DFB's Garage

Well, winter is here early this year. The cold morning made it very difficult to hoist myself out of bed on my day off, to the point where I overslept and got up feeling like death. But, I had the Mustang to wash, an excellent reason to get motived.



As always, wheels and tyres first. In this case, after an initial rinse, I applied NV Purge to the wheel, then used Shine Supply Wise Guy to scrub the tyres. I then foamed Carpro Reset over the top of Purge for the contact wash. Rinsed, I applied another layer of Hydr02 and some Hydes's to the rotors.

This was my first try of the new TRC Ultra Wool Mitt, specifically designed for ergonomic cleaning of wheels. Compared to the FlexiPad wool mitts I have used in the past, the sewn boarder around the cuff makes finding the opening much easier (insert rude remark here).











Drying the car, I used another new-to-me product, Gyeon Quick Detailer.



My initial impressions were of it being a bit streaky and needed more towel work to level than other quick detailers, almost like it had wax in it. Researching it just now, it does in fact have wax within the formulation..............

"The Carnauba-based detailer is completely safe on coatings as well as on traditional waxes. Simply spray on and wipe."

So, my instincts were correct. Trying so many products, you notice patterns after a while. Such as all bug removers smelling the same, leading me to believe they all share a similar chemistry. Or how a surfactant-based rinse-less wash feels "stickier" (for lack of a better term) than a polymer-based rinse-less. And in this case, how a carnauba spray wax behaves during the wipe off. That doesn't mean I hate Gyeon Quick Detailer, like any product with wax in it, the gloss and slickness left behind is unmistakable.

It's at this point I discovered a distraction, and not of the good kind.............................................
 
Last week I had the Mustang serviced at my Ford dealer. You may remember me having a moan about them forgetting to stamp the service book and the collection of greasy fingerprints all over the hood, doors, fenders and interior..............................

The service tech told me that he couldn't find it, that he "looked everywhere" for it. I then pointed to the books in their black Ford branded cover sitting on the passenger seat and mentioned that I put them there because they are usually hidden in the above compartment. Let's just hope that's the only thing he didn't pay attention to.

Other than the page long list of "checks" that they carry out, the only physical thing they did was change the oil and oil filter, install a new pollen filter and road test.
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After seeing a couple of posts on the matter, after wiping down the engine bay I decided to check the battery, which is hidden under a plastic trim panel (example shown below).



What I found was not pretty................................



This is apparently common on Mustang's, I have seen them worse than above. And because the battery is hidden, it's not picked up on even though I have the hood open after each wash. But..............................

The invoice for the service states "Inspected Battery Condition”. The fancy report they sent me after the service has a specific section labeled “Battery Condition, Performance & Terminals”, had the battery cover been removed, it would not have passed that section with a green tick. All to the tune of $540. But good news, I did get another useless satchel detergent added to the windscreen washer reservoir.



I have emailed the dealer with a please explain, along with images of the battery and the invoice/service report stating that they had inspected the battery. To be clear, I would have happily paid for them to repair/replace what was needed here. I'm annoyed that I pay a premium to continue servicing cars within the Ford dealer network, I expect better.

I have since cleaned off the corrosion and applied some Vasoline to the terminal. I have ordered a new negative terminal as the original looks nasty, which I'll have swapped out with a new battery when I have more time next week. (The battery is the 2016 factory original, so its time.) I'll also have to get some terminal protector.

So, public service announcement - if you have a S550 Mustang, be sure to take a peek under the battery cover every now and then.
 
DFB said:
Last week I had the Mustang serviced at my Ford dealer. You may remember me having a moan about them forgetting to stamp the service book and the collection of greasy fingerprints all over the hood, doors, fenders and interior..............................



After seeing a couple of posts on the matter, after wiping down the engine bay I decided to check the battery, which is hidden under a plastic trim panel (example shown below).



What I found was not pretty................................



This is apparently common on Mustang's, I have seen them worse than above. And because the battery is hidden, it's not picked up on even though I have the hood open after each wash. But..............................

The invoice for the service states "Inspected Battery Condition”. The fancy report they sent me after the service has a specific section labeled “Battery Condition, Performance & Terminals”, had the battery cover been removed, it would not have passed that section with a green tick. All to the tune of $540. But good news, I did get another useless satchel detergent added to the windscreen washer reservoir.



I have emailed the dealer with a please explain, along with images of the battery and the invoice/service report stating that they had inspected the battery. To be clear, I would have happily paid for them to repair/replace what was needed here. I'm annoyed that I pay a premium to continue servicing cars within the Ford dealer network, I expect better.

