96 Kia sportage engine failer??? Please Help!!!!!?

[sceptileptic]

We own a 96 Kia sportage 4x4 automatic (4cyl.) One day I went to drive it & it sounded like it was knocking really bad, so I pulled over got gas and checked the oil. It looked like it needed it so I put in a quart. (I didn't know it had to sit before checking the oil.) Then as I was driving it started to overheat. I cut it off and let it cool then it wouldn't hardly start. It would try to turn over but was very hard to get started. Now we have checked the fuel filter, thermostat, and stop leak for the radiator but it is still overheating and running really rough even at idle. Oddly, the gauge in the dash doesn't show it is overheating but it is. Any advice on what this could be would be appreciated, please only serious answers.
This vehicle has always sounded a little rough since we bought it but we have never had any other major problems. Also the heat isn't working because of the overheating, it keeps using antifreeze like it is leaking but there is no leak to be seen.

 

[dtwbagsmasher]

What do you mean "it looked like it needed oil"? Was it low or not? If it was only a quart low, that isn't your problem. If it was like 3 or 4 quarts low, that IS your problem. That engine holds a little over 4 quarts of oil, so if it was more than 2 quarts low, you may have spun a crank or cam bearing.

If the oil was not the issue then you may have blown a head gasket. This will cause you to lose coolant and will cause the engine to run badly as well as overheat.

The reason the heat isn't working, is probably because there is not enough coolant in the engine to run through the heater core.

You need to get that up to a shop and get it checked out. This doesn't sound like something you can fix in your driveway without a whole lotta tools and a large amount of car repair knowledge.