Slow Headgasket leak on '99 c230...big problem?

[golden1245]

There's been a very slow headgasket leak on my '99 C230k for a few years now. It's never given me any trouble besides me having to top off the coolant tank every 6-7 months or so. 2 mechanics have diagnosed it but each have different views on what to do. One of them said that it's not a huge problem on the C230's and you'd have to keep refilling in coolant if i decided not to fix it.

The other said that it can and will explode and all the coolant will leak out at any moment.

A headgasket job + head polish in California would cost (in GBP) about 935 and would seriously put a dent in my finances.

From experience, what do you guys think? I've read that headgaskets issues rarely happen on C230's unless they are very very high mileage. Mine only has 152,000 miles on it. Could they be loose head bolts instead? (i read from another member that some lose bolts were causing the leak.)

 

[brucemillar]

I can't really advise you on that engine only from my own experience. I would work on the principle that it will go bang when you least expect it or want it to.

That is the law that applies to these kind of things.

I had a slow head leak on a Range Rover and did what you are doing. That went bang with four of us on-board, in the middle of nowhere heading for a Golf Match (which we missed). I nearly survived with some sympathy until I let out that it had "always leaked"

 

[BlackC55]

A head gasket coolant leak really can't be left as damage long term could happen to the head. We had one in recently with this issue. It had been left for a long time and the head was damaged.

 

[Stratman]

I had a dodgy but driveable head gasket on an old Daimler 2.5 V8.

It worked fine right up to the moment it let go in a spectacular shower of steam.