Tech Tip: Bad head gasket causes overheating

March 15, 2023
A customer brought in their high-mileage vehicle blowing white smoke.

Vehicle: 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

Mileage: 269,000

Problem: Vehicle overheating due to extensive cooling system issues.

Details: A customer brought in his Oldsmobile overheating and blowing white smoke. The water pump was locked up, so the technician replaced it, as well as the thermostat, radiator, and radiator cap. But on the test drive, the SUV started to overheat in just a few miles, with bubbling in the reservoir, lots of white smoke, and coolant loss.

It looked like it was time for a teardown to install a new head gasket, however the customer didn’t want to put any more money into his vintage vehicle. The technician decided to turn to Bar’s Leaks.

He grabbed a bottle of Bar’s Leaks Professional Head Seal Blown Head Gasket Repair (HG-1), an antifreeze-compatible sealant. He knew that it would not only seal any head gasket damage but would also stop any other coolant leaks in the system. Plus, its Xtreme Cool additive would address the SUV’s overheating and bring the coolant temperature down.

He added the Head Gasket Repair directly to the radiator, turned the heater on hot and the fan on high, and ran the engine until it hit normal operating temperature. There was still some white smoke, so he switched the engine off and let it cool back down. After topping off the radiator, he took it for another easy drive of about 15 minutes. Problem solved. No more smoke or overheating.

Conclusion: After 200 miles of driving, owner says the Bravada is running better than it has in a very long time.

Information provided by Bar's Leaks

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