How to Maintain the PTU Fluid- th-cam.com/video/sS9JPaf1MDg/w-d-xo.html PTU Fluid I Recommend- amzn.to/34DbRef Stubby 1/8" NPT Tap and Drill Bit Set- amzn.to/34xbWjP As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Im suprised they haven't started putting the ptu from the cop cars in them. At least they have something to pull some heat away from the unit. I have replaced many of these at the dealership
Quick question are there 4 5.4l 2v engines ? I know about Windsor and Romeo what are the other two I also find out Mexico made a 5 4l 2v how do I identify them
This is not a design flaw at all, it was obviously designed to fail. small fluid reservoir, no drain plug, "unserviceable" designation.. Ford built this to be a money maker, just in time for the warranty to expire. Kudos to you Brian for exposing this and educating potential buyers and owners.
Can't stand that companies design parts like this. It's why I never take my vehicles to dealerships with the exception of computer based services that are locked out by anyone other than the dealer.
Tell the class you e never owned a 4x4 with a transfer case. This setup is literally no different. Small fluid volume, drain and fill from the top. Lol
@Jay Man Problems like this are present across all manufacturers. They use the whole "lubed for life" as a selling point of the vehicle mostly. I don't agree with it but that's what they do.
@Jay Man wait spark plug and leak problem.? Dude every car/truck brand is shit, even Toyota. Just look at the Tacomas and tundras their chassis rusting to the point that they break in half!
@Jay Man lol had a Tacoma, the electronic 4x4 went out twice. valve cover gasket shot. both before 80 k miles !sold it at 100kbecause my frame wasn't looking good. sorry my man but I drank the cool aid once no more .
"filled for life" = come see us when it breaks. I also have never liked these being designed that way. I believe parts should always be designed with maintenance in mind, even if they "should never require maintenance". It's just a good idea because at some point, one of these things is going to cook off all its oil or something and nobody is going to know because lol we can't put a dipstick on it. My 2014 F150 vacuum pump had to be replaced (thankfully within the last miles of the warranty) because it was leaking. Part of me wonders if its a sort of tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to the people that never do anything but the cheapest bare minimum maintenance. Like why make it serviceable if no one is smart enough to actually maintain it so it last? Although I can't believe that is the case....
At the dealership I worked at, we used an evacuation tool to remove as much fluid as possible before refilling the PTU. (can"t drill into warrantable parts) This was part of our yearly maintenance package for our customers. This method would replace a minimum of 3/4 of the fluid volume. Using vaseline in the flutes of the drill bit and the tap helps keep the cuttings out of a closed system.
I bought an AWD 2007 fusion with 110,000 miles on it. Took it in to the ford dealer for a clunking noise and they gave me a long list of repairs including a new PTU. I was a poor college student so after some research decided as a last ditch effort I’d drill and tap a drain plug in the bottom of the PTU. Did a 4X drain and fill. No sludge ever came out which I took as a good sign. I rigged up a weed sprayer to pump the gear oil and now I change it every oil change. That was 3 years and 30,000 miles ago, so it definitely bought me time to save up for another car. I’ll probably just keep maintaining the fluids and drive the thing until the PTU finally gives out.
I am glad the PTU on my ‘17 Escape has both a drain and a fill plug. Once I became aware that these were an issue I’ve been changing the fluid out every 2nd year. It’s actually a fairly straightforward process on the Escape once you’ve done it once and figure it out.
Great video, thanks. I'm a Mechanical Design Engineer. The reason Ford is putting the drain plug in the side is not for structural reasons. Its for manufacturing cost considerations. Drilling and tapping the side of the cover can be done in the same setup as the mounting bolt holes. Putting it in the bottom of the housing would require another machining setup, which would add significant cost. Another consideration tho is scraping the bottom on a rock. It would be better not to have a drain plug there. When I do mine, I will probably drill and tap into the bottom. Thank you!
What a stunning illustration of the end result to "no fluid exchange required" maintenance strategies. With a policy of replacing the entire unit, the company make the consumer dependent on the manufacturer for the life of the vehicle. Of course their business model depends on sale of new units, so their conflict of interest is glaring. What better way to destroy the competition.
@@MrTheHillfolk Like what? Been working on cars 30 years - never once have I heard of a "Filled for life" anything until deep into the 21st-century. Did I miss something?
After doing a ton of research and watching many videos, tonight I finally did the ptu fluid exchange.. I have 143k on my 2014 explorer limited AWD.. the fluid came out pitch black with the "glitter effect" of normal wear, no metal chunks or pieces.. The fluid was liquid and not thick at all, the magnetic drain plug had a small layer of goopy glittery fluid.. I used the top Sider oil changer and sucked out a little over 1/2 a quart in less than a minute.. I used royal purple 75w-140.. test drove it for 20ish miles and shifting/acceleration is smoother than before.. took me about 1 hour to complete everything on the ground.. thanks to everyone and their expertise!
I work at ford this video is 100% on the money. The police cruisers are already on their second or third ptu by 100k miles. Alot of those cars are training/test course cars. Don't buy an awd ford unless you're willing to tap holes & maintain your ptu very often. You can try to extract the fluid with a mityvac as well but it wont work very well but better than nothing at all. If your car already has quite a few miles on it already I'd do some shorter intervals at first to be sure. The whole lifetime fluid/non serviceable thing is just ridiculous but many other companies do it too. Subaru does it with their sealed unit cvt's as well. They tell you your cvt fluid is lifetime fluid it's sealed, you break the seal you'll void your warranty. They also tell you under severe operating conditions( stop & go traffic is categorized as severe) it's recommended to do your cvt fluid every 20k miles. So which one is it? Basically you want to take proper care of your car? Then no warranty. You wanna keep your warrany? Then your car will be a ticking time bomb when you rack up an average amount of mileage. The engineering & way these companies do buisness nowdays is disgusting.
Wow that looks like grease instead of fluid/oil. Ford and many other automotive companies have been in the business of designing, engineering and building cars for over a 100 years. Why would you design something like this in the first place? I know why but it's a pretty despicable way to "force you" to keep buying a new car and treating it like a throwaway item. Most of us don't want a lifetime car payment We all have given in regarding most electronics and household appliances being throw away items, but to design a big ticket, high dollar item such as a car like this is criminal. Thank you as always for sharing all of your experience, knowledge and recommendations. It definitely makes it more bearable when having to face these issues.
Just performed the ptu fluid change on our 2017 Explorer @ 34,000 miles. This was after having the wife request this service while having the recall work performed at our dealer and was told the ptu isn't serviceable! With the down time lately I had a chance to finally take care of this. Keep the great content coming FTM!
Thanks to your channel, I decided to service my own PTU on my 2017 Edge, which fortunately does have the PTU with both drain and fill plugs. My fluid looked to be in very good shape, I think due in part to the exhaust heat shield that Ford added on this model. There were, however, a fair amount of dust-sized metal shavings on the magnetic fill plug, which I hope are just related to break-in. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Thank you for opening my eyes on the PTU issue, I watched your videos in the past. Last year I changed the oil in the PTU in my 2013 Lincoln MKX at 65,000 miles or so. There's no drain plug, but I used a vacuum pump to suck the oil thru the fill hole. The oil was black like ink, and smelled awfull. Changed it, drove 100 miles, then changed it again. From now on I will keep changing the oil every year, so about every 12-15,000 miles.
I had this problem with my 2016 Ford Explorer. The dealer took them 5 days to figure out the problem. They even had me come on the second day because they wouldn't believe me that there's that smell inside the cabin. The day the service people called me about the estimate to fix this, which was $3000 CAD, was also the day we decided to just trade it in. We had the vehicle for 5 years and there was a lot of issues already prior to this, like A/C repairs. When I told the service guy that we're not going to get it repaired his answer was "that's ok just let us know when. At the moment it is safe to drive". Got me thinking since you said that it might have a tendency to explode. That is not safe. Thanks for your video!
