What can cause “hot coolant” light to come on?

Asked by Guru9YY784 Jan 27, 2021 at 04:37 PM about the 2006 Ford Explorer Limited V6

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hot coolant warning came on after idling for a few minutes on a
drive-thru.  
Turned it off and then back on after a few minutes and the
warning
disappeared and temp gauge was down to within normal range
and as soon
as I start driving it goes down to the middle.   It has happened a
couple of
times now but not every time it’s idling.  What can be the cause?

2 Answers

41,240

A low coolant level due to a leak can be one reason. Maybe a failing thermostat, a fan that isn't working, head gasket, etc. You will need to do some testing.

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