. I love these videos. So much information!
I used a bottle of Steel Seal to fix my head gasket, drained the coolant, removed the thermostat, flushed the cooling system really good, Then use a radiator cleaner to clean the cooling system , Make sure to flush out all the cleaner 100%, When engine is 100% cold add steel seal with distilled water, turn heater on high & let idle for 30 mins with the radiator cap off........Let it cool for 1 hour the let idle again for 30 mins with the radiator cap on...........next morning let it idle for another 30 mins then removed all water from the system to let the steel seal cure for 24 hours, Replace the thermostat, fill with coolant and your good to go. Mine has been running perfect for 70k miles now as i use the car for uber & lyft, Only cost me about $120 total.
CORRECTION TO THE VIDEO: The fact that there's milky color on the cap/dipstick does not determine whether you have a bad HG or not, and here's why: For every burnt unit of gasoline, the largest byproduct is water. Now some of that water gets by the piston rings and enters the crank case. This escaping of burnt gas is referred to as Blow-by. Now disregarding unburnt fuel and Nitrous Oxides, this gas is mainly CO2 and water. Mostly water even. And since it has just been burnt, it is still warm. Thus is a fair quantity of water vapor present in the crank case, and water vapor likes to condensate on the closest cold area. In many cases (depending upon engine design) the oil cap and the top of the dipstick are the coolest part of a warmed-up engine. And that's how and why you get the condensation on the dipstick/oil cap.
agree, sorry for the misquote. I did correct myself at 1:14 but didn't elaborate on why you cannot always rely on the milkiness of the oil cap. (I should have) I have seen many times what you are describing. Thank you!
the only time i've seen milkyness on the gas cap/dip stick is after my first blown piston/ring. or when the piston wall caved and my coolant mysteriously just fucking disappeared. left no trace. until i popped the oil pan off ahahaha. boost is awesome.
If the test youre doing isn't consistent, it shouldnt be done. It's a waste of time if the test only works 50% of the time. Why not use a more accurate test like displayed in the video? Waste less time and be more accurate? I'm no fool, I just dont waste my time.
Excellent test. Nice to see other techs using it. For those DIYers who can't afford an exhaust gas analyzer, there is also a kit that tests your coolant for HC cost about 80 dollars. Can be purchased from napa online
I wouldn't argue with that I am just simply showing a faster more accurate way to identify a leaking head gasket. some early head gasket failures will not show up with a leak down tester. they tend to leak only with combustion pressures and air pressure in the cylinder is not high enough to show the problem.
I researched 2 simpler methods to tell if you have a leaking head gasket: 1) Get a spill-free funnel. Attach to top of radiator and overfill with coolant. Run the engine to normal temperature until fans turn on for 2-3 cycles. Look for bubbles. Bubbles at the beginning are normal but after the 2nd fan cycle means you got combustion gas leaking in your coolant. 2) Fill radiator up to base of the neck. W/ rad cap off: If when engine is turned on the coolant spouts/shoots= leak. Comment if u heard2
I had a vehicle that was passing the engine block test Everytime, no overheating, The overflow bottle was losing coolant on a consistent basis, I had to keep adding coolant. Turns out the headgasket was only bad on the coolant port at cylinder #1, so Raw fuel, plus coolant was just exiting the exhaust pipe and causing the pipe to glow red.
good point, not sure I've ever seen one blow into an oil passage. definitely have between cylinders. and yes a standard compression test would reveal that. you would have two "dead holes"
Awesome! I have a suspected blown head gasket now on my 2000 Windstar van. No oil is getting in the water but water gets outside the block in vapor form so this test might not reveal my head gasket leak because oil is not getting in the water. I like this because I don't want to buy the 40 dollar kit every time I need to test for a blown head gasket plus I have access to a gass analyzer.
I watch eric the car guy for fun sometimes i dont his nearly 1/4 as good as u u diagnos things in very logical ways learned alot from u and real fixes real fast program as well
i have a mk2 mondeo 1.8 zetec-e which had a top end de coke, valve stem oil seals and piston oil rings because it struggled through the emissions test. i also had in the past a 2.0 zetec-e which had a small combustion leak with an occasional mis fire and I remember having to top up the coolant once and a while. head gasket failures were more common on the 2.0 zetec engines than than1.8 and use to fail on no.3 cylinder.
I'll use an example. Let's say I am doing a no spark diagnosis on two different cars. On one I use my $20 test light to troubleshoot the problem, on another I use a $10,000 scan tool/scope combination tool. Both jobs take equal time to troubleshoot. BOTH cars/customers are charged the same diagnostic fee.
Love these videos! So this test would be a good way to find a head gasket leak from the combustion chamber to the cooling jacket. However, it would be ineffective if the leak was between two neighboring cylinders, to an oil return passage, or to the outside of the head...would you use a standard compression test in the other cases?
Wow I not a professional mechanic thank goodness on automobile ect . I was a power generation mechanic heavy equipment ect . I appreciate the videos and advice . I have used a pressure gauge on the cooling system works OK on diesel engines
A faulty egr COOLER on the latest design EGR valves can lead to near identical symptoms as a failed head gasket.The cooler goes porous leading to-coolant loss,white exhaust smoke and occassionally exhaust gas in the coolant when exhaust back pressure is higher than coolant pressure.This is a common occurance on the latest VW TDI engines and I've heard of a few garages getting caught out diagnosing the problem as a failed head gasket.
