I need some serious help ASAP - overheating -

[321abstract]

I just went cruising around for about 30 minutes I then thought I would check my transmission fluid, so I parked on the side of the road and put the car in 3 2 1 and R then into park and with the car running I checked the transmission fluid, level was fine, I then accidentally checked the engine oil with the car running =/, realised what I had done and turned the car off and waited 10 minutes I then checked the engine oil and it seems to be about 1cm over the full line, ####ing kmart auto service, anyway everything was fine drove about 5 meters down the road and I got this beep beep engine oil hot or something, I turned the car off and checked to see if I put the dipstick back in correctly which I had, I had to get home to I had to stop start it 6 times to get home, what is causing this problem everything has been fine ever since I checked the levels =/ ?.
i pumped my tyres up to 34 psi yesterday from 23 thats the only other thing I have done recently, oh and o2 sensors and catback exhaust 2 weeks ago.

things that have been replaced 1000km ago +
radiator fluid
trans fluid
engine oil and filter
brake fluid
diff fluid
spark plugs
o2 sensors
inlet manifold gasket changed to mace

I realise my engine oil is to full which I will fix ASAP but it has been fine for about a month 1000km
need help ASAP please.
I didnt let the car overheat to the red mark just kept driving and stopping as soon as it went over the half full mark it did get to nearly the red once will my car be ok ? a note if its any help the car doesn't over heat if I don't drive it, so if I let it idle it wont overheat ? well not straight away like driving does anyway.
the car would seriously overheat in like 5 seconds the needle would go from normal to red in 5 seconds so I would have to quickly brake get on the corner of the road and stop the car, then in about 30 seconds of the radiator fan going the car would go back to normal ?
and the radiator fans are working.

153,000km on the clock

 

[321abstract]

I just had a thorough look around the engine bay and I found a few coolant drops at the bottom of the battery and I also found some drops near the left sway bar bush and also there's a weird noise coming from where the top radiator hose connects to the radiator if that makes sense. also when my car was overheating and I turned the car off I could hear like a water noise coming from the engine ?.

 

[Interloper94]

Air in the coolant system might be that weird noise, find and fix the leaks to start off with.
The leak pushed out coolant when it was hot and now its cooling down it might be creating a vacuum and sucking air in from the top radiator hose and making that weird nose.
"the car would seriously overheat in like 5 seconds the needle would go from normal to red in 5 seconds so I would have to quickly brake get on the corner of the road and stop the car, then in about 30 seconds of the radiator fan going the car would go back to normal ?
and the radiator fans are working." sounds like air in the coolant to me.

 

[321abstract]

cant find where the leak is coming from, all hoses look fine, but just found the problem dont know where its coming from though, radiator fluid dripping from underneath the radiator like a **** load =/. new radiator I assume ?.

 

[Interloper94]

I'd double check and make sure it's coming from the radiator, by the way, can anyone vouch for those full aluminium ebay radiators?
52mm Aluminum Radiator Holden Commodore VY 6CYL V6 02 04 03 2003 2002 2004 | eBay

 

[phillyG]

100% the exact same thing that happened to me (minus the checking everything scenario).
would be fine at idle (probably due to no load on the engine) but overheat as soon as i started to drive, then go back down straight away.
ended up being a sticking thermostat which built up pressure and split the radiator (found that out when there was coolant in the same spot you described)
i decided to change everything seeing as its coming up to summer (hoses, water pump, coolant of course, thermostat and radiator) was about $400 all up from bursons and me and my same aged nephew (19) changed it at 6pm and done by 9pm working with torches.
so far been 1500ks and no problems.
mine had 153,000ks on the clock at the same time it happened haha.
just take out your thermostat and suspend it in some boiling water if you want to be sure, it should open between 80-90 degrees i think (maybe double check that value) if it takes too long or doesnt fully open its probably what caused it all

 

[CONROD]

Sounds like a buggered thermostat, cheap and simple, while your at it stick a new cap and heater tap on it.
BLEED it properly!!!!!

 

[Krilnik]

Believe it or not I had a brand new genuine thermostat straight out of a Holden dealership stick. Would get to max temp before opening.

Fitted another, no probs.

 

[321abstract]

another update, my car has been OFF for hours !!, still a hissing noise coming from the top radiator hose at the connection closest to the front of the bumper, are you sure its the thermostat , I just found out there must be so little radiator fluid in the car because when I squeeze the top radiator hose the fluid doesn't go up at where the radiator cap is, and I found alot of fluid underneath the bumper and alot of spray of coolant around near the battery terminal ? but for the life of me I cant find out where its come from, all the hoses have no sign of coolant leak, rubbed my finger down the side of the radiator no coolant, most of the coolant seems to be near where the low pressure power steering hose ends at the bottom of the car near the sway bar d bush (left when looking at the car)

 

[phillyG]

Youve probably blown the radiator because of the thermostat sticking, hence the no coolant left.
at this point radiator and thermostat should probably be replaced haha
must be a weak point there as all my coolant came out the same area but radiator still looked good, but once I took it out you could see it leaking everywhere haha