chefduane

Is your Edge AWD? If so, possible seal leaking? Smell the oil and see if it is lube oil.

Oil filter need another 1/4-1/2 turn? But it sounds like you make have already eliminated that.

Maybe you drove through someone else's oil and picked up some splatter that is now dropping on the floor? Any signs of the rest of the undercarriage being splattered?

Yes, that's along the lines of what I was thinking. After I receive it I'm going to evaluate whether it is worth installing. If it seems like a quality retractable cover then I'll take the time and expense involved to take off the interior side panels. Tacyon, I do like the backing plate idea with countersunk bolts with nylocks. If the rest of the unit is built acceptably, that sounds like a plan. Thanks!

The one enigma posted from ebay is exactly the cover I have. Never had a problem. Methinks it might be the fob itself, not the cover.

I agree about not really being able to see into the cargo compartment. That's probably why I have waited this long (bought it in Sept last year) to get one. I have a black Rubbermaid ActionPacker that contains misc car stuff and a bug out kit. It is almost invisible back there. I have a Tux Black/black interior Edge and it is really hard to see back there with the tint and all. But I just *like* having a cargo cover. To me, it simply looks sleek and uncluttered.

Enigma,

Yeah, that's kinda' like I want to attach the side mounts. I don't feel comfortable just having the screws going into the plastic. Are the hooks you are talking about anything like you might find at a Home Depot or Lowes? Or are they specific to your cover? As I mentioned, I'm thinking about something like a toggle bolt or j-hook that would mount similar to what yours does. I suppose I could remove the interior side panels and use a nut and bolt with a brace of some kind. I saw MacT's vid on how to remove the interior rear trim when he did his shocks. Looks like a PITA just to do a cargo cover. Maybe I should do both the cover *and* shocks if I'm going to pull all that trim off.

Lild, I have never used a re-usable cabin airfilter so I guess I'll have to figure that out! I have used re-usable air filters for my engine intake, but this is a first for a cabin filter. I figured I'd just clean it every other oil change when I clean the intake filter and it should be ok, I guess!

Wow, that is really dirty! I swapped mine out with a K&N re-usable. I plan to clean it every other oil change. Went in just after the first of the year so I don't think it could be that dirty, but I guess I should check it!

That conversion kit looks interesting. I'm thinking I might install one of those on my AWD, drop the PTU, and remove the driveshaft to the rear wheels. That way I could get all the benefits of AWD without worrying about a PTU failure. Wonder if the seals on that thing are heavy duty. The 'no turning' thing might be an issue.

I recently did a blinker fluid change. Very difficult since the reservoir is mounted inside the left rear tire. I looked for a MacT instructional video on it but couldn't find one. Very disappointed about that.

Sure. I sent you a PM if you'd like to chat.

Just a note of caution... a few years ago a friend of mine who had a fairly dark taillight tint was rear-ended at a stop light here in town. It went to litigation (multiple cars involved) and the other lawyer was able to successfully argue that his client was not responsible as she was unable to stop in time due to the tinted tail light lenses. The tint sufficiently obscured light output enough to hinder the application of brakes and therefore reaction time and stopping distance.

Here in Texas under Subchapter E - General Lighting Requirements, 547.322 Subchapter D states that "a tail lamp shall emit a red light plainly visible at a distance of 1000 feet from the rear of the vehicle."

I would check the laws and regulation in your state regarding tail light tinting. Its not my thing - I just think it looks funky and you'd probably have to swap them out before selling you car - but if you like the look then do it. Just be aware of the regs on it.

I went ahead and purchased the cargo cover. Will get it in a few weeks. I'll post how the install goes and if it really will solve the retractable cover issue. I'm trying to think of a way to better attach the side mounts other than just screws into the side plastic molding. Maybe butterfly/toggle bolts or somesuch.

I also had to search around for a shop that would do a PTU oil change. I spoke to 2 dealerships that would not do it due the 'lifetime oil' line, and a few local shops would not do it - one saying that they simply did not know how and did not want to experiment, and another saying that they went by Ford guidelines. Ironically, the shop that eventually did do it was my Goodyear store that I had been taking my 213k miled Explorer to for years. I did not approach them initially since I just figured they would say no. But when there on an issue for my wife's Trailblazer I asked them and they said they had started doing them due to multiple requests. They did not want to miss out on additional work for the shop (profit) so they developed a procedure and now will do them if requested, but it is not a board listed service item. Also, interesting that they are a Goodyear corporate owned shop, not a franchise store. I would think (and this is only >MY< speculation) that before they started offering Ford AWD PTU oil changes that they had to have a process/procedure documented and approved by Goodyear corporate due to the liability issues. So if anyone is looking for a shop that will do it, maybe try a Goodyear company store and mention that a company store in Plano, TX. is doing them.

