What about drilling a hole in the lowest point of the unit, pipe thread it, so you can fit an oil drain plug similar to that on a Briggs & Stratton engine? Every time you change the engine oil and filter, just drain the oil out of the PTU, and re-fill it as you change the oil and filter for the engine. With this holding only ~1/2 quart, it wouldn't cost any more than the oil filter costs, to refill the PTU with a premium synthetic gear lube, rated for high temperatures. The unit looks well built enough, to last the life of the transmission, or perhaps the life of the whole car! (IF you can keep gear oil in it, and keep it clean)
You're awesome Gary. All those vehicle owners in your area are ULTRA-FORTUNATE that you're so close. The Suzuki 650cc scooter that I ride uses almost as much 75W90 in its final drive (about 350cc) as this unit. It's only 50HP and about 850 pounds with my fat butt on it. Keep up the great work.
I had to change one in a 2013 Taurus police interceptor. It was water cooled and still cooked the gear oil. And with the water cooler plate there is no access to fill plug. Great design
Your tire diameter difference explanation is really something to think about. Not many people are aware of the uneven gear and bearing loading it can cause.
I’ve got a 2020 Fusion Titanium 2.0 AWD and from what I can see on how they cool the PTU is a slit in the felt skid plate under the vehicle that protects the underside of the engine. It has a plastic slit with a small funnel up towards the PTU so while you’re driving, air from under the vehicle cools it to bring temperatures down
Hi Gary .. thank you for the great explaination ... there is a fix for this problem is : 1- To change seal material to be more heat / cold resistance material at all shaft positions , reducing those areas as they are potential leak points ! 2- To instal Aluminum heat sheild plate ( a cover ) . reducing temperature by 30 degrees . 3- creating a drain plug making it full servicable . i have seen this on Dorman Products channel on youtube and im not sure if they really have this product available ! You kind feedback please ?
You can suction the fluid out with a hand transfer pump and refill it with the Redline Lightweight Shockproof gear oil, run it for a few hundred miles and repeat the process until the fluid is clean. The Redline product really cleans it up nice! Once clean drain and refill every 30k miles.
That PTU must be from a vehicle that's full-time AWD. My 22' Maverick has an electronic part that was bolted to the side and it also has a clutch pack in it so the computers can control when to turn it on or off. I also have the aero shield with plastic scoop to direct air at the PTU along with a fill and drain plugs. I'm very happy to see these changes came along before they built the Mavericks. I checked both my PTU and rear diff and found both to be low on fluid \ gear oil by 150ml. I'm planning on changing the fluid every 30,000 miles cuz fluid is much less expensive and way easier to change then the components the fluid protects.
Awesome job. Sometimes that's part of the job, at least i think, to inform the customer. I know you go above & beyond when it comes to that, Gary. Extremely good info here. Now I have a great video to share covering this topic. I stress the tire issue to all my AWD customers and so many just have a hard time believing me. Talk to you soon! Stay well my friend 😊🤗🤗
depending on the model of PTU there ARE different methods to checking fluid levels. some early model ones had a drain hole too apparently. alldata shows method of using a wire tie bent 90° at a certain measurement to use as a dipstick. btw taurus SHO has these too, but with "passive cooling" basically ribs like an air cooled engine.
Hi Gary all the best with regards to the new president Thanks for for another informative video,I'd like to add the following comments having difference in diameter between the back and the front tyres most diffenetly give resistance to the ptu it also wears the tyres much faster The sluging is caused by prolonged oil change Thanks
I asked Ford to change the fluid in my SHO and they didn’t really want to but said they would do it for $300. Now that I know how to make it fail with tires I think I’ll wait until a month of warranty is left then replace just the front tires. Serves them right!
Great video…I had no idea these were an issue and have 100k on my 2015 mkx….No issues/leaking currently but going to try and pump fluid out soon.Local shop won’t touch it.Says what you did that it is hard even with fluid change to prevent failure.A lot people putting their own drain plugs in them.
Hi Gary. I have a '13 MKS AWD and after seeing some youtube horror stories, I changed my ptu fluid at 30k. I used a suction gun and was able to get maybe 12 ounces out. It was black but it was still viscous (lucky). I changed it out again at 34k and will continue to change it out every other time I change the oil. Good luck to all with these units. I wish Ford would step up and own the problem. Maybe a retrofit case head to allow for more fluid or a bolt on heat shield? Anyway, thanks for the info and video.