Great info as always, my 2012 Edge is cooking the PTU as we speak! 168k on it now, I replaced the fluid at 130k after watching your videos using a hand suction device. fluid was low and black but not tar yet.
Pack the area you are drilling with gear lube, thicker the better to capture the chips and keep them down. For change I’d use my 12 volt positive displacement pump with thin flex line to vacuum out the fluid, refill drive a while then repeat. Saves the drill time. Used same to drain down my transmission prior to dropping the pan so as not to take a bath Thanks for the vids, they are a big help!
After hearing all the horror stories, I drained and changed the PTU gear oil in my 2017 Ford Fusion at 50,000 miles. It came out very dark. Refilled it with Mobil 1 full synthetic gear oil. At 102,000 miles, I just drained the PTU again, and the gear oil came out clean and clear! Mobil 1 full synthetic gear oil FTW. BTW: The Fusion Sport PTUs have a drain plug. Torx Plus TP50 bit required.
@@FordTechMakuloco Could you add a fill hole up higher on the case, and run double the amount of fluid? Would it expand and puke the extra under normal operating conditions?
Thanks for all the great insight. I have a 2015 Escape and stumbled across your channel. You saved me alot of problems. I purchased it with 34,000 and did a fresh fluid change and it was on the verge of being bad. Again, thanks for all the vids and great info!!
I was hoping for a full walk through with changing the phasers, oil pump, etc. There is also a pretty extensive torquing procedure for the pump and front timing cover. There are some good videos on it but this guy is the most thorough mechanic I have seen on youtube.
Whom would have thought changing oil regularly could prolong a components life 😂😂😂 Been rebuilding a few lately but because of my background I evacuate the old oil and refill with fresh oil and have amazing success. Most people dont understand what the manufacturer means by “filled for life” its NOT filled for the customers life its filled for the components life, depending on the component, if its a PTU like these it will be in the region of 80-120 thousand km if its a gearbox 250-300 thousand km its about the capacity of the oil in the component.
OEM FLUIDS too are designed for short life! when owners switch to better lubricants then the special elastomer SEALS start leaking (Tranny ATF, Diff. 75w90, water pump, tensioners seal,...). Lub engineered for failure: Aftermarket fluids all claim greater mileage and reduced friction bla-bla-bla but stay mute on the chlorinated surfactants that eat rubbers and soft metals. (Google: bearing seal failure fluid additives analysis...)
I replaced the fluid on my 2013 with your tutorial video. No drain plug and I used the tools you recommended. Was able to do it in my driveway. Thanks a lot! Oil didn’t look too bad. 77k
This is why I started changing the fluid every 10K at 20k. Hopefully my PPE ceramic coated downpipes will keep the PTU a little cooler. I'm using Red line too. 🙏 That it holds... Very informative video and thank you!
Love your channel! I took your recomendation and had the oil changed in my 2016 ford edge ptu 40,000 miles on the clock. My dealer told me i was the first person ever that requested this service!
Awesome! The Ford "Exploder" is still living up to its name! I have noticed that they added a plastic air dam underneath to cool the PTU on newer models (like that's really a solution). Since it needs to be removed to do an oil change, I figure a lot of those will end up in the trash.
It's amazing what you can learn by doing a failure analysis, Especially if it ids a repeatable job. Youngg fellows take note it is valuable to be able to assess a bearings lifetime wear, even if you change them just because it's apart, there is always a story to tell. Enjoyed the video.cheers!
Very ironic that you just posted this video, as on my most recent trip to the dealership to get an oil change after my 5 yr extended warranty expired on my 2014 SHO, , I was told my PTU was leaking. I asked where was it leaking from? Was told they wouldn’t know exactly unless they opened it up....well thanks to your video at least now I have a general idea of what it will cost, and what the job entails. Thanks
Great video as always. I Have 2015 SHO, and I change PTU fluid regularly myself. The exhaust is so close to these units it just cooks the fluid. I've seen videos of techs opening them, and the fluid looking jello like! Again, another awesome video keeping the followers informed! Thanks
The first one of these we encountered took 4 trips to the shop to figure out. The customer's complaint was a "natural gas" smell. We had to get special authorization to replace the PTU. Shortly after, there was a TSB
@@bryanmartinez6600 I agree, my girlfriend has a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Quadra Trac and it is very low maintenance and very reliable. Me myself, I only like cars. I am not a pickup truck or an SUV person. That pretty much limits me to a Dodge Charger or Challenger for anything newer than a 2011. I was a Ford fan for most of my life but when they quit making the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car that was the end for me. My daily drivers are a 2010 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and a 2010 Dodge Charger HEMI Pursuit and with running Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grips on the back I have never needed an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
I find it easier to drill a hole into the bottom of the case in-between the gears and use a 1/8th npt plug. You can even do it without removing the ptu.
If you set up an air line into the filler plug you can put positive pressure in the housing. When you break thru with your drill the pieces go out along with any oil. Same applies when you tap it. You could also go right down to 1/16" NPT and use a dry seal pressure plug. It will involve getting the tap before hand but leaves only a tiny drain. My guess is that from the look of these units they will need some sort of flush. What do you recommend: over filling and driving for a bit and then redraining and filling again with the correct oil? Can you put in a drain from directly underneath near the side cover?
Hope I have seen this before, I drilled a hole on the case like 2 years ago and have changed the oil twice haven't had problems but you make a very good point about the structural resistance. VERY IMPORTANT, don't use Motul 75w-140 oil it has very bad heat resistance and it burns very fast, I did the drilling procedure to prevent PTU damage and after only 12k miles I start hearing noise coming from the PTU so I quickly replaced the oil and the problem was gone, trying to prevent damage nearly end up blowing my PTU because of a low quality fluid. Now I'm using Red Line 75w-140 but it's too soon to comment about it but I think it's going to be ok, Motul fail me twice and it behaved very similar both times it burns too fast you would have to refill every 10k miles instead of 30k miles so it's not worth it.
@@FordTechMakuloco Agree the original fluid was in there for 7 years and 50k miles without problems just changed it to prevent issues, but I like trying different alternatives and only Motul has failed me. I had a bad experience with Motorcraft Mercon SP transmission fluid in a Lincoln Navigator 2008, I changed the fluid and followed the manual spec of it that called for Mercon SP but soon after I did the transmission started acting strange and got codes so had to drain it, replaced the fluid with ZF one, replaced the filter again and the problem was gone, so it's good to have options. I'll post some comments about Red line's 75w-140 fluid after a year or so. GREAT VIDEOS BY THE WAY.
I would have like to see the older Ford Fusion cover style and know if Ford really made a new cover for the 2008-2012 Fusion AWD. Also be aware the driveshaft center bearing failure is another typical failure ($1,500) with the same driveability symptoms as with the PTO. Add the V6 engine water pump fiasco and you will understand why Ford is loosing the few loyal customers they had.
You are very lucky that it is serviceable. I had to replace mine because it was maintenance free until after the warranty expired. It wasn't cheap! Around $2000 and that was $400 less than the dealer.
@@fusionvic I have always known my PTU is a different unit. Still doesn't mean it's maintenance-free. It, like all maintenance items on the vehicle, are serviced at shorter intervals than the Ford recommendations.
Great explanation! 2015 Explorer XLT, 70,000MI. Bought new. Changed fluid month ago, (suction method) propane smell, not soon enough. Bearings and ring-pinion gears fine. Idler (not seized) and two drive gears 70 percent teeth broken/gone. No leakage through vent cap, slight seal leakage. Couldn't turn rear pinion gear without any other components in the case. Must have got sludge+ in there but the bearings were fine once I pulled off the output flange and pinion shaft. Case 1050, labor 650, done at dealer.
