1999 Mazda 626 Over heated / white smoke

HAHAKICKROCKS

MEMBER
1999 MAZDA 626
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

Okay. So I'm not entirely dumb, but my car overheated and stalled out. I was able to get it started again and moved it about 100 yards to a gas station. My heat gauge pegged out and I shut the car off and popped the radiator cap and no fluid came out, it wasn't even hot. We poured water back into it and it consumed about 3 gallons. It refused to start for about 45 minutes once I got it started again white smoke came out the back of it and it shook and rumbled and just ran like crap. I drove it home because that was the only way I could get it there (about 20 miles).

It did not overheat the entire way back and only poured out smoke when I had to stop. There is no oil in the water and no water in the oil. There is not water running out of the tailpipe. I know I blew a head gasket and I am changing that today (along with my timing belt, intake manifold gasket, and exhaust manifold gasket).

The question I have, is how do I know if I cracked the head or not, because I can not really afford to take it to a machine shop to have it looked at.

Also is it a possibility I fried the thermostat as well?

1 Reply

LEGITIMATE007

MECHANIC
5,121 POSTS

Yeah the thermostat, you might as well change that anyway, Im sure its a little sticky. As far as the head goes, there is really no way to test it without bringing it to a shop, I think if the head was cracked you wouldnt be driving it, you would have lost much more compression than you did.