I have since cleaned off the corrosion and applied some Vasoline to the terminal. I have ordered a new negative terminal as the original looks nasty, which I'll have swapped out with a new battery when I have more time next week. (The battery is the 2016 factory original, so its time.) I'll also have to get some terminal protector.

So, public service announcement - if you have a S550 Mustang, be sure to take a peek under the battery cover every now and then.
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Don't you just hate it when your worst suspicions are confirmed. At this point I'd be asking them for proof they did anything at all.

When my VZ SV6 got 4 scratched rims and a scratch on the roof at a Holden dealer, I told the service manager that I don't want the guy sacked, but until he can be trusted he gets nothing good to work on, give him sh1tboxes five days a week. He agreed, I don't know if it happened though.

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Yeah...they checked those terminals alright

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DFB said:
...
Other than the page long list of "checks" that they carry out, the only physical thing they did was change the oil and oil filter, install a new pollen filter and road test. I'm at the point where I'm now seriously considering doing my own oil changes, I just don't like the prospect of laying on my back. ...
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oneheadlite said:
Emphasis on the quotation marks around "checks" - depending on the tech you're lucky if they do much more than change the oil. As a former dealer tech, I've seen some things...
...
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DFB said:
...

...
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***Sigh*** :doh:

Have I ever mentioned I hate the industry I work in?..

I also can't tell you how many times we've had cars come from the dealer (or other shops) who said they need "X", "Y", and "Z"; only for us to look at it and inform them that those are (usually) low priority, but you really should take action on "Q", and let's keep an eye on "R".
 
oneheadlite said:
***Sigh*** :doh:

Have I ever mentioned I hate the industry I work in?..

I also can't tell you how many times we've had cars come from the dealer (or other shops) who said they need "X", "Y", and "Z"; only for us to look at it and inform them that those are (usually) low priority, but you really should take action on "Q", and let's keep an eye on "R".
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I may have told this story here before, but I was forced to the dealer for a recall on one of my cars, and while I was sitting nervously in the waiting lounge, hoping that no one would forget the "do not wash" instructions (between trips to the wash bay door to make sure my car wasn't in there), a service advisor came out and sat next to a lady in front of me and said "did you know your back brakes were down to 40% pad thickness?". I just shook my head.

PS If I told this story before, I may have mentioned what I saw through the window into the wash bay--that the towel they were using to dry the cars was put on top of the shop vac (to be dried by the vac exhaust) they were using for vacuuming the floor mats of the cars.
 
Battery Update -

Ok, let me state that my email to the dealer yesterday was pointed, but polite. I did not want to raise hell with them, there are a few within the service department that have been there long enough now that I value their friendliness and candor.

I was contacted by the head service advisor this afternoon; she knows me, how particular I am and how many vehicles I put through their dealership each year. Actually, that's the first thing she said. She couldn't have been more apologetic, I actually apologized myself, stressing I didn't want to get anyone in trouble. She then explained that they would rather the feedback so that they can improve and educate. Apparently, the Tech was spoken to, in particular that you just can't tick boxes and not actually make those checks.

A couple of things to note, the battery is the 2016 original. It had been cranking slower, especially now that winter is here. That could also have been because of the buildup of sulfation. I also note after some research, this is a common occurrence on Mustang's. It was due for a new battery anyway, and this has forced my hand.

I mention that because the dealer has offered to replace the battery and the destroyed terminal free of charge. I did not expect this and considering that a new battery and terminal would see little change from $300, this is a generous peacemaker. I'm just waiting for her to contact me on availability of an OEM battery, but she said she would have it done for me ASAP.

As I said, this was not the outcome I was expecting. I had the battery terminal on order from the parts department and was going to have my normal battery guy change it all out for me. I also know as a business owner, they have now not made any money on that service, but I guess that rests in the hands of the Tech not me.
 
That old addage about honey over vinegar

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Sweet 16..........................



Although I didn't take delivery until early June, the XR6 turned 16-years-old today. I would ask where those 16-years went, but it certainly feels like a lifetime ago now. Being an extremely early build, I was one of the first to have an FG Falcon on the road. I was 21-years old at the time, a brand-new Falcon at that age was quite the feat. My only regret? Not getting the Turbo, but I was stretching myself as it was even paying the extra $1000 for the optional 18-inch wheels!

Despite it being so long ago now, I still remember so many little snippets from that time.