Police departments use Explorers and get rid of them after xxx,xxx miles for a reason I guess. I don't think they even consider rebuilding, refurbishment or extended mileage use. Kind of telling.
Great video Bryan! I am amazed at how bad the "fluid" was on those PTUs. I changed out the fluid on the PTU of my 2005 Ford Five Hundred AWD with 180K KM (120K miles) and it looked like honey. Seals were dry too! Seem I was very fortunate with my situation. Being in Canada I wonder if the colder weather has something to do with longevity? Either way I did tap and drill into the case with 1/4" NPT to facilitate draining, but had I seen this video then I would've placed them on the side plate as you've shown. Hope I didn't induce any stress fractures - time will tell.
Sooooo. I have been watching your videos for years. Learned ALOT!! Bad part is I hate watching your videos because they make me not like going to my local service techs because I know they are not doing as good and thorough of a job as you on my vehicle!! Lol. I’m like super critical when I get the vehicle back. I’m thinking the entire time what you would have done that they didn’t do or what you would have seen that they didn’t see. Lol. I know that crazy but you are a wealth of knowledge. I would love to bring my vehicles to you and feel good about the money that I spent. I have had some issues when taking my vehicles to my local Ford dealer. Weird stuff like the service Dept telling me that when I brought my vehicle in it didn’t have a cover over certain components under the hood and later telling me that they found it. Or them leaving mounting screws out of a housing that may have 4 screws to mount it they would leave out a screw. Who does that?? I mean even if I brought it in missing a screw why not put one in?? Lol. So ridiculous you have to laugh. Anyway. Dude you are AWSOME. ! Keep up the reputable work.
They’re surprisingly rugged. Mine lasted 94k running 450ish hp on the twin turbo since day 1. also drove the car like I stole it since day one. Thankfully it was covered under the extended warranty.
Our 2010 edge same fun time,never knew about this when we bought.A Ford one thinking its 2000 range,a new after market around 750. A drainage plug,must ask that question see if it ha one. Thanks for the information, your channel is great.
Been driving Fords for 53 years. I got pissed off at my loco ford dealers and fords "extended service plan" and traded my 2012 F-150 Platinum screw with the twin turbo 3.5l for a 2019 GMC Sierra crew cab with the 6.2 liter v-8. Now I just need to trade my 2016 Fusion AWD in. Don't get me wrong but I liked both vehicles but Ford has gone down the tubes. That GMC is just too much fun to drive. Will probably never go back to a Ford. Between my kids and grand kids we still have 8 or 9 Fords in the family. I think that may change also.
Makes sense after watching this. Many Ford Explorer police cars, also known as interceptor utilities, have had these units fail with less than 30k miles. The agency I work for had one explorer go through two of these units in three years. The transmission went at the same time the first ptu failed. Fortunately Ford ate the repairs under warranty. Thats why there has been more interest with police Tahoes or going back to Chargers. Plus, the cost of a Tahoe PPV is the same as the Interceptor Utility. It’s a shame Ford did this to themselves with the Explorers. We have also had problems with the water pumps in the explorers, even the 2019’s. The last one was out of service for a month for an unknown coolant issue that a Ford engineer could not figure out. It came back with the same problem.
I called a very large Ford dealer here. They said they have never seen these PTUs ruined like this nor have they ever repaired one or warrantied one. I found that awefully strange to say the least. I am not saying that this does not happen and based on Ford adding a drain plug in 2018, it shows that Ford admits that they are failing. I also find it interesting that the bottomside engine cover/shroud has a steel venturi in it that directs air, as the car is driving down the road, directly up towards the PTU! I am going to get my fluid swapped in my 2018 Lincoln Continental. I looked at the Ford parts listing and it shows it has a drain plug on it. They said they need about 1 hour of labor too do it and cost of fluid. My car has 76k miles on it. It has a 4yr 150k warranty from ford so if they find its toast during fluid change they can go ahead and swap it out for free. Great video though. Really liked this one.
I did this on my 2003 Escape and the original fluid was very bad, but the unit is still going strong. Going to change it again shortly to flush it out of contaminants.
Good video for showing how important fluid changes are on so called "lubed for life" components! I had an 1994 AWD Chevy Astro Van that had the "lubed for life" front diff in it! After just 10k the fluid was grey/dirty as seen through the fill hole! I had also drilled housing and added a drain plug so as the diff would last and it did. Today when I come across any vehicle components without a drain plug I use a fluid evacuator and hose instead to suck out what I can. Sometimes this will require multiple fill, drive and evac cycles to get unit clean but for most customers who want to avoid a costly brake down will pay the required labor time and additional fluid cost as its far less costly! Maybe you could do a video using a fluid evacuator on these units if its not too late and the unit is already badly damaged with sludged up fluid inside!
Thank you so much for the video!! Hey could you PLEASE do a video of you drilling and tapping one of these units while it is still in the car? Man that would be awesome! Thanks again! 👍🏻👍🏻
Glad you showed the unit taken apart. I now have an idea where to try and properly snake the suction tube to remove the maximum amount of gear oil. I’m figuring ing if I change out the fluid every 10 thousand miles I can save the customer a huge repair bill. Low dollar investment to save a thousand or more
Damn! There I was driving along in my Explorer, smelling propane, trying to figure out what it was from. Googled it while at the store but didn't see anything dire, drove a couple miles further and boom! Smoke out the hood, and on the side of the road leaking fluid everywhere. Mechanic says now the whole transmission and drive shaft need to be replaced along with the transfer case. Crazy that this happening could do that much damage! Too bad I came across this video too late...Just a PTU replacement wouldn't have been so bad
I changed the PTU fluid in my 2016 Edge after watching this. I bought it at 70,000km and it definitely has never been serviced. Hopefully I can extend the life of the unit for a while.
@Reel-Lentless they can be serviced. You suck out the fluid and then add the new fluid back in. They don’t have a drain plug, but they do have a fill plug.
@@AJourneyOfYourSoul Yea I don’t know why this is complicated. It takes 5 minutes with a pump. Also the spot he showed to drill is not ideal. The well known spot on the bottom is the best.
I noticed you are talking about the fluid in those old units as looking like tar, I learned that Ford adds a special Moly additive like a CV joint to maximize the fluids life and performance ,I have been (sucking)changing the fluid in my 08 Taurus X AWD with Royal Purple but not replacing the moly additive so I can monitor how much moly is draining out and get an idea of when the old fluid is eventually out and I could add Moly if I want,
I remember changing the lube in a Ford Fairmont differential many years ago. I was icky on the inside with sludge and was smelly. I had to remove the entire rear case. It did run quieter after I changed the oil. Ford said it was lifetime too. It was much simpler but the worm gear looks just like the Fairmont.
This only AWD, or 4WD as well? Further, we can "chase" the old bad fluids out with thinner oils first, before refilling with the correct stuff? Good idea?
The key is to keep fresh fluid in these. I’ve got 110,000 miles on my 2012 edge. Changed the fluid every 20k. Runs like a top, no leaking from the vent. It’s really sad Ford cuts corners like this. They could be a great company but this destroys their reputation (rightfully so). Honda / Toyota for me next time.
2017 SHO, I change out the 75-140 fluid every 20 thousand as a precaution, and heat wrapped the down pipe, access to the fill hole is a bear so I let my dealer do it and I get to see the old fluid being sucked out.
