We hate to say it, but if your motor oil looks like a latte, this is a very bad sign. This is a sign that you have a cracked head gasket above the cylinder block. Unfortunately, it will take partially rebuilding the engine to repair the problem. If you love your vehicle, the repair work is worth it. The reason why your motor oil looks like a latte is that it is mixed with engine coolant. When the head gasket cracks, the engine coolant and motor oil mix. Continuing to drive your automobile can damage the engine for this reason. Here are other reasons why your engine will get damaged.
Leaking Coolant
The head gasket keeps the cylinder block sealed off so coolant and motor oil cannot leak into the cylinders. Unfortunately, when the head gasket blows, the coolant will begin to leak into the cylinders immediately. The motor oil can leak into them, as well. This contaminates the cylinders because the only thing that should be in them is fuel and air. This also reduces the level of coolant that you have circulating through the engine to keep the engine cool.
Overheating Engine
Consequently, your engine will start to overheat all the time. The reason why is that you do not have enough coolant in the engine to reduce the temperature. You will see that the coolant level is low if you check it, and if you add coolant to the radiator, it will simply leak into the cylinders once it reaches the head gasket. In other words, the coolant level will always be low, and this is one reason why your engine will overheat all the time.
The engine will also overheat all the time because it is being exposed to additional heat from the combustion chamber. As you can imagine, it is extremely hot inside the combustion chamber. Another thing that the head gasket does is seal the chamber so that heat cannot make its way into the engine. Consequently, you have a cracked head gasket, and, as such, the heat easily escapes from the chamber and wafts into the engine.
White Exhaust
The excess heat is another reason why you shouldn’t drive your automobile. If you continue to operate the vehicle, you will cause additional damage. In addition, the coolant and motor oil will produce excess vehicle exhaust that is dangerous for the environment. If you see white exhaust, there is more coolant in the cylinders than oil. If you see blue exhaust, there is more oil.
Have your vehicle towed to our shop if you suspect that the head gasket is cracked. Don’t take chances driving the automobile.
