'91 190e 2.6 - I have a coolant leak and have been told by my mechanic it is coming from the headgasket. I have no other symptoms of a faulty head gasket (like oil in coolant or coolant in oil) but have the coolant leaking from the back of the engine around the 5th cylnder. I can put in alot of coolant for what a head gasket would cost, so... With no other symptoms thus far, how bad is it to go for a while with the leak until I can figure out shop options, and/or shop for the best price on repair? I'm filling up the overflow tank about every other week...

thanks,

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Toddro
Franklin, TN
'92 190e 2.6
'91 190e 2.6

the leak will not go away by itself and it will not get better. If it follows Murphy's law it will cause a complete failure of the gasket right when you get the furthest away from any help in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning.

My advice.....get it changed now. Don't wait the inevitable to happen.

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89 190E
2.6L
Arctic white
Grey leather
Sunroof
Pirelli P400 rubber
Smoked corners

I go along with 190edude. This is more of an attitudinal question than a technical question. I learned a long time ago that the worst thing you can do is try to ride problems along instead of fixing them. Even if it's something simple like a broken door handle, if you just let it go, then the next little thing you will also let it go and before too long you have a car that is run down. Your head gasket is much more serious than a broken door handle.

Cars are EXPENSIVE! Sometimes it costs lots of money for repairs, but it costs A LOT MORE to replace the car. If you keep up with both corrective and preventive maintenance on a good car such as a Mercedes you can drive them almost indefinitely.

Pay me now or pay me later.

Best of luck,

could it be a freeze plug...

It ended up being some sort of O-ring on something in the vicinity.

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1994 C280, dark green metallic
105k miles

1991 190E 2.6, Black
191,500 miles
(sold to another forum member)

2003 Chevy Tahoe LT, Redfire Metallic
105k miles

1989 Mustang GT Cobra Convertible
43k miles