Urbandale runs long and narrow along the north side, and most of the driving here is commuting. That means highway miles, stop and go at the interchanges, and a lot of time spent in traffic that is barely moving.
Idling in traffic is harder on a cooling system than open road driving, because there is no airflow through the radiator. Marginal fans and slightly low coolant show up here first.
How the roads run around Urbandale
Hickman Road and Douglas Avenue are the two long east to west routes, and both back up at commuting hours. The interstate runs along the north edge and the interchanges are where the congestion concentrates.
Merle Hay Road carries the north to south traffic and connects down into the older parts of the metro.
My temperature gauge climbs in traffic but not on the highway.
That is the classic sign of an airflow problem rather than a coolant problem. Usually a failing cooling fan or its relay. It is worth fixing before summer rather than after.
Do stop-and-go commutes count as severe service?
They do in most manufacturer schedules, which is why the shorter oil and transmission intervals apply to more drivers here than realize it.