1993 Acura Legend with 160K miles is overheating after 12 to 15 minutes of running. When I drive foward the temperature gauge goes back to normal. When it idles, it runs 3/4 of the way to red. Replaced thermostat, radiator, and pump. My fans seem to be running slow.
These 1991 to 1995 Legend V6 3.2L develop sediments in key areas from electrolysis that need to be reverse flushed out. Otherwise the pump heavily favors the bypass ports at the thermostat. Also foaming can occur there which destroys flow. Rude design problem. I use 1 pint of denatured alcohol to thin the water a bit for flushing. A baffle riveted to the thermostat can reduce bypass favoring and foaming for race application. I use 80 PSI air to force the water backwards out of the upper hose while the engine is still warm. White powdery residue when it dries will indicate some success. Head gasket leaks will over- pressurize the radiator and sometimes get oil in the coolant which will also smell like exhaust. Feel your radiator temperature at various areas while it is warming up to determine flow.
This could happen if your fan is indeed weak. To test disconnect the thermostat of the radiator by removing the terminals near the radiator hose towards the engine. You should see the fan run at its highest speed, then you can check if your fan has weakened.
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