# Car overheating while idling **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 30, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570 "2019-07-30T04:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tommynrikah\_155440](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@Tommynrikah\_155440](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tommynrikah_155440)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/1 "2019-07-30T04:14:13Z")
Hello all, my 94 accord is reaching red while idling. When im moving the temp drops back down to normal. No leaks (that i see), and just changed thermostat. Had to burp it and it seemed to work for a month. Fan does not kick on when temp goes up. Boom-thats my problem right? Then fan kicked on today while car was running in driveway. Lol just when i thought i figured it out! Please help ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/2 "2019-07-30T15:26:59Z")
Change the fan relay, old burned contacts that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. ---
**Author:** ![mperry\_153483](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@mperry\_153483](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mperry_153483)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/3 "2019-07-31T00:28:18Z")
> [@Tommynrikah\_155440](#): > > 94 accord Agreed. This video is for a Civic, but the procedure is very similar. I think you have 2 fans on that car, right? One for cooling the second for the AC. Basically, check the inside fuse, then do these steps. [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/a/7a92ea14c9f7a7d68c46be24ea635a9427bf7e27.jpeg "Radiator Fan / Relay / Cooling Fan Switch Not Working: Honda Civic") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LdU721UVF0) ---
**Author:** ![Tommynrikah\_155440](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@Tommynrikah\_155440](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tommynrikah_155440)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/4 "2019-07-31T04:11:49Z")
Wow! What a great video! I will try and get back to you guys. Thanks for the tips. And you’re right, it does seem like a faulty relay (inconsistency), but wont know til i check it… ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/5 "2019-08-01T01:30:43Z")
did you have have the ac or defrost on when the fan came on ? The fan will run everytime the compressor cycles on and off . So the fan may still not come on if you turn the ac off , I would check that also . ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/6 "2019-08-01T01:40:43Z")
It does seem to be an intermittent radiator fan problem. I’ve had that problem twice on my similar-era Corolla. On my car a temperature-switch that screws into the cooling jacket operates the fan relay when the coolant is over 194 degrees F. Both times the problem was the temperature switch for the fan, not the relay. It contains a moving part, has electrical contacts, and therefore can be intermittent. Mine would seem to work, then stop working at the most inopportune time. Replacing the fan-temp-switch fixed the problem both times. Figuring out which screw-in device was the fan-switch was the most perplexing part of the fix. With a wiring diagram and volt meter and electronic experience you can quickly determine if it is the relay or the switch. Or you can replace one, and if that doesn’t fix it, try replacing the other. Don’t defer this b/c if the engine overheats you’ll have much, much worse problems to face. If the engine is overheating you can sometimes effect some engine cooling by turning on the heater and heater fan both to max hot. Best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Tommynrikah\_155440](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@Tommynrikah\_155440](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tommynrikah_155440)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 6:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-overheating-while-idling/145570/7 "2019-08-04T06:43:48Z")
Ok so i threw a paperclip in and shorted out the wiring for temp switch (located in housing of thermostat). Turned car on and fan was running! That tells me that fan and relay are good. So its obviously the temp switch right? Swapped out temp switch yesterday. Today car starts approaching red while idle. I pop the hood and fan IS NOT RUNNING! I DONT GET IT