doji_nj

It could be that the PTU is getting so hot the gear lube is literally boiling out.

I wont be surprised if that was happening to our Edge too. The fluid, even a few drops would leak onto the exhaust even during 10-15 mins of local driving after 2 R&R over the past 6 months.

2007 Lincoln MKX update: Flushed and filed PTU for the third time. Still spitting out the vent. Filled with 11 ounces last time. Probably still too much. Fluid is still black but not as nasty smelling or thick as it once was. I will be doing the flush/fill again next weekend and will fill with 10 ounces this time. Sooner or later this has to stop. Car runs great though, but hate the smell at every traffic light/stop sign.

Am in the same boat as you. 2x drain and (over)fill and my 08 still pukes a bit at stop signs after 5 months, or on steep inclines. Still better than a PTU replacement so I just live with it.

Good point on factoring in warranty. The indie shop that padded and charged 3 hrs for the rear wheel bearing told me he is factoring in I will be back in a year. I still am cheesed after 6 months he padded it that much though....lol

Seem a coolant flush at 60k miles is no indicator of when a water pump might fail. I am at 88k miles on an 08 on original coolant, and the water pump could go out tomorrow or at 200K miles, or never like MACT.

From a risk reward perspective, a car that can turn to salvage value overnight with an engine replacement is something that folks may not sleep well at night, as more become aware of this issue. Makes the PTU risk appear more negligible.

Sure there is, in the airbags.

Haha, this gave me a good laugh! Thanks!!!!

Have the same issue the past 3 years. It happened during my detailing and the orbiter vibration must have started dislodging the gasket. After seeing this post, just took a plastic joint knife and pushed the gasket back in place. Problem solved.

Which shop did you go to?

There is a local Lube It All shop in Hackettstown and Randolph, I went to the Randolph location.

I felt the same way about the guy who came out and pumped out my septic tank. He said he's used to it and besides, there's a "side benifit"? Now I'm picturing a sewer and saugage connection, but he reminds me that he's constantly exposed to large amounts of bacteria, viruses and whatnot, his immune systems has grown so strong that he never gets sick.

 

Glad you found a good source for changing the fluid. Price certainly seems fair. How often are you going to change?

I've done two changes in the past two months. At least the fluid is flowing freely, although it is crazy black! Plan to do it every oil change at 7,500 miles. I look at it in terms of paying for a synthetic oil change, but getting a regular oil change and a PTU drain and fill.

If clicking happens when stationary, could be tie rods. Happened on my 08, replaced both sides and problem solved.

Went to the local lube shop today and they were nice enough to let me down to watch them change out the PTU fluid. The fluid came out black but it dripped easily and it seems this has mixed around well with the prior fluid that went inside 2 months back.

$25 labor to do the PTU refill, another $25 labor to do the transmission fluid change. Royal Purple went in for the PTU gear oil, and Motorcraft for ATF. I tipped the guy $20 - can't imagine the putrid gear oil smell they have to inhale doing this kid of work day in day out.

Is the ESP worth it? Depends on individual circumstances, and the propensity to stomach risk in the short term.

Almost like investing in the stock market in the short term, vs cash under the mattress. In the long term, stocks come out ahead and cash is actually more risky. Same with ESPs - always having an ESP for each car over 10-15 years, you will likely lose in the long run.

Got a chance to get under the car. Inspected the sway bar and end links, no play or damage on any of them. So I will keep my eye out for them in the future. I did start the PTU flush. That was a pain - I was unable to siphon any of the old "oil" out, meaning it was completely sludged up. I did the zip tie test and the PTU was literally bone dry or as others have stated the sludge was splattered to the inside of the PTU housing and because there was no "liquid -like" oil left, I was unable to get a good measurement using the zip tie.

 

So I started by adding only 8 oz. of Royal Purple 75w-140. I didn't want to overfill it as the PTU oil expands as it heats, so I figured by putting in less then half of the recommend 18ozs I could start slow, warm the car up for a few cycles, and siphon, add, repeat with our worrying about extra oil spitting up from the vent. After adding the 8ozs, the drivability was immediately noticeable; no more vibration/shudder from stop to start, no noise when turning the vehicle slowly and no vibration or sounds at speed. I will be doing another change this weekend and will keep you all posted.

Great to hear, keep us posted I did the first R&R with Royal Purple a month back. Had 85K miles prior to it, and definitely felt the car shift smoother. Spark plugs changed too. I feel the acceleration might be a little sluggish but none of that bump and misses on slow turns at inclines, etc. Fair amount of puking after the overfill as the fluid sloshed around for a week, and seems to have settled in. Might do another one or two R&R and see if I can get more of the sludge out.

Replaced the rear brake light/indicator bulb. Had charred onto the socket.

Did this tweak when I first got the Edge. Been this way 5 years, and have much better night driving experience than going HID.

