I got to work today and noticed my temp. gauge was buried in the red. The car was driving fine- My coolant is full both in the main and the reservior, and the engine did not "feel" hot. The car was driving just fine- no steam coming from the hood or anything. I did notice however, that the radiator fan was not running. Any ideas what could make the fan stop, and could this cause the overheat level on the gauge? I'm afraid to drive it to a shop.
SS

 

Things that affect temperature :
Thermostat
Radiator cap
Proper coolant
Water pump

I'd replace the first two , then flush radiator and add new coolant

Check and see if the fan is getting 12 volts when hot ... Only ONE fan runs when hot the other runs when AC is on

 

Hey BV,I have 3.0, and mine starts to overheat while idling. Not always, but I have noticed it couple of time, but as soon as I start driving, it drops to normal. Coolant level is fine, fan kicks in, new water pump! If I shut down the car and start it again, everything is back to normal! Not sure what could be the problem!