2008 Ford EdgeAWD here with 140kMiles, original PTU & easier GearOil changes as follows: ~ Drilled+Tapped bottom of PTU between ExhaustPipe & EngineMt, installed Fumoto DrainValve. ~ Replaced 1/2"*14 FillPlug on side of PTU with 1/2"*14 to 3/8"HoseBarb pointed upward. ~ Removed PTU VentCap+RubberOneWay wIth 5/8"Socket+ScrewPick to reveal 3/8"HoseBarb. ~ Installed two 3/8"OilHoses from PTU HoseBarbs to FireWall between BattTray+FuseBox. ~ Installed FiberGlassInsulationWrap around ExhaustPipe under ear PTU. ~ Installed OilCatchCan with FIlteredVent on FireWall between BattTray+FuseBox. ~ Refilled PTU ~15oz of 75w140 HiTemp AmsOil GearOil thru above new OilCatchCan+Hoses. ~ Routinely Drain+Refill PTU GearOil at 5kMile\6Mth interval, along with EngineOil+Filter changes.
They don't have easy access fluid service either. IIRC, they have to come out and most labor manuals bill somewhere around 5 hours for R&R. At least on the few I've done. I've done a couple on Ford 500's and I believe, an Escape. Try and sell that just to do fluid maintenance and you'd probably lose a customer. I can't believe that other shop only sold two tires. Most major tire shops I know of will refuse to sell you two tires at a time on an AWD when the difference in tread depth will be greater than 4/32. Hopefully, enough people will see this and will finally understand why.
I am sooooooo happy that I got rid of my 2013 Escape. I did have my PTU unit serviced once with new oil and was told to change the oil every 50k km ….. I think every 20k km might be a better idea. Very Sad setup here.
Hello Gary, Great video and.mich advice to head. Because of your video I stucked out the PTU on a new to us 08 Ford Escape hybrid with 43k on it. Was a dark pil but oil and not much sludge on the fill plug magnet. My question is if you would be so kind, I could.inly.suck out 7oz. I pimped it dry moved the hose around best I could. I refilled it woth Liqui Molly 75w140 and pumped in 10oz. (It starred to seep out the fill hole.) No drips leaks or even damp spots on the PTU. In your experience does the sludge take up less area as to why I pumped in?more then I took out? Or was it never filled o begin with? Your opinion would help settle my mind. I do plane on pump and fill every 10k with oul change to be safe. Thank you.
Gary thanks, great video. My 2017 Explorer's PTU is starting the fail. I can hear the bearings increasingly. I changed the fluid at 30k, it looked great. Then again at 60k and it was full of metal. So I began swapping the fluid each oil change to keep it going as long as I can. I have not had issues with tire sizing, just normal driving. Could you do a video about how to remove and replace the PTU? And second question - why not rebuild these - wouldnt it be just bearings and seals like a transfer case (minus the chains)? Thanks again, really appreciate it.
Thanks for sharing all this information. I don't think it would fare very well if the car gets stuck in the snow. Especially if people rip and roar on it instead of getting out and doing something else. Hope all is well with you, Bill
I have a 14 jeep trailhawk in the shop now. The PTU is back ordered for another 6 weeks. The cat, right axle,skid plate and heat shield needs to be removed just to check the fluid.
@@GaryFerraro it fails to complete a shift and on turns is making a heavy clunking sound. After speaking with a friend at a Chrysler Jeep dealer, he said don't bother trying to repair it or I'll own it! I will do a post mortum when the new unit arrives. I only have 1 rack so it'll be when the replacement shows up.
The major reason for PTU failure is the dirty fluid which can actually turn to sludge over time, the fluid must be changed at least every 30k miles despite FORD saying it's lifetime no maintenance fluid , that's bull crap ,the old fluid can be sucked out with a vacuum devise and new fluid if pumped back in, the BMW X6 you mentioned has different size tires in the front and rear that set up is called staggered, it can be common on some sport vehicles, i find it hard to believe that tire size causes PTU failures, i would bet of all the PTU replacements you've done none of those customers ever changed their fluid.
I have a 2013 Lincoln MKS Eco-boost AWD sedan. I have the PTU fluid changed every 30k miles. I've been wondering if I could cut a hole in the splash guard under the car under the PTU unit and making something to direct air to the PTU if that would help to keep the unit cooler? Or am I just nuts for thinking about it?
Changing the fluid is key, not sure how well that would work being the fact the engine and exhaust is right on top of the unit, good job on changing the fluid
The reason why it went bad with the difference in the tires is that the all-wheel drive is not a full-time all-wheel drive, but only when the front tires are slipping, does the power transfer unit engage the back wheels for power. When he put different tires on it put all four wheels on load and wore out the gears; constant use. There's only a small amount of fluid in there because it's not designed to be used full time. This is the way a 25-year mechanic was explaining it to me just today. The key to this is to change the fluid anywhere, depending upon severity of use, every 40 to 50,000 mi. He had said that that was too much, and that it only needed it every hundred thousand miles, but with these videos, and PTUs failing, I'm not waiting. In northern states where the roads are slicker, secondary to colder and snowier conditions, I would bet these PTUs go quicker. But I don't have the research to back that up.
