Mitsubishi Repair: Hey Linda, valve cover gasket, head gasket

Question
Hey Linda first of all thanks a lot for your answer. i found out the last owner did a timing belt about 30k miles ago. so i still have some time right?.. also there's 2 things i want to ask you. first , i been using regular fuel on my 98 eclipse, if i change it to plus fuel . is it going to damage the engine?. or do i have to wait till my tank is nearly empty to do it. im just noticing the car does not perform as fast as it should be, it has some mods like intake, headers/exhaust.. Also i noticed some oil by some cables behind the valve cover. Car is not leaking oil on the floor.. but its more like an internal leaking.. is that a bad sign?. its just a really small oil line on the cables..  i was told i might need a head gasket job.. Thanks again Linda.. you are the best :P.

Answer
Hey Walter: Not sure on this fuel, what is plus fuel? Please explain to me about that, before I will send an answer to you. Maybe you should do a tune up on the car, it might help it get more power... :~). As for the oil in and around the valve covers. That is an easy fix, as the gasket inside the valve covers is getting weak and need to be replaced. What you do, is remove the valve covers, take out the old gaskets and put in new ones. Then put the valve covers back on. Well I guess I would either get a shop to do this for you or buy a repair manual so you know just how to do that. But you don't need a head gasket job but rather a valve cover gasket job. Ok! :~). Unless you have been raising hell with your car and cooked the engine at sometime in its life then maybe you would need a head gasket. But you wouldn't do that, would you? But no if the oil is just leaking a little bit over by the valve covers, then it is the valve cover gaskets. No, not a bad sign. I had a van doing that, leaking around the valve covers. Not super bad, well heck you can buy a conditioner at any parts store, what will stop that. I think it hooks itself to the gaskets but anyway they stop leaking. So that would buy you some time to get ready to do the gaskets or save the money to pay for them. Not costly by any means but still money is often than not hard to come by. What with the cost of fuel and all. Well hey got any more questions I might help you with let me know. Hope this helps and good luck! Linda... PS. You are right your timing belt will go for a few more miles... lol!