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Ford Mustang (2005 and Newer)

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Comments

  • dennissdenniss Member Posts: 8
    Well, pardon me for being old-fashioned.

    I see a blinking light on the dash, I automatically assume that there is a problem.

    Of COURSE I don't want to disable it...I just needed some reassurance that it was functioning properly.
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    You're excused. :P
  • vertical3vertical3 Member Posts: 43
    Mine flashes with the vehicle shutoff and secure. Why it does it all the time is interesting. Try disconnecting the battery for 5 minutes and reconnecting it (sorry about the lost radio presets).
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    It should not flash while the engine is on keep in mind. I would guess that, other than the insurance reasons stated before, the reason it flashes when the doors are unlocked is to let everyone know that a system is still armed. That system being the engine immobilizer which is deactivated by the chip in the key. Once you start the vehicle with the correct key all systems are disarmed and the light stops flashing.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Its always going to flash. At least in the gauge cluster, some vehicles actually have a light on top of the dash. You would not believe how many calls I've gotten from customers who wonder what it is after they got their car home.

    It seems to be most noticable in the garage. The bottom line is if I sounded sarcastic, I apologize. Its just frustrated to constantly read posts by people who autmatically assume the worst.

    Mark
  • mrq1mrq1 Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with a 05 GT conv. car sets for a few days and the battery is dead. I have had it flat bedded to the dealer 4 times. The dealer does all kinds of tests cannot find anything wrong, charges the battery and says there is nothing more they can do. Seems to me a battery should hold a charge longer than a week. What if anything have you found out to remedy the situation ?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    According to TSB 07-5-13:

    All modern automobiles have several micro processors in their electrical system that will draw small amounts of electrical current when the vehicle key is off. Normal current draw is between 20-30 milliamps (workshop manual specification is up to 50 milliamps 0.050 amps.

    Batteries will discharge while the vehicle is in storage due to normal current draw loads. Over a period of time (30 days or more), vehicles in storage will have shallow to deeply discharged batteries as a result of lack of use or normal current draw.

    The more discharged a battery becomes, the more susceptible it is to permanent damage. This is more likely in low temperatures (below 32 °F (0 °C).

    The vehicle’s charging system is designed to supply the vehicle’s electrical power needs and maintain the battery to near full charge during normal vehicle use. The charging system is not capable of bringing a deeply discharged battery back to near full charge in a short amount of time such as allowing the vehicle to idle for 15 minutes to “recharge the battery” or from short drive cycles.

    Short drive cycles will only provide a small surface charge to the battery. To fully recharge a battery that is fully discharged requires operating the vehicle for approximately two (2)hours with engine speed above 1500 RPM.

    The solution is to go to Walmart or any autoparts store and get yourself a "trickle charger" There are some now that you plug in to the cig. lighter or 12v power outlet so you don't have to go under the hood with the alligator clips. There are even some that run on solar panels for those who do not garage the vehicle. The cost is probably less than $30.00

    Mark
  • pony_piratepony_pirate Member Posts: 317
    Have let me GT Premium sit for as long as 2 weeks without any problems (as long as I remember to unplug the radar detector).

    My Honda, on the other hand, can't sit for a week without discharging the battery. I use a battery tender on that car. :shades:
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    Actually, the dead battery problems many owners have experienced (myself included) apparently relate to a surprising source - the radio.

    Turn off the stereo when you stop the car. When the radio is left "on" it draws a tremendous amount of amps even though the car is not running.

    I know, it sounds nuts, but give it a try.
  • sotoole2sotoole2 Member Posts: 2
    Dealer replaced the battery on the 2nd visit (well done!). They cited much of the above. Essentially, with all the electronic shite, it will drain without w/out consistant use - sooner in Chicago winters. So, its either trickle charge or drive the salt mine winter roads of the north coast.
  • mrq1mrq1 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for your input,but Mark like the TSB says "Over a period of time (30 days or more)etc." my car sets less than a week more like 3-4 days! And at other times the car has set for 3 weeks while I was on vacation and started when I got back! I will also check out the radio and see if that makes a difference. I still think something is amiss. If this is a common problem then Ford has designed in a flaw or just to cheap to put it a big enough battery!
  • vertical3vertical3 Member Posts: 43
    Hmmmm...interesting. Mine sat for a week once with the radio on and it required a jump. Good to know. Thanks.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    You are missing the point of my post.

