Do I have a blown head gasket?

[Blueshift]

I have a 2022 Ranger with 6700 miles and recently noticed my coolant level being slightly lower than when I picked it up from the dealership back in October. The overflow tank is about 1/4 to 1/8th inch lower than it was initially when hot. It still is between the MIN/MAX indicators, even when cold, but I can't help but worry. No leaks under the vehicle, no white smoke from the exhaust.

There is some milky residue in the oil fill cap, even after having been driven for 35 minutes.

There does not appear to be any of this white residue on the oil dipstick or inside the valve cover. It has been about 2000 miles since my last oil change.

Am I just being paranoid or does anyone think there could be some cause for concern here?

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[BassRanger]

Just condensation from the weather getting colder.

 

[ctechbob]

Probably being a little paranoid. Your coolant system will drop ever so slightly over time depending on lots of factors, but its not unheard of to need to top it up now and again. As for the condensation, it exists in almost any engine as a product of combustion (Ever notice everyone's tailpipes on a cold day?) , and some of that makes it into the crankcase, and some of that can condense on the cap.

Keep an eye on things, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

 

[JeffWoodall]

I just had to top mine off. It’s normal for the coolant tank to have droplets inside from the pressure and heat (condensation). With the cold weather, even more so and I figured that’s my issue. However, I’ll definitely keep an eye on it and look for other indicators.

 

[Old NaCl]

Looks normal.

If your overflow tank is bubbling you have head gasket issues.

If you have zero power loss your head gasket is fine.

When your oil (not the cap) looks like dirty milk you have issues with moisture in your oil

 

[btsmith52]

I tend to agree what everyone else said. The "pudding" under the cap can happen when you drive short distances in cold weather, and condensation doesn't burn off. However, if you are like me, it will bug the crap out of you until you know for sure. Also, in the even you do have a blown head gasket, driving around with it will destroy your engine. The make fairly cheap test kits that detect combustion gasses in coolant that provide a pretty definite answer. Just search for "head gasket test kit" in Amazon. I think there's a Scotty Kilmer video on Youtube about it too.

 

[Rp930]

I have a 2022 Ranger with 6700 miles and recently noticed my coolant level being slightly lower than when I picked it up from the dealership back in October. The overflow tank is about 1/4 to 1/8th inch lower than it was initially when hot. It still is between the MIN/MAX indicators, even when cold, but I can't help but worry. No leaks under the vehicle, no white smoke from the exhaust.

There is some milky residue in the oil fill cap, even after having been driven for 35 minutes.

There does not appear to be any of this white residue on the oil dipstick or inside the valve cover. It has been about 2000 miles since my last oil change.

Am I just being paranoid or does anyone think there could be some cause for concern here?

You are paranoid. Drive it.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Blueshift,

No worries....What you are experiencing is due to cold weather and high humidity....Take it out for a long romp on the freeway and get heat into the motor....should dissipate...

best,
Phil

 

[Toytec]

It's called an expansion tank for that reason. I see no worries mate.

 

[mr.wonderful]

Hi Blueshift,

I would start by taking a deep breath. I can see being on edge a bit following the holidays, so just take a deep breath.

Everything is A-OK based on your photos. As long as your coolant overflow isn't bubbling, or your oil looks like a Peanut Butter milkshake, you're golden.

What I'm seeing mostly is condensation. With the wild swing in the weather the US has had recently, I would expect it. Heck, I am emptying condensation out of my catch can once a week because of it. Give the motor a good romp, let the oil get warm, and it will boil the moisture out of the crankcase like usual.

As for your coolant, well, I had an Audi and a Subaru do the same thing. Coolant would mysteriously disappear. Especially with the Subaru, I thought I had issues.... Coolant expands and contracts when it heat cycles, especially in the winter with liberal use of the heater. As long as it doesn't bubble, or the expansion tank empties itself overnight (had a Volkswagen do that), you're A-OK. In between the marks is perfectly fine. If you're concerned, go ahead and top it off.

Trust me, this is nothing. If you had a head gasket issue like the Focus RS did, it would be A LOT more apparent.

 

[Blueshift]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the responses. It seems based on all the replies I’m most likely just overthinking things.

I’ll keep an eye on it just to be sure but it sounds like it would be a lot more apparent if there was an issue with coolant entering the cylinders or oil.

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