What did you do to your UK S550 Mustang Today

[Supersolo]

@raptor17GT
Yes, I heard about the depot, I know someone who works there.
They're operational again now though.

Thanks for the link.

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[SCP440]

Agree on Rock Auto, I have been using them for years and if urgent you will be amazed how quickly you can get stuff. I once needed an A/C compressor after a bird strike, I order the new fan and Radiator from a UK supplier and the compressor from Rock Auto as no one had one in the UK at the time. I order it all on a Tuesday evening. The new genuine Motorcraft compressor was on my Kitchen table before I went to work Thursday morning and the fan and radiator didnt arrive until Friday. The best bit the compressor cost me less than £175 including the express delivery and the import duty.
The other good things with Rock Auto they have stuff that is not available in the UK ( Ruthenium spark plugs for example ) and there are discount codes available, not huge but 5% gets you some of the VAT back.

 

[Silver Dragon]

Agree on Rock Auto, I have been using them for years and if urgent you will be amazed how quickly you can get stuff. I once needed an A/C compressor after a bird strike, I order the new fan and Radiator from a UK supplier and the compressor from Rock Auto as no one had one in the UK at the time. I order it all on a Tuesday evening. The new genuine Motorcraft compressor was on my Kitchen table before I went to work Thursday morning and the fan and radiator didnt arrive until Friday. The best bit the compressor cost me less than £175 including the express delivery and the import duty.
The other good things with Rock Auto they have stuff that is not available in the UK ( Ruthenium spark plugs for example ) and there are discount codes available, not huge but 5% gets you some of the VAT back.

I think perhaps you meant a condenser for £175 rather than a compressor???.The reason for my comment is that my compressor went u/s in November and I have been advised it will be a four figure amount. First failure in five years of ownership with a seven year old car.

 

[Gregs24]

Can't help on the light, that's another shocker for quality control.

Not sure why it is a quality control issue ?

 

[SCP440]

I think perhaps you meant a condenser for £175 rather than a compressor???.The reason for my comment is that my compressor went u/s in November and I have been advised it will be a four figure amount. First failure in five years of ownership with a seven year old car.

It was not for my current car, it was a 2004 car and yes it was a compressor. I think if you look on Rock Auto you will be shocked at how little one will be from them.
Ford UK seem to think they can charge us a lot more for some reason.

 

[Gregs24]

Recently discovered the CHMSL (Centre, high mounted, stop light) is leaking water into the boot/trunk and into the void in the rear quarter, between the rear of the rear wheel arch and the rear bumper.
Therefore, especially as it's currently the UK monsoon season, check you do not have a small swimming pool in your N/S rear quarter, courtesy of the CHMSL.
The N/S boot trim is mostly fixed with magnets, so easy enough to pull back and check to see if the panels are wet.
Currently driving around with a recepticle wedged between the bodyside inner and the boot trim, to catch the water, while I wait for a new CHMSL to arrive, from Germany!
Ford Mustang life!


Another black mark against Ford for mounting the CHMSL on the exterior with only a thin, adhesive foam gasket to seal the body to prevent water ingress.

Oh, and don't get me started on the O/S rear brake caliper.
I need a replacement although apparently there are none on planet Earth!

Just a thought - I think the rear brake light is the same part as the Mondeo?

 

[SCP440]

Rock Auto also do a high level brake light, not genuine.

 

[raptor17GT]

Not sure why it is a quality control issue ?

Sounds like a bad design and badly assembled.

 

[Gregs24]

Sounds like a bad design and badly assembled.

I don't think so. They are exposed to extreme heat and cold where they are so like all plastic things will degrade over time. They are not really designed to be removed and put back too often. Some of these cars are 10 years old now.

 

[Supersolo]

Can't help on the light, that's another shocker for quality control.

Yeah, it does look and feel low cost/quality.

In addition, I think it's a flawed design solution.
Adhesive foam strips may be good enough to help retain wheel arch trims, as you see on some vehicles. However, ime, we use this type of tape as a secondary fixing, and not to seal the car from water ingress.

Frankly the light should have been mounted inside the vehicle.
With ~30 yrs in the industry as a design Eng, my opinion is it's just a really, lazy, dumb-ass design solution, executed poorly, as evidenced with my car.

Furthermore, it's not always easy to detect if the CHMSL is letting water into the body, so I thought I'd mention it on the forum, for others to check their cars, before any serious corrosion sets in.
There's a module in the area where the water accumulates, so worth a check, imo.

 

[Gregs24]

Yeah, it does look and feel low cost/quality.

In addition, I think it's a flawed design solution.
Adhesive foam strips may be good enough to help retain wheel arch trims, as you see on some vehicles. However, ime, we use this type of tape as a secondary fixing, and not to seal the car from water ingress.

Frankly the light should have been mounted inside the vehicle.
With ~30 yrs in the industry as a design Eng, my opinion is it's just a really, lazy, dumb-ass design solution, executed poorly, as evidenced with my car.

Furthermore, it's not always easy to detect if the CHMSL is letting water into the body, so I thought I'd mention it on the forum, for others to check their cars, before any serious corrosion sets in.
There's a module in the area where the water accumulates, so worth a check, imo.

The foam is only a seal. The 4 bolts hold it in place tightening down onto the foam gasket

 

[SCP440]

Not defending Ford but these are not expensive cars in the US. If they built them to last they would probably cost more than most of us could afford.
Having owned until recently a car built as cheap as possible from a now defunct manufacturer I can say these are built a lot better. They are not made in Germany but then dont cost what they would if they were. A mate who owns a BMW has recently paid out over a months wages to have a wheel bearing and discs and pads replaced and 80% of the bill was parts.

 

[raptor17GT]

Not defending Ford but these are not expensive cars in the US. If they built them to last they would probably cost more than most of us could afford.
Having owned until recently a car built as cheap as possible from a now defunct manufacturer I can say these are built a lot better. They are not made in Germany but then dont cost what they would if they were. A mate who owns a BMW has recently paid out over a months wages to have a wheel bearing and discs and pads replaced and 80% of the bill was parts.

Shouldn't matter how much the car is to make or put together, it shouldn't leak.

 

[Gregs24]

Shouldn't matter how much the car is to make or put together, it shouldn't leak.

Indeed but entropy is still a real thing!

Things get old a fail

 

[raptor17GT]

Completely stepped out sideways and not even a blink on the dash nor audible cut in engine power indicating the traction control was cutting in. Guess I was going to slow for it to worry about it but tbf i did provoke it a little. Its been pretty stable to drive on the cold roads we've here, nothing like the snow / ice some folks in the UK have had.

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