Where does the radiator water go?

We have a '96 Ford Escort and one night we were driving home and the the car stared ratteling. After we pushed it home we found rhe radiator cap was missing. We replaced it, but now we have to put in a gallon of water for every 20 minutes of driving. The water isn't leaking out - it doesn't drip or anything. There is no water in the oil. The radiator just keeps drinking into what seems a bottomless and unfillable abyss.

Where is the water going and what can we do about it?

Sandy AIM: SANDY 8771

If the exhaust is smoking a whitish color, then it's getting into the combustion chamber.

sounds like the head gasket water blowing into exhaust had a 91 that did that

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