Thanks for the video Gary!!! So I do have a question. Is there a difference between and Eco-boost PTU and a non-Eco-Boost PTU? Are they interchangeable? I know some have liquid cooling but could I bolt a non turbo unit into my 13 Flex Eco-boost?
I'm pretty sure the tire diameter does accelerate the wear. my wife's edge had a slow leaking tire that she constantly neglected to tell me was low, until It was around 18-20psi, that coupled with the "lifetime" fluid is what I'm pretty sure caused our failure. and when I say failure, I mean the PTU case cracked in half!
@@GaryFerraro the murano may be Nissan's worst vehicle! I've only heard horror stories lol. tho we got our '07 Edge AWD to be the "reliable" car....did PTU in Feb and just did water pump/timing belt last month only 115k on the clock. my 07 335i sedan w/225k has been more reliable, I'm def surprised
@@themajorahole Nissan Transmissions in general are bad, probably get 5 calls a week on the cvt, just finished one and have 2 more to go plus many other cars as well, got 3 hondas there for transmissions too
@@GaryFerraro wow! that's nuts! it's crazy they can make the GT-R that is so well designed and over built, but won't put the time into others? ever get any Armada's? they prone to anything horrible? haha
so, if a half inch can make a difference, than it must be very important to have all your tires the exact same size, but also the exact same tire pressure, as the pressure will inflate the diameter of the tire. my rear passenger tire was really low and i was getting a awd warning. i filled all 4 tires the exact amount, no more awd warning. just a bunch of other warning. lincoln mkx 2011 are never ending headaches.
Awesome job Gary, Actually my Ford Edge 2014 AWD SEL running 120k Miles, Recently the Mechanical noticed that there is a bit of a leak from PTU and when we checked it smelled burnt oil even though the color is still crimson to brown. H advises replacing the PTU itself. Another friend advises me to change the PTU oil only. Please I need your suggestion asap 😭
Well, if it's not making any noise, change the oil first and see how it goes though it is not so easy to do that, the oil gets cooked in the unit because of all the heat around it and also only holds about half quart
one thing ive bin doing is sucking out as much fluid as i can, jacking up the passengers side of the car as high as i can, remove the fill plug and poring in as much fluid as i possibly can, if the seals are good it wont leak. and it gets close to a full quart in, which hopefully helps, but u need to drain and fill often.
Wow Gary, hard to believe you own a BMW. Must have bought it broken for a good price and fixed it? I've been in the repair business for 33 years and the last thing I want to do is spend my time off working on my own stuff but to each is own. Thanks for the video.
How to remove the vent? Just pry it with a screwdriver or something? I'm thinking about extending the vent under the hood with some hose and use it as a fill "plug" when changing the oil.
Is it possible to rebuilt these units? I have 9E5Z7251H transfer case that is doing good, but maybe close to it's age limit... can I get replacement bearings or gears to replace worn gears?
I have a 2015 Ford edge with the gearbox that has a temperature sensor in it I purchased a new gearbox on eBay. It doesn’t have the sensor on it. Is there a way I can still use that gearbox?
Many people are not informed about how AWD vehicles operate. Subaru is similar as in you MUST have tires within 3/32 on ALL 4 of bye bye transfer case or diff. Old guys don’t get it. I am always hearing them saying 🤨”its a 4WD AINT IT!????” Don’t!” Matter from front to back!” Tires- DECLINED 🥲 see you in 20k with drivetrain noises
Hey, I got a question, I saw many of bmw 5hp19 repairs on your channel and i got a problem with mine. Solenoid probably seem to be fine, all of the EDS are around 5.5 Ohms, it works well on P,R,N 1st and 2nd but when I shift into 3rd gear the car works like in neutral, sometimes there is a hit of momentum onto the wheels, sometimes the transmission goes into 3,4,5 with no reaction and downshifts into 2nd and there are trans fail safe error, which should put it in 4rd gear but as its not working its like in neutral. I think that might be F clutch problem, but there are more valves and things i dont know about, maybe you can give me a advise?
How many miles was on this PTU that failed? These basically are then just replacement items because how the hell can you drain oil that's turned into goop like that?!
Hi Gary, I have 38k miles on my 16 edge, had new 4 tires replaced no problems, month later bumped a curb and had to replace a single tire with same tire. After leaving shop the grinding noise started. In process of replacing PTU, do you suggest getting a whole new set of 4 after PTU replacement? Thanks!
New units with coolers still fail a lot!!... and they are more difficult to remove. Ford says these things are "filled for life". If I had and AWD I would drain and fill it every other oil change.