Ok first of all, i don't work for a shop or own a shop. i teach at a technical school and am a mobile diagnostic tech. i work for many different garages and basically charge a consultation fee. it doesn't matter what the problem is on the car, i charge a flat fee to look at it for the garage. so you questioning is completely out of line on that first point. secondly i live in an area where most garages already have a gas analyser and I am showing another use for it....
Obviously cooling system problems can be reduced by regular cooling system flushes and coolant replacement. But also my father always used to advocate running these systems unpressurized. Over the years I've found that doing so does not cause these cooling systems to boil over, even in very hot weather with the A/C on. Meanwhile, running the system unpressurized puts less stress on the head gaskets, hoses, radiator, water pump seals, bypass tube, heater core and so forth. I have a small hole that I purposely drilled in the top of the expansion tank in my vehicle to keep the cooling system unpressurized. The bottom line is that I never seem to have the same types of cooling system problems with my vehicles as many other people do. Specifically, I've never had a blown head gasket.
Get a bottle of Bars Leak and follow the instructions on it! I've sealed 3 cars already with it which had bubbles in the radiator, no milky residue but two of them smoked badly. I'm about to do the procedure on a 94 corolla and see if I can save her.
Also people when he says check the Oil cap sometimes there is a little milkiness in some of those Doesn't mean the head gasket is blown up Humidity does get in
I too have used this technique before... man I must have shot a similar video back in 07 I think. Used to show it in parts to my students. Then UA-cam came out with the video editor so I stitched them all together and added annotations. This winter I started messing around with the closed captioning feature. My hearing impaired students luv it! Think I will just have to close caption everything from now on ( ;
If a head gasket is blown you will usually get a bunch of foam forming in the gas bottle. If you see that it means there is combustion gas pressurizing the cooling system. If you leave the cap off a while the mass of foam will grow larger and eventually will start coming out the top of the bottle. Then next you can start taking the head(s) off.
Ford calls it a "gas bottle" because it collects evaporated, gasified coolant in a closed liquid system. Some people still refer to them as "overflow tanks" or "coolant reservoirs" but in these newer closed systems that terminology isn't as accurate as calling them "gas bottles". Calling other people names such as "retarded" is ignorant. If you disagree with someone that's fine but name calling and insults are not necessary.
Also, if the PCV system is not working properly and you live in a humid environment it's gonna let moisture in the crankcase. And if you drive in short distances all the time the PCV system doesn't have enough time to purge the moisture/ contiminants.
+Review guy No sounds like a problem waiting to happen. Find it sooner than later. You mite save yourself from costly repairs down the road You can also use a blown head gasket test.
Altcheckmate. No need to get all upset, as scanner man was not rude nor upset and it was his video. I do think it is a way to give a detailed reading of HC's and done under close watch it can be a great useful tool. As to why I ask for Scanner Dan to remove it was because "You Tube" is for novice techs and this is most definitely for a more skilled tech. As for my spelling well were all not perfect not even my auto spell correct. Thank you for the great videos Scanner Dan.
Helpful...I would add it seems coffee with milk in extreme cases. Also I experienced, the coolant bottle is pressurized even after hours the motor is off.
more and more modern engines have direct firing fuel injectors, where the injector nose is in the combustion chamber & is cooled by coolant fluid passing through the head. If the injector seals leak, combustion gases can enter the coolant. With such engines, many times a head is changed mistakenly since the symptoms are exactly the same as a cracked head. Always read the workshop manual thoroughly. most injector/combustion chamber seals are of copper and as cheap as $4 each
Edwin Henry Blachford I have a 2002 Buick LaSabre which has an electric fuel pump and fuel injectors , so is it normal if I have a few bubbles , it's spits like 3 bubbles out ever 5-7 seconds
@scannerdanner the reason why Iam asking that question is because I have a 2003 chevy express van and it overheats and the coolant is only leaking in the tip of the exhaust. Iam assuming it could be a headgasket issue hopefully is not a cracked head.
This test is really nice! I've used the blue fluid test before and it does work great and only costs $25 for the tester and $8 for the fluid but hey, if you have a gas analyzer why not? This method is a lot faster!
That's a great tip or trick! I'm old school and I'd like to know how to spot a used car for sale that someone added "head gasket repair" or similar to an engine, just to get it sold.
@amopower there are many different types of hydrocarbons. Not all are the same. Simply because something is labeled a hydrocarbon does not mean it is the same as another. The HC reading of an EGA is that of unburned fuel (gasoline) after the combustion process. Gasoline has a different molecular weight than automotive coolant,. Therefore, coolant will not register on an EGA reading.
Be aware that some brands of coolant can show hydrocarbons on the infrared. This may not be current, as the situation was about 20 years ago. Research showed that a store brand (Kragen?) had a hydrocarbon reading when still in the jug.
im having an overheating problem with my car and my autoshop is recommending that i pulldown my cylinder head to check for leakage but no millky substances like the ones u checked in the video, but i dont think they know how to use this method its a big car company and still using the old fashion way.its way to expensive to pulldown my cylinder head with no approval that it is the problem since they cant diagnose it very well and fyi they have manage to have my MIL continously on.
