overheating issue

[SubmuzikBoss]

I have me a 97 528i

And just 2 days ago i was sitting at the railroad light waiting foe a train to pass and my temp gauge went up to the next line

Once i started driving it went back to normal.

The next day i went to the car wash waiting for my turn and it went all the way up to the red with the red light on

The fan clutch seems to be fine its not wobbly

I did the newspaper test and it was ok

What else should i check or look for to solve this issue?!?!

[B C]

It definitely sounds fan related but if you are confident that the fan is working...

... Ensure you are running proper coolant (50/50 mix). Bleed the cooling system, spray your radiator and AC condenser to clean out bugs and dirt that may be blocking the passages, run Redline Water-Wetter, check water pump belt tension, consider replacing water pump  and thermostat if you are uncertain of when it was last done.

[Earl]

My thermostat has been bad and it does the same thing. It starts to get warmer when sitting, but not always. It could be a bad waterpump too? I know they came with a plastic impeller stock. That could have broken, leaving it to move water slower while at idle, versus under a load. Just a thought

[Mott Power]

Check the thermostat, mine recently went out and would fluctuate oddly like that as well.

[240sxguy]

My 530 did that when the thermostat was acting up too. Fix it now, and don't sit and idle it if you know there is a problem unless you want to put a new motor in there.

[e36mpwr]

Check the fan clutch same thing happened to me. Keep the car off and open the hood and spin the fan if it's loose the fan clutch is out.

[Jeff]

If your fan is working properly and make sure it is not loose and it has some tention to it when you spin it. Check that your coolant is topped off best time to do it is before you start the car in the morning when it has sat for a while. If your coolant is full then change your thermostat.

It sounds to me more like a thermostat or low coolant. Seeing as when you sit it gets hot and when you move it is normal.