2000 Honda Accord - engine overheats when stopped

Possible thermostat faulty, Thermostat automatic, stays shut, till water reaches correct temp, if it goes faulty, (ie) does not open after reaching running temp, water will not circulate, so engine overheats

For car running hot and overheating issues, I suggest to you go through this help links. Click this link below and go through the troubleshooting procedure to take care of the problems: ----

temp gauge goes erratic? http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/heater-blows-intermittently-and-temp.html

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Temperature gauge keeps fluctuating up and down close to red? http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/temperature-gauge-keeps-fluctuating-up.html

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Car runs hot? http://howtobyme.blogspot.com/2011/11/car-runs-hot-in-traffic.html
-----------All types of car overheating problems and troubleshooting?

http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/11/all-types-of-car-overheating-problems.html
Car freeze overnight and started overheating while driving?http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/car-freeze-overnight-and-started.html-----------Engine Overheats and heater blowing cold?

http://howtobyme.blogspot.com/2011/11/engine-overheats-and-heater-blowing.html

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Car overheats and Air blows hot at idle?
http://howtobyme.blogspot.com/2011/11/car-overheats-and-air-blows-hot-at-idle.html
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----------Car engine Overheats and transmission starts slipping?http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/car-engine-overheats-and-transmission.html
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Temperature gauge does not move and no heat when heater is ON? http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/temperature-gauge-does-not-move-and-no.html

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This details will help.Thanks.

I would assume that the sensor is probably doing EXACTLY what it is designed to do....measure engine temperature! An engine will get hot when sitting in traffic if the radiator cooling fans are not working. The engine temperature will then go back down when the vehicle starts moving and air begins to flow through the radiator.
Get your radiator cooling fans checked!

Please also review this article: What Else Could Be Wrong?

At idling speed an engine does build up a lot of heat and the cooling fan will kick in. In slow moving traffic or traffic jams the temperature gauge can touch the red - particularly on hot days. The reason it cools down when you start moving is because of the air flow through the radiator.

Presumably there are no leaks from the cooling system otherwise you would have mentioned it. In normal circumstances the fan will not be running as you are driving at speed, as the air-flow through the radiator is sufficient to cool things. The fan only kicks in to get rid of excess heat - and this usually occurs at idling speed or after you have parked the car.

If the fan is running all the time as you drive, this points to either a fault in the fan switch, or the car is running too hot. presumably in normal driving the fan isn't running and the temperature gauge reads normal?

It is common - in stationary traffic many cars overheat (particularly big engined models) try to stall and 'cut out'. Restarting can be difficult until the engine cools down.

Is your car overheating in normal driving conditions or just at idle speed? Overheating in normal driving conditions can be caused by things like a failing water pump, blocked radiator, collapsed hose, faulty thermostat or, in the worst case scenario, cylinder head problems.

Overheating at idling speed is 'common'. Check your coolant level. If your car isn't using/losing coolant then there probably is no major problem. You can flush out the cooling system and refill with new coolant - and also check your radiator. Are the cooling fins crumbling with age? Or maybe they're partly clogged with insects and debris from the road? A blast with a hosepipe wil sort that out ..

The question is how much does your car overheat in normal driving? If it doesn't .. it appears as though you have nothing to worry about as such. Most cars have 2 speed fans... the 2nd faster stage kicks in at some point dependant on engine temperature. Perfectly normal.

If it is not an instrumentation problem then you have to assume the coolant is heat cycling. It could be because the cooling fans are not coming on due to the temperature switch, fans or relay. This would explain why the temperature increases when you are stopped and decreases when you are accelerating and air is moving over the radiator.

If you gauge is readin g that high, you are over heating, maybe not to the point of engine shut down or hose failure. I suspect the thermo sensor that is mounted in the radiator is not operating, therefo causing the cooling fan not to function at high temps.
I recommend you have this checked quickly.

Check the fuse and relay for the cooling fan before it overheats again so you don't blow the head gasket on the motor. After you replace the fuse/relay let it idle keeping an eye on the temperature gauge, make sure as it reaches a little over half way the cooling fan should come on. If it does'nt then your coolant temp sensor may be at fault. Good luck and be safe.

sounds like your low on coolant or you have air in the cooling system
water is needed for the sensor to show a true value and if your low or have air you sensor will at times because of the thermostat opening
go up and down. hope that got it

No only if you have noticed a change in engine running temperature on gauge, colder or hotter than normal.

Well let's see....You did not say the temp of the heat changed inside your car... if it does NOT ...I say the gauge is messed up....

A thermostat usually sticks open or closed.. if it is broke.

If it is defective the car will start getting hotter under a load going uphill or....when the a/c is running it will not put out cool air while sitting still at a stoplight or heavy traffic..