Need a little help car overheating

[blues street]

Hey guys so I bought my first e30 about 6 weeks ago and last weekend I replaced the timing belt. Every thing came apart and went together just fine but when I was driving back to my dorm the car was running a little hot on the high way but once I came to a red light it hit the temperature gauge went straight to the red. My one theory was that I probably put the fan on backwards but then I realized I'm an idiot and that the fan can't be bolted on a wrong way. So now I'm lost because everything was working fine before last weekend and I put every thing back just the way it was.

TIA

[Dave]

look at your Bentley manual or search here on how to bleed the cooling system.

I'd bet a dollar to a donut that is your problem.

[submwar]

Hey guys so I bought my first e30 about 6 weeks ago and last weekend I replaced the timing belt. Every thing came apart and went together just fine but when I was driving back to my dorm the car was running a little hot on the high way but once I came to a red light it hit the temperature gauge went straight to the red. My one theory was that I probably put the fan on backwards but then I realized I'm an idiot and that the fan can't be bolted on a wrong way. So now I'm lost because everything was working fine before last weekend and I put every thing back just the way it was.

TIA

check to see that you've got the water pump belt on correctly, that once happened to me. scare the sh*t out of me when my dash lights all came on and the temp sensor was maxxed.

you might need to checkout your coolant levels, good luck new owner

[Hallen]

Most likely just needs bleeding like Dave said. If the pump wasn't turning, it would overheat on the highway too.