Can I Drive my Car with a Blown Head Gasket?

“Can I Drive my Car with a Blown Head Gasket?” Welcome to Mercie J Auto Care, Where Compassion and Craftsmanship Come Together. I'm Rick Smith, ASE Certified Master Technician. I suppose you can drive your car with a blown head gasket, but you won’t get very far and will likely cause further damage. The head gasket seals between the combustion chamber where the piston is located and the passages around the cylinder that use the anti-freeze or radiator fluid to cool the engine. When we ignite the fuel for the engine to run, the hot gases are supposed to go out the exhaust pipe. A failed head gasket will allow those hot exhaust gases to go into the cooling system. This will cause an overheating issue. It also causes a lot of acid which is very destructive to hoses, radiators, water pumps, heater cores, and coolant bottles. So although you might be able to drive your car with a blown head gasket, it is highly advisable not to.