Pontiac Montana is DUMB

Hello. We had a T connecter break on us last week in our 2001 Pontiac Montana. We replaced it and reclamped all the hoses back onto it. It was running fine and not getting hot at all. Then last night on our way home we were at a stop light and we herd what was the hose popping off one part of the T and our car started getting hot of course. So we pulled over and let it cool down enough to be able to reach back behind the engine to tighten the clamp properly. We tightened it and as soon as we started to drive the temperature gauge jumped up to HOT. So we pulled over and looked under the hood, nothing was leaking, smoking or hot to the touch... so we kept driving. Then the Message center light came on telling us the engine temperature was hot. So we pulled over again and still no sign of it being hot. We unscrewed the radiator cap and put it back on and that made the temperature gauge go back to the normal range it is supposed to be in. When we drove another couple miles down the road the van would make a rattling noise when I accelerated. The temperature gauge then jumped up again and the car ended up killing itself and not starting back. It still was not hot to the touch or leaking. There was a little bit of smoke (but it could have been the water that sprayed when opened the radiator cap). So when we went back this morning to try and work on it, it started up and drove home perfectly fine. No getting hot or rattling noise. I am clueless! Please help with suggestions on where to put my energy!

Thanks in advance,
Mindy:crying:

If that T connector came off, you lost some coolant and created an air pocket.....you should burp the system, on a cold engien....unfortunately, not easy to do on this engine......a Lisle funnel is what I use.......

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/mediumlarge/lil-24680_ml.jpg

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/xlarge/lil-24680_it_xl.jpg

Basically you fill the radiator, and add the funnel, just fill to the very bottom of the funnel, start the car.....level in funnel may drop....add coolant so bottom of funnel has coolant......as car warms up, the level in funnel will start to rise......when the thermostat opens, the llevel will quickly drop and air will be pushed out of the system through the funnel.....top off with coolant, remove funnel and put on radiator cap quickly.....fill reservoir to cold line....

That should remove all air......road test and see if car overheats....

We have actually already done that. Thank you though!