LONG-TERM UPDATE 8 | Leaking gasket stops play, but thankfully an easy fix

Life with the Ford Mustang GT California Special has been blissfully fuss-free since I took delivery of it in September last year. Other than a freak Johannesburg hailstorm causing minor cosmetic damage, there has been little to detract from the “ownership” experience of this charismatic Detroit pony car. Not even a tyre pressure warning alarm.

So you can imagine my concern when on the evening of December 20 I noticed what looked like smoke wafting out from between the bonnet and passenger side plastic windscreen wiper cowling. I saw it after I had stopped the car on the summit of the Potjiesberg Pass (a good place to snap road trip pics for the travelogue) where the rays of a setting sun illuminated the wispy particles perfectly.

Shocked and more than a little concerned about this discovery , I popped the Mustang's sizeable bonnet and peered into the engine bay to see if I could spot anything amiss. I couldn't, so I shut it and drove slowly back to the nearby Uniondale Manor Guest House where I parked the car for the night.

The next morning, before setting off to Montagu, I checked the Mustang's oil and coolant levels and made sure neither was contaminated by the other. They weren't. I also had a gander at the battery bay, which is directly in front of the area where the smoke was coming from. Again, everything checked out with a pristine battery and electrical leads free of burn or scald marks. I had one last look around the engine compartment (most of which is covered in acres of black plastic) and decided to keep on trucking. 

About 120km later I refuelled in Oudtshoorn and as soon as the car came to a stop I noticed smoke exiting from the same place. Not just that, I could smell the scent of burning through the ventilation system; an aroma somewhere between oil and electrical. From Oudtshoorn to Montagu (237km) I stopped another two times for photos and on both occasions I could see and smell evidence of this new and unwanted gremlin. 

Upon reaching my destination on December 21 I contacted Ford's fleet manager who recommended I get the GT CS to a dealership as soon as possible. So I consulted Google and telephoned Rola Ford Robertson, which, 28km away, proved the closest and most viable solution for getting this issue fixed. Though service adviser Brandon Wentzel was busy with a customer, the receptionist assured me if I left my name and number she would get him to call me back as soon as he was available. Usually I don't hold my breath for people to call me back so I was impressed when my phone rang a few minutes later. 

Courteous and genuinely concerned about the Mustang's woes, Wentzel told me he could assign one of the dealership's technicians to come to inspect the vehicle later that afternoon. Though appreciative of this gesture, I explained I thought it best to bring the California Special to the workshop as I believed a lift would probably be needed to help diagnose whatever the problem might be. Wentzel agreed and told me to bring it in the next day. However, a few hours later he called me and apologetically asked if we could postpone to December 27 as the workshop had just undergone renovations and some of the diagnostic equipment needed to be reconnected, which wouldn't happen in time for our prior arrangement. As I was set to stay in Montagu (a town you can walk everywhere) for the next few weeks, I told him this wouldn't be a problem.

Six days later I drove the ailing pony car to Rola Ford Robertson where Wentzel immediately got the Mustang into the dealership's spotless workshop. Here, master technician Arno Kok hoisted it on a lift for a proper inspection and in a matter of seconds discovered the problem: a failed left-hand-side valve cover gasket was allowing oil to leak onto the exhaust manifold where it was being burnt off. Oil not landing on the manifold was starting to coat other engine parts and associated ancillaries. 

Kok said he was surprised an engine so young was afflicted with an issue such as this, explaining that you would usually only see a leaking valve cover gasket on a motor with considerably more kilometres on it. I also thought it somewhat disappointing, especially as this test unit has only just hit the 13,000km mark. 

Anyway, after this snappy diagnosis Wentzel suggested I leave the Mustang with them while they ordered a replacement gasket. Once received they would fit it and at the same time do the car's annual service. I agreed and six days later on the morning of January 2 received a phone call from Wentzel telling me the vehicle was ready for collection. That's an impressive turnaround time, especially when you consider the world slows to a crawl at this time of year due to public holidays and such. 

I collected the California Special on January 3. A new gasket had been installed at a cost of R2,234.52, which was covered by the vehicle's standard four-year/120,000km warranty. The service (R2,066) consisted of a new oil filter, 10.4l of new engine oil and a new sump plug. Wentzel said the car's body control module had also been updated with Ford's latest software.

And that was that. Handover documents signed, I was given back the key and drove the rejuvenated smoke-free GT CS back to Montagu for my last week and a bit of my summer holiday. Though the dicky gasket has been a bit of blight in an otherwise flawless long-term test period, I commend Rola Ford Robertson on their stellar customer service and responsive turnaround times. They were a pleasure to deal with from start to finish. 

2023 Ford Mustang GT California Special: Update 8

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 9,008km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 13,075km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 10.5l/100km

PRICE AS TESTED: R1,154,900

PRAISES: Fantastic service from Rola Ford Robertson gets the Mustang GT California Special fixed and back on the road in less than a week over the New Year period. 

GRIPES: A failed left-hand-side valve cover gasket is a bit of a hard pill to swallow on a performance car with so few kilometres on it.