    Reread it then ask yourself what your driving habits were in the time frame prior to it not starting.

    If you are only taking short trips in your car, you are never charging the car.

    Even if you drive the car every day, if you are only making short trips, you'll end up with a dead battery.

    Mark
  • piasonpiason Member Posts: 55
    Does anyone drive their Mustang all year? I live in Philly and we get some snow but not much, this will be my only car and will it make it through 2 - 3 inches of snow if I need to get home?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Drove my Mustang with traction control through the winter with no problems. I was on the road when they were covered with what little snow there was this past and I had no problems with fish tailing thanks to the traction control.

    Mark.
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    I live in Pittsburgh and my GT is my daily driver. I have the 18" "Fanblad" wheels and it did just fine in the snow with the TCS on. I did get stuck in a 3-4" thick sheet of ice that was covered by a couple of inches of snow and it did take a while to get out of that one.

    Just stay away from the ice and you'll be fine.
  • smeadows1978smeadows1978 Member Posts: 10
    I've lived in Princeton, NJ for the past two winters and my Mustang is the only transportation I've had. In 2-3 inches of snow/sleet you'll be fine so long as you don't try anything crazy. I will caution that when you park it make sure you can get enough traction under the rear wheels to get out of the spot. Ice stops pretty much everybody so don't take the chance driving in it.
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    Ice stops pretty much everybody so don't take the chance driving in it.


    Our Explorer drove right through the same ice I got stuck in with the Mustang. :P

    I am heavily considering getting a set of snow tires for the winter starting next year. They won't be needed for 95% of the snow we get here but are cheaper than a winter beater and will lend a good piece of mind. A set of four mounted on new rims (not Mustang rims) from TireRack.com are roughly $1000 after tax and shipping in case you're wondering. I have a floor jack so swapping them myself won't be a chore either.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    just use steel wheels with fan blade stype chrome wheel covers.....

    Ok ok i'm kidding.

    Mark
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    Actually tirerack doesn't have a set of steel wheels for the Mustang GT. At least not those with 18" factory rims. I thought it might look kind of cool with them on in the winter in a police cruiser kind of way. :P
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    You don't need 18 in winter wheels and tires. Get 16" or 17" (minus 1 or minus 2 sizing). You keep the overall diameter the same but the choices go way up and the prices come way down as the wheel size gets smaller.
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    You don't need 18 in winter wheels and tires. Get 16" or 17" (minus 1 or minus 2 sizing).

    That's all TireRack will sell you so I'm well aware. IIRC they do not sell an 18" winter tire at all, therefore the rims I looked at from them are 17" rims even though I have 18" rims from the factory. The tires are definitely a different size than the factory 17" rims/tires to make up for the lost wheel diameter as you mentioned.

    Thanks for thinking of me though. ;)
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I forgot about brake clearance - you can run a smaller wheel provided there is enough room for the brakes.
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    I'm pretty sure the brake clearance is the only reason TireRack will only sell you 17 inch wheels and tires or bigger for the GT. IIRC 16" rims will not fit over the GT's brakes as they are a bit bigger than the V6 model's brakes.
  • topgun7topgun7 Member Posts: 412
    I am interested in a GT convertible. For those who own it, how is the noise level when the top is up and down? Can the driver and passenger carry a normal conversation? Also about the sound systems, how do you like the base and/or the upgraded system (is the 1000 watts system overkill??). Thanks.
  • mike189mike189 Member Posts: 24
    oh sure the mustang is going real strong ....where poland??????i work for a bmw dealership and across the highway there is a ford dealer and every week i see the same mustang gts sitting there looking ugly,its amazing people take a mustang gt or a gt500 or a mach 1 and they come but a bmw m3,i dont understand but then i do ,i once had a cobra, a 2005,over rated junk ,and it went back to ford courtesy of lemon law,2 nd set of head gaskets in 2 months,i seroiusly think ford should stop making cars,stick to toy cars ,and save the ford name for what ever its worth,poor henry he did alot for the american car company but ford foregot about quality job one,now its quality job none.rest my case.the verdict is in unfortunantly ford is not
  • baggs32baggs32 Member Posts: 3,229
    Let me be the first to feed the troll.

    First of all, there was no Cobra in 2005. Nice try.