Head joint on my car blew between cylinders 1 and 2 , those 2 cylinders died due to zero compression but no water got into the oil to make it milky. I did a compression test which showed the 2 dead cylinders
a milky looking oil cap dose not mean a bad or blown head gasket. I'm not going in to detail why, but its was something explained to me by a automotive instructor years ago. 2 easiest ways, milky color on the dip stick or bubbles in the radiator(or test strip coolants)
The thing is that the coolant has a smell too which mixes in with this HC. So you, or I should say I, in my case, smell more of the resulting coolant from the commotion caused be combustion bleeding in like that.
SCANNERDANNER, 1.) whats the differences are between hypercarbon and exhaust gasses? 2.) If you have a lot of hypercarbon and exhaust gasses in the radiator fluid that means that the car is NOT burning the gas and oil? so your car will can't go high RPM than 60mph? 3.) Auto Repair tech will REMOVE half of the spark plug wires to determine which sides of the engine is creating the exhaust gasses in the radiator fluid to narrow down which side of the engine block by just removing HALF of the spark plug wires. Is this a good troubleshooting method or not?
had a local mechanic put a rebuilt head in my daughters car. after it was complete, the car overheated. we did a pressure test and found a leaky hose. after repair, it held 18 pounds for over an hour. however, he also did a HC test and it tested positive for HC. the car runs great, but it appears to puff some white smoke. its been 3 days since the hose repair and the coolant appears to be maintaining. maybe 1/4 to 1/2 lower than it was. wouldn't the pressure go down if it had a gasket leak or cracked head??
not necessarily. Your only talking about 15 psi of coolant psi compared to hundreds of pounds of psi in a combustion event. how many HCs are we talking about? I use more than 100ppm on a repeat type test to confirm.
All ya gotta do is look down in the coolant tank and watch for air bubbles. As the engine gets hotter, the more bubbles will surface. Don't need a fancy machine, any air bubbles in the system and something isn't right once you know you've purged the cooling system on a cold engine not running.
I've seen many systems with no air bubbles (early stages of headgasket failure). I have also seen air bubbles that were NOT a headgasket failure. Finally, if you run a car long enough with the cap off, the air bubbles you will start to see is the coolant boiling!! Super dangerous to the lay person. To anyone else reading this. Use the chemical test kit linked in the description of this video, it will be way cheaper than the gas analyzer I am using (not as accurate though) and way more accurate than just looking for air bubbles. Not arguing with you about air bubbles being not useful, it is a good guide, there are just more variables to this test.
ScannerDanner yes and no, it depends, every situation and vehicle is different. Air bubbles isn't the only thing to look for, there will generally be other signs along with the bubbles too. Not saying air bubbles alone is the only thing to look for, but when you've exhausted every other possibility, the air bubbles will be there, it has no choice since any amount of compression is getting in the coolant system. And PS, it could also be a worpped or cracked head. Never just change a gasket without having the heads checked.
Using combustion tester doesn't always show you a problem right away. Will using a 5 gas be more accurate? E.g. Vehicle has a blown head gasket, combustion tester doesn't show after multiple test, which include driving the vehicle were it overheats. How do you force problem out, so a combustion tester will read carbon monoxide?
I haven't seen the test strips. I have tried the litmus liquid that is poured in a tube and gas from the radiator or reservoir is bubbled through the liquid. I used the test kit from auto zone and I don't think it was very sensitive. Seems like the gas analyzer is much more sensitive. If the head gasket leak is mild, I would think the method you showed would be best. Was this car overheating?
Since antifreeze (ethylene glycol in most cases) is a hydrocarbon, how does that machine differentiate the EG vapors from actual gas vapors since they are both hydrocarbons? I know that EG doesn't vaporize as easily as gas would, but it does vaporize to an extent, and even more when hot.
No one is charging more money for the same test because they used a more expensive piece of equipment. I don't know anyone who is doing that. that is why I didn't answer your question about what I charge for this test. it is just simply not done that way. what a customer pays for is a diagnostic fee. it should be a flat fee no matter what piece of test equipment is used. there are times that a garage needs more diagnostic time, so fees will rise accordingly......
Yeah, the carbon sniff method is deff more accurate. But I've also heard that sometimes head gasket leaks (combustion type) are some times intermittent. So the sniff might not detect it. But I guess it doesn't get any better/accurate than this method.
If you have milkiness on.in your oil cap that doesn't mean you have bad head gasket, Most of the time it because the car has been sitting and get moisture in there.
I have a 2001 BMW 325i. It leaks a little bit of oil from the oil pan. Yesterday it rained and I drove my car. Today I looked under the oil cap and it was all milky. My car doesn't appear to have any blown head gasket issues and the coolant level is normal. I was wondering if since my car is leaking oil and when the car is running, could the engine be drawing in moisture from the atmosphere and collecting in the engine since it's under vaccum? I have noticed the milky substance before but only irregularly.
I guess there's a chance for anything, but I highly doubt it. I would take it to a shop ASAP. It could mean the oil is way too diluted and cause a catastrophic failure.
i had 97 buick 3.8 had heated intake manifold (i believe its called water injection) can leak coolant into the intake and seep into the crankcase then show up on cap had to replace the llastic manifold every 100,000 miles or so.
correct, that is the EGR cooler on that model. They pump coolant into a passage around the EGR gas line inside of the manifold and they will crack and suck coolant into the engine. Great example as to why you cannot put your absolute faith in the milkiness of the oil cap
Slick test. Question is is the leak bad enough that one can't live with it? If it's losing a cup of coolant every six months but runs reliably, I wouldn't worry about it. Now if I was rebuilding it, I might run a test like this when I'm done to determine if it'll leak over the long term.
