28th of September 2015 ... Number of Responses 1 --

I have a 2000 mountaineer and my coolant was leaking out of my truck so I was using just water for awhile but I ran out of water in the radiator and had to drive it to a place to get water in my jugs to pour in my truck.It started to rattle and would shut down.I finally got water in it but now there is water coming out of where the engine and the oil pan meet I think .I is a lot HELP what do I need to do

Worst case scenario is the engine is messed up. Engine seals could have melted due to the high heat caused by lack of coolant. Parts of the engine may have warped and or cracked. The extent of the damage will depend on how long the vehicle was run without coolant (anything over a few minutes is not good) and was the water added back when the engine was cold or while it was still warm/hot. If cold water is added to a warm/hot engine, it can crack the block, break studs, warp the cylinder head because of the temp difference between the cold water just added and the heat of the metal. Before the engine is started again, things to look for: 1- Has the oil in the oil pan changed to a milky color or become sludge like- pull the dipstick out to look or drain the oil out of the pan. If it has, that means water is mixing with the oil suggesting a warped cylinder head or cracked block (Engine would need work or replaced). 2- Pull what spark plugs you can get to and see if they have water on them which would also suggest that the cylinder head is shot. Look into the cylinders through the spark plug holes and see if you can see water in the cylinders which is not good as water should not be in there. A bad water pump, failed hose, or failed thermostat could cause the excessive leaking of water from the vehicle that you are seeing now and the water would run down the side of the engine. However if the water is truly coming out of the oil pan, then the engine is messed up. Pulling the dipstick should help verify that either way.