I'm assuming mine was changed already. 2011 explorer. I bought it at 155k at 180k now. No issues, I did watch the other video on changing fluid, used my brake bleeder. Didn't get a ton out. Plan on doing it again in a month or so hopefully clean it out better. My brother's went out in his edge, made me search out your video
Great info! I owned a 2010 and 2015 SHO but never had a chance to service them. You answered a question I had about our FWD 2019 Escape. Glad it's accessible on that one.
@@brandonfrederick4761 Mine had the same PTU showcased here. No drain plug. I was going to install one but ultimately traded for a new 2015. The 2015 was a PP model and had a drain plug, but alas I never changed the oils as our needs changed and I sold her.
What are some of the symptoms of failure prior to the smell? I have a Taurus SHO with a speed related slight vibration and feels like binding when reversing when backing up.
I replaced the PTU 3 times in my 2014 Taurus SHO, the 3rd time I drilled and tapped the bottom of the case. I use a 1/2” oil drain plug with a magnet tip. My first failure was the ptu to transmission seal and it washed out my ptu with transmission fluid.
Had one come in on a police explorer at my dealership. The PTU literally locked up and snapped in half. I was able to remove the back half before completely unbolting the PTU from the trans.
My 17 Fusion only has 33K (Less than 21,000 miles) and I already changed the PTU fluid twice (75W140 (Amsoil). The same with the transmission and the RDU. Change them every Spring.
Just changed PTU fluid on my 2017 explorer sport at 75km. Used Amsoil severe gear. It was pretty dirty and had some nasty filings in it. I swear the vehicle takes off even quicker from standstill now. Will do it every year now for sure.
I think the 5.4 Triton issue(s) were more of a "get your head out of your tukus, experiment in engineering" moment versus a deliberate and concerted effort at designed in parts failure to keep service and parts replacement dollars rolling in to dealerships.
What kind of driving were those vehicles doing, stop and go city driving? We had a 2013 edge and I drilled a hole in bottom of case and the fluid was good with 60,000 miles on original fluid. Drained again at 90,000 and was good. I live in northern Minnesota with no stop and go city driving, all highway miles. Awesome informative videos, keep up the good work. Thanks
2004 Escape/Tribute with only 120k miles. Once a week repairs now. 4wd, vac lines, coolant reservoir, MAF sensor, mystery check engine lights. Once I change out this blown radiator it's bye-bye. Too bad, because the V-6 is powerful, and the car 4wheels great to our campsites.
A little off topic here, but I need to replace passenger side cv axle. I see you can buy it without the inner shaft. Is it easy enough to separate the cv axle from the inner shaft without pulling it from the PTU?
What are the symptoms/ noises associated with a failing or failed PTU? Obviously shy of it having exuded? I have an 18 3.5 ecoboost F150, that started making some type of, not necessarily grinding but almost like a bad bearing noise. I could hear it mostly when I'm doing 40 mph, but I can slightly feel it through the accelerator pedal. Kind of hard to describe.
It blows my mind that engineers still think fluids can last forever. It's been proven over and over that it's not the case. Extended interval engine oil, 100,000 mile coolant and trans fluid etc etc. All recipes for disaster.
I was helping a friend look at cargo vans. He was looking at the Mercedes Benz Metris. I looked into common issues for him and found that timing chain failure is common at under 100k. They have a 15k reccomended oil change interval. I'm sure there's no coincidence there whatsoever...
Engineers know better but cant go against the machine that is paying for their kids college and their house and all the groceries. Welcome to the corporation.
Thanks for all the great videos! I have a 2013 Escape. Been changing the PTU fluid every other oil change. Same with the transmission fluid. I'm worried about the fluid in the rear differential. How about a video that is a practical guide for changing out the rear differential fluid? Remember, you are on your back on the garage floor. Thanks!
@michael j. Hello Michael, not quite sure if your asking about the front or rear. The front already has a drain and fill plugs. At least mine does in my 2013 Escape. Best to drop the turbo tube to give you easier access to the PTU. The rear differential, you will need a pump to drain and fill. Hope that helps.
Excellent video, very informative. 2 weeks ago I had my local repair shop replace my PTU with a dorman because it has that fill and drain both to what you mentioned. I I thought the smell was from the leftover old PTU leak, but while changing my oil i I could see fresh PTU fluid. Just off the top of your head, what do you think? I'm taking it back Monday but was looking for jnsight before i do. Thanks for any advice.
Hell, ours has 295k on it. A year or two ago I sucked out what I could from the fill hole, but otherwise I'm sure it was never touched. We bought it with over 200 on it. Nobody takes care of anything.
How to Maintain the PTU Fluid-
th-cam.com/video/sS9JPaf1MDg/w-d-xo.html
PTU Fluid I Recommend-
amzn.to/34DbRef
Stubby 1/8" NPT Tap and Drill Bit Set-
amzn.to/34xbWjP
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FordTechMakuloco can you do a video on 17 escape rear diff fluid change pleaseeeee?
I have a 2018 Fusion Sport. Do you recommend an interval for changing rear diff fluid as well?
Im suprised they haven't started putting the ptu from the cop cars in them. At least they have something to pull some heat away from the unit. I have replaced many of these at the dealership
Hi im from iraq baghdad
Quick question are there 4 5.4l 2v engines ? I know about Windsor and Romeo what are the other two I also find out Mexico made a 5 4l 2v how do I identify them
This is not a design flaw at all, it was obviously designed to fail.
small fluid reservoir, no drain plug, "unserviceable" designation.. Ford built this to be a money maker, just in time for the warranty to expire.
Kudos to you Brian for exposing this and educating potential buyers and owners.
Can't stand that companies design parts like this. It's why I never take my vehicles to dealerships with the exception of computer based services that are locked out by anyone other than the dealer.
Tell the class you e never owned a 4x4 with a transfer case. This setup is literally no different. Small fluid volume, drain and fill from the top. Lol
@@waytoofazt9155and an exhaust pipe in close proximity to roast it just enough. You forgot that part.
Never been a great believer in 'sealed for life'..... Here's a good example...
The thing is these are not sealed, there is a fill hole but no drain hole... you have to get creative with a small hose and vacuum pump.
@Jay Man Problems like this are present across all manufacturers. They use the whole "lubed for life" as a selling point of the vehicle mostly. I don't agree with it but that's what they do.
@Jay Man wait spark plug and leak problem.? Dude every car/truck brand is shit, even Toyota. Just look at the Tacomas and tundras their chassis rusting to the point that they break in half!
@Jay Man lol had a Tacoma, the electronic 4x4 went out twice. valve cover gasket shot. both before 80 k miles !sold it at 100kbecause my frame wasn't looking good. sorry my man but I drank the cool aid once no more .
"filled for life" = come see us when it breaks. I also have never liked these being designed that way. I believe parts should always be designed with maintenance in mind, even if they "should never require maintenance". It's just a good idea because at some point, one of these things is going to cook off all its oil or something and nobody is going to know because lol we can't put a dipstick on it. My 2014 F150 vacuum pump had to be replaced (thankfully within the last miles of the warranty) because it was leaking. Part of me wonders if its a sort of tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to the people that never do anything but the cheapest bare minimum maintenance. Like why make it serviceable if no one is smart enough to actually maintain it so it last? Although I can't believe that is the case....
At the dealership I worked at, we used an evacuation tool to remove as much fluid as possible before refilling the PTU. (can"t drill into warrantable parts) This was part of our yearly maintenance package for our customers. This method would replace a minimum of 3/4 of the fluid volume.
Using vaseline in the flutes of the drill bit and the tap helps keep the cuttings out of a closed system.
good tip thanks
this guy knows more about Fords than Ford does!
