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2012 Rear Differential Leak...Again!


evilkid500

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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?

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Egad! I can understand your frustration!

 

I think the most recent TSB is 14-0057, updated from 12-8-12 (?). On the Mustang, the replacement part looks like this:

AxleVent023.jpg

 

The replacement part number is DB5Z-4022-A.

 

http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/93867/Venting-your-frustrations

Some 2011 Mariner, Milan, 2011-2013 Taurus, Explorer, Edge. MKK, MKS, 2011-2012 Fusion, MKZ, 2011-2012 Flex, MKT, 2013 Flex and MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine may exhibit an occasional fluid leak coming from the rear differential vent cap in temperatures below 32 degrees F under certain conditions.

  1. Inspect the rear drive unit for oil leaking from the vent cap located on the rear cover. If only a slight residue is found around the cap, this is normal.
  2. Remove and discard the vent from the rear drive unit cover.
  3. Install a new vent and clean off any remaining residue.

The P/N for the new vent is DB5Z-4022-A.

Edited by WWWPerfA_ZN0W
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Bubble gum, toilet paper and string would be a fix also, but back to the point that this is an obvious design flaw. The remedy does not fix the problem. Only a redesign of the part with real world information could fix the issue. Process/product improvement? There are many examples of ALL manufacturers of vehicles/products in general that seem to accept failures as part of the public discovery process without having to put in the time for testing and R&D just do it on the backs of the consumer.

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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!

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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.

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