Does anyone know, how I can delete text ”Change 4WD power transfer unit lube” from the left monitor? We installed a new PTU + new oil. but on the monitor from time to time this inscription appears, 2016 Ford Explorer 3,5🧐
@@GaryFerraro Thanks Gary, I just found the info on the explorer forum: …My 2016 OM, page 492-493, only mentions PTU maintenance under Axle Maintenance: Exceptions. Exceptions: There are several exceptions to the Normal Schedule: Axle maintenance: The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) in your vehicle does not require any normal scheduled maintenance. The system is electronically monitored and notifies the driver of required service by displaying a message in the information display. The PTU lube will be more likely to require a fluid change if the vehicle has experienced extended periods of extreme/severe duty cycle driving. Do not check or change the PTU lubricant unless the unit has been submerged in water, shows signs of leakage or a message indicating required service is displayed*. Contact your authorized dealer for service and to reset the PTU lube life monitor…. So, I have to go to the dealer. Yes, thanks again for your videos!
@@momachine74 Seems like they're probably the same thing, basically a mini transfer case to make a car AWD as opposed to full-sized transfer case, or a viscous coupling.
They’re filled with fluid when new filled with damaged parts later so yeah they’re filled for life. No other automotive fluids are lifetime why should that be any different?
All this damage and failures, could have been avoided with a SIMPLE DRAIN PLUG!!. But Ford's BETER IDEA, was not to use one.18 ounces of ANY oil will not last the LIFETIME of any vehicle.
so an external oil cooler, which would act as a resevoir too.. plus a little eletric pump.. would do it some good. Otherwise, for it to be direct gear is pretty silly for an AWD system. It should have a differential, or even a viscous differential... or the torsen is by far the best really. But to be honest-- it should just have a way to disengage.. very simple. It doesn't need 4L-- but it should definitely have a 2h to 4h shifter. smh.. These USA engineers are a little embarrassing.
Hi Gary, i remember seeing a video regarding this issue a while ago and thought i would send you the link th-cam.com/video/7yLkr609bfI/w-d-xo.html He also has a few other vids about those PTU'S but i dont think he dwells with tire circumference. Tire size is certainly an issue with a Jeep transfer case and problems/failures, when i replace tires on my 96 ZJ i always replace all 4, some of these people who have an old bomb and go get a used tire of any size from some side street shop to save 50 bucks then destroy the TC, yes all the tires need to be rotating at the same speed, i just had mine rotated with only 6000 miles last week. Georges TC still 100% after 10 years
@@GaryFerraro Sure, i think he also has one or talks about one of the newest cooled version, his disassembled video looked just like yours, fluid was total mush so obviously excessive heat continuously boiling the fluid I hope all these new AWD vehicles like Subaru, Sportage, etc. have same size spares or that will be another issue
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What about drilling a hole in the lowest point of the unit, pipe thread it, so you can fit an oil drain plug similar to that on a Briggs & Stratton engine? Every time you change the engine oil and filter, just drain the oil out of the PTU, and re-fill it as you change the oil and filter for the engine. With this holding only ~1/2 quart, it wouldn't cost any more than the oil filter costs, to refill the PTU with a premium synthetic gear lube, rated for high temperatures. The unit looks well built enough, to last the life of the transmission, or perhaps the life of the whole car! (IF you can keep gear oil in it, and keep it clean)
You're awesome Gary. All those vehicle owners in your area are ULTRA-FORTUNATE that you're so close.
The Suzuki 650cc scooter that I ride uses almost as much 75W90 in its final drive (about 350cc) as this unit. It's only 50HP and about 850 pounds with my fat butt on it.
Keep up the great work.
I had to change one in a 2013 Taurus police interceptor. It was water cooled and still cooked the gear oil. And with the water cooler plate there is no access to fill plug. Great design
Thanks for the info, haven't really seen that one yet
He splits case at 15:45
Thumbs up helps this rise.
Touch # to go there.
Your tire diameter difference explanation is really something to think about. Not many people are aware of the uneven gear and bearing loading it can cause.
very important, i get at least 2 jobs a month because of wrong tire size, on AWD cars it is critical
I’ve got a 2020 Fusion Titanium 2.0 AWD and from what I can see on how they cool the PTU is a slit in the felt skid plate under the vehicle that protects the underside of the engine. It has a plastic slit with a small funnel up towards the PTU so while you’re driving, air from under the vehicle cools it to bring temperatures down
Hi Gary .. thank you for the great explaination ... there is a fix for this problem is :
1- To change seal material to be more heat / cold resistance material at all shaft positions , reducing those areas as they are potential leak points !
2- To instal Aluminum heat sheild plate ( a cover ) . reducing temperature by 30 degrees .
3- creating a drain plug making it full servicable .
i have seen this on Dorman Products channel on youtube and im not sure if they really have this product available !
You kind feedback please ?
Thank you for the tips, most that we get in are already bad but this is very good preventive maintenance
You can suction the fluid out with a hand transfer pump and refill it with the Redline Lightweight Shockproof gear oil, run it for a few hundred miles and repeat the process until the fluid is clean. The Redline product really cleans it up nice! Once clean drain and refill every 30k miles.