I bought an AWD 2007 fusion with 110,000 miles on it. Took it in to the ford dealer for a clunking noise and they gave me a long list of repairs including a new PTU. I was a poor college student so after some research decided as a last ditch effort I’d drill and tap a drain plug in the bottom of the PTU. Did a 4X drain and fill. No sludge ever came out which I took as a good sign. I rigged up a weed sprayer to pump the gear oil and now I change it every oil change. That was 3 years and 30,000 miles ago, so it definitely bought me time to save up for another car. I’ll probably just keep maintaining the fluids and drive the thing until the PTU finally gives out.
Good man.
I am glad the PTU on my ‘17 Escape has both a drain and a fill plug. Once I became aware that these were an issue I’ve been changing the fluid out every 2nd year. It’s actually a fairly straightforward process on the Escape once you’ve done it once and figure it out.
Great video, thanks.
I'm a Mechanical Design Engineer. The reason Ford is putting the drain plug in the side is not for structural reasons. Its for manufacturing cost considerations. Drilling and tapping the side of the cover can be done in the same setup as the mounting bolt holes. Putting it in the bottom of the housing would require another machining setup, which would add significant cost.
Another consideration tho is scraping the bottom on a rock. It would be better not to have a drain plug there.
When I do mine, I will probably drill and tap into the bottom.
Thank you!
What a stunning illustration of the end result to "no fluid exchange required" maintenance strategies. With a policy of replacing the entire unit, the company make the consumer dependent on the manufacturer for the life of the vehicle. Of course their business model depends on sale of new units, so their conflict of interest is glaring. What better way to destroy the competition.
"Filled for life" - another 21st Century engineering marvel. 🤯 Thanks for the heads-up, Brian.
Uh, they've (manufacturers) been doing this since the 80s.
Filled for the life of the warranty.
@@MrTheHillfolk Like what? Been working on cars 30 years - never once have I heard of a "Filled for life" anything until deep into the 21st-century. Did I miss something?
@@bongodave13 If you're lucky! 😂
After doing a ton of research and watching many videos, tonight I finally did the ptu fluid exchange.. I have 143k on my 2014 explorer limited AWD.. the fluid came out pitch black with the "glitter effect" of normal wear, no metal chunks or pieces.. The fluid was liquid and not thick at all, the magnetic drain plug had a small layer of goopy glittery fluid.. I used the top Sider oil changer and sucked out a little over 1/2 a quart in less than a minute.. I used royal purple 75w-140.. test drove it for 20ish miles and shifting/acceleration is smoother than before.. took me about 1 hour to complete everything on the ground.. thanks to everyone and their expertise!
I work at ford this video is 100% on the money. The police cruisers are already on their second or third ptu by 100k miles. Alot of those cars are training/test course cars. Don't buy an awd ford unless you're willing to tap holes & maintain your ptu very often. You can try to extract the fluid with a mityvac as well but it wont work very well but better than nothing at all. If your car already has quite a few miles on it already I'd do some shorter intervals at first to be sure. The whole lifetime fluid/non serviceable thing is just ridiculous but many other companies do it too. Subaru does it with their sealed unit cvt's as well. They tell you your cvt fluid is lifetime fluid it's sealed, you break the seal you'll void your warranty. They also tell you under severe operating conditions( stop & go traffic is categorized as severe) it's recommended to do your cvt fluid every 20k miles. So which one is it? Basically you want to take proper care of your car? Then no warranty. You wanna keep your warrany? Then your car will be a ticking time bomb when you rack up an average amount of mileage. The engineering & way these companies do buisness nowdays is disgusting.
Wow that looks like grease instead of fluid/oil. Ford and many other automotive companies have been in the business of designing, engineering and building cars for over a 100 years. Why would you design something like this in the first place? I know why but it's a pretty despicable way to "force you" to keep buying a new car and treating it like a throwaway item. Most of us don't want a lifetime car payment We all have given in regarding most electronics and household appliances being throw away items, but to design a big ticket, high dollar item such as a car like this is criminal.
Thank you as always for sharing all of your experience, knowledge and recommendations. It definitely makes it more bearable when having to face these issues.
Just performed the ptu fluid change on our 2017 Explorer @ 34,000 miles. This was after having the wife request this service while having the recall work performed at our dealer and was told the ptu isn't serviceable! With the down time lately I had a chance to finally take care of this. Keep the great content coming FTM!
Thanks to your channel, I decided to service my own PTU on my 2017 Edge, which fortunately does have the PTU with both drain and fill plugs. My fluid looked to be in very good shape, I think due in part to the exhaust heat shield that Ford added on this model. There were, however, a fair amount of dust-sized metal shavings on the magnetic fill plug, which I hope are just related to break-in. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Thank you for opening my eyes on the PTU issue, I watched your videos in the past. Last year I changed the oil in the PTU in my 2013 Lincoln MKX at 65,000 miles or so. There's no drain plug, but I used a vacuum pump to suck the oil thru the fill hole. The oil was black like ink, and smelled awfull. Changed it, drove 100 miles, then changed it again. From now on I will keep changing the oil every year, so about every 12-15,000 miles.
I had this problem with my 2016 Ford Explorer. The dealer took them 5 days to figure out the problem. They even had me come on the second day because they wouldn't believe me that there's that smell inside the cabin. The day the service people called me about the estimate to fix this, which was $3000 CAD, was also the day we decided to just trade it in. We had the vehicle for 5 years and there was a lot of issues already prior to this, like A/C repairs.
When I told the service guy that we're not going to get it repaired his answer was "that's ok just let us know when. At the moment it is safe to drive". Got me thinking since you said that it might have a tendency to explode. That is not safe.
Thanks for your video!
Great info as always, my 2012 Edge is cooking the PTU as we speak!
168k on it now, I replaced the fluid at 130k after watching your videos using a hand suction device. fluid was low and black but not tar yet.
Pack the area you are drilling with gear lube, thicker the better to capture the chips and keep them down. For change I’d use my 12 volt positive displacement pump with thin flex line to vacuum out the fluid, refill drive a while then repeat. Saves the drill time. Used same to drain down my transmission prior to dropping the pan so as not to take a bath
Thanks for the vids, they are a big help!
Grease would be a huge mess and not needed when drilling on a flush surface mounted horizontal.
After hearing all the horror stories,
I drained and changed the PTU gear oil in my 2017 Ford Fusion at 50,000 miles.
It came out very dark.
Refilled it with Mobil 1 full synthetic gear oil.
At 102,000 miles, I just drained the PTU again, and the gear oil came out clean and clear!
Mobil 1 full synthetic gear oil FTW.
BTW: The Fusion Sport PTUs have a drain plug.
Torx Plus TP50 bit required.
In addition to the heat, I suspect the relatively small volume of fluid is a contributing factor to the fluid getting cooked.
Definitely.
@@FordTechMakuloco Could you add a fill hole up higher on the case, and run double the amount of fluid? Would it expand and puke the extra under normal operating conditions?
Thanks for all the great insight. I have a 2015 Escape and stumbled across your channel. You saved me alot of problems. I purchased it with 34,000 and did a fresh fluid change and it was on the verge of being bad. Again, thanks for all the vids and great info!!
We need a 3.5 water pump video from you, and PTU swap vid as well. Great job though, keep up the good work.
Start watching his older stuff. He did the 3.5 pump. th-cam.com/video/R3-NOGZL8ms/w-d-xo.html
He has a couple of 3.5 water pump videos on his page. Fordtechmakuloco.
I was hoping for a full walk through with changing the phasers, oil pump, etc. There is also a pretty extensive torquing procedure for the pump and front timing cover. There are some good videos on it but this guy is the most thorough mechanic I have seen on youtube.
Whom would have thought changing oil regularly could prolong a components life 😂😂😂
Been rebuilding a few lately but because of my background I evacuate the old oil and refill with fresh oil and have amazing success.
