Mechanic says my car needs head gasket replaced?

(2010-10-25 14:10:10) 1. Theone1983 Says: I just bought a 2001 Celica 1.8L 4 cylinder 127k mi about 2 1/2 months ago and the other day on my way home from work the check engine light began blinking and my car started to putt putt a little so I was slowing down to pull over but then the light stopped blinking and stayed but the car went back to driving about the same. The main diffrence was when I cam to traffic lights it would shake really bad. So I made it home and turned it iff then started it back again and it made a little diffrent sound that didnt sound good when it was cranked. So that afternoon I took it to a local mechanic and he charged me 208.00 to hook up his computer to it and while we were test driving he said it was running lean and that it seemed like a cylinder was misfiring. Thenhe told me to leave the car with him and he would check it out in 2 hours and get back to me. Well when I come back he gives me a estimate of almost 3000.00 and says I need a clinder head gasket replacement. This just doesnt sound right to me because I didnt have any of the symptoms that I could tell of a blown head gasket such as the white smoke out of the exaust, or leaking fluids, etc. I was wondering if this mechanic is trying to get over one on me or could it still be a blown gasket?2. thebax2006 Says: You don't test drive a car and charge $208! One hour diagnostic time should be the charge. Most good repair shops are from $65 to $85 per hour. Head gasket jobs should not cost more then 8 hours plus parts.
Find another mechanic, you have a jerk trying to be a rip off artist!
I'd put a water pump in while the cylinder head is off. Change the thermostat too.3. Taylor Says: It could still be a head gasket but I would DEFINITELY take it to a different mechanic

Any mechanic that is gong to charge you $200 to run a test is going to screw you

Find a different mechanic

Also, a 2001 Celica shouldn't require a gasket job thats going to cost $3000

Its a simple engine to navigate through and the actual gasket is about $2004. Michael S Says: Run don't walk to another mechanic who might not cheat you so much.
The headgasket itself costs less than $100, and the first responder is correct. $208 for a test is thievery.
It might still need a head gasket but I'm sure you can get it done for less than $10005. bandit_60 Says: it could be the intake gasket that blew besides the head gasket.6. Angbblue Says: There's a few other symptoms also. Did the car overheat? Usually there will be water in your oil. Pull the dipstick. Is the oil on dipstick very light brown, or milky colored? Another thing you can check is to remove your spark plugs. If the head gasket is blown, there will be water down in the holes of one or more where your spark plugs screw in. It is possible not to notice any white smoke at all until the the gasket finally really blows out, rendering your car inoperable until it's fixed. I wouldn't drive it if I were you, just in case as I'm sure you know, you don't want to warp your heads at all, or more. Tag: Mechanic says my car needs head gasket replaced?