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1994 Mazda Protege

Question: Oil Leak a major repair?

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Visitor, 1.8L 4 Cylinder, Oakland, CA, April 08, 2010, 11:01

Hello,

I drive a 5-speed 1994 Mazda Protege that has, frankly, seen better days. I now have a major oil leak which is dangerous and need to have the car repaired. My mechanic is pretty trustworthy, and has quoted me $1,000 to replace the valve cover gasket, the oil pan gasket, and the front engine seal (plus regular 140,000-mile maintenance) for the car. Does this sound too high? Is it worth it to do this repair on a car this old? The engine is still running well and generally, the car drives okay.

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  • Medium-star Best Answer
    dandd April 08, 2010, 18:20
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     Master

    The amount sounds about right. The valve cover and engine seal is really just maintenance. These fail about every 100k. If the car runs good and can pass Emissions, what kind of a car can you buy for $1000 for some one else other than more headaches?

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  • Answer #2

    mazinger December 28, 2010, 11:59
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     Rookie

    huh!! funny. seems we have some similarity. I bought a mazda protege 5 speed (used from a trusty neighbor) i payed $1,000 it has 163,000 miles on it and it runs well.
    i bought it to gain manual driving experience and i have accomplished it. listen, if you have the money and if you think you'll need to drive on a daily basis, i say, buy a new one and save the 1,000 for the next black friday.

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