Car started overheating in neutral?

Question

Yesterday I was sitting at a dead stop in traffic. I put my car in neutral (it's a manual transmission) so I wouldn't have to hold my foot on the clutch. It was hot outside and my car was already hot from driving on the freeway. After a couple minutes I saw the temperature gauge steadily rising. I just had the car in the shop a couple months ago for overheating at high speeds (water pump replaced, thermostat fine at that time). As traffic started moving, I popped my car into first and the temp gauge quickly went back down to normal. I usually don't get stuck in traffic like this so I'm wondering if it's normal for a car to start overheating in this situation? Or is something wrong?

I drive a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta.

Answer 1

Take it back to the shop and let them drive it around. I am not a gearhead but have the shop look at it again.

Answer 2

fan not kicking on or the radiator needs flushing, i would say.

Answer 3

The fan isn't working.  When you are driving air is circulating from moving but when you are stopped there is no air circulation.  

Answer 4

your electric fans aren't kicking on. fan control relay or the temp sensor that controls them not working properly also possible the fans were unplugged while they were doing the waterpump, and didn't get plugged back in, that would be an honest mistake

Answer 5

You probably have an auxiliary cooling fan that is not working. It's the same fan that keeps running (sometimes) after you have shut the engine off.  They are designed to come one when you are idling or at low speeds when normal air flow isn't enough to cool the engine. Many times a switch or relay will quit working. Check all your fuses.  

Answer 6

It is normal for the temp to rise when you are sitting. The reason it cooled off when you starting moving is due to air being pulled through the radiator to cool the coolant. The overheating could be caused by:

Bad coolant temperature sensor

Bad radiator fan motor

Bad radiator fan relay

Low antifreeze/coolant

Improper mix of antifreeze/coolant & water.

Bad radiator cap

Leak in cooling system.