My radiator was full of water and it froze solid...how much damage?

Question

Ok, I get it, I'm an idiot.
Here's the situation:
I am stationed in Germany and leaving in 5 months. I drive a $300 hooptie. It got me to work fine and I don't feel like buying a new car when I am leaving soon.

OK, so it's always had a bad leak. Like I have to put two bottle of water in it everyday. No problem, work is only 4 miles away.

Since it leaks so much, I can't afford to put anti-freeze in it. I had it full of water and it froze. How much damage could have been done. Will it still work when it thaws out?

Seriously, it would go through a bottle of anti-freeze a day. The winter is relatibely mild here, only a few freezing days.

Answer 1

Let it thaw then drain it then mix water/anti freeze than add Barr's stop leak get the good stuff with aluminum mix in.Water is never a good thing it'll also rust out the freeze out plugs (Around a $1 but a pain in the *** to fix).If you didn't crack the block you're in.
I had to drain out my one winter because I only filled it with water.I did it as fast as I could.Then mixed 50/50 with some(Very little) water.Radiators are pretty easy to replace.Auto zone has the manual on it website.

Thaw it out with a heat gun or hair dyer do it slow.

Answer 2

You might have ruined the radiator and engine. Wait till it thaws and see what happens

Answer 3

Depends how your luck is holding. Just have to open the drain someplace warm and wait till it drains and try to start it. Good luck.

Answer 4

Probably not, you would have been better off buying the anti-freeze, now your cheapness is gonna cost you

Answer 5

are the freeze plugs on the ground?
if not the block might be cracked

Answer 6

yes you are. You could have saved a lot more money by putting antifreeze and fixing it in the long run.