carguy75

To be honest, i read some different threads in various Ford forums that recommeded that the fluid be changed at 30k miles or so. I actually was looking up the PTU fluid, but got some information regarding the different AWD models across the board with the PTU and rear differentials. Most threads recommeded the fluid be changed sooner than what Ford recommeded for normal use, but most of the cars were pre-2011 models which had a different AWD set-up than the new AWD used in my Edge. So maybe the fluid is better in the 2011 modesl now. To be honest the fluid was a perfect looking honey color, so I do not think that we really have to change it in the Edge until much later. But my rear diff-unit was over-filled, which could cause other damage from what I have read about over filled rear differential units. So I am glad that I checked mine. The car was not cold, but it sat for a few hours before i changed the fluid so I believe that my unit could have been over-filled at the factory. I am still not very sure about this one(hence my post), but a lot of fluid flowed out of the fill-hole(more than what i added today with the RP). However, i will still just finish the job by pulling the cover and replace all(most) the fluid with RP differential fluid. I was just too lazy to deal with making a new diff-cover gasket today. To be honest i think i gave myself more work to do that was not even needed. I should have just let the excess old fluid drain out from the fill hole and left well enough alone. Well I have always used RP 75w-90 in my rear diffs as habit, but on the Edge it may be just over-kill since my car rarely ever provide power to the rear wheels.

Today i tried to remove my old rear differential fuid in my 2011 Ford Edgw AWD. When I open the fill plug a lot of old fluid flowed out of the filler hole. After the old fluid slowed coming out of the filler hole I tried removing some more fluid and got a bit more when using a fluid extractor. When I tried pumping in new Royal Purple 7W-90 gear oil in the fill hole is started to flow out of the filler hole after just a couple pumps or less that 1/4 bottle of gear oil. Do I have to just remove the cover to get all the old fluid out of the differential or do i have to suck some more of the old fluid out of the filler hole and wait and try to remove more fluid over and over for a few times to get out all the old fluid? Are the Ford Edges differentials over-filled from the factory? The way the old fluid first came out of the fill-hole had me thinking that that I removed a drain-plug instead of a fill-plug. I will most likely just pulled the diff-cover and let all the fluid just drain out and just replace it will new RP fluid since I guess I have about 3/4 old Ford 80w-90 fluid and 1/4 RP 75w-90 fluid in my rear differential now. Good news is that the Ford 80w-90 fluid look new so I guess that my rear differential is doing ok so far at 27K miles. This is the first car that I had that had so much old differential fluid flowing out the filler hole, all the other cars will have some seep out but not nearly a 1/4 quart of fluid drain out. Again is that normal for our cars? If so, how do they get so much fluid in the differential. The vent port on top of the differential?

I reread some of the posts I made about oil filter life in a my previous oil change thread and decided that I should have been more clear in my opinion about oil filter life. In my earlier posts I stated that non-extended drain oil filters become clogged at 3k miles. I should have said that some cheaper oil filters have been known to clogged and go into bypass mode as early as 3k miles. However, there are extended drain oil filters that will filter the oil longer. The OEM filters life vary from automaker, but I assume that they can go as long as the factory recommendation for oil change intervals. My opinion about 4k oil changes is mostly due to my stop-and-go driving style and hot climate, which is hard on engine oils. I just change my oil filter and oil early, old habit. I know some owners in this forum has been doing longer oil changes with the same oil filters no problem, so I am not saying that my opinion is the only correct way. I have read various articles over the years from various forums/blogs(including Bob the oil guy site) that says that oil filters needs to be considered when going for longer oil changes when switching to extended drain oils, so my point was to address that oil filters can be a weak link in an long oil drain interval. Especially, if using a factory oil filter that is not spec for longer oil changes if the oil was the only thing upgraded. The Ford Edge OEM filter seems like it is good to go the distance according to some other members(plus it has a large filter media to hold more dirt), but I have not used it until now so I will not know how well it filters until I check the oil at 4k miles and check the color. I have had some cars that still had amber colored oil at 4k miles, and some that had black/burnt looking oil as soon as 3k miles depending on the filter/oil used, so I will have to see what the Ford Edge oil looks like at 4k to decide whether to extend it or keep my present interval while using Mobile 1 5w-20. Is it a perfect analysis of oil filter quality/status, probably not, but it have served well me over the years.

