Tom2003Mustang

I'm going nuts here. This is my problem. I have a 2003 Mustang. Never had a single problem with it until about one month ago.

First, I noticed a squeeking sound when driving or idle. I brought it in. They said a bearing was going out on the water pump. They replaced the water pump and the serpantine (sp?) belt. They also did a radiator flush (first time this has been done since I had the car - 62,000 miles). I thought all was fixed.

I was then driving on the highway the following week. About 40 min into my trip I notice the car is over heating (didn't have this problem before!). I manage to get back to the shop. The car never got to the red but it was running hotter than normal. In six years I have never seen the temp go above the halfway mark.

I bring it in and they tell me it could be an air pocket. They did a bleed for any trapped air. They claimed to have run it at 2000 rpm with the A/C on for 30-45 min with no probs. So again, I think that the problem is solved.

I drove around town with the A/C on for a couple days...no problems. About 3-4 days after this last visit to the shop, I am taking the same trip that I had to cancel previously due to the overheat. This time I make it about 1 1/2 hours into the trip. I am thinking everything is fine now. Well, sure enough I look down and the car is overheating again. This time I turn off the A/C and the temp goes back to normal. I drive back with no A/C (sweating like a pig) but the temp stays normal.

So I bring it to another shop. They tell me the fans are working properly. The cooling fan kicks into high speed when the A/C is on. The thermostat is opening, etc. The only thing they claim to have found was a partially clogged radiator. So they replaced the radiator.

So far I have only driven it around town with no problems, but I am worried about trying to take in on any long drive on the highway. Basically, the issue seems to be centered on the A/C. Whether I am on the highway or driving around town or stopped, it was overheating with the A/C on. Turn the A/C off and it seems to be normal (whether idling or driving).

So after all that, can anyone tell me if the radiator was the likely culprit? I have to travel a bunch for work so I am looking for some peace of mind before my next trip.