Everything is a matter of degree. If the leaks are small, you might be able to get by by just making sure your fluid levels are always full. Mind you, this is not a solution to your problem but, I know what being a poor college student is like (although, it's been awhile. I graduated in '81).
On the other hand, if the leaks are of significance (leaving puddles etc.) You really should do something about it, not only because it is bad for the car but it costs you more money (to replace the fluids) and it is simply letting oil and possibly antifreeze loose in the environment.
So, changing a valve cover gasket is not too awful bad on your car. A decent repair manual can guide you thru that. The water pump is a bit of a different story. It is not really all that difficult but it requires more than just cursory interest in doing it.
You might want to try looking around campus for some folks who fiddle with cars - I did odd jobs to make a few bucks when I was in school - and there are always a few "gearheads" around who might be interested in doing a job for you.
Good Luck!
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Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 AT 1:15 PM
