Overheating in traffic but fine on highway – fan or radiator?
Quote from esmebailey on June 7, 2026, 10:30 amI'm having a strange issue with my 2013 Dodge Charger. When I'm stuck in stop and go traffic, the temperature gauge starts creeping up toward the red, but as soon as I get moving on the highway, it drops back to normal. I've checked the coolant level and it's full, no visible leaks. The electric fan does come on when I turn the AC on, but I'm not sure if it's coming on based on coolant temperature alone. A friend said it could be a bad fan relay or a clogged radiator core. I've been looking for mussafah radiator specialists who can pressure test the cooling system and check the fan operation at the correct temperatures. Has anyone here had overheating only in traffic that was fixed by replacing the fan assembly or a fan switch? Or could this be a water pump issue even though it's fine at highway speeds? Trying to figure out where to start without spending a fortune. Thanks for any advice.
I'm having a strange issue with my 2013 Dodge Charger. When I'm stuck in stop and go traffic, the temperature gauge starts creeping up toward the red, but as soon as I get moving on the highway, it drops back to normal. I've checked the coolant level and it's full, no visible leaks. The electric fan does come on when I turn the AC on, but I'm not sure if it's coming on based on coolant temperature alone. A friend said it could be a bad fan relay or a clogged radiator core. I've been looking for mussafah radiator specialists who can pressure test the cooling system and check the fan operation at the correct temperatures. Has anyone here had overheating only in traffic that was fixed by replacing the fan assembly or a fan switch? Or could this be a water pump issue even though it's fine at highway speeds? Trying to figure out where to start without spending a fortune. Thanks for any advice.