Hey! I live here in Houston, Texas, currently facing the winter storm to remember. Anyway, my dad's 2005 Chrysler 300 Touring Automatic was filled with only water and 0% coolant.
It's been like that for years since we normally never have below 32°F temperatures. Yesterday he decided to see what's open in the city, and turned his car on in about 20°F temperature, and it ran fine until he decided to turn on the heater in the car, at which point smoke started to come out of the gauge cluster, and the check engine light and and an electric symbol came on. He continued to drive it to his home, and decided to turn it on again. Only the check engine light remains, but when he starts the car, the smoke continues to come out through the gauge cluster but the car appears to run fine for 10 minutes of driving.
Understandably, 100% water in the coolant system is very dangerous in these temperatures, but given what has just happened, what's the exent of what could have gone wrong for driving the car in these conditions? How is it that smoke started to come out from the gauge cluster which still works fine, cause the check engine light to stay on, and started to happen when he tried to turn the heat on?
Thanks in advance! Obviously it's a learning lesson for him for even thinking it's okay to permanently leave his cars with 100% water 0% Antifreeze. His 2001 Chevrolet Astro also has 100% water 0% Antifreeze, though he has not ran or turned it on yet. Both cars are around 130,000 miles.
Given all the information, you're now the proud owner of a cracked engine block for the lack of $10 worth of antifreeze. At the very least, it sounds like the heater core froze.
You probably already know this. When frozen, water expands.
So somewhere along the engine block, the radiator, and the heater core, and all the hoses, there is probably a crack.
Pray that it is just a hose. Hope that it is not the engine block.
Antifreeze is not just for cold temperatures. It also has additives which prevent corrosion, to keep things radiators, heater cores, and water pumps from being eaten through. I'm surprised that both his water pumps haven't failed already. They are the first to rust out.
Anyway, have you looked under the hood? You're going to have to investigate this yourself. I'm willing to bet it's not smoke you saw, but steam from a leak somewhere, and that you have coolant missing.
