Yes, MMS Automotive advises that you can crack your MINI Cooper’s head gasket if you drive the vehicle when the engine is overheating. In addition to the head gasket, you can also crack the exhaust manifold or engine block. If your MINI Cooper starts to get too hot, pull over and call for a tow truck to bring the vehicle to our shop. You may have a cracked head gasket. Let’s talk more about this below.
Reduction in the Coolant Level
The head gasket is important to the safety of the cylinder block and the engine’s combustion. The gasket is installed above the cylinder block to seal it away from leaking coolant and oil. The seal that the gasket makes also builds up compression inside the cylinder block for combustion. When the head gasket cracks or blows, coolant will immediately start to leak through the crack.
The Cooper’s Engine Will Overheat
Naturally, this will cause a reduction in the coolant level that is found in your MINI Cooper’s engine. When there isn’t enough coolant in the engine, the engine is going to overheat. If your engine was already overheating, the blown head gasket will make the condition worse. One reason why is that you will not have enough coolant circulating through the engine while it is running.
Another reason that the engine will run too hot is that the crack in the head gasket releases heat from the combustion chamber. This heat is scorching hot, and it will heat up all of the parts in your MINI Cooper’s engine. Unfortunately, all of this means that your MINI is going to overheat every time that you try to drive it. Do not drive it until you replace the head gasket.
There Will Be Coolant in the Oil
We mentioned above that the gasket seals the combustion chamber so coolant and oil cannot leak into it. We also mentioned that the coolant will leak into the chamber once the head gasket cracks. In addition, the motor oil will leak into the combustion chamber and also mix with the coolant. This dilutes the motor oil and makes it ineffective in the engine.
You’ll See White Vehicle Exhaust
Finally, if you have cracked your MINI Cooper’s head gasket, you will start to see white exhaust behind the vehicle. When the coolant leaks into the combustion chamber, it gets burned when the spark plugs ignite the fuel and air. This produces white exhaust.
Do not worry. MMS Automotive in South Bay, CA, can replace the head gasket in your MINI Cooper. Call us today.
