Head gasket?? Coolant level low - glove test inconculsive?
#1
12-28-2020
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From: Victoria, BC
Head gasket?? Coolant level low - glove test inconculsive?
Hi there,
I've got a 2000 mazda b4000, 4x4, 4.0 v6 engine, automatic. I'm having some issues with it with some confusing symptoms that I hope you all can help with! I've noticed the last two weeks there appears to be a bit more white smoke coming out of exhaust on startup then usual. The smoke does NOT have that sweet maple syrup like coolant smell. It is also cold and wet where I am, so some is condensation, but when compared to my brothers 2005 Subaru it definitely puts out more smoke on startup. The smoke stops after maybe 5-10 minutes of warmup. I looked at the coolant reservoir and noticed it was low, so then I got worried about a head gasket problem. I did the radiator glove test on it with the coil pack disconnected. It didn't bounce up with air, but the level of the coolant in the radiator did rise about an inch and then splash into the glove, after about a 10-15 sec crank over. Could this mean there's air in the system, it just didn't reach the glove and pushed coolant up instead? Engine never even turned on, was just cranking, so it's not like the coolant heated up that much that fast. I also have a bit of a rough idle in the inital 30 seconds of startup, but thats an ongoing issue that seems to come and go. No evidence of coolant in oil. Theres some brown sludge in the coolant reservoir but not floating oil beads, so I do need a coolant flush regardless. Is this likely still a head gasket issue or something else??
Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you very much!
T
I've got a 2000 mazda b4000, 4x4, 4.0 v6 engine, automatic. I'm having some issues with it with some confusing symptoms that I hope you all can help with! I've noticed the last two weeks there appears to be a bit more white smoke coming out of exhaust on startup then usual. The smoke does NOT have that sweet maple syrup like coolant smell. It is also cold and wet where I am, so some is condensation, but when compared to my brothers 2005 Subaru it definitely puts out more smoke on startup. The smoke stops after maybe 5-10 minutes of warmup. I looked at the coolant reservoir and noticed it was low, so then I got worried about a head gasket problem. I did the radiator glove test on it with the coil pack disconnected. It didn't bounce up with air, but the level of the coolant in the radiator did rise about an inch and then splash into the glove, after about a 10-15 sec crank over. Could this mean there's air in the system, it just didn't reach the glove and pushed coolant up instead? Engine never even turned on, was just cranking, so it's not like the coolant heated up that much that fast. I also have a bit of a rough idle in the inital 30 seconds of startup, but thats an ongoing issue that seems to come and go. No evidence of coolant in oil. Theres some brown sludge in the coolant reservoir but not floating oil beads, so I do need a coolant flush regardless. Is this likely still a head gasket issue or something else??
Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you very much!
T
Last edited by mazdab4000_Canada; 12-28-2020 at 12:50 PM.
#2
12-28-2020
Probably OK, as far as head gaskets go, or cracked head
When a head gasket fails, or head cracks, some of the cylinders 1,000psi air pressure will be pushed into the cooling systems passages, since they surround each cylinder
Thats what the glove test is for, when just cranking there is 150psi being pushed in, so glove would bounce when cylinder with crack or bad gasket was on compression stroke
Yes, coolant will rise in radiator when water pump starts to circulate coolant when cranking so when doing glove test its good to have at least 2" of air in radiator during test
When there is a head gasket leak(cracked head) and air is being pump into cooling system with engine running, the 16psi rad cap is no match for the 1,000psi pressure so rad cap is pushed open and overflow tank would get fill up with coolant and overflow usually, and then start to bubble when air is being forced out
You also lose the heater because as a high point the air being forced in collects in the heater hoses and can't be purged easily by water pump, forms an "air dam"
Losing heat is a dead give away of air in the cooling system
If overflow tank is losing coolant but radiator is still full then you most likely have a leak in cooling system
You can rent a cooling system pressure tester, $10, and then check for a leak with engine cold
The amount of condensation(white smoke) from tail pipe depends on the exhaust system and how quickly it warms up and how much water was in there to begin with
When you burn gasoline(Hydro carbon) with Oxygen, you get a by-product of H2O(water)
So there is always water in the exhaust, drips out the tail pipe, and its why exhaust systems RUST from the inside out, lol
When outside temp is colder then the HOT water in the exhaust condenses quite fast when it hits the DRY cold air
When you first start up a cold exhaust system all the water that condensed when it was last shut off has to be heated up and purged, which is why there is more white smoke on cold start
Then as there is less and less "old" water the white smoke is less and less
It is possible for the lower intake to leak coolant into cylinders, not common but possible, at the 4 corners of the lower intake are the coolant crossover passages that connect the heads coolant passages together
You can pull out the spark plugs at the 4 corners and have a look at the tips, steam cleaned is what you are looking for, no brownish color, will look "steam cleaned"
When a head gasket fails, or head cracks, some of the cylinders 1,000psi air pressure will be pushed into the cooling systems passages, since they surround each cylinder
Thats what the glove test is for, when just cranking there is 150psi being pushed in, so glove would bounce when cylinder with crack or bad gasket was on compression stroke
Yes, coolant will rise in radiator when water pump starts to circulate coolant when cranking so when doing glove test its good to have at least 2" of air in radiator during test
When there is a head gasket leak(cracked head) and air is being pump into cooling system with engine running, the 16psi rad cap is no match for the 1,000psi pressure so rad cap is pushed open and overflow tank would get fill up with coolant and overflow usually, and then start to bubble when air is being forced out
You also lose the heater because as a high point the air being forced in collects in the heater hoses and can't be purged easily by water pump, forms an "air dam"
Losing heat is a dead give away of air in the cooling system