That PTU must be from a vehicle that's full-time AWD. My 22' Maverick has an electronic part that was bolted to the side and it also has a clutch pack in it so the computers can control when to turn it on or off. I also have the aero shield with plastic scoop to direct air at the PTU along with a fill and drain plugs. I'm very happy to see these changes came along before they built the Mavericks.
I checked both my PTU and rear diff and found both to be low on fluid \ gear oil by 150ml. I'm planning on changing the fluid every 30,000 miles cuz fluid is much less expensive and way easier to change then the components the fluid protects.
Awesome job. Sometimes that's part of the job, at least i think, to inform the customer. I know you go above & beyond when it comes to that, Gary.
Extremely good info here. Now I have a great video to share covering this topic. I stress the tire issue to all my AWD customers and so many just have a hard time believing me.
Talk to you soon! Stay well my friend 😊🤗🤗
You too Cuba, Nice to hear from you. Take Care. xo
depending on the model of PTU there ARE different methods to checking fluid levels. some early model ones had a drain hole too apparently. alldata shows method of using a wire tie bent 90° at a certain measurement to use as a dipstick. btw taurus SHO has these too, but with "passive cooling" basically ribs like an air cooled engine.
Thanks for the info
Awesome video. I appreciated how you explained everything.
Thank you
Hi Gary all the best with regards to the new president
Thanks for for another informative video,I'd like to add the following comments having difference in diameter between the back and the front tyres most diffenetly give resistance to the ptu it also wears the tyres much faster
The sluging is caused by prolonged oil change
Thanks
Correct, No one services that unit, unless leaking, same fluid remains
I asked Ford to change the fluid in my SHO and they didn’t really want to but said they would do it for $300. Now that I know how to make it fail with tires I think I’ll wait until a month of warranty is left then replace just the front tires. Serves them right!
Great video…I had no idea these were an issue and have 100k on my 2015 mkx….No issues/leaking currently but going to try and pump fluid out soon.Local shop won’t touch it.Says what you did that it is hard even with fluid change to prevent failure.A lot people putting their own drain plugs in them.
Good explanation of an issue to consider ... I know 3 people who own ford escape and I will tell them about the tire rotation and replacement
Good deal, may save them $$$$
Hi Gary. I have a '13 MKS AWD and after seeing some youtube horror stories, I changed my ptu fluid at 30k. I used a suction gun and was able to get maybe 12 ounces out. It was black but it was still viscous (lucky). I changed it out again at 34k and will continue to change it out every other time I change the oil. Good luck to all with these units. I wish Ford would step up and own the problem. Maybe a retrofit case head to allow for more fluid or a bolt on heat shield? Anyway, thanks for the info and video.
Good Job, If you have AWD , watch the tires
2008 Ford EdgeAWD here with 140kMiles, original PTU & easier GearOil changes as follows:
~ Drilled+Tapped bottom of PTU between ExhaustPipe & EngineMt, installed Fumoto DrainValve.
~ Replaced 1/2"*14 FillPlug on side of PTU with 1/2"*14 to 3/8"HoseBarb pointed upward.
~ Removed PTU VentCap+RubberOneWay wIth 5/8"Socket+ScrewPick to reveal 3/8"HoseBarb.
~ Installed two 3/8"OilHoses from PTU HoseBarbs to FireWall between BattTray+FuseBox.
~ Installed FiberGlassInsulationWrap around ExhaustPipe under
ear PTU.
~ Installed OilCatchCan with FIlteredVent on FireWall between BattTray+FuseBox.
~ Refilled PTU ~15oz of 75w140 HiTemp AmsOil GearOil thru above new OilCatchCan+Hoses.
~ Routinely Drain+Refill PTU GearOil at 5kMile\6Mth interval, along with EngineOil+Filter changes.
Nice, Thanks for the info.
You really should have made a video of your PTU plan. It all sounds like great ideas to extend the life of these gearcases.
They don't have easy access fluid service either. IIRC, they have to come out and most labor manuals bill somewhere around 5 hours for R&R. At least on the few I've done. I've done a couple on Ford 500's and I believe, an Escape. Try and sell that just to do fluid maintenance and you'd probably lose a customer. I can't believe that other shop only sold two tires. Most major tire shops I know of will refuse to sell you two tires at a time on an AWD when the difference in tread depth will be greater than 4/32. Hopefully, enough people will see this and will finally understand why.
Yes, very very important
I am sooooooo happy that I got rid of my 2013 Escape. I did have my PTU unit serviced once with new oil and was told to change the oil every 50k km ….. I think every 20k km might be a better idea. Very Sad setup here.
Hello Gary,
Great video and.mich advice to head.
Because of your video I stucked out the PTU on a new to us 08 Ford Escape hybrid with 43k on it.
Was a dark pil but oil and not much sludge on the fill plug magnet.
