evilkid500

Hey guys, I just wanted to update this post with my results. This thread was a huge help and I couldn't be happier. If you're even thinking about diving into this, do it. 100% worth it. I only upgraded the amps and sub. I'll keep the factory speakers for now. The difference in sound quality is night and day. I did the install myself. If you have any experience wiring, you shouldn't have a difficult time. Maestro has an excellent wiring guide for the AR unit. The hardest part of the whole job was re-installing the two rear side panels on the Edge. The bottom seatbelt mechanism makes alignment of the panel snap pins extremely difficult. Just keep wiggling it and be patient, you'll get it.

Here's my parts list:

Hardware w/ date purchased:

Kenwood Exceleon XR600....……500.00. 3/6/2018 (ebay, new, buy it now offer)

Idatalink Maestro AR…………..…..73.49. 3/7/2018 (Amazon, new)

Kicker 43CXA3001…………………99.95 3/13/18 (ebay, refurb)

Kicker CompRT CWRT82……..…110.00. 3/13/18 (ebay, new)

Kenwood KAC-5207………….……69.95. 8/12/18 (Amazon, new)

Hardware Total: $853.39

Consumables:

InstallGear 4 GA Amp Wiring Kit……......…38.99

3M Electrical Tape………………………..…..4.95

Harbor Freight Heat Shrink Pack….….........5.00

Extra 8 GA Wire………………………..……12.95

8/10/12 GA Ferrule Pack………….…….…13.95

4 GA Ferrule Pack…………………………..13.22

Labor....................free

Grand Total...........................$942.45

Photos:

4 GA power wire in engine bay w/ fuse

Kenwood installed where factory Sony amp was (Maestro unit is mounted behind it)

Figuring out slave amp placement & wiring

Wiring complete and tidied up

All done and 100% invisible

 

Generally, the seat back`s cooling effect is weak & hard to feel, especially compared to the seat bottom. I had the same issue with my previous MKX. There was a TSB for 2015 models & early build 2016's, but later builds & 2017-2018 models already have the newer seat back TED units. If you turn on the seat hear, do you feel the heat in the seat back? If yes, then there is no blockage.

Thanks Omar! Yeah that definitely is the case in mine, just making sure it isn't defective from the factory.

PerfaZn0w, my wife decided she was tired of driving a Focus so she "allocated" my 2012 to her daily driver. Traded the Focus in on the 2018 Edge for myself. Now we are a two Edge and one Corvette family.

Anyone else have zero airflow in the seat back but plenty on the seat bottom? I noticed this yesterday in my 2018, only 800 miles on it so I don't think it's a dust / blockage issue.

Holy smokes. Excellent write up! Thank you for the detailed pictures and explanations. Well done.

Tschanne, Thanks! I actually did read that while researching yesterday, it just did't stick in my head . My bad!

I'm considering the Kenwood Excelon XR600-6DSP for a new amp. Anyone have one already that cares to comment?

 

 

Roots57

 

I just placed an order with Crutchfield for the XR600 along with the iDatalink AR module and the iDatalink harness and will have a local shop do the install in a week or two. I'll let you know my impressions when it's done.

Any update on the quality / satisfaction on the Kenwood Excelon XR600-6DSP? I just purchased a 2018 with the Sony audio, and it's no where near the quality level of the previous generation's Sony system. Also, to anyone that has replaced the factory Sony amp in the G2 Edge, did you lose the sound produced when selecting anything on the touch screen? The instruction manual from Maestro says that the selection sound will be lost. Thanks!

The part is $41.09 from http://www.levittownfordparts.com/

Part Number: BR3Z-6582-R

Denicico, I too owned a Ford Probe! Bought it in 2003 with 89,700 miles on it. Had it all the way through high school and college. Got rid of it in 2012 at 187,000 miles. In all that time I only had one major issue (oil leak out of the pressure sensor) and had the original automatic transmission and the original, awesome, Mazda 6 cylinder. God I loved that car. Miss it very much.

