how long can you drive a car with a bad manifold gasket?

Answer 1

Which manifold?? The intake manifold will cause engine to run pretty rotten, and get progressively worse, it also depends on how fast the gasket deteriorates from where it is now. If the leak is readily accessible, you may be able to stop it up for a while with RTV gasket sealer (should ;make a sucking or whistling sound - if you can hear it over the engine noise).

Exhaust manifold is diffrent sound, as the gas is escaping rather than sucking in (like intake). depending on how much, and where, - you may be able to get by for some time. --I have a 96 Neon that has had a leaking gasket for 3 years, - it is so hard to get to that I have never been able to figure out just where it is to fix it, ( my conclusion is that it is the "donut" gasket between the exh. pipe and the manifold).. good thing is that it only is audible when the engine is accelerating or pulling hard (and I'm a little deaf too). Note that a large leak in manifold gasket might possibly let cold air in too fast and crack valves, - requiring valve job, --this is also possible when exhaust pipe is broken off before the muffler/catalytic converter, -(they heat air enough when it goes through so that it doesn't hurt anything!)

Answer 2

Bad manifold gasket could cause a coolant to leak out and engine to misfire - either condition will result in more damage.

Answer 3

You don't say if it's intake, or exhaust. Regardless, you are on borrowed time driving the vehicle with this kind of issue. Unless you have lots of money, or don't care about buying a another car -park it & get it fixed.

Answer 4

you are probably referring to an exhaust manifold. as long as you can bear the noise and the leaking exhaust is not going to cause nearby parts to melt or ignite, it probably will cause no further damage.

Answer 5

Exhaust or intake manifold???

Answer 6

I can drive it till it dies.

Then, junk it.