2001 Chevy impala Overheating?

[Quinton N]

Hello,
i have a chevy impala that, overheats when ever the car is on and the motor is running. when the car is stationary and the motor is running the needle will start in the middle then in about 5 min it will be in the red zone, and my "coolent overheating warning" will come on? when i drive the temp level starts going back down. can anybody help me??? and tell me how much the fix might cost?
Ok more details, The fans do work! and everyonce in a while my engin will run like normal, and it wont over heat, (this happen like every blue moon) i went to go get my oil change, and they reccomended a radiator flush, so im thinking its either that or the thermostat???
Would my check engin light come on if my theromostat wasent working properly? Like i said they reccomended me to get a radiator flush, but is there anyway i can tell if my thermostat is the problem first???

 

[Patrick O]

First off, the car is MORE likely to overheat when stationary, as there's no air flowing through the engine bay (other than what your fans provide).

And the fixes, in order from least expensive to most.
Low coolant
Bad thermostat
Fan not working
Clogged coolant line
Faulty water pump
Clogged radiator

It's one of the above...time to start troubleshooting.

 

[Troy (AKA Mule)]

I'd guess that your cooling fan isn't working since it cools off when you're moving.If it was the water pump or thermostat it would keep running hot.

 

[GSAutotech]

hi, you may want to have the "thermostat" checked out. this allows coolant to enter into the engine thus cooling it( its like a valve that opens and closes). if the thermostat is clogged the coolant will not enter. this part would run you about $20 the next thing to have checked is your water pump. the water pump forces coolant into the engine circulating it back to the radiator. hope this helps