Can using water instead of coolant cause the car to overheat when idle but cool down when moving?

Absolutely not! Plain water absorbs engine heat quicker and gets rid if it faster in the radiator than if the cooling system has antifreeze in it. This is exactly why race-cars do not use antifreeze.

By the way, water IS a type of coolant. Go to the Stewart Water Pump website and read what the best coolant is.

Don't get us wrong. Cooling systems need freeze protection as well as rust and corrosion inhibitors.

You should be asking your self: When was the last time that the cooling system was drained flushed and CLEANED?

If your electrical cooling fans are not running there is no air movement through the radiator when the car is sitting still. When the car is moving 15 mph or faster a clean cooling system doesn't need a fan.

It feels like your cooling fan on the radiator is just not working. Of path, if the fuse is still eliminated then it can't be working. The fan cools your vehicle at low speeds and when stopped. The fan does no longer function at higher speeds as wind through the radiator does the job of cooling. You ought to get this constant before it ruins your engine. ( constantly watch out when coping with the radiator fan. On some automobiles, if the engine is scorching, the fan can kick on even when the auto is turned off.) in case you radiator was stopped up inside of or out, should you have been low on coolant, or in case your water pump failed, your auto would continue to overheat when stopped.

No it's because you have an air pocket in the system. Running water alone is not a good idea though. It allows rust to build up in the block which plugs up the radiator and heater core. There is no lubricant in the water so it also wears out the water pump seal.

The other issue is the low coolant in the first place. Not the water.

Using water vs coolant won't make a significant difference. I suspect you may have one of a couple dozen potential problems.

The best way to approach finding and repairing your problem is by performing a thorough and complete diagnosis.

Please refer to the videos below for a detailed diagnosis procedure.

Your problem could be anything from a bad radiator cap, air in cooling system, leaking hose, water pump, fan motor, etc...

this is a very vague question, without know what kinda car you drive. was the overfill radiator reservoir what i added water to, or the actual radiator?

suspect cooling fan not operating