how fast will coolent usuly leak through a head gasket if it has faild. i suspected that my head gasket was leaking but it seems the coolent is being lost too fast. i will top off the rad and 10km later my low coolent light will come on. there is also usuly smoke comeing from the back of the engine when i stop to refill the coolent. should i be looking for an external coolent leak instead?

thats just it, an external leak is usually an intake gasket, but a head gasket could also leak externally. Man, you should stop driving it and get it fixed, whatever it may be.

i would if i could but i talked to the shop and when i told them it might be a bad head gasket and it was a lumina, they told me $1000 minimum. plus i would have to pay for towing to get it there. i only have $500 ATM

where are you at? want me to do it for you? just kidding

What size engine? Is the smoke comming from the driver side?