Most people dont understand what the manufacturer means by “filled for life” its NOT filled for the customers life its filled for the components life, depending on the component, if its a PTU like these it will be in the region of 80-120 thousand km if its a gearbox 250-300 thousand km its about the capacity of the oil in the component.
Designed to fail for the service and parts dept
OEM FLUIDS too are designed for short life!
when owners switch to better lubricants then the special elastomer SEALS start leaking
(Tranny ATF, Diff. 75w90, water pump, tensioners seal,...).
Lub engineered for failure:
Aftermarket fluids all claim greater mileage and reduced friction bla-bla-bla but stay mute on the chlorinated surfactants that eat rubbers and soft metals.
(Google: bearing seal failure fluid additives analysis...)
G Lasser very interesting
@@glasser2819 what do you recommend ?
I replaced the fluid on my 2013 with your tutorial video. No drain plug and I used the tools you recommended. Was able to do it in my driveway. Thanks a lot! Oil didn’t look too bad. 77k
This is why I started changing the fluid every 10K at 20k. Hopefully my PPE ceramic coated downpipes will keep the PTU a little cooler. I'm using Red line too. 🙏 That it holds... Very informative video and thank you!
Hey...I thought the same thing but doing a wrap...
Might help too
@@trevorpaul2040 I've learned the hard way on my motorcycle that it will eat the metal. It holds moisture and your pipes will collapse.
Love your channel! I took your recomendation and had the oil changed in my 2016 ford edge ptu 40,000 miles on the clock. My dealer told me i was the first person ever that requested this service!
Oh boy!
My dealer won't touch it, they stand by the lifetime fluid.
@@phillipprior71 go to another dealer or indepent transmission shop. My dealer changed mine for $90.00 its worth the piece of mind!
Awesome! The Ford "Exploder" is still living up to its name! I have noticed that they added a plastic air dam underneath to cool the PTU on newer models (like that's really a solution). Since it needs to be removed to do an oil change, I figure a lot of those will end up in the trash.
It's amazing what you can learn by doing a failure analysis, Especially if it ids a repeatable job. Youngg fellows take note it is valuable to be able to assess a bearings lifetime wear, even if you change them just because it's apart, there is always a story to tell.
Enjoyed the video.cheers!
Anything sealed for the lifetime of the vehicle will last about as long as the warranty. That is a fords idea of “lifetime”.
You got it. The car last as long as the warranty then self destruct 😱
Planned obsolescence
Great information. Why is siphoning old fluid out (properly) not a suitable alternative?
Very ironic that you just posted this video, as on my most recent trip to the dealership to get an oil change after my 5 yr extended warranty expired on my 2014 SHO, , I was told my PTU was leaking. I asked where was it leaking from? Was told they wouldn’t know exactly unless they opened it up....well thanks to your video at least now I have a general idea of what it will cost, and what the job entails. Thanks
Great video as always. I Have 2015 SHO, and I change PTU fluid regularly myself. The exhaust is so close to these units it just cooks the fluid. I've seen videos of techs opening them, and the fluid looking jello like! Again, another awesome video keeping the followers informed! Thanks
Any idea if the SHO's have the fill and drain? Or just fill? I'm looking to get a 2016 with 68,000kmh
@@marinusdedreu3833did you buy it? I just bought one with 80k km
The first one of these we encountered took 4 trips to the shop to figure out. The customer's complaint was a "natural gas" smell. We had to get special authorization to replace the PTU. Shortly after, there was a TSB
This is a prime example of why I only own rear wheel drive cars. Sending this video to my dad who has a 2014 all-wheel-drive Edge.
Pickups and big SUVs are easy to maintain well they have traditional transfer cases
@@bryanmartinez6600 I agree, my girlfriend has a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Quadra Trac and it is very low maintenance and very reliable. Me myself, I only like cars. I am not a pickup truck or an SUV person. That pretty much limits me to a Dodge Charger or Challenger for anything newer than a 2011. I was a Ford fan for most of my life but when they quit making the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car that was the end for me. My daily drivers are a 2010 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and a 2010 Dodge Charger HEMI Pursuit and with running Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grips on the back I have never needed an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
I just avoid AWD. Front, rear, and 4 wheel drive are fine due to their greater ease of maintenance.
I find it easier to drill a hole into the bottom of the case in-between the gears and use a 1/8th npt plug. You can even do it without removing the ptu.
If you set up an air line into the filler plug you can put positive pressure in the housing. When you break thru with your drill the pieces go out along with any oil. Same applies when you tap it. You could also go right down to 1/16" NPT and use a dry seal pressure plug. It will involve getting the tap before hand but leaves only a tiny drain. My guess is that from the look of these units they will need some sort of flush. What do you recommend: over filling and driving for a bit and then redraining and filling again with the correct oil? Can you put in a drain from directly underneath near the side cover?
Hope I have seen this before, I drilled a hole on the case like 2 years ago and have changed the oil twice haven't had problems but you make a very good point about the structural resistance.
VERY IMPORTANT, don't use Motul 75w-140 oil it has very bad heat resistance and it burns very fast, I did the drilling procedure to prevent PTU damage and after only 12k miles I start hearing noise coming from the PTU so I quickly replaced the oil and the problem was gone, trying to prevent damage nearly end up blowing my PTU because of a low quality fluid. Now I'm using Red Line 75w-140 but it's too soon to comment about it but I think it's going to be ok, Motul fail me twice and it behaved very similar both times it burns too fast you would have to refill every 10k miles instead of 30k miles so it's not worth it.
Yeah I just stick with the Motorcraft stuff you know is made for it no questions asked.
@@FordTechMakuloco Agree the original fluid was in there for 7 years and 50k miles without problems just changed it to prevent issues, but I like trying different alternatives and only Motul has failed me.
I had a bad experience with Motorcraft Mercon SP transmission fluid in a Lincoln Navigator 2008, I changed the fluid and followed the manual spec of it that called for Mercon SP but soon after I did the transmission started acting strange and got codes so had to drain it, replaced the fluid with ZF one, replaced the filter again and the problem was gone, so it's good to have options.
I'll post some comments about Red line's 75w-140 fluid after a year or so. GREAT VIDEOS BY THE WAY.
Why not put the drain plug in the bottom of the case instead of the side where all the bearing supports are?
I would have like to see the older Ford Fusion cover style and know if Ford really made a new cover for the 2008-2012 Fusion AWD. Also be aware the driveshaft center bearing failure is another typical failure ($1,500) with the same driveability symptoms as with the PTO. Add the V6 engine water pump fiasco and you will understand why Ford is loosing the few loyal customers they had.
You do awesome videos no bs straight to the point and even sometimes hilarious good job
I try to add some humor, in real life I am a real goofy guy.
I just said the same to him! Dude is AWSOME.
How ironic is it that I'm sitting here watching this as I'm waiting on my '18 Escape while it gets its PTU service at 36K...
You have one of the good ones.
You are very lucky that it is serviceable. I had to replace mine because it was maintenance free until after the warranty expired. It wasn't cheap! Around $2000 and that was $400 less than the dealer.
@@fusionvic I have always known my PTU is a different unit. Still doesn't mean it's maintenance-free.
It, like all maintenance items on the vehicle, are serviced at shorter intervals than the Ford recommendations.
not irony at all.
@@BenState Damn, you beat me to it! LOL - coincidental, but not ironic.
Great explanation! 2015 Explorer XLT, 70,000MI. Bought new. Changed fluid month ago, (suction method) propane smell, not soon enough. Bearings and ring-pinion gears fine. Idler (not seized) and two drive gears 70 percent teeth broken/gone. No leakage through vent cap, slight seal leakage. Couldn't turn rear pinion gear without any other components in the case. Must have got sludge+ in there but the bearings were fine once I pulled off the output flange and pinion shaft. Case 1050, labor 650, done at dealer.
