Saturn Repair: 1992 Saturn SL1 overheating problem, coolant temperature sensor, 1992 saturn sl1

Question
Hello!  I have a 92 Saturn SL1 that had an overheating issue, so I took it to a repair place, and they replaced the water pump and the thermostat.  They also flushed the coolant.  About a month later, it majorly overheated, with smoke pouring out from under the hood and everything.  Right before it overheated the second time, the idle was really, really high... so high that when I pressed on the brake all the way the car still wanted to move forward.  I was wondering what might have caused this second episode of overheating when I had just replaced the water pump and thermostat.  Thanks for your help!

Answer
The cooling fan may not be operating or the radiator is plugged up to the point that even a flush will not help it and it needs to be replaced. Being that it did overheat again, I would recommend replacing the thermostat again. Cooling fan failure could be caused by a defective coolant temperature sensor or fan relay.The motor fails as well but usually after the other two items fail.