My question is if you would be so kind, I could.inly.suck out 7oz. I pimped it dry moved the hose around best I could.
I refilled it woth Liqui Molly 75w140 and pumped in 10oz. (It starred to seep out the fill hole.)
No drips leaks or even damp spots on the PTU.
In your experience does the sludge take up less area as to why I pumped in?more then I took out?
Or was it never filled o begin with?
Your opinion would help settle my mind. I do plane on pump and fill every 10k with oul change to be safe.
Thank you.
These do not hold a lot of fluid, very possible may not have been full or some may have escaped through the vent
Thank you so much for your reply and videos.
Gary thanks, great video. My 2017 Explorer's PTU is starting the fail. I can hear the bearings increasingly. I changed the fluid at 30k, it looked great. Then again at 60k and it was full of metal. So I began swapping the fluid each oil change to keep it going as long as I can. I have not had issues with tire sizing, just normal driving.
Could you do a video about how to remove and replace the PTU?
And second question - why not rebuild these - wouldnt it be just bearings and seals like a transfer case (minus the chains)?
Thanks again, really appreciate it.
I don't think you can get parts for these units, so we just purchase a replacement, just external parts like seals are available
Thanks for sharing all this information. I don't think it would fare very well if the car gets stuck in the snow. Especially if people rip and roar on it instead of getting out and doing something else.
Hope all is well with you,
Bill
Al;l is well here, shop is beyond busy and we are all staying safe
I have a 14 jeep trailhawk in the shop now. The PTU is back ordered for another 6 weeks. The cat, right axle,skid plate and heat shield needs to be removed just to check the fluid.
What happened to that unit?
@@GaryFerraro it fails to complete a shift and on turns is making a heavy clunking sound. After speaking with a friend at a Chrysler Jeep dealer, he said don't bother trying to repair it or I'll own it! I will do a post mortum when the new unit arrives. I only have 1 rack so it'll be when the replacement shows up.
@@daveg.5579 ok, sounds good
The major reason for PTU failure is the dirty fluid which can actually turn to sludge over time, the fluid must be changed at least every 30k miles despite FORD saying it's lifetime no maintenance fluid , that's bull crap ,the old fluid can be sucked out with a vacuum devise and new fluid if pumped back in, the BMW X6 you mentioned has different size tires in the front and rear that set up is called staggered, it can be common on some sport vehicles, i find it hard to believe that tire size causes PTU failures, i would bet of all the PTU replacements you've done none of those customers ever changed their fluid.
Good catch with tires.
Thanks
I have a 2013 Lincoln MKS Eco-boost AWD sedan. I have the PTU fluid changed every 30k miles.
I've been wondering if I could cut a hole in the splash guard under the car under the PTU unit and making something to direct air to the PTU if that would help to keep the unit cooler? Or am I just nuts for thinking about it?
Changing the fluid is key, not sure how well that would work being the fact the engine and exhaust is right on top of the unit, good job on changing the fluid
The reason why it went bad with the difference in the tires is that the all-wheel drive is not a full-time all-wheel drive, but only when the front tires are slipping, does the power transfer unit engage the back wheels for power. When he put different tires on it put all four wheels on load and wore out the gears; constant use.
There's only a small amount of fluid in there because it's not designed to be used full time. This is the way a 25-year mechanic was explaining it to me just today.
The key to this is to change the fluid anywhere, depending upon severity of use, every 40 to 50,000 mi. He had said that that was too much, and that it only needed it every hundred thousand miles, but with these videos, and PTUs failing, I'm not waiting.
In northern states where the roads are slicker, secondary to colder and snowier conditions, I would bet these PTUs go quicker. But I don't have the research to back that up.
Thanks for the video Gary!!! So I do have a question. Is there a difference between and Eco-boost PTU and a non-Eco-Boost PTU? Are they interchangeable? I know some have liquid cooling but could I bolt a non turbo unit into my 13 Flex Eco-boost?
I am Honestly not sure, anytime i ordered one of these units i always gave the vin number
@@GaryFerraro I am going pull out my PTU and split the case. Do you have the all the bearing numbers for the PTU?
Thanks again by the way
@@cschmelig I do not, i purchase them new from Ford
I'm pretty sure the tire diameter does accelerate the wear. my wife's edge had a slow leaking tire that she constantly neglected to tell me was low, until It was around 18-20psi, that coupled with the "lifetime" fluid is what I'm pretty sure caused our failure. and when I say failure, I mean the PTU case cracked in half!
