Q: My temperature gauge goes to hot while idling, but the car does not overheat.

asked by on October 24, 2016

While sitting idle with the engine running, my temperature gauge goes to hot, but the car does not overheat. If I am on an open road, the gauge goes back down below the center of the gauge.

My car has 148000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Car is running hotter than normal Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

The rise in temperature is due to the fan clutch not engaging the fan clutch until the temperature gets too high. This is the first indication that the cooling fan clutch is going bad. If you replace the cooling fan clutch using the correct one for your vehicle, it should fix the temperature problem.

I recommend having a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to determine why the car is running hot and suggest any needed repairs.

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