Thank you Sir.
This has changed my mind in looking for a high mileage used Ford Explorer....
Jay Man quit copy pasting this shit. Nobody wants a bland car.
Police departments use Explorers and get rid of them after xxx,xxx miles for a reason I guess. I don't think they even consider rebuilding, refurbishment or extended mileage use. Kind of telling.
FishFind3000 If bland is reliable then i want bland.
Great video Bryan! I am amazed at how bad the "fluid" was on those PTUs. I changed out the fluid on the PTU of my 2005 Ford Five Hundred AWD with 180K KM (120K miles) and it looked like honey. Seals were dry too! Seem I was very fortunate with my situation. Being in Canada I wonder if the colder weather has something to do with longevity?
Either way I did tap and drill into the case with 1/4" NPT to facilitate draining, but had I seen this video then I would've placed them on the side plate as you've shown. Hope I didn't induce any stress fractures - time will tell.
Those units are way different.
you have my respect! the stench in there is so bad!!! it can contaminate the whole shop!!!!
New intro is amazing keep up the great content
Sooooo. I have been watching your videos for years. Learned ALOT!! Bad part is I hate watching your videos because they make me not like going to my local service techs because I know they are not doing as good and thorough of a job as you on my vehicle!! Lol. I’m like super critical when I get the vehicle back. I’m thinking the entire time what you would have done that they didn’t do or what you would have seen that they didn’t see. Lol. I know that crazy but you are a wealth of knowledge. I would love to bring my vehicles to you and feel good about the money that I spent. I have had some issues when taking my vehicles to my local Ford dealer. Weird stuff like the service Dept telling me that when I brought my vehicle in it didn’t have a cover over certain components under the hood and later telling me that they found it. Or them leaving mounting screws out of a housing that may have 4 screws to mount it they would leave out a screw. Who does that?? I mean even if I brought it in missing a screw why not put one in?? Lol. So ridiculous you have to laugh. Anyway. Dude you are AWSOME. ! Keep up the reputable work.
They’re surprisingly rugged. Mine lasted 94k running 450ish hp on the twin turbo since day 1. also drove the car like I stole it since day one. Thankfully it was covered under the extended warranty.
Which model?
@@GabeHelma sport.
Thats awesome
Our 2010 edge same fun time,never knew about this when we bought.A Ford one thinking its 2000 range,a new after market around 750. A drainage plug,must ask that question see if it ha one. Thanks for the information, your channel is great.
Since this has been a problem for years now, how is this not a class action law suit?
Its Ford did anyone expect anything else?
Because people have became stupid
How come no one is questioning our enslavement
Lawmakers love money. Whoever pays them more, they'll side with. That's how Lobbyist are made.
Been driving Fords for 53 years. I got pissed off at my loco ford dealers and fords "extended service plan" and traded my 2012 F-150 Platinum screw with the twin turbo 3.5l for a 2019 GMC Sierra crew cab with the 6.2 liter v-8. Now I just need to trade my 2016 Fusion AWD in. Don't get me wrong but I liked both vehicles but Ford has gone down the tubes. That GMC is just too much fun to drive. Will probably never go back to a Ford. Between my kids and grand kids we still have 8 or 9 Fords in the family. I think that may change also.
Makes sense after watching this. Many Ford Explorer police cars, also known as interceptor utilities, have had these units fail with less than 30k miles. The agency I work for had one explorer go through two of these units in three years. The transmission went at the same time the first ptu failed. Fortunately Ford ate the repairs under warranty. Thats why there has been more interest with police Tahoes or going back to Chargers. Plus, the cost of a Tahoe PPV is the same as the Interceptor Utility. It’s a shame Ford did this to themselves with the Explorers. We have also had problems with the water pumps in the explorers, even the 2019’s. The last one was out of service for a month for an unknown coolant issue that a Ford engineer could not figure out. It came back with the same problem.
Oh... what a wonderful smell.
I've had a bunch apart too. The torrington bearing in the idler gear also walks out and pops a neat hole in the case.
I called a very large Ford dealer here. They said they have never seen these PTUs ruined like this nor have they ever repaired one or warrantied one. I found that awefully strange to say the least.
I am not saying that this does not happen and based on Ford adding a drain plug in 2018, it shows that Ford admits that they are failing.
I also find it interesting that the bottomside engine cover/shroud has a steel venturi in it that directs air, as the car is driving down the road, directly up towards the PTU!
I am going to get my fluid swapped in my 2018 Lincoln Continental. I looked at the Ford parts listing and it shows it has a drain plug on it. They said they need about 1 hour of labor too do it and cost of fluid. My car has 76k miles on it. It has a 4yr 150k warranty from ford so if they find its toast during fluid change they can go ahead and swap it out for free.
Great video though. Really liked this one.
Oh it is very common, there is a reason my dealer stocks 3 of every version.
I did this on my 2003 Escape and the original fluid was very bad, but the unit is still going strong. Going to change it again shortly to flush it out of contaminants.
Good video for showing how important fluid changes are on so called "lubed for life" components!
I had an 1994 AWD Chevy Astro Van that had the "lubed for life" front diff in it! After just 10k the fluid was grey/dirty as seen through the fill hole! I had also drilled housing and added a drain plug so as the diff would last and it did.
Today when I come across any vehicle components without a drain plug I use a fluid evacuator and hose instead to suck out what I can. Sometimes this will require multiple fill, drive and evac cycles to get unit clean but for most customers who want to avoid a costly brake down will pay the required labor time and additional fluid cost as its far less costly! Maybe you could do a video using a fluid evacuator on these units if its not too late and the unit is already badly damaged with sludged up fluid inside!
I use Lucas full synthetic 75/140 every 30k, 2010 escape ptu 200,000 miles with no problems yet!
That qualifies as an engineering disaster & a 'piss poor' set up.
Terrible all the way around.
Makes the dealerships a boatload of $.
Indeed. We had the Explorers, LE model and were blowing these every other month. Ford did warrantee some of them. Horrible vehicle.
Thank you so much for the video!! Hey could you PLEASE do a video of you drilling and tapping one of these units while it is still in the car? Man that would be awesome! Thanks again! 👍🏻👍🏻
Glad you showed the unit taken apart. I now have an idea where to try and properly snake the suction tube to remove the maximum amount of gear oil. I’m figuring ing if I change out the fluid every 10 thousand miles I can save the customer a huge repair bill. Low dollar investment to save a thousand or more
Damn! There I was driving along in my Explorer, smelling propane, trying to figure out what it was from. Googled it while at the store but didn't see anything dire, drove a couple miles further and boom! Smoke out the hood, and on the side of the road leaking fluid everywhere. Mechanic says now the whole transmission and drive shaft need to be replaced along with the transfer case. Crazy that this happening could do that much damage! Too bad I came across this video too late...Just a PTU replacement wouldn't have been so bad
I changed the PTU fluid in my 2016 Edge after watching this. I bought it at 70,000km and it definitely has never been serviced. Hopefully I can extend the life of the unit for a while.
sounds like a good reason to change the fluid yearly, cheap insurance.
.....or just don't buy Ford's!.....lol
@Reel-Lentless they can be serviced. You suck out the fluid and then add the new fluid back in. They don’t have a drain plug, but they do have a fill plug.
@@AJourneyOfYourSoul Yea I don’t know why this is complicated. It takes 5 minutes with a pump. Also the spot he showed to drill is not ideal. The well known spot on the bottom is the best.
@@AJ-we9kd Great information thanks,now I'm wondering if the Lincoln MKTs has this problem,im thinking about buying one???
