Potential Mach 1 TSB issue. Any guidance?

[281pony]

my girlfriend just bought an 03 mach 1 a few weeks ago. the car was/is stock. automatic, 47k miles. drove fine to me, felt fine.

she drove it alot over the first week or so. the check engine light came on, cylinder 8 misfire. we did the routine stuff, swapped coils, plugs, yada yada. i just did a compression check on it.

175 on all cylinders, cylinder 8 has 110. haven't yet done a leak down test, but one would believe it's in the head. all cylinders are burning good.

wasn't there a tsb for the cylinder heads on these cars? i had a termi a few years back, but forget the models.

MOST IMPORTANTLY; how should i handle this? car was purchased private party. where do i begin, things to say/not to say for potential dealership repair?

 

[Deleted member 38176]

I might be mistaken, but the only TSB on mustang heads in recent memory was for the 99 Cobras, not Machs. Machs have 03/04 Cobra heads BTW.

 

[LarsD]

I dunno if a TSB was issued, but the Mach 1's suffered from the head tick just like the 03/04 Cobra's (same heads). If I'm not mistaken it is the valve guides that get loose in the head.

 

[Crzyhrse]

I dunno if a TSB was issued, but the Mach 1's suffered from the head tick just like the 03/04 Cobra's (same heads). If I'm not mistaken it is the valve guides that get loose in the head.

This is essentially it. It has to do with cylinder 7 @ 8. Alot of people had the driver's side head replaced under warranty. A friend with a Mach also had his replaced under warranty. Never had any problem with mine though (so far).

 

[BK_CAULEY]

I just checked. There are no TSB's on the heads.

 

[281pony]

so she is essentially on her own then with this? the car is obviously out of factory warranty. i do not believe there is any extended left either. so that combined with no tsb, would leave her screwed...

we will be doing a leak down, however i'm sure it has to do with the heads. the car runs strong i thought, for a stock automatic it pulls decent. there is also no tick, no abnormal valvetrain sounds.

 

[Crzyhrse]

I've heard the head tick before and it's pretty obvious, so I'm not sure if you have the same or different problem or what. Does a TSB mean the dealership will fix the defect whenever it happens, or is it just within your warranty time? If I had to guess on a 7 year old car, myself I'd be prepared to foot the bill. That really sucks happening so close after you bought it, but to me the car is worth it.

 

[BK_CAULEY]

TSB = Technical service bulletin. Doesnt always mean a company will fix it.

 

[LarsD]

I've heard the head tick before and it's pretty obvious, so I'm not sure if you have the same or different problem or what. Does a TSB mean the dealership will fix the defect whenever it happens, or is it just within your warranty time? If I had to guess on a 7 year old car, myself I'd be prepared to foot the bill. That really sucks happening so close after you bought it, but to me the car is worth it.

Gotta be a recall for that, even then sometimes there is an expiration date on when you can get the service done.

 

[COBRA90GT]

...I might be mistaken, but the only TSB on mustang heads in recent memory was for the 99 Cobras...

FWIW - The '99 Mustang Cobra "horsepower fix" dealt with the intake manifold, catback, and PCM re-flash.