Originally Posted by cmcaldwell
Well, like I said, it runs fine with coolant in the radiator. I have taken great care to make sure I dont drive the car while the temp gauge is "in the red." I keep several 2-liter bottles of water with me at all times, so I can pull over and add water when it gets too hot. No warning lights come on at all, even when the car gets hot... I've really been babying it, so I feel confident (though not 100% certain) that there is no engine damage.
Any idea why the coolant leaks on the ground? Is that an obvious symptom of the failed WP?
You don't understand. The thermostat measures the temperature of the coolant at the exit of the water pump, right? If the water isn't circulating, you're subjecting your engine to extreme cylinder temperatures. Do a compression test. If you didn't notice any steam that water was going one place...into your engine. You probably blew a head gasket, if you didn't warp the head and/or block.