I just came back from an Mobil station where they told me that they saw my manifold leaking coolant when they were changing my oil. When put under pressure, there was a pretty substantial leak of coolant. I didn't see it because I had dropped the car off and went out of town. The Explorer was using a lot of oil. Usually a quart every 500 to 600 miles. No oil on the ground and no smoking. Other than that, it was runing great. At my last oil change, an Exxon mechanic told me to use
5W-30 and there was a small oil leak but it wasn't big enough to explain the oil usage.So now my manifold gasket is being replaced. They showed me the wear on the gasket. But I'm worried this would have never happened if I hadn't told them to tighten the manifold intake bolts. I'm sick about spending $450 for this uneeded job.
Can someone tell me if this repair sounds legitimate?
Thanks for your help.
Fool in Houston!