Always on point SD and btw my Malibu 2.4 is back up and running you should do a video on trouble shooting engine timing problems like I had email me you would love to know what happened
These are a different things: if 'car comes in for misfire', or if 'car comes because something is wrong'. As a mechanic you should identify and eliminate problems first. Sorry - but when car is misfiring - my first tought would be related to spark plugs and electrical system. IF it doesnt help - than have a look at exhaust gases colour and smell, oil cap/stick for a 'mayo' - finally compression test and as a last one - exhaust gases in coolant.
milky cap not always a blown gasket...if pcv system loses vacuum then the oil in the valve cover will oxidize and turn brown. dipstick test is more acurrate, or watch the needle on a vacuum gauge
![Testing For a Bad Head Gasket [Chemical Test Kit]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/R6tztnUMMsE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Testing For a Bad Head Gasket [Chemical Test Kit]](/img/tr.png)
Hey guys, you can buy a kit for around $50 that will do the job of this gas analyzer that I am using in this video. Here is the link
www.jbtoolsales.com/uview-560000-combustion-leak-detector-kit#oid=1014_1
and here is a video of me using it
ua-cam.com/users/edit?o=U&video_id=k5VVcNKAK6U
Vous-grand Merci idée
Thank you . That was helpful.
That was a great lesson.
my suggestion: get the one with the hand pump bulb on it instead of the vacuum hose [the one you listsed has the vacuum hose and requires it to be hooked up to a vacuum source, ie, throttle body]. its IMO a better option. that way you dont have to worry about unhooking anything or finding a suitable vacuum location. just pump the bulb and go. napa usually carries it, or u can order it off amazon. its the same price. they also usually carry the fluid for about 7$. it has a shelf life.
Munky332
Hi, I’m Rey Z. I had the same thing done to my 70 Impala last month I have a 350 engine. and the reading for the HC was 15. The smog guy and the mechanic said I had a blown head gasket. But when I took off the intake my intake gasket was blown.. because I had no water in my oil. on the valves. And no bubbles in my new radiator. Gasses was leaking throw my intake. I cleaned up the intake and replaced the old gasket with a new Fel-Pro gasket. Now my car doesn’t over heat and it runs beautifully.😇🙏🏽👍
You are a true master of your craft ScannerDanner. I find all of your videos extremely informative and educational. Even though I will never be able to afford a full feature scanner like a Modis, I can still take something away from your videos. I really wish I could work with someone as knowledgeable as you, instead of all these pre-maddonas and hack-jobs, its very disillusioning and frustrating. Im saving up to buy your book, and thanks again for all you've done for the learning community.
I must say some of the derogatory comments on here towards Paul are completely out of order,I've been in the motor industry for over 30 years and have learned a lot from his videos,please show the guy the respect he deserves.
Thanks Steve. I don't mind too much though. I just need to ignore them. And most of the time I do.
There always gona be haters even if you are doing good works the hater are gona come out of their misarable state of mind and try to spew some of that misery onto others
I've stepped up my game 10 fold as to quick diag points thanks to Scanner Danner. I'm a break down tech and I can tell if it's a go or not within about 20 mins these days. If I had wiring diagrams and parts I could almost guarantee a go for basic issues such as fuel pumps, starters and coils.
Paul is a very good man. All good for danners from germany.lg.
haters gonna hate, but I'm a pro and everytime I watch one of those videos I learn something
100%
Yes, you can buy a test kit, kind of like a litmus test where your looking for the color of a test strip to change a certain color. I never used one but I know they are out there. In fact I think there are some videos on it on youtube.
This is the second video of yours I watched, neither pertained to a problem I had in common, they just appealed to my intellectual principle by intrigue and interest.
...You, My friend, are now My favorite UA-cam Mechanic. Hopefully, I'll have a problem that You have covered. Until then, the educational value is very high. Thanks for knowing WTF you're talking about. Good job!
Thanks so much! What problem are you dealing with? Maybe I can guide you to one of my videos.
@@ScannerDanner My problem is that of compounding health ailments have developed into a "Catch 22" as a result of the vastly inferior Medical Profession associated with public healrh care in L.A. County, leaving Me in a state of immobility, frustration and suffering with no realistic expectation to ever receive the treatment I need.
Thank you for your willingness to help though. Peace.
If you're hurting financially, email me at support@scannerdanner.com and I'll give you access to my premium channel for a few months while you are on the mend. Just trying to help out. Thanks!
@@ScannerDanner thank you for the offer, but I'm at like 15% of what my past abilities were physically. You have a good heart and a keen mind built into a strong character. If I have anything you can walk me through, I'll email you. Thanks again and thank you for being.
No problem man, all of those tests are good. I just found this one to be the quickest and most accurate. Although I've never used the "blue fluid kit".
