Head Gasket Repair in Detroit
A blown head gasket lets combustion gases into the cooling system or coolant into the cylinders, and it is confirmed with a chemical block test rather than a guess. That test takes minutes and tells us definitively whether exhaust gas is present in the coolant. We do it before quoting, because a lot of cars that look like head gasket failures are actually failed radiator caps, bad thermostats or cracked overflow tanks, and those are far cheaper days.
Bring it in if you are seeing any of this
Not sure which of these it is? Call and describe it. Half the time we can tell you over the phone whether it needs looking at today or whether it can wait for the weekend.
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- Thick white smoke from the exhaust that smells sweet
- Oil on the dipstick the colour of coffee with milk
- Coolant level dropping with no visible leak underneath
- Bubbles rising in the radiator or overflow tank while running
- Overheating that comes on fast, especially climbing a ramp
- The car running fine cold then getting rough as it warms up
What we actually do on this job
- Chemical block test for combustion gases in the coolant
- Cooling system pressure test to rule out the cheap causes first
- Cylinder leak-down to find which cylinder is involved
- Head removal, cleaning and a straightedge check for warp
- Machine shop resurfacing when the head is out of spec
Turnaround. Two to four days typically, longer if the head goes out for machine work.
What the price depends on
We do not publish a flat price for this, because a number quoted before anyone has looked at the car is a guess. You get a real one after the diagnosis, and you approve it before any work starts.
- Four cylinder versus V6 or V8, since a V engine has two heads
- Whether the head is warped or cracked and needs machining or replacing
- How much has to come off to reach the head in that engine bay
- Whether the engine was driven hot long enough to damage bearings
- Head bolts that are torque-to-yield and must be replaced
Free full synthetic oil change on your first visit
New customers only, with a paid service. One per vehicle. Ask for it when you drop off.
Free towing with any service over $300
Local tow to our W Warren Ave shop. Applied to your invoice once the repair is approved.
Head Gasket Repair questions
What people ask us about head gasket repair
Can I drive with a blown head gasket?
No. Driving on a blown head gasket pushes coolant into the cylinders and combustion pressure into the cooling system, and both accelerate the damage fast. Coolant in a cylinder washes the oil off the walls and can hydrolock the engine. If you are seeing white smoke and losing coolant, have it towed. Our free towing applies once the repair is over $300, which a head gasket job comfortably is.
Do head gasket sealers in a bottle actually work?
Occasionally on a very small leak, and usually at the cost of a clogged heater core and radiator afterwards. We do not recommend them. If a bottle buys you two weeks and blocks the cooling system in the process, you have made the real repair more expensive.
How do you know it is the head gasket and not something cheaper?
We pressure test the cooling system and run a chemical block test that changes colour in the presence of combustion gases. If the fluid does not change colour, the head gasket is sealing and we go looking at the radiator cap, thermostat, water pump and hoses instead. That test is why we do not quote head gaskets over the phone.
Tell us what it is doing
We will call you back with what it most likely is and what it takes to find out for certain. If it is faster to talk now, the number is right there.
(313) 253-030020142 W Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48228. Closed Sunday.
Related work
Engine Repair
Knocks, ticks, overheating and oil loss. We find out whether it is a repair or a rebuild before you spend anything.
Timing Chain & Belt
That rattle for two seconds on a cold start is a warning. A stretched chain that jumps takes valves with it.
A/C & Heating
A/C that blows warm has a leak somewhere. Heat that blows cold is usually the thermostat or the heater core.
Who we do this for
Head Gasket Repair for drivers across west Detroit and the communities on our side of the city line.
Need head gasket repair in Detroit?
Call and describe the symptom. We will tell you what it usually means and what it takes to be sure.