Can someone help me? How can I tell if my engine is blown? There is a load noise coming from the engine. I was driving and engine light said check gages, I stopped and checked my water and oil >I had water and oil,seem like a lot of heat thou, I let it cool down even when there was no overheating going on? and checked to see if there was oil everywhere I made it home there was no oil everywhere under the hood. What else should I look for? Help? BTW I have a 1998 Durango that has under 55,000 miles. I've always taken good care of it. I'm afraid to take it to the dealer I'll have to sell my house if they do any work for me , can u imagine if it's a blown engine?

 

Besides for the bulb test (when the key is put in the ON position, the bulb lights up for about 2 seconds), and the actuator test, the "Check Gauges" light only comes on for the following reasons:
Engine Temp - coolant temperature is 253*F or above, stays on until reaches 246*F or lower.
Engine Oil Pressiure - 0.5PSI, stays on until reaches above 0.5PSI. Only if vehicle speed is greater than zero.
System Voltage Low - less than 11.5 volts, stays on until voltage greater than 12.0 volts (but less than 16.6 volts).
System Voltage High - higher than 16.6 volts, stays on until voltage is less than 16.1 volts (but greater than 11.5 volts).

The bulb is told to "light up" by the PCM.
Because of what you said in your post, it sure sounds like your engine temperature.
If you have non-electric fans, do the following: with the engine cool (such as, in the morning), give the fan assembly a spin with your hand. If it spins more than 5-times, your viscous fan drive is bad.
There is a way to check and make sure the viscous fan drive engages and disengages at the proper temperature. (See the picture below)

When was the last time you had a coolant change or replace the thermostat? (The service schedule states to have it done every 30,000 or so.) Did you use the proper (50/50) mixture of coolant and water? (Beware, they do sell pre-diluted coolant, make sure that, if you purchase this, you do not add water! Besides, the pre-diluted stuff is a waste of money, its about $1 cheaper per gallon... so really your paying about twice as much). Also, check to make sure the hoses are in good condition, the radiator pressure cap is good, and the thermostat works ("If in doubt, throw it out"). It's probably a good idea to have the system flushed out, as well.
It's always a good idea to think about the nickel and dime stuff (thermostates, coolant), before thinking about the big ticket stuff (engines).

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Yup definitely overheating but you caught it in time with that light. I would say for your engines sake get this fixed before driving it anymore or you will end up with a blown engine. I don't know if you work on your own car but if not and you have AAA now's the time to use it. If you don't and don't have the $ for a tow, drive it as far as it will go before it starts to overheat then shut it and let it cool down then repeat the process until you are at a shop you trust.

 

If you decide you don't want to risk/fix it and consider selling the Durango, let me know. While the '98 doesn't excite me, the milage does and my son (15 1/2) needs a vehicle soon. I can do what is necessary and put in the money to fix it.

IndyD

 

Thats what you need 2 of them

Sounds like a head gasket to me. Double check all your fluids for contamination.