Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1992 Saturn with 57,000 miles on it. I had the "low engine coolant" light come on frequently and suspected a leak in the cooling system. When I took the car to the Saturn dealership, they said that the cylinder head had a crack, and the coolant was leaking inside the engine. The estimated cost of a new cylinder head is about $2,000. The cost of repair seems a bit too high. The way I see it, even if I have to put in $5 worth of coolant every week, I can do that for the next 400 weeks (about eight years) for the same price as a new cylinder head. Would I be better off just keeping an eye on the coolant level or forking over $2,000 to the dealer to replace the cylinder head? -- Dinesh

Ray: Neither, Dinesh. Unfortunately, your $5-a-week theory doesn't really hold water (ha, ha) here, because leaks like this almost always get worse. A lot worse. And usually fast.

Tom: And if you do screw up and let it run out of coolant and overheat, you could ruin the entire engine. And then you'll be looking at an even bigger bill.

Tom: So if you plan to keep this car for a while, you really should fix it. But there's an alternative to having the work done at your dealer. An independent shop will probably be willing to buy a used cylinder head for you from a junkyard engine.

Ray: It'll cost a few hundred dollars to buy it and a few hundred more to have it installed. So for about a grand, you can take care of that cracked head once and for all.

Tom: If only I could fix my brother's cracked head that easily!

Stop the madness! You can stop driving like a knucklehead, and you'll help your car in the process. Learn how your driving habits can harm your car in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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