Q: Engine runs hot

asked by on March 17, 2016

My car runs hot while in idle. It gets all the way near 260 degrees. The light even comes on sometimes. The engine temperature gauge returns to the 1/2 or 3/4 when I accelerate. I try to avoid traffic as much as possible so the car won't overheat while not moving. What could be the problem?

My car has 179000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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