You know as well as I that all of the other tests you mentioned are NOT 100%. This one is. I have had many cars pass all of the conventional head gasket tests over the years with an early head gasket failure.
just based on the symptoms I decided to do that test first as it was very quick and very easy to do
Good tip Jeff. I believe another one to watch out for is the GM 3800 engine. Not sure about the HCs in the coolant but all the other symptoms of a head gasket will be there
"As a mechanic you should identify and eliminate problems first"
what do you think I did? and it took me 5 minute to do it.
there was no tailpipe white smoke, no milkiness in the oil and compression would have tested good too. (typical early stages of headgasket failure)
why would you not want to do this easy test first? not sure what you are fighting me on here. simple test to do, present the customer with his options right away. No need to be a parts changer to figure out the problem
if I was doing the repair I would most likely follow up this test with a leak down test. this way I would know exactly what cylinder and would be able to focus better in that area once the cylinder head was removed. also if I'm pulling 1 cylinder head off they're both coming off.
Antifreeze does not show up as an HC emission on a gas analyzer.
thanks paul
love your videos man, I'm a second year apprentice and have learned a lot from you.
Science in action, love that HC sniffer, never seen a mechanic do that before.
long crank startup and leaking oil (wet spots) near the head gasket area = confirmed blown head gasket in my case. I also experience loss of power and bad gas mileage. I love these videos. So much information!
I used a bottle of Steel Seal to fix my head gasket, drained the coolant, removed the thermostat, flushed the cooling system really good, Then use a radiator cleaner to clean the cooling system , Make sure to flush out all the cleaner 100%, When engine is 100% cold add steel seal with distilled water, turn heater on high & let idle for 30 mins with the radiator cap off........Let it cool for 1 hour the let idle again for 30 mins with the radiator cap on...........next morning let it idle for another 30 mins then removed all water from the system to let the steel seal cure for 24 hours, Replace the thermostat, fill with coolant and your good to go. Mine has been running perfect for 70k miles now as i use the car for uber & lyft, Only cost me about $120 total.
CORRECTION TO THE VIDEO: The fact that there's milky color on the cap/dipstick does not determine whether you have a bad HG or not, and here's why: For every burnt unit of gasoline, the largest byproduct is water. Now some of that water gets by the piston rings and enters the crank case. This escaping of burnt gas is referred to as Blow-by. Now disregarding unburnt fuel and Nitrous Oxides, this gas is mainly CO2 and water. Mostly water even. And since it has just been burnt, it is still warm. Thus is a fair quantity of water vapor present in the crank case, and water vapor likes to condensate on the closest cold area. In many cases (depending upon engine design) the oil cap and the top of the dipstick are the coolest part of a warmed-up engine. And that's how and why you get the condensation on the dipstick/oil cap.
agree, sorry for the misquote. I did correct myself at 1:14 but didn't elaborate on why you cannot always rely on the milkiness of the oil cap. (I should have)
I have seen many times what you are describing.
Thank you!
the only time i've seen milkyness on the gas cap/dip stick is after my first blown piston/ring. or when the piston wall caved and my coolant mysteriously just fucking disappeared. left no trace. until i popped the oil pan off ahahaha. boost is awesome.
Munky332 Boost is king, mon.
Myles Gainer The person you're insulting is explaining why that test should NEVER be used since it's terrible... dumb ass
If the test youre doing isn't consistent, it shouldnt be done. It's a waste of time if the test only works 50% of the time. Why not use a more accurate test like displayed in the video? Waste less time and be more accurate? I'm no fool, I just dont waste my time.
Excellent test. Nice to see other techs using it. For those DIYers who can't afford an exhaust gas analyzer, there is also a kit that tests your coolant for HC cost about 80 dollars. Can be purchased from napa online
I wouldn't argue with that I am just simply showing a faster more accurate way to identify a leaking head gasket. some early head gasket failures will not show up with a leak down tester. they tend to leak only with combustion pressures and air pressure in the cylinder is not high enough to show the problem.
I never used the chemical test but I heard it is very effective and accurate not to mention much cheaper than a 5000 dollar gas analyzer
that is a completely valid point. thank you for reminding me of that variable.
I researched 2 simpler methods to tell if you have a leaking head gasket:
1) Get a spill-free funnel. Attach to top of radiator and overfill with coolant. Run the engine to normal temperature until fans turn on for 2-3 cycles. Look for bubbles. Bubbles at the beginning are normal but after the 2nd fan cycle means you got combustion gas leaking in your coolant.
2) Fill radiator up to base of the neck. W/ rad cap off: If when engine is turned on the coolant spouts/shoots= leak. Comment if u heard2
I had a vehicle that was passing the engine block test Everytime, no overheating, The overflow bottle was losing coolant on a consistent basis, I had to keep adding coolant. Turns out the headgasket was only bad on the coolant port at cylinder #1, so Raw fuel, plus coolant was just exiting the exhaust pipe and causing the pipe to glow red.
Love your vids, and your knowledge in car diagnostics, im studing to be in the field and i find your videos very good to learn, a lot. Thank you
good point, not sure I've ever seen one blow into an oil passage. definitely have between cylinders. and yes a standard compression test would reveal that. you would have two "dead holes"
Awesome! I have a suspected blown head gasket now on my 2000 Windstar van. No oil is getting in the water but water gets outside the block in vapor form so this test might not reveal my head gasket leak because oil is not getting in the water.
I like this because I don't want to buy the 40 dollar kit every time I need to test for a blown head gasket plus I have access to a gass analyzer.