Same symptom and solution here. Jerk at low highway speeds and a symptom of a miss as we hit a slight incline. Changed the spark plugs at 85k miles on an 08 and issue solved. The mechanic confirmed the coil packs were good. Next up is a drain and fill of transmision fluid at home when the weather warms up.

Try a local transmission specialty shop. Probably better equipped to do this anyway.

 

Btw, it's not that Ford is telling their dealers not to do it, there's no official procedure for it and it's completely up to the dealer whether or not to do it. My guess is, once they change the fluid and 'should' there be a PTU problem, you could go back and claim they caused it. My local dealer does it and even recommends it at ~30k intervals.

You are so right. Can imagine many scenarios of PTUs likely sludged up, they go in to Ford for a refill, and it all starts puking out through the vent and causing a stink inside since the AC pulls in the fumes from the hot exhaust pipe.

A reputable transmission shop in my town who have been around 40+ years knew exactly what I was requesting when I called and said they can do it for 90 bucks.

No luck with the dealer up north, they dont do the PTU drain and fill for their BG service. Ford corporate is up the dealerships asses telling them to not offer it.

This thread has been incredibly enlightening. Have an 08 with 85k miles. The original PTU was replaced at 34k miles, and the seal replaced at 55k miles.

The local AAMCO guy was willing to suck out the sludge, anf refilled it for 40 bucks, since the Edge was on the lift forca rear bearing change.

The vent has been puking out oil like crazy the first week, given the PTU likely just has sludge inside. But the Edge shifts incredibly smooth now, and no bucking under load. Helps the spark plugs were changed too. I plan to take it back in another week for another suck out and refill.

I did see a Ford dealer in northern NJ who offers the BG service on thecwebsite and plan to call if they offer a suck out and refill option.

I do hope my PTU is not toast, and can run a couple of years.

Thanks agsin to the great folks on this forum and thread- you all are awesome!!

doji_nj, can I ask what wheel size you have? 20"?

Hi, I have the 18".

This may help you a bit even though it is a 2011 Edge. Personally I take my Edge to the shop to have the transmission fluid changed (less hassle and the price is pretty reasonable)

 

My ole 2008 ran a long time with some long miles.

 

Thanks so much! I actually have subscribed to your YouTube channel for quite a while now and saw the video earlier this afternoon, which has given me the confidence to attempt it myself! Thanks again for all that you have contributed to our understanding of the Edge through your videos - much much appreciated!!

Hi,

Long time lurker, have learnt a lot on the forum. Thanks to all the invaluable contributors here.

Have an 08 SEL that has 85K miles. Bought certified at 28K miles and the ESP finished in Oct 2015. During the extended warranty, the radio unit, front struts, front tie rods, PTU seal, and intermediate shaft were replaced so I came out a bit ahead. Frankly, the dealership was awful and a fair amount of complaining at my end got them to actually fix stuff that was wrong. I should have switched service for the dealership early - lesson learned.

In 2016, changed the tires with Michelin LTX Premier and the ride feels so much more plush and reassuring. The cooling fan went out, so that was a $350 replacement.

Decided to have the spark plugs replaced when the right rear bearing went out this week. Also tried to get the shop such out some of the sludge out of the PTU and fill in fresh gear oil. Was told the PTU is on its way out, but I felt the guy was trying to sell me a PTU replacement. This was at a local transmission shop. I paid up to the tune of $850 including tax for labor and parts for the rear bearing / hub and spark plugs. Granted it was high but I did not want to haggle given the car is primarily driven by wife, and I wanted to get it back on the road quickly. And have the option of a warranty replacement if the bearing does not last 12 months.

Would like to hold on to the Edge this a little longer than sign up for new car payments.

My initial observation is the engine is smoother at idle, gear shifting is much smoother, and the gears hold much more on gradual uphill gradients. We are in a hilly part of NJ and the jerk / clunking felt during gear changes seems to have smoothened out a LOT. The ignition coils were in good shape, so only the spark plugs were replaced with the OEM.

Am getting the smell of PTU fluid at stops as some of the overfill vents out, and hope this is temporary. I will change the PTU fluid at end of each oil change going forward, and see if this prolongs the PTU.

Next, I plan to change the transmission fluid and coolant DIY.

I've been running the Michelin LTX Premier on my 08 Edge since this March. 10K miles so far. Very comfortable and quiet. Day and night difference from the Goodyear Fortera that I had on them previously.

Wife felt the car felt new and luxurious again, especially on rough roads.

Test

Hi, just a heads up for anyone out there that having these new pads and fluid will make a difference. Have an 08 with 37K miles, and decided to change front and rear pads, and did a brake fluid bleed. The softness I had in the brake pedal has definitely gone away. The brakes feel more grippier. Once I break in the pads, am sure the stopping distance will reduce further.

Finally feel like I can again throw the Edge around in a more spirited manner.

I replaced the h11 with h9 after trimming off the extra tab. HUGE difference in visibility.