I looked at a nissan Murano today and the rear diff was Literly cracked in half, had a dount spare in the back
@@GaryFerraro the murano may be Nissan's worst vehicle! I've only heard horror stories lol. tho we got our '07 Edge AWD to be the "reliable" car....did PTU in Feb and just did water pump/timing belt last month only 115k on the clock. my 07 335i sedan w/225k has been more reliable, I'm def surprised
@@themajorahole Nissan Transmissions in general are bad, probably get 5 calls a week on the cvt, just finished one and have 2 more to go plus many other cars as well, got 3 hondas there for transmissions too
@@GaryFerraro wow! that's nuts! it's crazy they can make the GT-R that is so well designed and over built, but won't put the time into others? ever get any Armada's? they prone to anything horrible? haha
@@themajorahole we have an 08 Murano with 310k miles, never had an issue.
so, if a half inch can make a difference, than it must be very important to have all your tires the exact same size, but also the exact same tire pressure, as the pressure will inflate the diameter of the tire. my rear passenger tire was really low and i was getting a awd warning. i filled all 4 tires the exact amount, no more awd warning. just a bunch of other warning. lincoln mkx 2011 are never ending headaches.
1/2 inch is ok, you measured this with a stagger gauge ?
Awesome job Gary, Actually my Ford Edge 2014 AWD SEL running 120k Miles, Recently the Mechanical noticed that there is a bit of a leak from PTU and when we checked it smelled burnt oil even though the color is still crimson to brown. H advises replacing the PTU itself. Another friend advises me to change the PTU oil only. Please I need your suggestion asap 😭
Well, if it's not making any noise, change the oil first and see how it goes though it is not so easy to do that, the oil gets cooked in the unit because of all the heat around it and also only holds about half quart
Very good advice Gary, your customers have one of the best looking out for them!
Thanks
one thing ive bin doing is sucking out as much fluid as i can, jacking up the passengers side of the car as high as i can, remove the fill plug and poring in as much fluid as i possibly can, if the seals are good it wont leak. and it gets close to a full quart in, which hopefully helps, but u need to drain and fill often.
Agreed 100% Thanks for watching
I've done this on my Explorer, the only thing is when you raise the front of the vehicle, I believe you lose a few ounces of fluid going back in.
Wow Gary, hard to believe you own a BMW. Must have bought it broken for a good price and fixed it? I've been in the repair business for 33 years and the last thing I want to do is spend my time off working on my own stuff but to each is own.
Thanks for the video.
Bought it Brand New 10 Years ago
Dorman makes a PTU 600-234 if you like to live on the edge. Like eat 2 week old leftovers in the fridge, or install Dorman parts on your car.
No Thank you but thanks for watching
Ford's OEM Products are Garbage as Well, buy another brand of vehicle**problem solved**
How to remove the vent? Just pry it with a screwdriver or something? I'm thinking about extending the vent under the hood with some hose and use it as a fill "plug" when changing the oil.
Is it possible to rebuilt these units? I have 9E5Z7251H transfer case that is doing good, but maybe close to it's age limit... can I get replacement bearings or gears to replace worn gears?
I have a 2015 Ford edge with the gearbox that has a temperature sensor in it I purchased a new gearbox on eBay. It doesn’t have the sensor on it. Is there a way I can still use that gearbox?
what year is the transmission you purchased? there are Generation 1 and 2
Can you disengage the PTU to convert from 4 wheel drive to 2 wheel drive?
No just a mechanical part bolted to trans, Just gears and bearings
Gary have you done a taredown on the mazda cx7 pto transfer case alot go faulty .
I have not, I don't see many of those go bad, if you have one that went bad, check your tire size, make sure all measure the same
Hey what happened if you got 3 tires of one brand but you have one of 4 different brand but all same size ??
It may show the same size but the tire has to be measured with a stagger gauge, if you don't have this tool, i wouldn't leave it like that
Many people are not informed about how AWD vehicles operate. Subaru is similar as in you MUST have tires within 3/32 on ALL 4 of bye bye transfer case or diff. Old guys don’t get it. I am always hearing them saying 🤨”its a 4WD AINT IT!????”
Don’t!” Matter from front to back!”
Tires- DECLINED
🥲 see you in 20k with drivetrain noises
yes, agreed
Had a crv once that Costco put 3, 215 series and 1, 205 series... cooked the rear diff in a matter of days.
That will do it every time. I get one to two jobs a month because of wrong tire size
Hey, I got a question, I saw many of bmw 5hp19 repairs on your channel and i got a problem with mine. Solenoid probably seem to be fine, all of the EDS are around 5.5 Ohms, it works well on P,R,N 1st and 2nd but when I shift into 3rd gear the car works like in neutral, sometimes there is a hit of momentum onto the wheels, sometimes the transmission goes into 3,4,5 with no reaction and downshifts into 2nd and there are trans fail safe error, which should put it in 4rd gear but as its not working its like in neutral. I think that might be F clutch problem, but there are more valves and things i dont know about, maybe you can give me a advise?
Does this happen hot? is the car ok cold?