I watch eric the car guy for fun sometimes i dont his nearly 1/4 as good as u u diagnos things in very logical ways learned alot from u and real fixes real fast program as well
i have a mk2 mondeo 1.8 zetec-e which had a top end de coke, valve stem oil seals and piston oil rings because it struggled through the emissions test. i also had in the past a 2.0 zetec-e which had a small combustion leak with an occasional mis fire and I remember having to top up the coolant once and a while. head gasket failures were more common on the 2.0 zetec engines than than1.8 and use to fail on no.3 cylinder.
He is right on the money, Ford calls it a de-gas bottle not an overflow, and there are gasses in there.
PREACH ON! I always looked for better ways THERE SHOULD indeed have no HC in the cooling.
I'll use an example. Let's say I am doing a no spark diagnosis on two different cars. On one I use my $20 test light to troubleshoot the problem, on another I use a $10,000 scan tool/scope combination tool. Both jobs take equal time to troubleshoot. BOTH cars/customers are charged the same diagnostic fee.
Love these videos! So this test would be a good way to find a head gasket leak from the combustion chamber to the cooling jacket. However, it would be ineffective if the leak was between two neighboring cylinders, to an oil return passage, or to the outside of the head...would you use a standard compression test in the other cases?
Wow I not a professional mechanic thank goodness on automobile ect . I was a power generation mechanic heavy equipment ect . I appreciate the videos and advice . I have used a pressure gauge on the cooling system works OK on diesel engines
My dad use to look for clean pistons wich would suggesting fluid leak into the cylinder either gasket or cracked heads.
A faulty egr COOLER on the latest design EGR valves can lead to near identical symptoms as a failed head gasket.The cooler goes porous leading to-coolant loss,white exhaust smoke and occassionally exhaust gas in the coolant when exhaust back pressure is higher than coolant pressure.This is a common occurance on the latest VW TDI engines and I've heard of a few garages getting caught out diagnosing the problem as a failed head gasket.
Ok first of all, i don't work for a shop or own a shop. i teach at a technical school and am a mobile diagnostic tech. i work for many different garages and basically charge a consultation fee. it doesn't matter what the problem is on the car, i charge a flat fee to look at it for the garage. so you questioning is completely out of line on that first point. secondly i live in an area where most garages already have a gas analyser and I am showing another use for it....
An excellent test and 100 % accurate; thanks Mr. Scanner Danner.
Obviously cooling system problems can be reduced by regular cooling system flushes and coolant replacement. But also my father always used to advocate running these systems unpressurized. Over the years I've found that doing so does not cause these cooling systems to boil over, even in very hot weather with the A/C on. Meanwhile, running the system unpressurized puts less stress on the head gaskets, hoses, radiator, water pump seals, bypass tube, heater core and so forth. I have a small hole that I purposely drilled in the top of the expansion tank in my vehicle to keep the cooling system unpressurized. The bottom line is that I never seem to have the same types of cooling system problems with my vehicles as many other people do. Specifically, I've never had a blown head gasket.
So driving without a cap on is good if it wasn't for spilling?
Get a bottle of Bars Leak and follow the instructions on it! I've sealed 3 cars already with it which had bubbles in the radiator, no milky residue but two of them smoked badly. I'm about to do the procedure on a 94 corolla and see if I can save her.
What a cowboy.
Also people when he says check the Oil cap sometimes there is a little milkiness in some of those Doesn't mean the head gasket is blown up Humidity does get in
That’s interesting!! I’m old school! Thanks for sharing!!
I too have used this technique before... man I must have shot a similar video back in 07 I think. Used to show it in parts to my students. Then UA-cam came out with the video editor so I stitched them all together and added annotations. This winter I started messing around with the closed captioning feature. My hearing impaired students luv it! Think I will just have to close caption everything from now on ( ;
If a head gasket is blown you will usually get a bunch of foam forming in the gas bottle. If you see that it means there is combustion gas pressurizing the cooling system. If you leave the cap off a while the mass of foam will grow larger and eventually will start coming out the top of the bottle. Then next you can start taking the head(s) off.
Ford calls it a "gas bottle" because it collects evaporated, gasified coolant in a closed liquid system. Some people still refer to them as "overflow tanks" or "coolant reservoirs" but in these newer closed systems that terminology isn't as accurate as calling them "gas bottles". Calling other people names such as "retarded" is ignorant. If you disagree with someone that's fine but name calling and insults are not necessary.
Also, if the PCV system is not working properly and you live in a humid environment it's gonna let moisture in the crankcase. And if you drive in short distances all the time the PCV system doesn't have enough time to purge the moisture/ contiminants.
My car won't start, I think it's the tires so I got new blinkers. Thanks Eric.
Yeah.
s0nnyburnett lol
That’s funny
My blinkers wouldn't work, so I aired up the tires.
😣
+Review guy No sounds like a problem waiting to happen. Find it sooner than later. You mite save yourself from costly repairs down the road You can also use a blown head gasket test.
Altcheckmate. No need to get all upset, as scanner man was not rude nor upset and it was his video. I do think it is a way to give a detailed reading of HC's and done under close watch it can be a great useful tool. As to why I ask for Scanner Dan to remove it was because "You Tube" is for novice techs and this is most definitely for a more skilled tech. As for my spelling well were all not perfect not even my auto spell correct. Thank you for the great videos Scanner Dan.
Great way to respond. I did find this method a little difficult, but I am a beginner!
