Also bad thermostat is common.

 

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But why does this happen after driving the car for a while and it is already warmed up? Both times this has occurred after driving the car for 30-min or more, and then stopping and idling. Is this the radiator fans?

 

Radiator fan is strong candidate. Next time you at operating temp+ and not getting a lot of air flow from driving, the fan should turn ON (probably a low and high speed fan). If not, then be looking at the fan resistor (sometimes you can tell bad resister without tools just by seeing burned out resistor when unplugged). Wiring and fuse before the resistor can be an issue too. If there are no leaks from the water pump, chances are high that is fine.

 

Possible bad temp sender. Mine did the exact same thing. I changed out the thermostat/housing/sensor and everything was good after.

 

Holy crap

I WOULD NEVER LET MY ENGINE GET THAT HOT.

anything above half way and you are asking for a MAJOR repair. Once that light comes on ... you are already fully in the danger zone.

Turn on the heater to get the temp down. These engines will run forever ....as long as you do not let them get hot.

My thermostat was bad on my 2008 Focus. I did even know it since I was never in stop and go traffic ... or left it idling very long. With good air flow these will not over heat.... even with a thermostat stuck closed.

Then i decided to take a trip to Tennessee.

I got to the first mountain and watched the gauge start to rise ( I have never let a car go to the top of the gauge). I had to nurse the car over 3 mountains until I finally reached my destination.

I did this by having the windows down and the heater on full blast. I also had to keep the speed waaaay down while going up hill.

Letting your ride get that hot is about the same as NEVER changing the oil.

I'm sure you would not do that.

 

It must be the fan and/or module. The relay tested fine. When I parked the car and let it idle for about 10 minutes the temperature gauge started to go into the red zone and the warning came on. I observed that the fan is NOT working. I observed the fan "twitch" rotate, but nothing more. The fan is not properly working.

 

When you have trouble CHANGE the relay, they can work 100 times and then burn you to the ground on 101. Too cheap to be checking.

Fans at that temp better be on high or something is wrong.

You'll get 2-3 overheats then the head gasket blows, you are on borrowed time. How most of the cars get in the scrapyards.

 

Any updates on this

 

This high temp warning has happened randomly yet repeatedly on my Focus and my very capable mechanic couldn’t/can’t figure out the reason. Could it be a faulty thermometer and not a high engine temp at all…?

 

I’d look at thermostat and radiator fan. My wife’s 2016 Chevy Sonic is on its 4th or 5th cooling fan with only 163k on it. But when it happens you can drive it but if you stop and idle too long it will overheat if the fan is out.

When you start getting much above half you need to stop. My 2013 Focus usually has the temperature pegged right at the 1/2 mark.

 

I have an intermittent overheating problem. This has happened (1) when in stop and go highway traffic; and (2) idling the car while waiting for the car wash.

This goes away when I turn off the engine and wait a couple of minutes; re-start the car and everything is OK.

Coolant is topped off and engine has oil. Is this a water pump or electric radiator fan issue? Last time I checked the belts are all there and the fan works. There is a hissing sound, which I think is from the air conditioning freon leak, the AC does not blow cold.

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I have Ford focus 2014. I am also facing the same problem. Could you please tell me What was the problem in your car and how I can solve this issue.

 

Another one that wants us to start over while NOT READING what is here.........

 

hi, please help, my car overheated, i have changed water cooling system and but temperature is still high yet the engine is not over heating, what can be the challenge and the sensors affected

 

Temperature guage is ok, fan is working both low/high, radiator new, no leaks, Still getting the message on the screen only, needle as usual less than half. It is leading me towards bad Catalytic converter. Recently replaced engine due to blown head gasket. Previous engine had same messages during when driving through traffic jams. Japanese cars never have such issues, only US makes these s*its.