The leak turned out to be from a leaking o-ring in a transmission cooler hose. The Ford service department replaced the hose as well as the transmission cooler unit due to it having a leak as well, so problem solved. It turned out to be a $1500 dollar job, so thank you zero deductable extended warranty. My advice would be for anyone looking at a used 2011 Ford Edge would be to place a newpaper or cardboard under the car you test drive near the radiator/front bumper and let it sit there while you talk to the salesperson and look for an drips, because these leaks can be very small and hard to spot until it is too late. Back to lurk mode.

I have taken a minute to think about this forum and have decided that it is not a true forum for people to give their point of view of things automotive if it goes against a few key members opinions in this forum. This is the only automotive forums I have posted in where a moderator just make opinions about what they feel is correct and solve the problem by closing a thread if someone does not comply or accept their way of seeing things. Yes, arguments happen when people see things differently, but when a moderator have to use their power to "win" an argument that they started tells a lot about that person. Apparently, this forum is not for me to post new views so I will not post any information, since it goes against the grain of a few individuals who apparently know everything automotive. FYI, no information is 100% percent correct, therefore I know that some of my comments were not 100% accurate(is anyone really?),but still gives the basic point or ideal. I am officially just a lurker here.

A moderator by the title of akirby have just locked a oil change thread because someone do not agree with his/her opinion. I believe that akirby is wrong and behaves very unprofessional by abusing his/her power as an moderator. Furthermore, this moderator is very argumentative and childish. He locked a thread because someone disagreed with him, and he could not prove his point. Therefore, I believe that akirby should be moderated by his peers in my opinion and not be allowed to argue with forum members and then be able to lock a thread because his feelings got hurt. Sad. However, i admit to getting a little smart in my comments, but i am being provoked by an moderator. It should be the other way around with me being the aggressor, not an moderator. If akirby disagrees with my opinion it is fine, but why does it have to be his/her way or the highway especially when they are disrespectful about how they disagree. I was under the impression that members are free to post their different point of views without being harassed, especially by an moderator who is supposed to stop that kind of behavior.

No offense, but I do not take my oil changes that serious. So I will not be taking oil samples to send off to a lab. As long as I am using clean oil in my car , i am confident that the oil is working and doing the job. That is why i just change my oil at 4k and not longer. Even though people will claim to drive 12k on regular oil and filters with no problems on current oils. It is not that hard to do an oil change on the Edge(10 minutes top), so I am OK with my shorter intervals .

Now I am done posting petty facts about oil and oil filter life, hopefully. Some how i doubt it.

If my opinion is wrong about oil and oil filters. Post some factual proof of it or you are just posting your opinion as well.

Man. i know that i said that I was gonna to drop it, but damn some of you are dense. You have just quoted my post that says that i do not believe that an engine will be damaged from 5k oil changes, and that modern oils are good at working at suspending dirt in the old even if the filter may be clogged(or not since the Ford OEM filter do not clog according to some of you). I am stating what i personally believe about oil filters which is fact for some, but not all oil filters. Obviously, your Edge seems to doing ok using regular oil and OEM filters for over 4k oil changes. I am still changing my oil and filter at 4k. Now get over it. P.S. How do I know that you are even on the same engine or the odo have not been swapped?

To all involved. This is becoming a stupid and redundant argument about oil changes. If you believe that your oil and filter can go longer, fine. I believe what I believe. So move on with your lives. It is only my opinion about when and why I change my oil. Some of you really need a life.

Likewise.

OMG. I forgot that some people are so literal here on this forums. Broken down oil alone is not what clogs the filter. sludge and dirt clogs the filter. Oil that is broken down do not suspense the dirt in the oil as when new, due to losing it cleaning properties. The damage occurs over time due to dirty being left in the engine if the dirty oil is just recirculating in the engine if the oil filter media becomes over saturated, which is different among oil filter brands.