Never thought of using a gas analyzer ! Top tip
Nice video on checking head Gasket problems with gas analyzer
Learned something new again. Thanks
Helpful...I would add it seems coffee with milk in extreme cases. Also I experienced, the coolant bottle is pressurized even after hours the motor is off.
more and more modern engines have direct firing fuel injectors, where the injector nose is in the combustion chamber & is cooled by coolant fluid passing through the head. If the injector seals leak, combustion gases can enter the coolant. With such engines, many times a head is changed mistakenly since the symptoms are exactly the same as a cracked head. Always read the workshop manual thoroughly. most injector/combustion chamber seals are of copper and as cheap as $4 each
Edwin Henry Blachford I have a 2002 Buick LaSabre which has an electric fuel pump and fuel injectors , so is it normal if I have a few bubbles , it's spits like 3 bubbles out ever 5-7 seconds
Edwin Henry Blachford sorry I don't know much about cars at all
Thanks for the video ? I just some more knowledge on cars as my girlfriend head gasket had blown and cost us a small fortune to repair
A faulty EGR cooler may give the same symptoms if fitted.Coolant hoses to cooler should be bypassed to eliminate the risk of misdiagnosis.
@scannerdanner the reason why Iam asking that question is because I have a 2003 chevy express van and it overheats and the coolant is only leaking in the tip of the exhaust. Iam assuming it could be a headgasket issue hopefully is not a cracked head.
no. there are a lot of other causes for that. mainly a rich running engine or an ignition or compression misfire
👍Learned something new again. Thanks for sharing!
This test is really nice! I've used the blue fluid test before and it does work great and only costs $25 for the tester and $8 for the fluid but hey, if you have a gas analyzer why not? This method is a lot faster!
That's a great tip or trick! I'm old school and I'd like to know how to spot a used car for sale that someone added "head gasket repair" or similar to an engine, just to get it sold.
these work BUT you can miss early and minor headset failures with these methods. i want a test that is 100%accurate all the time
I’ve blown head gasket twice! That’s GM won’t even fix the gasket issues...2000 regal... that’s helpful lesson.
any chance you would have a part number and where you purchase this stuff from for the rest of us?
@amopower there are many different types of hydrocarbons. Not all are the same. Simply because something is labeled a hydrocarbon does not mean it is the same as another. The HC reading of an EGA is that of unburned fuel (gasoline) after the combustion process. Gasoline has a different molecular weight than automotive coolant,. Therefore, coolant will not register on an EGA reading.
Pull out the spark plugs and see if they are steam cleaned. You can also do a carbon dioxide test from the radiator.
Glad to hear that then, thanks for your info and for posting this video.
Be aware that some brands of coolant can show hydrocarbons on the infrared.
This may not be current, as the situation was about 20 years ago.
Research showed that a store brand (Kragen?) had a hydrocarbon reading when still in the jug.
im having an overheating problem with my car and my autoshop is recommending that i pulldown my cylinder head to check for leakage but no millky substances like the ones u checked in the video, but i dont think they know how to use this method its a big car company and still using the old fashion way.its way to expensive to pulldown my cylinder head with no approval that it is the problem since they cant diagnose it very well and fyi they have manage to have my MIL continously on.
Head joint on my car blew between cylinders 1 and 2 , those 2 cylinders died due to zero compression but no water got into the oil to make it milky. I did a compression test which showed the 2 dead cylinders
Thank you very much.
a milky looking oil cap dose not mean a bad or blown head gasket. I'm not going in to detail why, but its was something explained to me by a automotive instructor years ago. 2 easiest ways, milky color on the dip stick or bubbles in the radiator(or test strip coolants)
The thing is that the coolant has a smell too which mixes in with this HC. So you, or I should say I, in my case, smell more of the resulting coolant from the commotion caused be combustion bleeding in like that.
Milkiness in the oil cap or tappet cover is often condensation on old Brit cars…particularly British Leyland
Who'd a thunk it? ScannerDanner did. Another great use for a tool that was never intended. I would a never thunk it because I love my block tester.
Always like learning new tricks. Thanks
awesome vid very helpful, its a quick simple yet effective method
Great instructions as usual. Great channel. Thank you
That's really smart and quick way for test
Thank you, I wasn't aware of the EGR cooling.
SCANNERDANNER,
1.) whats the differences are between hypercarbon and exhaust gasses?
2.) If you have a lot of hypercarbon and exhaust gasses in the radiator fluid that means that the car is NOT burning the gas and oil? so your car will can't go high RPM than 60mph?
3.) Auto Repair tech will REMOVE half of the spark plug wires to determine which sides of the engine is creating the exhaust gasses in the radiator fluid to narrow down which side of the engine block by just removing HALF of the spark plug wires. Is this a good troubleshooting method or not?
had a local mechanic put a rebuilt head in my daughters car. after it was complete, the car overheated. we did a pressure test and found a leaky hose. after repair, it held 18 pounds for over an hour. however, he also did a HC test and it tested positive for HC. the car runs great, but it appears to puff some white smoke. its been 3 days since the hose repair and the coolant appears to be maintaining. maybe 1/4 to 1/2 lower than it was. wouldn't the pressure go down if it had a gasket leak or cracked head??
not necessarily. Your only talking about 15 psi of coolant psi compared to hundreds of pounds of psi in a combustion event. how many HCs are we talking about? I use more than 100ppm on a repeat type test to confirm.