A brand new 2012 Edge limited was the replacement for the Probe GT. I will admit, I have been less than thrilled in regards to mechanical issues. I've had three separate leaks associated with the AWD system. Two from the PTU and one from the rear differential. Like others have already stated, these issues were all caused by faulty engineering in the seals and have all been updated.

With that being said, I would say this car has still been an overall positive experience for me. In every one of those instances of mechanical issues, my dealer fixed the part in a timely manner, provided me with alternative transportation, and was very good about communication.

After the My Ford Touch was properly updated, I've had zero issues with it. It reads text messages, I use Siri to write messages back, music doesn't mess up over Bluetooth, and best of all, no freezing. It actually is a great system.

I do enjoy driving it still. I'm only at 35,000 miles and I'm hoping the mechanical issues are behind me. Time will tell.. Would I recommend it to friends? I think I'd tell them to take a good long look at the Hondas and Toyotas first. If there were still things they liked about the Edge better (price, features, interior design) I'd tell them to go for it.

Hey ironpeddler,

I have seen a post or two that dealt with replacing them. If you search around you can find it. There are proprietary tools involved, if I remember correctly. I think they were usied in removing or seating the half shafts. If you look in Taurus or Flex forums, you can get an idea of what you're looking at. They have a very similar drivetrain to the Edge and share a lot of the same parts.

Hey guys,

I finally got the combination of a nice day and free time to get this ptu fluid swap done. I took a few pictures. My 2012 edge is currently at 25,868 miles. It's definitely not as easy as an oil change, but isn't the hardest thing either. I kept the car on all 4 tires on the garage floor to keep it level, which makes for a pretty tight spot to get into. I started out by fabricating the zip tie dipstick as described by Znow above:

Once I got under the car, I figured the easiest way to access the ptu drain plug was up to the right of the exhaust flex pipe and left of the frame wall:

After that I used a standard 3/8" socket wrench with no extension to undo the plug:

I stuck the dipstick in to see what I was dealing with:

Thing was almost at zero fluid. Figures.

I tried to exract fluid with the hand pump everyone else has used and I couldn't get anything to come through. There just wasn't enough fluid in the ptu for the pump to suck anything.

Here is what the inside of the plug looked like:

The fluid had the same consistency of brake caliper lube. I imagine that the ptu is coated with this sludge.

I reversed the pump setup, and pumped in some synthetic motor craft 75w140 gear lube. Checked the level with the dipstick:

It's higher than it was. We'll see how things go now. My guess is, I'm going to find a whole bunch of leaks in these junk seals now that there is actually fluid in it. I'll be sure to update.

Thank you so much zn0w!!! That's exactly what I was looking for. I'll post some pics of the procedure when I'm done.

Lots of good info here. I'm going to be doing a ptu fluid swap this weekend in my 2012 edge. One piece of info doesn't seem terribly clear to me. Specifications say the PTU takes 0.8 pints of fluid. Does that mean when you re-fill the unit after pumping out the sludge, you measure out .8 pints? Or do you fill until fluid is up to the bottom of the fill plug on a level surface?

Do you guys think this plug is the only way in and out of the PTU with out taking the entire assembly apart?

So, I just got it back from my dealer. I had a nice chat with the service advisor. He told me that all rear differentials do this in some form or another. Normally, a hose is attached to the vent and run up above the differential to prevent fluid from leaking out. He said he has no idea why Ford didn't originally include such a hose. I'm going to attach a rubber hose and see if that helps for the next cold season.

On another interesting note, I asked him about the PTU failures that the Edge has been having and he gave me a pretty surprising answer. According to him, this dealership is recommending and performing PTU fluid changes every 20,000 to 30,000 miles. They jury rigged a tool for getting the fluid in and out and are charging $100.00 for the service.

Macbwt, I think you're exactly right. It's unfortunate that so many companies have have taken this philosophy and run with it in order to boost their numbers. I guess it's up to us consumers to communicate with one another and figure out the companies / products to avoid. Cash flow is a two way street, Ford!

