I have a fudged-up looking oil leak that my oil change guy says is probably a blown intake manifold gasket. Is this the same as a head gasket? I thought a head gasket was around the pistons. I see there is a product on the market that you can put into your radiator that plugs up leaks in the head gasket (Steel something). Is this an OK fix? It would cost $90 for a bottle of the stuff. And what is a reasonable, or low, rate to replace this gasket? And, how long can I drive the car with this condition? It has lost a quart of oil in the past month, driving about 600 miles. Need help ASAP, as I am planning a drive from California to Indiana soon.
Who is your “oil change guy?” Take it to a real mechanic to have it looked at.
An intake manifold gasket isn’t the same as a head gasket, and don’t go pouring any goop in there. Just have a good, local, independent mechanic look at it and tell you what is going on.
What cigroller said. If the oil changer couldn’t tell you definitively where the leak was take it to someone who can. And then get it fixed. Driving from CA to IN in the summer you need your car in good condition.
On the other hand did the oil changer tell you there was an oil leak that warrants further investigation to determine the origin? Wherever you take it, expect to pay to have it checked out.
What engine? How many miles on the car?
If you have the V6, then rear valve cover gasket is a more likely suspect than the intake manifold. As mentioned, have a good mechanic check the car out. Also, at this age and miles, some oil seepage is expected. You have to track your oil level more closely. Have the PCV (Valve) checked. You might also losse some oil through burning.