Why was the head replaced? It is possible to have HCs remaining after a successful repair if the cooling system is not bleed properly.
All ya gotta do is look down in the coolant tank and watch for air bubbles. As the engine gets hotter, the more bubbles will surface. Don't need a fancy machine, any air bubbles in the system and something isn't right once you know you've purged the cooling system on a cold engine not running.
I've seen many systems with no air bubbles (early stages of headgasket failure). I have also seen air bubbles that were NOT a headgasket failure. Finally, if you run a car long enough with the cap off, the air bubbles you will start to see is the coolant boiling!! Super dangerous to the lay person.
To anyone else reading this. Use the chemical test kit linked in the description of this video, it will be way cheaper than the gas analyzer I am using (not as accurate though) and way more accurate than just looking for air bubbles. Not arguing with you about air bubbles being not useful, it is a good guide, there are just more variables to this test.
ScannerDanner yes and no, it depends, every situation and vehicle is different. Air bubbles isn't the only thing to look for, there will generally be other signs along with the bubbles too. Not saying air bubbles alone is the only thing to look for, but when you've exhausted every other possibility, the air bubbles will be there, it has no choice since any amount of compression is getting in the coolant system. And PS, it could also be a worpped or cracked head. Never just change a gasket without having the heads checked.
Using combustion tester doesn't always show you a problem right away. Will using a 5 gas be more accurate? E.g. Vehicle has a blown head gasket, combustion tester doesn't show after multiple test, which include driving the vehicle were it overheats. How do you force problem out, so a combustion tester will read carbon monoxide?
люси вонючка you can't. this is why I like the HC test with a gas analyzer
Can you explain how a faulty EGR can lead exhaust gas into the coolant? Thanks.
No problem, thank you
I haven't seen the test strips. I have tried the litmus liquid that is poured in a tube and gas from the radiator or reservoir is bubbled through the liquid. I used the test kit from auto zone and I don't think it was very sensitive. Seems like the gas analyzer is much more sensitive. If the head gasket leak is mild, I would think the method you showed would be best. Was this car overheating?
Since antifreeze (ethylene glycol in most cases) is a hydrocarbon, how does that machine differentiate the EG vapors from actual gas vapors since they are both hydrocarbons? I know that EG doesn't vaporize as easily as gas would, but it does vaporize to an extent, and even more when hot.
Can you go over using and buying gas analyzer test equipment? What is the cheapest tester without sacrificing the tester quality.
No one is charging more money for the same test because they used a more expensive piece of equipment. I don't know anyone who is doing that. that is why I didn't answer your question about what I charge for this test. it is just simply not done that way. what a customer pays for is a diagnostic fee. it should be a flat fee no matter what piece of test equipment is used. there are times that a garage needs more diagnostic time, so fees will rise accordingly......
no problem friend
Yeah, the carbon sniff method is deff more accurate. But I've also heard that sometimes head gasket leaks (combustion type) are some times intermittent. So the sniff might not detect it. But I guess it doesn't get any better/accurate than this method.
I had a 1999 countour sport had the 2.5L 24V duratec engine... fast engine ... wasn't expecting it to be so quick
If you have milkiness on.in your oil cap that doesn't mean you have bad head gasket, Most of the time it because the car has been sitting and get moisture in there.
Bologna. My jeep sat for so long that the fuses oxidized into powder, and not a drop of water in the case..
I have a 2001 BMW 325i. It leaks a little bit of oil from the oil pan. Yesterday it rained and I drove my car. Today I looked under the oil cap and it was all milky. My car doesn't appear to have any blown head gasket issues and the coolant level is normal. I was wondering if since my car is leaking oil and when the car is running, could the engine be drawing in moisture from the atmosphere and collecting in the engine since it's under vaccum? I have noticed the milky substance before but only irregularly.
I guess there's a chance for anything, but I highly doubt it. I would take it to a shop ASAP. It could mean the oil is way too diluted and cause a catastrophic failure.
i had 97 buick 3.8 had heated intake manifold (i believe its called water injection) can leak coolant into the intake and seep into the crankcase then show up on cap had to replace the llastic manifold every 100,000 miles or so.
correct, that is the EGR cooler on that model. They pump coolant into a passage around the EGR gas line inside of the manifold and they will crack and suck coolant into the engine. Great example as to why you cannot put your absolute faith in the milkiness of the oil cap
Slick test. Question is is the leak bad enough that one can't live with it? If it's losing a cup of coolant every six months but runs reliably, I wouldn't worry about it.
Now if I was rebuilding it, I might run a test like this when I'm done to determine if it'll leak over the long term.
The comments were all very helpful .. Thanx everybody ..
Always on point SD and btw my Malibu 2.4 is back up and running you should do a video on trouble shooting engine timing problems like I had email me you would love to know what happened
These are a different things: if 'car comes in for misfire', or if 'car comes because something is wrong'. As a mechanic you should identify and eliminate problems first. Sorry - but when car is misfiring - my first tought would be related to spark plugs and electrical system. IF it doesnt help - than have a look at exhaust gases colour and smell, oil cap/stick for a 'mayo' - finally compression test and as a last one - exhaust gases in coolant.
that good idea with emissions analysis
milky cap not always a blown gasket...if pcv system loses vacuum then the oil in the valve cover will oxidize and turn brown.
dipstick test is more acurrate, or watch the needle on a vacuum gauge
exactly