Replaced belt tensioner, coolant system doing weird things now

I drained the car of coolant when doing the belt tensioner, got everything buttoned up, filled the radiator, then filled the coolant reservoir as I do on my other non-GM cars when they have no coolant in them. I started the car and let it run for a while with the cap off the radiator until air bubbles stopped burping their way through it, then tossed the cap back on and checked to make sure my coolant level at the "full hot" line (it was). A quick look inside the car showed my temperatures were nearing the "danger" zone on the temp gauge. Shut off the car, let it cool down a bit, then start it again. I noticed that there was no pressure in the upper radiator hose, so I thought there might not be any coolant making it that far. Shut off the car, take off the thermostat housing, see coolant right up to ther thermostat. A couple bubbles make their way through, then all is calm. Put the thermostat and housing back on, open the bleed valve, and start the car again. A slow steady dribble of coolant comes out the bleed screw so I tighten it back up and go for a drive. Temperatures stay normal, according to the idiot gauge. Get back, still no pressure in the upper radiator hose and I can BARELY feel anything flowing through it. Just a trickle of coolant. Shut off the car and a loud whistle comes from the passenger side of the engine bay followed by some gurgling.

Any thoughts what the hell is going on here? I can't see any obvious coolant leaks while the engine is on, though there was a small puddle below the radiator cap I'm pretty sure that was spillage from when I burped the system. When I get home I'm going to take the thermostat out and see if there's any difference.

Are the fans coming on?

100percentjake wrote:

I drained the car of coolant when doing the belt tensioner, got everything buttoned up, filled the radiator, then filled the coolant reservoir as I do on my other non-GM cars when they have no coolant in them. I started the car and let it run for a while with the cap off the radiator until air bubbles stopped burping their way through it, then tossed the cap back on and checked to make sure my coolant level at the "full hot" line (it was). A quick look inside the car showed my temperatures were nearing the "danger" zone on the temp gauge. Shut off the car, let it cool down a bit, then start it again. I noticed that there was no pressure in the upper radiator hose, so I thought there might not be any coolant making it that far. Shut off the car, take off the thermostat housing, see coolant right up to ther thermostat. A couple bubbles make their way through, then all is calm. Put the thermostat and housing back on, open the bleed valve, and start the car again. A slow steady dribble of coolant comes out the bleed screw so I tighten it back up and go for a drive. Temperatures stay normal, according to the idiot gauge. Get back, still no pressure in the upper radiator hose and I can BARELY feel anything flowing through it. Just a trickle of coolant. Shut off the car and a loud whistle comes from the passenger side of the engine bay followed by some gurgling.

Any thoughts what the hell is going on here? I can't see any obvious coolant leaks while the engine is on, though there was a small puddle below the radiator cap I'm pretty sure that was spillage from when I burped the system. When I get home I'm going to take the thermostat out and see if there's any difference.

It is really hard to "burp" the Riv and that does not look like the procedure in the manual. When I have had to do it I literally do it step by step from the manual. Your first burp didn't work that 's wh y the car got hot. The second was better but still incomplete.

Four or five more heat cycles and all is well, though after shutoff sometimes I will still hear a loud whistle from the passenger side of the car.