Miller2

I've been looking at a 2006 Mustang to buy and I took it to my mechanic last night for inspection. We had it up on the lift and I kid you not, the undercarraige looked showroom clean. Seeing as though it only has 6k on it that would be expected.

My mechanic did notice the following:

• Slight Driveline vibration. Apparently this is fairly common of Fords in general and Mustangs in particular due to the 2 piece driveshaft. Anyone else experience this?

• Due to the low mileage he indicated that the plugs should be changed sooner than later due to carbon buildup. Apparently due to the design of the plugs they have a tendency to break off requiring a special tool to remove the broken piece. Thoughts on this? Should I replace the stock plugs with something better or just stay stock? Please recommend a better aftermarket option if there is one.

Do most of you guys use synthetic oil? If so, what brands? My mechanic recommended WIX or K&N oil filters. You guys concur?

Hopefully I'll have the car tonight. It's an 06, black with red interior and the 18" fan blade wheels. Totally stock.

Nuke

Read thru the TSB's in the stickies. Unless you're mechanic is a forum member, he probably is not versed in the large list of issues with these cars (i.e., the dreaded water leak issue).

As far as oil, these engines come from the factory with Motorcraft synthetic blend which is good for 5,000-7,500 miles (depending on your driving style and local conditions) along with the Motorcraft filter. Some are using full synthetic which will allow you to extend the oil change frequency a bit longer. Wix and K&N filters are fine but pricey. The Motorcraft filter has been tested and rated very good. IMO, the Motorcraft blend and filter from WalMart are a great choice and a bargain. Get a set of ramps and do the oil changes yourself. Easy.

Blacksmoke

If the Mustang is not a GT then you do not have to worry about the spark plug issue.

This is ONLY a problem with the GT models.
Oil is a preference issue.

I change my oil every 3k mi. so I don't use synthetic.
Actually to tell you the truth scratch that...
My dealer actually puts the oil in because he is my uncle so I like to bring him business. I am actually unsure if they drop synthetic in or not.

Nuke... I was unaware that these use synthetic from the factory...
I thought they were just plain old 5w-20?
Changing it at every 3k though it pretty much would not make a difference if it was synthetic or not though correct?

Miller2

Yea I've got the TSB list and he pulled it up and went through it with me as well. He did not seem to concerned with most of them I still have not gotten any feedback on how to fix the water leak issue. This car has never been in a downpour so I have no idea if it leaks or not.

I do all my own oil changes on my other cars so no issue there.

Miller2

Blacksmoke....it is a GT.

Blacksmoke

As far as the oil I found this on the owners manual.
I don't see anything about it being synthetic from the factory.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only use oils “Certified For Gasoline Engines” by the American
Petroleum Institute (API). An oil with this trademark symbol conforms
to the current engine and emission system protection standards and fuel
economy requirements of the International Lubricant Standardization and
Approval Committee (ILSAC), comprised of U.S. and Japanese
automobile manufacturers.
To protect your engine’s warranty use Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 or an
equivalent 5W-20 oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C930-A. SAE
5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability
performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle’s engine
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Miller2

The Motorcraft 5w-20 is semi synthetic. Thats what I use in my F150.

Blacksmoke

My bad Nuke.
I thought you were saying full synthetic out of the factory lol.

Nuke

Synthetic BLEND from the factory. And if I recall, the owners amnual recommneds 7500 mile oil changes. IMO, blend is good for 5,000 - 7,500 miles or 6 months. I use the 5W-30 Motorcraft synthetic blend/Motorcraft filter in the g/f's '06 V6 Pony at 5000 mile intervals (she has a lead foot and does a lot of stop-and-go) and I use Amsoil 0W20/Amsoil filter in my '07 GT at 8000-10000 mile frequencies. My SUV (tow vehicle) uses M1 5W30 EP/M1 filter at 8000-10000 mile frequencies.

It all works for me. Numerous cars over 200,000 miles with no oil useage or compression issues.

siggyfreud

Synthetics offer more than extended oil life. They offer better lubrication in the form of less friction, and better heat transference which causes the engine to develop less hot spots and a bit lower overall operating temp.

I've seen a few tests where they take a motorcycle engine and run it with dyno oil under a thermal camera and then do the same with synthetic and you can see how much better heat distribution is. I think it was on some show on Spike or Speed network a few years back.