    Second of all there hasn't been a Mach1 for several years now so I'm not sure how you see a new one on the lot across from you. Used car dealer maybe? :confuse:

    Third of all, sales of the Mustang are finally at what Ford expected them to be. For all of the first two years of the new body style, and then some, you had to either look very hard for the one you wanted or order it. They weren't easy to find on lots.

    Last of all, why don't you check the SCCA racing circuit. Mustangs are eating BMWs for luch week in and week out. :P
  • gzgtpgzgtp Member Posts: 83
    Be easy on the troll. Mike189 seems to be a little slow,as he is responding to a post that is 3 1/2 years old. Things must be slow at BMW to have this much time on your hands Mike.
  • vertical3vertical3 Member Posts: 43
    Let me help.....

    Down here in South Florida you see as many Beemer's as Taurus's. Not to say they're not a nice car, but......I'll keep my GT and the extra 15K in my pocket for the stock market. My friend just picked up his 335(for 51K). Good car but neither one of us can out run a motorola radio.

    Check out this months Motor Trend 10 car comparison, the 35 certainly wasn't a barn burner in any category. Of BTW, the cross section of cars went from 70K+ down to 35K.

    Wonder how many X3's and X5's our friend has had to work on.....
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "Things must be slow at BMW to have this much time on your hands Mike."

    I'm thinking it was probably raining at Mike's BMW dealership so instead of having to wash the cars he's been busy making sure there was fresh cafe latte available for the customers in the service department. Since that didn't take much time, he decided to drop in here to stir things up with the Mustang crowd.
  • vistabluestangvistabluestang Member Posts: 14
    I have a 2007 GT Convert. with the cloth top and with the top up I think it is very quiet. There is less road/transfer noise then my SUV. With the top down there is a back wind but you can hold a normal conversation to about 45 mph. After that you have to start raising your voice. I absolutely love the car and it is a blast to drive.
  • moronixmoronix Member Posts: 29
    I also have a 07 GT convertible and I absolutely love it. The road noise with the top up is pretty good for a convertible. I didn't get the cloth top. I had a 91 and a 99 Convertible and it's definitely an improvement over them. I honestly don't think there is anything you can do with the top down on any convt. The Shaker500 makes more than enough noise. I swear the 1000 is not worth the extra money. The sound is better than my 03 Vette with Bose speakers.
    My Mustang: RedFire/Black top/California Special option/5 spd manual/Sirius Radio/Dark Charcoal & Dove interior. Best Mustang they ever made.
  • ronslakie1ronslakie1 Member Posts: 57
    Just bought an 07 GT convertible with the tan top. My wife wanted the black top because she said it wouldn't show the dirt, now I am faced with the challenge of really keeping this top clean. Appreciate any recommendations anyone has on cleaning the convertible top.

    Ron
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    A auto top repair man told me that the biggest mistake people make with their convertible tops is they use 2 harsh a detergent and fail to completely rinse the top which causes a build up of dirty residue.

    Never use an automatic car wash as the rinse is not close to being long enough.

    Mark.
  • moronixmoronix Member Posts: 29
    I only know that Ford sells stuff to clean/maintain the convertible tops. Haven't tried any yet but have to find something soon. I Keep my Mustang GT/CS in the garage so it helps preserve the top.
  • sonicblucrisissonicblucrisis Member Posts: 52
    1) Enjoy the ride! I've got a tan top on my '05 GT and have had no problems keeping it clean. I use a very mild mix of ArmorAll "carwash" detergent and wash the top first (before the road grime and brake dust gets in the bucket. Also, I dry it with the rest of the car so it doesn't spot up.
  • sonicblucrisissonicblucrisis Member Posts: 52
    When I bought mine I looked at several convertibles and the Mustang was by far the "quietest" . I put that in quotes because you will never get as quiet with a ragtop as you will with a hardtop, but the trade off is worth it. My wife and I can hold a conversation up to about 60 or so. With the top up the ride is a little bit noisier than a hardtop, although you can hear more of the passing trucks, getto thumpers, etc. The best thing about the 'Stang is that there is little or no "buffeting" (sp) that I have experienced in several other makes. You know, that ear-popping noise-non-noise you get in a sedan when you open only the right rear window.
    Tops down, everyone!
  • sonicblucrisissonicblucrisis Member Posts: 52
    Agreed, NEVER NEVER go through a car wash!!
    Not only are they hard on the top and the high pressure jets kill the seals, but jetting 2000psi recycled mud on your paint and smearing it around with those 20 year old dishrags is enough to make me cry :cry:
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    ... My wife and I can hold a conversation up to about 60 or so. ...