@@GaryFerraro it happens all the time, no matter of the temperature,
How many miles was on this PTU that failed? These basically are then just replacement items because how the hell can you drain oil that's turned into goop like that?!
sorry, not sure of mileage. Very hard to change the oil and they only hold about half a quart
@@GaryFerraro such a stupid design!
Hi Gary, I have 38k miles on my 16 edge, had new 4 tires replaced no problems, month later bumped a curb and had to replace a single tire with same tire. After leaving shop the grinding noise started. In process of replacing PTU, do you suggest getting a whole new set of 4 after PTU replacement? Thanks!
If tires only one month old, i would think you would be ok, this may have been going bad before the new tires were put on
New units with coolers still fail a lot!!... and they are more difficult to remove. Ford says these things are "filled for life". If I had and AWD I would drain and fill it every other oil change.
Does anyone know, how I can delete text ”Change 4WD power transfer unit lube” from the left monitor? We installed a new PTU + new oil. but on the monitor from time to time this inscription appears, 2016 Ford Explorer 3,5🧐
That shows on your dash as a message?
@@GaryFerraro yes
@@juribalutin7766 It is probably something on a timer that would need to be reset with a scan tool
@@GaryFerraro Thanks Gary,
I just found the info on the explorer forum:
…My 2016 OM, page 492-493, only mentions PTU maintenance under Axle Maintenance: Exceptions.
Exceptions:
There are several exceptions to the Normal Schedule:
Axle maintenance: The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) in your vehicle does not require any normal scheduled maintenance. The system is electronically monitored and notifies the driver of required service by displaying a message in the information display. The PTU lube will be more likely to require a fluid change if the vehicle has experienced extended periods of extreme/severe duty cycle driving. Do not check or change the PTU lubricant unless the unit has been submerged in water, shows signs of leakage or a message indicating required service is displayed*. Contact your authorized dealer for service and to reset the PTU lube life monitor….
So, I have to go to the dealer.
Yes, thanks again for your videos!
@@juribalutin7766 Welcome, Happy Holidays
Ford really blew it on this one
Nice video
Thanks, hope all is well by you
Is this what is known as a Haldex unit in the UK?
is it in Ford's?
@@GaryFerraro they are fitted in fords VWs and volvos
@@momachine74 Seems like they're probably the same thing, basically a mini transfer case to make a car AWD as opposed to full-sized transfer case, or a viscous coupling.
How many miles where on this vehicle?
I think less than 100K
Mine started making noise after I replaced the driveshaft
Did one of those last week, only had 25 k miles on it
Wow, thats nothing, was it a fairly new car?
@@GaryFerraro a 2015, got one from the dealer for 850$ it was easy to switch too
@@ryanbemail Thats about the going rate for them
Can these be rebuilt ?
No, they usually tear up
They’re filled with fluid when new filled with damaged parts later so yeah they’re filled for life. No other automotive fluids are lifetime why should that be any different?
All this damage and failures, could have been avoided with a SIMPLE DRAIN PLUG!!. But Ford's BETER IDEA, was not to use one.18 ounces of ANY oil will not last the LIFETIME of any vehicle.
correct, just did another one the other day
so an external oil cooler, which would act as a resevoir too.. plus a little eletric pump.. would do it some good. Otherwise, for it to be direct gear is pretty silly for an AWD system. It should have a differential, or even a viscous differential... or the torsen is by far the best really. But to be honest-- it should just have a way to disengage.. very simple. It doesn't need 4L-- but it should definitely have a 2h to 4h shifter. smh.. These USA engineers are a little embarrassing.
Thanks for watching
doorman makes a ptu now.. about 500 bucks on amazon..
No one ever checks the fluid.
Hi Gary, i remember seeing a video regarding this issue a while ago and thought i would send you the link
th-cam.com/video/7yLkr609bfI/w-d-xo.html
He also has a few other vids about those PTU'S but i dont think he dwells with tire circumference. Tire size is certainly an issue with a Jeep transfer case and problems/failures, when i replace tires on my 96 ZJ i always replace all 4, some of these people who have an old bomb and go get a used tire of any size from some side street shop to save 50 bucks then destroy the TC, yes all the tires need to be rotating at the same speed, i just had mine rotated with only 6000 miles last week. Georges TC still 100% after 10 years
Thanks, i will check it out
@@GaryFerraro Sure, i think he also has one or talks about one of the newest cooled version, his disassembled video looked just like yours, fluid was total mush so obviously excessive heat continuously boiling the fluid
I hope all these new AWD vehicles like Subaru, Sportage, etc. have same size spares or that will be another issue
DROPPING LIKE FLYS??? Not even close..
to FIX the PTU
I'm going to sue you
You open to a phone call. Making something that might help reduce the premature wear
Good morning everything is good and the whole election in the US
So far all is well
#1 its a pile of crap
get to the point and quit rambling!!
Video is only 20 minutes long, have to talk about what happens to them and why they go bad