Does this sound like a blown head gasket?

Question

I have a 2001 Dodge Stratus and in Auguat of 2006, I had a new Jasper engine put in. A few days ago I was pulling up to my house and my car felt like it was going to die (kind of like it did when my engine blew). There was cloudy exhaust coming from the exhaust, and after I turned it off it had a really hard time starting, and kept stalling out if I wasn't on the gas. My dad did the computerizd test and it said that cylindar #5 had a misfire. So he throught the spark plugs went out. Turns out that in a Dodge Stratus, you can't do that alone unless you have the right tools. So we tok it to the shop and they said a gasket had blown. It is under warranty still, but only if it didn't blow from overheating. The theomometer gage thing on my car has been normal and there has not been any overheating, and the first shop says that it is not overheating, but I tought that any time a head gaskep blows, it over heats. Does this sound accurate?

Answer 1

A blown head gasket will not necessarily cause an overheat condition. Especially since it sounds like yours blew just as you were arriving home. If you continued or continue to drive it, with the bad head gasket, then, as it loses coolant through the ruptured gasket it may well start overheating.

Answer 2

hOW DID THE SHOP DETERMINE THE HEAD GASKET WAS "BLOWN">

What test(s) did they perform, or inspection did they do?