I noticed you are talking about the fluid in those old units as looking like tar, I learned that Ford adds a special Moly additive like a CV joint to maximize the fluids life and performance ,I have been (sucking)changing the fluid in my 08 Taurus X AWD with Royal Purple but not replacing the moly additive so I can monitor how much moly is draining out and get an idea of when the old fluid is eventually out and I could add Moly if I want,
Thanks for the side drain plug vs bottom drain plug.
I remember changing the lube in a Ford Fairmont differential many years ago. I was icky on the inside with sludge and was smelly. I had to remove the entire rear case. It did run quieter after I changed the oil. Ford said it was lifetime too. It was much simpler but the worm gear looks just like the Fairmont.
thank you so much for doing these videos!!! you are great at it
I just learned how to better care for my suv . thanks for your magfnificent video
This only AWD, or 4WD as well?
Further, we can "chase" the old bad fluids out with thinner oils first, before refilling with the correct stuff? Good idea?
The key is to keep fresh fluid in these. I’ve got 110,000 miles on my 2012 edge. Changed the fluid every 20k. Runs like a top, no leaking from the vent. It’s really sad Ford cuts corners like this. They could be a great company but this destroys their reputation (rightfully so). Honda / Toyota for me next time.
2017 SHO, I change out the 75-140 fluid every 20 thousand as a precaution, and heat wrapped the down pipe, access to the fill hole is a bear so I let my dealer do it and I get to see the old fluid being sucked out.
I'm assuming mine was changed already. 2011 explorer. I bought it at 155k at 180k now. No issues, I did watch the other video on changing fluid, used my brake bleeder. Didn't get a ton out. Plan on doing it again in a month or so hopefully clean it out better. My brother's went out in his edge, made me search out your video
Just realized I'm local to you! Do you or anyone know of any GM channels as thorough his channel? Always learning from you.
nope
Just noticed he's in Yorkville. I lived there for a short time around 2002. I was going to the middle school at the time.
Great info! I owned a 2010 and 2015 SHO but never had a chance to service them. You answered a question I had about our FWD 2019 Escape. Glad it's accessible on that one.
Do you know if the 2010 sho has something like this?
@@brandonfrederick4761 Mine had the same PTU showcased here. No drain plug. I was going to install one but ultimately traded for a new 2015. The 2015 was a PP model and had a drain plug, but alas I never changed the oils as our needs changed and I sold her.
What are some of the symptoms of failure prior to the smell? I have a Taurus SHO with a speed related slight vibration and feels like binding when reversing when backing up.
I replaced the PTU 3 times in my 2014 Taurus SHO, the 3rd time I drilled and tapped the bottom of the case. I use a 1/2” oil drain plug with a magnet tip. My first failure was the ptu to transmission seal and it washed out my ptu with transmission fluid.
Not sure how comfortable I am or trust myself to drill into that expensive of a part. Is sucking the old fluid out enough to prolong the life?
You did a good job explaining this issue.
Next time I'm sitting at a stop light beside one of these, I'll think to myself, "If you only knew".
So glad I got rid of the AWD Escape coolant burner. Got a 16 5.0 F150
you are the best!!! you and yours videos are the reason i buy ford vehicle's
Had one come in on a police explorer at my dealership. The PTU literally locked up and snapped in half. I was able to remove the back half before completely unbolting the PTU from the trans.
My 17 Fusion only has 33K (Less than 21,000 miles) and I already changed the PTU fluid twice (75W140 (Amsoil). The same with the transmission and the RDU. Change them every Spring.
They should cast a hole in the case where the bottom bolt is, remove bolt to drain. Reseal , fill done
Ahh. Good ole planned obsolescence. Job security Brian! Keep up the good work
Just changed PTU fluid on my 2017 explorer sport at 75km. Used Amsoil severe gear. It was pretty dirty and had some nasty filings in it. I swear the vehicle takes off even quicker from standstill now. Will do it every year now for sure.
I use amsoil in all my vehicles for oil and tranny fluid and there oil filters. I'm about to replace one of these ptu next week on a explorer
from the same folks who brought you the 2-piece spark plug!
I think the 5.4 Triton issue(s) were more of a "get your head out of your tukus, experiment in engineering" moment versus a deliberate and concerted effort at designed in parts failure to keep service and parts replacement dollars rolling in to dealerships.
And two piece lug nuts.
What kind of driving were those vehicles doing, stop and go city driving? We had a 2013 edge and I drilled a hole in bottom of case and the fluid was good with 60,000 miles on original fluid. Drained again at 90,000 and was good. I live in northern Minnesota with no stop and go city driving, all highway miles. Awesome informative videos, keep up the good work. Thanks
2004 Escape/Tribute with only 120k miles. Once a week repairs now. 4wd, vac lines, coolant reservoir, MAF sensor, mystery check engine lights. Once I change out this blown radiator it's bye-bye. Too bad, because the V-6 is powerful, and the car 4wheels great to our campsites.
A little off topic here, but I need to replace passenger side cv axle. I see you can buy it without the inner shaft. Is it easy enough to separate the cv axle from the inner shaft without pulling it from the PTU?
Great video. Love your ability to demonstrate what your talking about. Awesome!
Even with zero maintainence a gear box should last longer than 60k miles...
What a shame
TBH, a single access hole, at least in diffs, has been SOP for a long time. Adding a convenient drain plug is always a plus, tho.
What are the symptoms/ noises associated with a failing or failed PTU? Obviously shy of it having exuded? I have an 18 3.5 ecoboost F150, that started making some type of, not necessarily grinding but almost like a bad bearing noise. I could hear it mostly when I'm doing 40 mph, but I can slightly feel it through the accelerator pedal. Kind of hard to describe.
It blows my mind that engineers still think fluids can last forever. It's been proven over and over that it's not the case. Extended interval engine oil, 100,000 mile coolant and trans fluid etc etc. All recipes for disaster.
I was helping a friend look at cargo vans. He was looking at the Mercedes Benz Metris. I looked into common issues for him and found that timing chain failure is common at under 100k. They have a 15k reccomended oil change interval. I'm sure there's no coincidence there whatsoever...
Engineers know better but cant go against the machine that is paying for their kids college and their house and all the groceries. Welcome to the corporation.
I like your one quarter inch National Pipe Thread tapped holes. A one eighth NPT hole may not allow thick stuff to drain.
Thanks for all the great videos! I have a 2013 Escape. Been changing the PTU fluid every other oil change. Same with the transmission fluid. I'm worried about the fluid in the rear differential. How about a video that is a practical guide for changing out the rear differential fluid? Remember, you are on your back on the garage floor. Thanks!
@michael j. Hello Michael, not quite sure if your asking about the front or rear. The front already has a drain and fill plugs. At least mine does in my 2013 Escape. Best to drop the turbo tube to give you easier access to the PTU. The rear differential, you will need a pump to drain and fill. Hope that helps.
Excellent video, very informative. 2 weeks ago I had my local repair shop replace my PTU with a dorman because it has that fill and drain both to what you mentioned. I I thought the smell was from the leftover old PTU leak, but while changing my oil i I could see fresh PTU fluid. Just off the top of your head, what do you think? I'm taking it back Monday but was looking for jnsight before i do. Thanks for any advice.
Last a 100k or more? They should last 200k or more there a simple gear box.
Mark not if there isn’t any lube
They are not simple. They use a single idler gear to transfer power to the rear of a 2 ton vehicle. Should have at least 2 idler gears.
Hell, ours has 295k on it. A year or two ago I sucked out what I could from the fill hole, but otherwise I'm sure it was never touched. We bought it with over 200 on it. Nobody takes care of anything.
"They're "
@@repairvehicle none. It was a fleet vehicle at my wife's job. We bought it for next to nothing and got the very detailed service records with it