Accidentally dropped my snowblower's gas cap under my Edge this afternoon. It was a good thing I did too! Noticed that once again, my differential was covered in fluid and leaking on the floor. The same thing happened about this time last year when the temperatures dropped below 20 F. I was told that the vent leaks in cold temperatures and that it was fixed with an "updated" part. So much for that.

I'm going to email my Ford dealer, who thus far, has been wonderful. I've had 2 PTU leaks (drive-shaft output and right side half-shaft output), a power steering leak (banjo bolt), and now two differential leaks. At this point I have ZERO faith in the long term dependability of this vehicle. Currently have 23,439 miles on the odometer and my bumper to bumper is up in two weeks. The dealer gave me a free loaner car without any fuss and fixed each of the problems. It's just very irritating to have to bring a $40,000 vehicle back for service on so many occasions.

I will never ever buy another Ford product the rest of my life, nor recommend one to anyone else. There is absolutely no reason for all of these parts to be leaking with so little mileage. It really pains me to say that too. Besides these leaks, the Edge is a fantastic machine. It's also annoying because I try to take really good care of the thing. I always let it warm up before I get above 3500 RPM and baby the piss out of it while it's cold. I don't know what else to do.... Live and learn, right?

It's TSB 14-0209 if any one else is having this issue. They replace the lever assembly and it goes away. Hopefully for ever.

Well, it's February 2014 and now my rear differential is leaking like a civ, as well as something else in the front of the car (too cold to get under and do a thorough inspection). This is absolutely ridiculous. I have 16,200 miles on the car and I drive it every day (not far, but it's not like the car is sitting for months at a time). I'm pissed, and I'm usually not one to get worked up about issues that aren't going to cost me any money. Any one else having multiple leaks at such an early milage?

Yeah, as of late I've been having major BT (iPhone 5) issues as well. A new song will start playing and 10 - 15 seconds into it, the player will advance tracks. Talk about frustrating. It will keep doing it until the car is turned off. I also just had my navigation completely lock up while using it on a 2 hour trip. What's the point of paying for in dash when you have to revert to your phone 85% of the time any way? Very frustrated and disappointed.

Hi all,

Just crawled under the Edge for a spring oil change. First thing I noticed was the entire crossmember covered in something. Followed the trail of oil to the end of the PTU where the drive shaft comes from. You can see a few of the drips in the pic:

This is from a 2012 with 9,885 miles on it. Seems kind of early to have an issue like this. I hope Ford has some sort of updated part.

I've looked through the forum and it seems like the original Edges had this issue. Anyone had it on a 2012? You'd think they would have fixed it by then....I guess not.

Good news! Check it out:

http://autoblog.com/2012/09/06/ford-edge-going-to-europe-will-be-joined-by-ecosport/?post=1&icid=autoblog_river_article

Isn't it a little sad that we are getting excited about an android tablet with a magnetic piece of fiberglass to replace a $2000 upgrade (without nav) on our brand spankin' new cars? I definitely see the reason for the mod, it only severely disappoints me that it's necessary.

Im currently commuting between southern NH and northern RI. it's about 90 miles (highway) each way. I fill my tank every other morning to full (with 1 top off) and calculate my mileage. I've been getting between 25 and 26.9 mpg. 2012 3.5L AWD. The fuel economy computer calculates it out to be some where near 21 mpg. I'm going to go with the number I calculate out based on the amount of gas I purchase and distance I drive.

I drive between 60 and 75 mph mostly with cruise control, sometimes without in really heavy traffic. I'm pretty happy with those numbers for a 3000 lb. vehicle that can tow with as well as carry 5 people and their things comfortably.

Just wanted to say thank you to 4thDoctorWhoFan. Those wiring diagrams are soooooo much help for research. Did you ever get your system set up? I'd love to see some pictures of how you did everything.

I told myself a million times that the sony speakers will be "good enough". Sure enough, as soon as I heard my friend's new Alpine Type R components, the sonys turned to garbage to my ears. Now it's time to upgrade!

Thanks guys!

Fishx, it's the factory Ford one.