Oh man!! That is gorgeous! Nice work, really nice work!!

OK, but that does not answer my question(s). Regardless of anything the manual states, wouldn't the lube still undergo a color change due to the conditions I described above, ie, continuous wide range temp cycling and frictional wear? That said, I did not do the recent PTU oil change on my Edge. I had my shop do it so I did not see the color of the lube oil. Although they did say that it was very black.

Yes, I have seen water contamination in oil/gear oil. It was not white nor whitish, but more brownish and foamy due to emulsification.

When I have changed the gear oil on my bike (Kaw Nomad shafty) it was darker than when it went in but certainly not jet black and not the color of new oil.

I would just like to be clear on this for my own edification.. so my '11 Limited w/ 301a package which has heated seats but not cooling, does *not* have any type of seat air filter? And, the seat heating is achieved with a heating element, NOT a peltier device or any type of fan.

I Sea Foamed my '98 Explorer at about 200k. Used the brake vacuum method. Can't really say that it did any good (or bad, for that matter) but it did REALLY smoke out the neighborhood. If you feel that it might help, I'd say go for it but it probably would just be the placebo effect. I've heard of the issues with carbon build up in the EB 2.0's - I think there are a few utoob vids on it if you take the time to search. Don't know if Ford has officially addressed the issue tho.

Seems to be ok for me. Tues 2/14 at 11:47a.

Forget the bolt pattern. Post some pix of the SS!!

Regardless of being in a closed unit and not exposed to combustibles, wouldn't lube oil change color due repeated wide range temperature cycling? Also, would it not change color due to frictional surface wear and metallic sloughing being consequently suspended in the fluid?

Your comment about water contamination is what the manual states, but you said you don't care what it states. That's a bit confusing. Any water contamination in lube oil will emulsify with sufficient agitation but I think it would probably be a darker color than whitish. Hopefully no one will have to find out!

When I picked up my Edge from the shop yesterday from a PTU suck/fill they also mentioned it only took 12oz. I'm thinking that if completely dry it would take 18 oz but a simple suck/fill would evacuate all but 6 oz., hence the 12 oz. refill amount. Good indication that continuing suck/fills are need to keep recycling out remaining fluid each time.

Got the PTU changed today by my local shop. $98.82 with a tire rotation thrown in. They used Valvoline 75w-140 synthetic. That was the last thing to get done other than an oil/filter in about 4500 miles. Glad to get it done. Prolly do a yearly or 30k schedule from now on.

.... and I was just kiddin' about the nitrogen in the tires. Actually sounds pretty sill to me.

I drilled mine out and never removed the bumper. When I painted it black I had to remove the front façade, but if you just want to remove the license plate bracket you can just drill it out. You could then perhaps use some type of rugged weatherproof epoxy to hold the bullet bolts on. Or use the push bolts.

Why not just use 'push plugs'? It wouldn't be as cool as the bullet bolts but it would do what you need and keep you from having to remove/replace the grille.

Are you referring to the gear indicator in the dash adjacent to the speedometer, or the position indicator next to the shift lever by your right knee? My PRNDM indicator next my knee has never lit up. It is supposed to? I wonder if that has anything to do with why my Emergency Flasher soft touch switch (the little red triangle just above the CD slot) has never worked. Need to check fuse 29 to verify that, but perhaps the two are related.

I exclusively use Mobil-1 5w-20 Hi-Mileage full synthetic engine oil with a Mobil-1 Extended Performance filter. ATF is Motorcraft Mercon LV only.

Coolant is whatever is spec'd but brand doesn't matter. I got 213k out of my Explorer (sold) and have 116k on our Trailblazer (still driving) doing this and don't plan to change. I run a bottle of Techron through each vehicle every few months - anything else is just snake oil.

My wife's LS430 is covered by her company and is serviced at the dealer so I don't mess with it.