Testing a blown head gasket, on your 1.6L Ford Fiesta, isn't difficult. In this tutorial, I'm gonna explain the 4 tests that you can perform to find out if the head gasket has failed on your Ford Fiesta.
Two of those four tests don't require any tools whatsoever and can be done under 5 minutes.
Contents of this tutorial:
This tutorial applies to the following vehicles:
- 1.6L Ford Fiesta: 1992, 1993.
Symptoms Of A Blown Head Gasket
For the most part, cylinder head gasket failures fall into one of two categories.
Either the head gasket failure causes the engine to not start.
Or the engine starts, runs, but overheats within minutes due to a head gasket failure.
Here's a basic list of the symptoms you're going to see when your 1.6L Ford Fiesta suffers a head gasket failure:
- The engine overheats for no apparent reason. All engine cooling system components (like fan motor, water pump, etc.) are working fine.
- White smoke is coming out of the tail-pipe and it smells like anti-freeze being cooked.
- The engine won't start.
- The engine oil is thick and a milky white color.
TEST 1: Engine Oil The Color Of Coffee With Too Much Creamer
One of the most common issues that you're gonna see when the head gasket fails on your Ford Fiesta, is coolant entering the engine crankcase and mixing with engine oil.
When this happens, the resulting milky white mixture of engine oil and coolant looks like 'coffee with too much creamer'.
For our first test, we're going to check the color and viscosity of the oil adhering to the engine oil dipstick.
If the oil looks like coffee with too much creamer, you've got a blown head gasket on your hands.
If oil is it's normal color and viscosity, then we'll move on to the next test.
Let's get started:
- 1
Open the hood.
- 2
Pull out the engine oil dipstick.
- 3
Check the color of the oil sticking to the engine oil dipstick.
- 4
You'll see one of two results:
1.) The engine oil looks like coffee with too much creamer.
2.) The engine oil is its usual normal color.
Alright, let's analyze your test result:
CASE 1: The engine oil has the color of coffee with too much creamer. This test result confirms that one or both head gaskets are blown on your 1.6L Ford Fiesta.
CASE 2: The color of the engine oil is normal. This is the correct and expected test result.
The next test is to see if the engine's compression pressures are escaping into the engine's cooling system (radiator). For this test go to: TEST 2: Coolant Shooting Out From Open Radiator.
TEST 2: Coolant Shooting Out From Open Radiator
Another very common type of head gasket failure is the head gasket allowing combustion or compression pressures to escape into the engine's cooling system.
We can easily check this by removing the cap from the coolant expansion tank (with a cold engine) and cranking the engine.
If the coolant in the open expansion tank is expelled forcefully out of it, the head gasket is blown on your Ford Fiesta.
The normal test result (of this particular test) is for the coolant to remain undisturbed within the open coolant expansion tank as the engine is cranked.
IMPORTANT: Do not remove the cap from the coolant expansion tank if the engine is hot or has been running for any length of time. Let the engine cool down completely before removing the cap from the radiator.
Let's get started:
- 1
Remove the coolant expansion tank's cap.
Check the coolant level and if necessary add some water or coolant. - 2
Have your helper crank the engine while you stand at a safe distance from the open coolant expansion tank.
- 3
You'll see one of two results:
1.) The water or coolant inside the tank will shoot out.
2.) The coolant remained undisturbed. In other words, cranking the engine will have no effect on the level of the water or coolant in the coolant expansion tank.
Let's examine your test result:
CASE 1: The coolant shot out from the expansion tank as you cranked the engine. This confirms that one or both head gaskets are blown on your 1.6L Ford Fiesta.
CASE 2: The coolant DID NOT shoot out from the expansion tank. This is the correct and expected test result.
If the engine, in your Ford Fiesta, starts but runs with a misfire, then next step is to test engine compression. For this test go to: TEST 3: Engine Compression Test.
If the engine starts but overheats almost immediately, then your next step is to do a 'block' test. For this test go to: TEST 4: Using A Chemical Block Tester (Combustion Leak Tester).