I see your point, but most problems, if it happens, will be after the warranty period on these 10k oil changes by any manufacturer. The same for seal for life automatic transmissions, which usually means a life just over 100k miles before slipping. I am just a believer of having fresh oil in a car, even if it means that i cut an service interval in half. That goes for my transmission and differentials.

Let me be clear. I believe that most "normal' oil filters are good for about 3k miles. The "extended" drain synthetic media filters are good for in my opinion for twice that or more depending on the brand. Newer OEM filters are maybe good for 5k -10k, depending on when they recommend the oil to be serviced. I will just change my oil at 4k while I use the Ford filter. Now, if anyone wants to go to 10k miles on it go for it. It is a free country.

read post #29 again. You actually quoted what I posted.LOL Please just calm and see what I really posed and stop getting inflamed over when I decide to change my oil in my Edge. Hell, I promise i will not yell at you if change your oil every 20k miles. FYI, by OEM I was talking about the Ford filter in the Edge.

I actually got my information about how oil start breaking down from the bob the oil guy site. Very good site to use, i recommend that you are read some posts in it about how oil breaks down and when it first start to occur.

I know that is your specialty. However ,you can not read a post correctly. I posted that the OEM filter looks large enough to go "at least " 4k miles not at the most. And you wonder why I do not take your posts seriously. To your credit, automakers are recommending extended 10k mile oil changes so maybe the filters will go the distance, but I am just changing my oil at 4k. Personal choice. That is still allowed in your world?

Now you are sounding foolish. I never said anything about any engine being acutely damaged from an 5k oil change. I said that dirty oil could be recirculated back into the engine if the the filter bypass valve is triggered, but modern oils should still keep the the particles/sludge suspended if the oil have not being diluted from use, which synthetic oil is better at resisting. I personally just do my oil changes at 4k just so I know the oil and filter is still fresh. Now chill.

Actually depending on the brand of filter it could clog as soon as 3k miles. Some oil filters are better than others, which means some can hold more particulates and still filter the oil while others may be become over saturated sooner and trigger the bypass on the filter which just let dirty oil flow pass the filter media and recirculate back into the engine.

OK. I will still change my oil at 4k miles. Damn. You guys need to get laid or something because you two are just a bit over strung about this stuff. I said that the Ford OEM filter "looks" like it can at least go 4k miles before it get clogged(filter media saturation which happens on extended drain intervals). This is my first oil change on the Edge, so I do not know how good the filter will be until my next oil change. I personally like running fresh oil in my car, so I do not like extended oil changes. So calm down people. I did not say that the Ford oil filter will clog at any particular time frame. FYI, "clogged" as in that the filter media is over-saturated with particulates and restrict oil flow which triggers the filter bypass valve to open and let the dirty oil flow pass the filter media.

I just change my oil every 4k miles, even when synthetic oil especially if I use the OEM filters. Reason is that even though synthetic oil can go longer without change, the oil filters usually get clogged with dirt/sludge after about 3k miles and go into bypass mode which allows the dirty oil to recirculate in the engine. The Ford oil filter in the Edge seems pretty big so I am guessing that it is good for at least 4k miles before it gets clogged. With regular non-synthetic oil, I would not go pass 3k miles due to how easily the regular oils break down and become diluted by fuel and heat as little as 2k miles depending on the brand.

I also only drain my oil when it is hot after a drive, so to make sure that I drain all of the sludge and other gunk out of the oil pan. I may have to invest in one of the easy drain valves one day, because I do hate burning my fingers with the hot oil.

Well, I have just finished the oil change. It was very easy, no need for a DIY on this job. I agree with others that say that the drain plug may not have to be replaced at every oil change. My oil drain plug's rubber gasket was still in very good shape, so I kept it even though I used the new drain plug. The Edge seems to run very well with Mobil 1 synthetic oil. The Edge runs very quiet and smooth now, however it was pretty quiet before the oil change anyway. But it does seem to run and sound bit smoother with the Mobil 1. Maybe because it have new undiluted clean oil is the reason it is running better. Well, anyway I am glad I changed the oil because the dealer I bought the car from did not change it like they said they do all of their new cars on the lot, because it was very dirty for oil that is only a few weeks old. I never trust salesmen when they say that they have just changed the oil.