Okay, please cut me some slack because I'm a chick and my knowledge of working on cars in mildly limited Anyway, I'm having an issue with my 1990 Cherokee and was wondering if anyone knew what it might possibly be and how to fix it?

I was driving home the other night and my jeep overheated. LOTS of steam from under the hood etc. (my temp gauge doesn't work, so I had no idea it was running hot). When I checked the coolant it was full and I thought maybe it just needed to be burped (had that problem before a few years back). So I went out to burp it and I started the car up and about 45 seconds into it idling it started smoking REALLLY bad from around the engine block and underneath the block, and I can hearing a rattling/whoosing noise that I've not previously heard before. Also, when I went out this morning there was no coolant whatsoever in it, but I'm not finding any leaks or busted hoses. Don't know if this makes any difference or not, but the jeep doesn't have a thermostat in it b/c for some reason it refuses to run with one *shrug*

Anyone have any idea what this could possibly be? My dad says he thinks it might be the water pump, but said he doesn't really work on cars enough to know for sure. Thanks in advance, and if anyone does have an answer kinda dumb it down for a me a bit so it makes sense and I can try to fix whatever is wrong with it.

*edited for grammar and my inability to spell*

 

take the oil cap off and if you see a milky substance inside or on the cap you have coolant in your oil

 

Pull the dip stick and check for the same

 

Usually if it's the water pump, it will pour coolant onto the ground. The fact you got no coolant, but don't have a puddle on the ground...is not so good.

X2 on pulling the dipstick. If it looks like chocolate milk, you blew a head gasket and/or cracked your head when it overheated.

 

Just have a mechanic check for coolant in the oil and/or oil in the coolant.

You need to find out if coolant is getting into the oil...quickly. This is an engine-life-threantening condition.

A busted hose/radiator/whatever is not life-threatening (to the engine) but a blown head gasket is.

 

Dang guys this ain't sounding to good! Just FYI, I'm not totally ignorant about working on cars, I've fixed so much crap on that jeep it's ridiculous. It's given me nothing but problems in the 6 years I've had it. Love Jeeps, just hate mine It's never anything simple, it's always something complicated or expensive!

At any rate, I'm gonna check for what y'all suggested and pray to God my oil looks like oil. If it's a head gasket or whatnot it looks like I may be hunting a new car :\ Any other suggestions/advice are greatly welcome. (Donations towards a new car are welcome too lol [just kidding!])