Leaky Gasket?

[xvimbi]

Originally Posted by bln1dotcom

Good Morning,
I purchased two containers of the coolant conditioner just before xmas, followed the directions for use and have seen a noticeable improvement in the coolant odor. If the odor I detected earlier was 100%, the odor now is down to 10%. Same with coolant use. Down significantly. I wish Subaru made a oil "conditioner" for the head gasket oil leak. That is about the same in intensity. More annoying than anything.

Thanks very much for the responses and assisted I received!

The coolant conditioner only fights the symptoms but not the source of the problem. In addition, multiple applications of the conditioner are known to cause problems.

I think you never mentioned whether you actually determined that it is in fact the head gaskets that are leaking oil and/or coolant. It could be anything else, hoses, radiator, seals, oil pump, etc. I think you should have it properly diagnosed first before you decide on a major repair, but most reputable shops would do that anyway.

Regarding the oil, yes, you could refill it all the time and keep driving. However, you already reported fumes in the passenger compartment. I had a similar case where I could use the air only when set on circulation, otherwise fumes would get sucked into the cabin, which was not good. Eventually, it became so bad that even when on circulation I could smell the fumes. I have a baby on the way, and I am not going to expose it to any sort of burnt stuff. I don't even want to know how long I have been breathing it...

So, if you really want to drive the car until it falls apart, I wouldn't hesitate to drop even $3,000 on major repairs if the car would be good to go for another 10-15 years. What kind of used car in great condition would you get for $3,000?

Good luck!