    So when you're tired of her talking, you speed up? :P
  • pstaffierpstaffier Member Posts: 2
    i have an 06 gt makes noise out of right front car olny has 1000 miles has done it since new. does any body have the same problem ! and how about a fix because ford says that its ok because orther new ones on the lot do the same thing
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    You'd think they would've fixed that on the assembly line by now. :sick: There is a TSB for clunking front suspension. They have to replace the front strut mount bearing or something like that to fix the problem.
  • sonicblucrisissonicblucrisis Member Posts: 52
    So when you're tired of her talking, you speed up?

    LOL!! Only to about 80 or so :shades:
  • mikew6mikew6 Member Posts: 2
    Ford has a product called Triple clean that works very well on my convertible top. Hope that helps. :shades:
  • rvdmadrvdmad Member Posts: 6
    In Dec. of last year I purchased a 2006 Mustang. I have had a great deal of difficulty in seeing the speedometer and Tachometer during daylight hours. The gauges are recessed about four inches in the dash and have a black background, white numbers, and red needles. The reflection on the glass makes it impossible to see the gauges. At best I must guess at my speed. I am constantly concentrating on the speedometer in an effort to see it which is a real hazard while driving. At dusk and at night the gauges are fine because of the backlighting and no reflection.

    The Ford service department tells me that this is a common complaint and that Ford does not have any fixes for this problem.

    Has anyone found a fix for this problem? Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Ron D
  • ronslakie1ronslakie1 Member Posts: 57
    I have a new GT convertible and I am curious abot the thin plastic coverings that are available to put over the headlights. They are advertised as preventing the lights from sustaing damage from a thrown stone but I am wondering if they will protect against the headlight yellowing. Does anyone have any experience with this.

    Thanks,
    Ron S
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Have you tried polarized sunglasses?
  • toyeboytoyeboy Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2007 GT convertible with the cloth top also. I have a 98 Sebring Jxi (Chrysler) ">with cloth top I bought new 9 years ago. I really have never worried about the top, washing it with regular car wash soap or dish soap when I don't have any, and making sure it is thoroughly dry after washing before leaving it down. It looks pretty good, and has no tears or leaks after all this time. The only thing I have had to do was get the seams re-sewn last summer, which was much cheaper than a new top! The guy who sowed it for me suggested putting scotch guard on it on a regular basis to keep it looking good. He said they all come treated with a water proofing agent, but it wears off over time.

    Of course, I find the best way to keep the top looking good is to keep it down. ;)
  • novellnovell Member Posts: 26
    Thinking about purchasing an Automatic, any idea how much under invoice I should shoot for? I know their is $1645 worth of rebates until 7/2/07. One dealer wanted me to pay $500 over invoice, I think it is unreasonable due to slow Mustang sales. Advice?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Not the topic of this Forum, but peeps pay $800 over invoice at my dealer for Mustang GTs. Especially if they are Stick Convertibles which are rare.

    Sales may have slowed. but Inventory is not backed up.
    Econ 101 is SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Right now, demand may be down, but supply is also down so they are still basically in balance.

    Also, 07 production ends this week. It will probably be 2 to 4 weeks before 08s begin to arrive so dealers understand that they have to make what they have on the lot last.

    A year ago, dealers would take any deal that came along, secure that they had the inventory to erase your bad deal with someone else's good one.

    I remember going into Employee Pricing 2 years ago, my dealership had almost 100 Explorers on the ground and 100 or so F-150s. Right now we have less then 12 Explorers! and maybe about 25 F-150s!

    SO if you want to be picky about color and equipment, its going to cost you 'cause that car that you like probably is not sitting at 5 different lots.

    Obviously non of this is want you want to read and I'm sure someone else out there will have the opposite opinion. However, the mere fact that you are letting $500 sway you on a $30,000+ purchase of a purely emotional item like a item like a Mustang GT convertible means you probably really are not a serious buyer anyway. So all this discussion is purely academic.

    Mark
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,925
    just one point. he/she is not talking about $500. its $500 over invoice PLUS rebates. So that's $2145 over invoice, technically.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

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