My mechanic said the antifreeze leak on my 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass is due to a gasket going bad on the Timing Cover. For $750 he can fix it which includes 8 hours of labor. Is this for real? Should I have it fixed or let is go and just buy more antifreeze?
could be the water pump gasket leaking…I am no expert but it doesn’t take 8 hours to replace a timing belt and a water pump at the same time…get a second opinion
Which engine does your car have, and is it a Cutlass Ciera or a Cutlass Supreme? Either way, I think the only engines offered were the 2.2, 3.1 or 3.4 DOHC, which was a royal pain in the butt for anyone to do any kind of repairs on. None of them had a timing belt, all timing chains. The most common engine in either car is the 3.1, and the most likely problem is the lower intake gaskets. Those call for 5.7 hours labor, not 8 hours, and I would definitely get it fixed since they will get much worse very quickly. The timing cover would leak oil, not antifreeze on that car. Also, $750 seems a little steep to me, if it’s the intake gaskets. I’ve done dozens of them for $500 in half a day (probably because I’ve done dozens of them).