- Ordering. I bought this car at Bink's Ford when they were still in Footscray. (This dealership was straight out of the 1970's, think plastic colored streamers and fake wood everywhere.) The salesman we had dealt with when buying my sisters Focus, he was a bit of a character and we sort of clicked. This would be my first drive of an FG, a Silhouette Black XR6 with the 5-speed auto and the red cloth trim. I remember being a bit sad that my chosen spec wasn't within their system, so the car had to be factory ordered. I would go on to call them back in hour to add those 18-inch wheels, I just did not want those hideous 17-inch things.



- The Ming Mole! That day would my first encounter with this creature, and she did a great job trying to guilt me into buying paint protection. I had my father with me that day, his assessment was as dry witted as always, "you don't need that sh.t". I didn't get paint protection!

- I remember being phoned to say that there was a minor blemish on the rear bumper and that Ford had instructed them to hold the car back. Ford were on a bit of a quality control blitz for the FG, and quite rightly so. They ended up fixing it at the dealer pre-delivery.

- Delivery day. I remember having to be insistent on picking up the car on a Saturday, a day usually reserved purely for selling. When he was told that I would be waiting at the door before they even opened, he finally agreed. Again, Dad was with me, we drove to the train station in Seymour on the Friday night, then got the train into Melbourne, staying at the ritzy Radisson Hotel on Flagstaff Gardens for the night. I didn't sleep! :eek:

- As the salesman brought the car around into the delivery area, I think my Dad had a heart attack on my behalf. When he saw the car, he thought that they had got the colour wrong. There were three blues for the FG Falcon, Steel (a darkish blue), Nitro (electric blue) and Sensation (goldilocks, the perfect shade of Ford Corporate Blue). He thought it was supposed to be Steel. He came back down to earth as I assured him that it was indeed the correct colour, my smile said it all. :D

- Handover. The salesman made a point of telling me to NOT touch anything in the engine bay unless it was painted yellow! (ie the dipstick and windscreen washer fluid). I get the feeling his typical clientele were not mechanically minded. :laughing:

- The drive home. I remember being so bloody nervous trying to navigate the car out of the concrete jungle of Melbourne. GET ME OUT OF HERE! This was also the first time I had driven the brilliance that is the ZF 6-speed, a revelation coming from the moonshot gearing of the old BTR 4-speed. And no diff whine!.............a common Falcon trait. :awesome:

- I also remember turning heads as I drove out of the train station to drop my father off. That was first time I had experienced that sort of thing with a car, I guess driving a burgundy AU III Fairmont for 3 years would explain that. :laughing:

- After taking my grandmother for a drive in it, from then on she called it "The Blue Rocket". So do I. :cruisin:

- Despite Ford's quality drive during the initial FG launch, there were a couple of niggles that appeared later on. The driver's door latch was poorly aligned and caused the door to rattle over bumps, and the A/C system needed to be re-gassed at the 3000 km inspection. I also ended up with a leaky timing cover, which was common for the first FG's as Ford used the wrong bolts or something to that effect. That appeared a couple of years down the track.

- Wedding car duty for my favorite cousin, can you spot the odd one out? I also got to drive that GT, which was on loan from the Ford dealer (my uncle was the spare parts manager). Those bloody ribbons ended up marring the hood. :doh:



While the XR6 doesn't do many km's now, I daily drove it for two years before getting a workhorse Ranger. I've driven it far and wide though, the trips to Merimbula via the Snowy Mountains Highway (think Tail of the Dragon) was always fun, the car at home soaking up highway kms, then traversing the winding mountain roads with ease. It's even been to Bathurst.



















Back at its birthplace, Broadmeadows Assembly Plant (now demolished) circa 2011.....................







I also have a verification letter from Ford and the screenshot of the build page, both no longer available it would seem.

Note the build sheet states I had 17-inch wheels, I wonder if the wheels were dealer fit or this was a typo in the system. Also note the dealer location being Deere Park, Bink's Ford had moved to a brand-new facility in about 2011, the old Footscray facility became service only.



Notice how Ford referred to the ZF gearbox as "Steptronic", not a term used by Ford officially for that gearbox, I assume this is carry over terminology from BMW. I also note that the 18-inch Y-Spoke wheels are called "style 3".



So, what does the future hold for this vehicle? Having spent some money on it last year, refreshing a few things and upgrading the brakes, I'm content to leave the car how it sits. I have said this many times, I don't "need" this car, haven't done for a long time now. But I "need" to keep it, I just can't bring myself to sell it. Had it been a Turbo, I would be sitting on a goldmine with the condition and low km's. But that's not the point. The above is only a snapshot of my ownership experience with this car. Here's to another 16.................

