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Check Engine Bay Paint

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Hey guys,

a few days ago i was checking the oil and noticed that the paint in the engine bay had bubbled up and chipped, exposing the metal.

the chips and bubbles are located right under the master cylinder. i also noticed that the brake fluid reservoir was wet, so it has leaked and most likely damaged my paint... i was pissed, so i just shut the hood and went for a drive.

any thoughts to what my options are? should i bother with a dealer, or should i just sand and patch it up myself... im just disappointed a little that they would over fill the brake fluid that much, up to the cap.

so please go check your brake fluid and siphon some fluid if it's over-filled, cuz this $#!t ruined my day!
 
F.D. Sako said:
or should i just sand and patch it up myself...
This. It's happened to many of us and those caps don't seal the best. You can take it to the dealer but you're most likely wasting your time. I keep mine just above the min fill line to keep the fluid from leaking.

You can order touch up paint here.

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/choosecolor/choosecolor.aspx?year=2012&make=Ford&model=Mustang
 
F.D. Sako said:
Hey guys,

a few days ago i was checking the oil and noticed that the paint in the engine bay had bubbled up and chipped, exposing the metal.

the chips and bubbles are located right under the master cylinder. i also noticed that the brake fluid reservoir was wet, so it has leaked and most likely damaged my paint... i was pissed, so i just shut the hood and went for a drive.

any thoughts to what my options are? should i bother with a dealer, or should i just sand and patch it up myself... im just disappointed a little that they would over fill the brake fluid that much, up to the cap.

so please go check your brake fluid and siphon some fluid if it's over-filled, cuz this $#!t ruined my day!

My fluid was leaking from day one, I checked it when I got the car, called my Dad a master mechanic for 40 yrs. He said to remove top cap, wash it with plain clean water really good, yes water, then blow it off super dry, make sure its dry, put it back on, and no more leaks. He said brake fluid is a super lubricant, and if there is any on the rubber it will leak.
 
Ford gave the green light to warranty the work today.
really glad they did, dealer said it's going to take 3-4 days. never had a car in for warranty work before, idk if i can go that long without driving the boss lol.
 
I checked my 2 month old car 120 miles, I had a little fluid on the "seam" on outside of reservoir and mech did draw off about an ounce as it was very full. Felt dry along bottom of reservoir and area below dry. SBY and white probably easier to see this on that dark colors. Gotta assume these are filled robotically on the assembly line with pre measured amount?
 
shlby500 said:
I checked my 2 month old car 120 miles, I had a little fluid on the "seam" on outside of reservoir and mech did draw off about an ounce as it was very full. Felt dry along bottom of reservoir and area below dry. SBY and white probably easier to see this on that dark colors. Gotta assume these are filled robotically on the assembly line with pre measured amount?

There is a good bit of chatter on this on the other Mustang forums. The overall consensus seems to blame poor mold quality on the filler neck, making it uneven and producing a bad seal. Some of the fixes included making a new gasket to fit the cap, etc. I make it a habit after driving mine to pop the hood and check the reservoir. I'll eventually try the new cap gasket thing when I get around to it.
 
I also noticed that the reservoir was overfilled and it was wet around the middle seam of the plastic reservoir. Siphoned some off, but then noticed that I also had some brake fluid that had leaked on the paint below and outside the brake master cylinder. It almost looked like it was leaked when they filled it, because the drops where not directly underneath the master cylinder but to the outside about 1 to 3 inches. It's good to hear that they are going to cover it under warranty. When I get some free time, I'll take mine up and see what they say.
 
i think mine was caused during fill-up as well.
now that i look at it again, its not possible for it to spill that far off.

i will take and post pics before i take the car in.
 
F.D. Sako said:
Ford gave the green light to warranty the work today.
really glad they did, dealer said it's going to take 3-4 days. never had a car in for warranty work before, idk if i can go that long without driving the boss lol.

Good to hear that they are taking care of you. It might just be worth it to mention to my dealership.

