PTU issues..... possible long-term solutions

[blwnsmoke]

Many PRU failures on the Explorer as well. Oil looks like sludge after 50k. The PRU has been updated twice on the PIU and has the cooling hoses which has helped address some of the failures but hasn't done anything for the regular Explorers.

[Extreme4x4]

Our Explorer Sport has 64K miles on it, with no issue. However, as I do believe in preventative maintenance, we will change the lube on our next service. We may do it ourselves, and use Redline or Amsoil.

 

BTW, our tires have always been rotated every 5K miles and have always had even wear. We now have new tires, and it is the same.

[metroplex]

Our Explorer Sport has 64K miles on it, with no issue. However, as I do believe in preventative maintenance, we will change the lube on our next service. We may do it ourselves, and use Redline or Amsoil.

 

BTW, our tires have always been rotated every 5K miles and have always had even wear. We now have new tires, and it is the same.

 

I rotated my tires every 5k-6k miles and check tire pressure on a monthly basis, etc... At 20k miles, the PTU oil was sludge with a huge bulb of metal shavings attached to the filler plug, with a lot of metal shavings mixed in with the black thick oil. It may be "ok", but it resembled gear oil out of a rear differential that saw 100k+ miles.

[akirby]

From what I'm hearing if the fluid never passes the critical temperature (around 340 degrees I think) then it will last the life of the vehicle and changing it is unnecessary.

 

But once it exceeds 340 (or whatever the exact temp is) it's toast and really needs to be changed right away to prevent failure.

 

What they really need is a temp sensor so that if you exceed or come close to the danger temp then it tells you to change the fluid.

[brucelinc]

Other than mismatched tires, I am not sure what overheats it. One would think that multiple WOT runs in which power is directed to the rear would create more heat. Yet, those of us who run our cars on the drag strip do not seem to have any more issues than those who do not.

[akirby]

One theory is manufacturing tolerances in certain units build up to the point the gears themselves generate the heat. That would explain the randomness of the failures.

[brucelinc]

I am beginning to think that theory has merit.

[Lightningblue]

I'm a long time lurker and just signed up to join this discussion. I've got a '17 Sport on order so I'm already thinking about changing the PTU oil at least once a year. Hopefully, the PTU is accessible in the Sport. (Anybody seen one?) One thing that I think could contribute to the overheating of the PTU is the full engine compartment cover on the bottom of the car. On my '14 the engine compartment is almost totally sealed. The only areas that air can flow out of it are small openings at the top of the struts. It must get extremely hot under there with that cover in place and that's where the PTU lives. I left mine off the first time I changed the oil on my '14 (I'll put it back on when I trade it) and I think I'll take it off my Sport the day I bring it home.

-Alan

[blwnsmoke]

^^ in regards to the PIU, here is info on the PIU.

 

Improvement Actions:

 

Jan 2014 - Full faced thrust washer (FFTW) introduced

Prevents idler bearing from walking into aluminum case.

 

Oct 2015 Loose Fit Idler Bearing

Dyno Testing Shows ~ 2 x improvement over FFTW design

 

May/June 2016 New Bearing Design without drawn cups

Eliminates Walk Mechanism

Dyno Testing Shows ~3-4 x improvement over FFTW design

 

 

The Explorer Sport shares the same PRU as the PIU which both are liquid cooled so there should be less failures then the air cooled ones (base, xlt,limited)

[brucelinc]

My MKS has a belly pan, and the PTU has been flawless. Also the lube has been fine each time I changed it. SHOs also have belly pans and some never have an issue while others do. Non ecoboost Flexes, Tauri and Explorers do not have the belly pan and some have had issues. The belly pan is on there for aerodynamic and noise abatement reasons. I don't think that is a factor in PTU failures.

[ajcomputer]

There are also ducts that direct air at the PTU in those underbody pans.

[Nick2]

My 2013 Ford Edge PTU fluid was like sludge.  Before it had a chance to break, I had my mechanic (Bettcher's Auto, Edmonton) machine drill a hole into it in the bottom so it could be drained.  They had suggested this as they had several customers with the same issue and they had researched the problem.  They had also watched a you tube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwgCJoS3M0) where a person machined a hole into the bottom of their PTU to be drained properly and found that it worked for them.  I now take my vehicle in every 3-4 months to have the PTU drained and I have not had a problem since.

[edselford]

I have a 2016 Ford Taurus SEL with all wheel drive that failed at 42,000 miles.

Failure mode was terrible smell inside and outside of vehicle and after a 40 mile interstate run at 70mph, vehicle would crab on first right turn off of the freeway.

ptu had broken pinion gear and lube turned into grease and came out of the vent!

ptu was covered under the 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

engine 3.5 naturally asperated V6 and vehicle has 20” wheels 245R 45 Michelin tires!

Its not even an sho but the ptu failed anyways.

tires had very even wear and rotated at every oil change.

I never got a good answer from ford why my ptu had failed?????

Vehicle has 70,000 miles 13 months later with no issues but I realize that if it fails again, it’s going to be my nickel!

Ptu  packaging in a front wheel drive base vehicle is always an issue. Maybe that’s one reason the new Explorer is rear wheel drive with a conventional transfer case for all wheel drive???

edselford