 
I did the same drive to Merimbula, on my way to Eden, in my VZ SV6, but starting from Sydney and going through Canberra. Great drive, I remember driving into Bega with zero KMs to empty on the trip computer for at least 7km, looking for a service station, the first one I came to was closed, permanently, so I had to drive to the other end of town. In the end I put 68 litres in a 75 litre tank. At least I knew what the reserve was after that.

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Big Dave said:
I did the same drive to Merimbula, on my way to Eden, in my VZ SV6, but starting from Sydney and going through Canberra. Great drive, I remember driving into Bega with zero KMs to empty on the trip computer for at least 7km, looking for a service station, the first one I came to was closed, permanently, so I had to drive to the other end of town. In the end I put 68 litres in a 75 litre tank. At least I knew what the reserve was after that.

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My uncle (the spare parts manager mentioned earlier) moved to Merimbula about 12 years ago. I would go and stay with them at least once a year, but Covid put an end to that, haven't been back since. I'm planning on taking a trip there if/when my S650 arrives. I love that area in general, Bermagui, Eden, Tilba, Narooma.
 
If I win the lotto I'm coming to see you guys, those areas sound exotic with those names

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The only pics I took down there I could find quickly were these. The first was taken at Davidson Whaling Station, someone said there was a lizard behind the tree, I didn't expect it to be that high. The second was on a walking track near Green Cape lighthouse. And on the Wikipedia page for the lighthouse it's my image as well.

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Big Dave said:
The only pics I took down there I could find quickly were these. The first was taken at Davidson Whaling Station, someone said there was a lizard behind the tree, I didn't expect it to be that high. The second was on a walking track near Green Cape lighthouse. And on the Wikipedia page for the lighthouse it's my image as well.

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I knew that looked familiar, your image is nicer though.



My uncle drove me all over the district. Like me, he is not much of a talker, so just the two of us in the car was a perfect pairing. He would take me fishing too, which is something that he loves. I can totally see the appeal, the calm and serenity, but I'm not one for sitting and doing nothing so I had a tough time falling in love with the hobby. I also hate blood and guts, and I'm not much of a fish eater either. I did catch a shark though!
 
After a long hiatus, I can proudly say today was a Miami Monday!





Extracted from under its cover and fired up for some errand running, it certainly didn't need a wash afterwards...........................so I went for a rinse-less wash instead.



Why ONR? I don't know, I just grabbed it off the shelf and went with it. Before starting, I gave the wheels and tires a spray off with the pressure washer to blow off any brake dust, then moved it inside the garage. I could have gotten away without a pre-spray, but I did anyway. It was very cold today, so I did the whole car in one hit, then dried using TRC Gauntlet's and P&S Paint Gloss.

For the wheels, I wiped the faces using TRC Eaglet's soaked with the same ONR mix, blew them dry and wiped any remaining drips with a wheel towel and ECH20. Same for the exhaust tips. The tires got another light swipe with OG Tire Dressing.

The glass got a quick pass with P&S True Vue. The good thing about this glass cleaner is the ability to alter the dilution to suit the season. For summer, you can lean it out to 10:1, for winter you can use a richer 4:1. I have mine diluted at 5:1, the richer mix helping it to evaporate better in cooler temperatures. On that note, it didn't even breach 13 degrees today. At that 5:1 ratio, a gallon of True Vue will make up about 45 500 ml bottles!



"Clean" again, the XR8 was connected to the CTEK and put back to bed.
 
Another day, another burgundy sedan. And like yesterday, another bitterly cold day, the temp barely cracking 11 degrees.



Providing the suds today, Shine Supply Shift. I love this soap, it super slick and smells divine. Drying aid today the equally excellent Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Detailer, and despite the cold conditions, HCD wiped and flashed away with minimal toweling.



The Ranger also got a wash today, on which I used up the last of a bottle of Meguiar's D143 and Adam's Ultra Foam, both won't be replaced despite them being good products.
 
What a chaotic day!

600 trees arrived at 7am this morning, they then needed to be all labeled, orders pulled and then all buried in sand for the winter season. Team that with another sizable delivery of potted plants, guiding a new staff member and coordinating between everyone else, plus one of those mind splitting headaches that resisted the usual drugs......................yes, a full-on day.





But......................................some good news kept me going! :D
 
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