I have had similar problems with brake fluid leaking out of the cap. Mine was all over, even on the valve cover. I saw on a gt500 forum that they solved the problem with adding a rubber washer to get a better seal. I did that as well as put a wrist band around the cap that I zip tied to keep it in place. So far so good.
 

unrealford

Mustang owner since 84
521
0
Nice, glad to see you have a reasonable dealer. I also have a great dealership. Some of the things that the dealerships have refused to warranty on some peoples car is terrible.
 
well, i was checking the oil again today... and sure enough it has started to bubble up again.

good side of it tho, engine has stopped burning oil...
 

zzyzx

Steve
299
0
I think this needs to be a sticky thread (seriously).

And Ford needs to issue a TSB.

I went to a track day Sunday just to meet up with fellow Boss owners (many not on this site...), and of the 6 S197s I checked in between runs, ALL of them had brake fluid leaks from the reservoir, some more than others.

I made a point to tell each owner of the problem, and reminded them that this will remove the paint.

In doing so, two '12 Boss LS owners and one '13 GT500 owner ended up discovering that their paint had been damaged - removed to the metal. Obviously, nobody was happy with this.

I assumed (obviously incorrectly) that more people knew of this issue than actually do.

Please do all you can to get the word out.

The reason Ford needs to issue a TSB is obvious. I think this has some teeth to it because all new cars come with guarantees against rust. We know that in the case of the Boss, most all of our cars came with an improperly filled reservoir - too full. We also know that the cap (all S197s), leaks. Once that paint is removed, rust is guaranteed to immediately follow. Which, ultimately, will rust out that inner fender metal.

So... please everybody take this issue seriously and check your car, and make it your business to check other if you get the chance.
 
Yes!!

Also, once you've gotten your paint repaired, do not pick your car up immediately without having the paint cure. Mine started bubbling again, and now the bubbles have disappeared and the paint has dried... luckily it did not chip this time.
 

shuvl70

2013 Grabber Blue #216
63
0
AZ
Noticed the resevoir was overfilled after arriving home from the dealer, a 50 mile drive. The fluid already leaked from the cap but not to the paint underneath. Immediately reduced the fluid level and had the cap replaced under warranty. Drove 800 miles without a leak.
 
zzyzx said:
I think this needs to be a sticky thread (seriously).

And Ford needs to issue a TSB.

I went to a track day Sunday just to meet up with fellow Boss owners (many not on this site...), and of the 6 S197s I checked in between runs, ALL of them had brake fluid leaks from the reservoir, some more than others.

I made a point to tell each owner of the problem, and reminded them that this will remove the paint.

In doing so, two '12 Boss LS owners and one '13 GT500 owner ended up discovering that their paint had been damaged - removed to the metal. Obviously, nobody was happy with this.

I assumed (obviously incorrectly) that more people knew of this issue than actually do.

Please do all you can to get the word out.

The reason Ford needs to issue a TSB is obvious. I think this has some teeth to it because all new cars come with guarantees against rust. We know that in the case of the Boss, most all of our cars came with an improperly filled reservoir - too full. We also know that the cap (all S197s), leaks. Once that paint is removed, rust is guaranteed to immediately follow. Which, ultimately, will rust out that inner fender metal.

So... please everybody take this issue seriously and check your car, and make it your business to check other if you get the chance.

Steve, it was a pleasure meeting you on Sunday......

I was one of the 6 at the FARA Performance Driving academy at Homestead Miami Speedway and I thank you for bringing it to my attention. All of my buddies that were there also appreciate you bringing this to our attention. All were very surprised by this and one in particular (Black LS) was devistated by the paint being completely removed from his inner fender. He is the most anal person I know and cleaned every spec of dirt off his car between his sessions. This just added to his frustration for the day as both he and I experienced clutch and shifter issues but, that is for another thread.

Thanks for looking out for us Steve.
 

zzyzx

Steve
299
0
You too, Rene!

I think we all need to make a point of getting the word out, particularly at track day or autox events where it's more likely to to see this happen.
 
Even my 1993 Mustang still does this. The fix on this car was to replace the brake fluid with silicone brake fluid and the paint eating problem was solved but the cap never stopped seeping. I know some drivers do not like silicon brake fluid but I have used it in all my older cars w/o any issues and never had frozen calipers or rusted steel brake lines even after sitting for many years. I know the road racing guys don't like this fluid but it works on all my daily drivers and drag cars.

Tim
 

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