Should I replace my head gasket?
 

SOOOO. first of all thanks for readin. second of all i apologize if i seem like abumbling fool....when it comes to cars. I am.
SO i have 2002 sl1 115K miles. over a year and a half ago i had a mechanic tell me my head gasket was leaking. After taking it to a second mechanic i was told not to worry about it. so i didn't. fast forward to 2 months ago and i was jumping some guy in the parking lot of ym work. He asked if i had a leaking head gasket. I realayed the previous story. he said i should go check it out. Took it to my mechanic who i trust he said indeed it was leaking and it had not damaged any other systems yet. Too kit to a family friend of mine who is a mechanic and said not to worry about it. Now i've had some other problems with this car. It does tend to sound like its running really high. I have no idea really what to do. any thoughts? should i fix it or buy a new car? I mean i'm ok spending to 2000 to fix the car so long as i don't have to spend that much again in the next 3 years. Idk thoughts? just looking for some guidence.

thanks!

What engine?

Sure it's the head gasket and not the cam cover ie valve cover. A blown head gasket destroys crap quick. Oil mixes into the coolant, coolant mixes into the oil. Car runs like crap or not all.

I agree with Joe. Leaking head gaskets don't go that long without something catastrophic happening. What color is your oil on the dipstick and what color is your coolant? If either look like a milkshake, then you've got a leaking head gasket. I'm guessing that you have the 1.9 SOHC engine, but don't know for sure. You may just have the infamous intake manifold gasket leak and that should be addressed. Your mechanic should be able to check that easily enough with some carb cleaner or WD-40. Tell him you want him to check the intake for a vacuum leak. He SHOULD know how to do that. I really don't think you have a blown head gasket or the car would have died long ago.

Another old-school trick I've used in the past it to use a container of Propane gas, the type you use to solder/sweat copper pipe joints with, it normally comes in the yellow metal canister.
Open the valve on the torch (DO NOT LIGHT THE TORCH !!!) and allow the gas to escape at a very slow rate while passing it along the outer edge of the intake manifold.
IF there is a manifold leak, the engine rpm will rise noticeably, and it will indicate you are, in fact, in need of a new intake manifold gasket.
When finished with this test, be sure to close the valve on the torch and lay it down away from any hot surfaces on the engine.

thanks
 

hey guys thanks for the input! i'm going to meet this weekend with him so i will definietly ask him to check those things. and to answer the question the oil is black and the coolant is orange? it's dexcool so i know its not the normal coolant color?
and it doesn't seem milk shakey to me.

Sounds like you DO NOT have a leaking head gasket then. Black oil needs to be changed probably, but it's just dirty, not full of water. And the Dexcool is orange, so as long as it's not chocolate colored, you should be okay. I still think you just have a vacuum leak, but I'm not an ASE mechanic. Just been pulling my own wrenches for over 40 years. Shade tree and proud of it.