Mustang enthusiasts know that looking out for their ride goes beyond routine maintenance and repair to avoid potential reliability problems; it involves genuine care.
Things like changing the oil with the proper viscosity and within the interval specified by the manufacturer or waxing the paint now and then to protect it should be a given. Still, many owners fail to follow these basic maintenance rules to preserve their Mustangs in the best condition possible.
In addition to this, there are ways to care for your Mustang that go beyond the obvious. These care-care tips, which manufacturers and mechanics don’t always share, can significantly impact the performance and reliability of your car and improve your overall ownership experience.
Today, we share with you eight tips to care for your Mustang and help you keep it in top shape for years to come.
1. Get Acquainted With Your Mustang
Regardless of how long you’ve owned your Mustang, it would be best if you learned as much about your model as possible. So be diligent and research the relevant aspects of the specific Mustang you own.
Things like checking your owner’s manual regularly (especially if you recently acquired your Mustang) or the most common Mustang problems and even auto recalls can help you prevent costly repairs, wasted time, and much frustration.
Keep in mind that preventing excessive wear or damage to your car is one of the best ways to care for it.
2. Identify Components That You Should Replace In Pairs Or All At Once
Whenever you need to replace a component in your car, you want to spend just what is strictly necessary, right? But, unfortunately, sometimes you skimp on more than you should, unaware that you are potentially increasing the chances of further damage to your Mustang.
However, by identifying which components you need to replace either in pairs or all at once, you can maintain the proper functioning of the different systems in your car and still save money, especially over the long run.
Brake Pads & Struts (In Pairs)
For example, if the brake pads are gone in one of the front wheels, you should replace the pads in pairs, meaning both front wheels get new brake pads. Then you can wait until one of the rear wheels requires replacing the brake pads to get new sets for both wheels.
This way, both wheels on each end of the car will have the same brake pad materials and ensure even braking.
In the case of struts, since each piston has gone up and down about the same number of times, if one of them is worn out, it’s best to replace them in pairs as the other one is likely soon to go out.
Injectors & Spark Plugs (All At Once)
As fuel injectors wear, their flow properties start to change. When one of the injectors goes bad, you should replace all injectors at the same time to ensure your Mustang runs smoothly. It’s a bad idea to have one brand new injector with a perfect spray and the rest of the injectors worn out and most likely underperforming.
The same applies to spark plugs. When you have a carbon build-up or a misfire issue due to a faulty spark plug, you should replace all the plugs at once. Spark plugs are inexpensive and represent a vital component of gasoline engines; therefore, you should always ensure all of them are working correctly instead of just replacing the defective ones.
3. Protect The Cabin From Wear & Tear
Declare your Mustang a no-food and no-drink zone and enforce this rule with anyone that wants to hop in to avoid accidental spills or people leaving food behind inside your car.
Cover surfaces starting with floor mats, which prevent tracking mud or dirt into the carpets with your feet, and add seat covers to protect the upholstery.
Vacuum regularly and complement this with a brush set to get into small cracks and crevices. Vacuum under seats and mats too.
Keep windows slightly open to vent hot air, especially if you live in a hot area. Of course, you want to be careful doing this during the rainy season but keep in mind that when hot air can’t get out, it can dry and damage the car’s interior.
Clean your seats regularly. If you have leather seats, apply gentle oil at least quarterly to prevent drying, cracking, getting discolored, or stained. In the case of cloth and carpet, try using a mild cleanser to clean these or a heavier-duty spot cleaner to scrub out any stains.
4. Consider Using Engine Additives
Many owners don’t realize that there are inexpensive engine additives but are proven to help keep your engine running smoothly and sometimes even fix problems like leaks or compression loss and prevent spending a fortune on repairs.
Liquid polymers can stop leaks in rubber seals by rejuvenating the rubber itself. These additives work great both on transmissions and engines. In the case of engine seals, you would have to add the additive with every oil change to keep the seals in good shape.
Engine additives and lubricants for lost compression are proven to repair worn-out areas in the cylinder walls and other reciprocating and rotating metal surfaces to restore compression and power. These additives also reduce or even stop smoke and oil burning, improve fuel economy, and extend your engine’s life.
5. Protecting The Body And Frame
Along with the products to protect your car’s engine and transmission, there are also options for caring for and maintaining parts of the body and chassis.
In the case of the chassis, there are products proven to remove even deep rust in parts underneath your car and prevent corrosion or even revive a corroded frame. We recommend using these products if you live in a humid environment or every time you come back from a trip to the beach.
To protect plastics and trims in your Mustang, consider a plastic cleaner or protective polish with anti-static properties. These products will keep the plastics clean for longer and prevent corrosion while neutralizing dust and dirt to prevent these from being attracted to your car.
6. Invest In The Right Car Insurance
Sports cars such as your Mustang are typically more expensive to insure. The reason is that performance coupes and vehicles designed for speed have higher crash rates than sedans or other economy vehicles.
In addition, Mustangs often have specialty components and increased engine capabilities that can make repairing these vehicles costly.
Still, finding an affordable and adequate insurance policy for your Mustang is possible by understanding how car insurance works despite these factors. To learn more, dive deeper into this topic with Lemonade’s “Ultimate Insurance Guide”.
7. Diagnose Early
In addition to always being on the lookout for signs that something might be wrong with your Mustang, there are other methods to help you care for it. You don’t have to be a certified mechanic or own an expensive tool chest to keep your Mustang in optimal shape.
However, you can get deeper into preventive maintenance and diagnose issues with devices like a scan tool. There are dozens of cheap OBDII scanners that you can keep handy to help you identify potential mechanical problems with your Mustang.
It doesn’t mean you have to fix these on your own, but by early diagnosing, you can prevent further damage and save a bunch of money on costly repairs.
8. Driving Tips (Know The Limits Of Your Mustang)
Driving a car is a complex process and in the case of a powerful sports car like a Mustang is even more. However, learning how to drive safely in different conditions or getting used to the power and drivability of your Mustang can prevent damage or even loss of your Mustang. Not to mention keeping you and everyone around you safe.
In other words, know the limits of your car and yours as a driver to avoid crashing your car and ending up in one of those YouTube Mustang fails compilations.
