Automakers sink hundreds of millions of dollars into designing and building new engines. If you think about it, they come out with new engines on a fairly regular basis, and as with anything, there is only so much time they have to complete it. Ford’s new 5.0 engine took many years and millions of dollars to build, but it has been well received by enthusiasts and the media alike.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t without its problems though. Across many Mustang forums, complaints of a strange ticking noise from the engine bay have been cropping up. Worry not though; Ford already seems to have a fix, in the form of a black magic fluid.

We visited numerous Mustang forums, and on just about everyone one, there was a complaint from one or more new 5.0 owners about a “ticking” noise. Now mind you, many thousands of people have already bought their 2011 Mustangs and certainly not all of them are complaining. However, it was this particular post over at All Ford Mustangs that really caught our eye. Post “cidsamuth” posted a detailed account of what happened after he brought his ticking 5.0 into his Ford dealership.

According to “cidsamtuh”, the ticking noise happens after the car is warmed up, and the dealer was able to replicate the noise after trying a few times. The dealer put a call into Ford, and as this dealership was located in Michigan, a Ford engineer came down to hear the problem. When the engineer heard the ticking, which sounded like it was coming from the back or beneath the car, he immediately told them to shut it down. He then grabbed a black, unmarked bottle, and poured a “shoe shine polish” like substance into the engine. This oil additive allegedly contains graphite, which helps some internal components in the engine seat better (though they likely would have seated over time anyway).

After letting the car idle with the additive in it, the noise was gone. Cidsamuth’s Mustang now has 3,200 miles on it and the ticking has not returned. Ain’t technology grand?