car over-heated!!!!! Options

[pure_dx]

help! here is the story, this morning i went and started my car, 15 mins later i came back and the car was not at operating temperature, it was lower, below the normal temperature, I drove around and the temperature needle slide very quick up and down, it would stay HOT at the very top when going uphill and go below the normal when going downhill?? When i was at the highway after 15 minutes driving around, the needle stayed way at the top HOT!! as I slow down, the check engine light came on, the battery light, and the oil light (all 3, everything!) the car was having a hard time going in 1st gear and by the time i climbed another hill, the car died on me! i tried to restart but the car wouldn't restart! i pushed the car in a parking lot and after 1 hour I came back and started the car, it started out fine. The coolant in the reservior tank is BROWN and milky chocolate shake and was BOILING!! really bad i could hear it boil, after a while I poured some coolant in the radiator cap which has NO coolant in it.

Is my head gasket gone? was that what produced the brown coolant? will i need to replace it?? hopefully tomorrow morning i'll bring it to a shop and they can replace my water pump, but is it worth it??($400+) my water pump is bad and was leaking from the gasket, please please please!! give me any advices on what to do!! *sigh* thank you much

This post has been edited by pure_dx: Feb 26, 2006 - 1:10 PM

[DJWashington]

Ive seen a couple cars with brown milkshake water in reservior and didnt have a blown head gasket. Not saying thats not it, just a thought. Probablly just 20yr old water? Also, if i just had a coolant leak, I sure as hell would hesitate to pay $400 for a new waterpump. If I could just top it off every once in a while. But maybe im just not rich? I would put the coolant in the radiator though. Sorry, I had too.