If overflow tank is losing coolant but radiator is still full then you most likely have a leak in cooling system
You can rent a cooling system pressure tester, $10, and then check for a leak with engine cold
The amount of condensation(white smoke) from tail pipe depends on the exhaust system and how quickly it warms up and how much water was in there to begin with
When you burn gasoline(Hydro carbon) with Oxygen, you get a by-product of H2O(water)
So there is always water in the exhaust, drips out the tail pipe, and its why exhaust systems RUST from the inside out, lol
When outside temp is colder then the HOT water in the exhaust condenses quite fast when it hits the DRY cold air
When you first start up a cold exhaust system all the water that condensed when it was last shut off has to be heated up and purged, which is why there is more white smoke on cold start
Then as there is less and less "old" water the white smoke is less and less
It is possible for the lower intake to leak coolant into cylinders, not common but possible, at the 4 corners of the lower intake are the coolant crossover passages that connect the heads coolant passages together
You can pull out the spark plugs at the 4 corners and have a look at the tips, steam cleaned is what you are looking for, no brownish color, will look "steam cleaned"
#3
12-28-2020
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC
Probably OK, as far as head gaskets go, or cracked head
When a head gasket fails, or head cracks, some of the cylinders 1,000psi air pressure will be pushed into the cooling systems passages, since they surround each cylinder
Thats what the glove test is for, when just cranking there is 150psi being pushed in, so glove would bounce when cylinder with crack or bad gasket was on compression stroke
Yes, coolant will rise in radiator when water pump starts to circulate coolant when cranking so when doing glove test its good to have at least 2" of air in radiator during test
When there is a head gasket leak(cracked head) and air is being pump into cooling system with engine running, the 16psi rad cap is no match for the 1,000psi pressure so rad cap is pushed open and overflow tank would get fill up with coolant and overflow usually, and then start to bubble when air is being forced out
You also lose the heater because as a high point the air being forced in collects in the heater hoses and can't be purged easily by water pump, forms an "air dam"
Losing heat is a dead give away of air in the cooling system
If overflow tank is losing coolant but radiator is still full then you most likely have a leak in cooling system
You can rent a cooling system pressure tester, $10, and then check for a leak with engine cold
The amount of condensation(white smoke) from tail pipe depends on the exhaust system and how quickly it warms up and how much water was in there to begin with
When you burn gasoline(Hydro carbon) with Oxygen, you get a by-product of H2O(water)
So there is always water in the exhaust, drips out the tail pipe, and its why exhaust systems RUST from the inside out, lol
When outside temp is colder then the HOT water in the exhaust condenses quite fast when it hits the DRY cold air
When you first start up a cold exhaust system all the water that condensed when it was last shut off has to be heated up and purged, which is why there is more white smoke on cold start
Then as there is less and less "old" water the white smoke is less and less
It is possible for the lower intake to leak coolant into cylinders, not common but possible, at the 4 corners of the lower intake are the coolant crossover passages that connect the heads coolant passages together
You can pull out the spark plugs at the 4 corners and have a look at the tips, steam cleaned is what you are looking for, no brownish color, will look "steam cleaned"
When a head gasket fails, or head cracks, some of the cylinders 1,000psi air pressure will be pushed into the cooling systems passages, since they surround each cylinder
Thats what the glove test is for, when just cranking there is 150psi being pushed in, so glove would bounce when cylinder with crack or bad gasket was on compression stroke
Yes, coolant will rise in radiator when water pump starts to circulate coolant when cranking so when doing glove test its good to have at least 2" of air in radiator during test
When there is a head gasket leak(cracked head) and air is being pump into cooling system with engine running, the 16psi rad cap is no match for the 1,000psi pressure so rad cap is pushed open and overflow tank would get fill up with coolant and overflow usually, and then start to bubble when air is being forced out
You also lose the heater because as a high point the air being forced in collects in the heater hoses and can't be purged easily by water pump, forms an "air dam"
Losing heat is a dead give away of air in the cooling system
If overflow tank is losing coolant but radiator is still full then you most likely have a leak in cooling system
You can rent a cooling system pressure tester, $10, and then check for a leak with engine cold
The amount of condensation(white smoke) from tail pipe depends on the exhaust system and how quickly it warms up and how much water was in there to begin with
When you burn gasoline(Hydro carbon) with Oxygen, you get a by-product of H2O(water)
So there is always water in the exhaust, drips out the tail pipe, and its why exhaust systems RUST from the inside out, lol
When outside temp is colder then the HOT water in the exhaust condenses quite fast when it hits the DRY cold air
When you first start up a cold exhaust system all the water that condensed when it was last shut off has to be heated up and purged, which is why there is more white smoke on cold start
Then as there is less and less "old" water the white smoke is less and less
It is possible for the lower intake to leak coolant into cylinders, not common but possible, at the 4 corners of the lower intake are the coolant crossover passages that connect the heads coolant passages together
You can pull out the spark plugs at the 4 corners and have a look at the tips, steam cleaned is what you are looking for, no brownish color, will look "steam cleaned"
#4
12-29-2020
Depending on the age/miles on the spark plugs they should have a light brownish color on the white insulator
Any darker colors could mean oil is getting in from intake valve guide seals, not a big deal as they do wear out as miles go up, the high vacuum in the intake manifold will suck in the oil thru the worn seals
Any darker colors could mean oil is getting in from intake valve guide seals, not a big deal as they do wear out as miles go up, the high vacuum in the intake manifold will suck in the oil thru the worn seals
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