PTU PARANOIA

[SHOhobo]

Ok...I have had issues with Ford drivetrains in the past and recently...CD4E Transmission (Google it)......on my third such tranny on a 2006 Merc Mariner 4WD with a mere 70k miles...had it from new...no towing no abuse...have a 2006 Ford Explorer 4.6 V8 4WD that is showing signs of transfer case issues...had it from new no towing or abuse...I now have my hot rod stock 2015 SHO non-PP got it new and I am reading these PTU horror stories....my SHO has just over 10k miles on it..I will say I hear a suspicious drone noise seemingly from the front end at speeds below 30mph but I have put it off thinking it is just tire noise....So I am wondering if Ford actually did anything to correct the 2010-2012 SHO PTU issue or just added a drain plug and drain interval?  I am guessing I am best off changing this fluid asap and the every 10k miles?  Any advice and direction would be appreciated ...and I buy Fords because I am loyal and used to be an employee....so I get them cheap..I know u gotta be asking the question...I keep asking myself the question....but when one gets 20% off sticker it is an easy answer!   Thanks

[ZSHO]

I would personally make an appt with your Dealer considering you vehicle is fairly new with only 10k on her especially considering your vehicle is stock and no worries with the warranty aspect and of course having a great relations with your dealer plays an important role in getting the ball rolling....any visible signs of any leaks by the trans, PTU?....best of luck to ya and please keep us updated.  Z

[sholxgt]

Sadly without the PP package, you don't even have a drain plug.  Ford's answer is still that it's not a serviceable unit.  That being said, I would plan on it being a maintenance item and change the fluid at regular intervals.  Maybe every 15,000 miles?  Pick a number that works for your other maintenance items.

I had a 2007 v8 4x4 Explorer that I bought new.  Loved the vehicle, but hated the transmission.  The last reprogram the dealer did finally had the transmission stop neutral dropping, but it was still buggy.

[SHOdded]

See, that's why warranties especially extended warranties are good to have   You have B2B protection still, right?  Plus this would come under powertrain warranty, so again, no worries.

A drone is probably not the PTU, that would be more of a whine or a grinding if bad enough.  Other symptoms are described in TSBs.  I would suspect wheel bearings or tires TBH.  If the sound is more prominent when turning one direction vs the other, wheel bearing.  Try rotating the tires and see if it affects the sound.  If it does, inspect the tires very carefully for cupping or other abnormal wear.

Ford did add a drain plug, temp sensor and cooling to the PP and PI PTU's.  Nothing else of note that I have seen.  It's worth checking the PTU fluid level & condition for sure, even if you don't R&R it.  10K seems a little early if you are driving the SHO moderately, but 25-30K, definitely.

[ZSHO]

Definitely check those Michelin tires for any visible signs of cracking,cupping as SHOdded mentioned above,they certainly are prone to that and from my understanding the tires should be covered under warranty if thats the case.  Z

[SHOhobo]

Thank you all...interestingly the drone noise made itself apparent not long after my recent oil change and I did have the tires rotated....I do monitor air pressure regularly and the shoes look good....no apparent cupping..noise is only straight line and not noticable during turns.  I know the dealership well but my experience with Ford Dealer Service  has been crap at best.  One of my old colleagues that retired from Ford works where I got my SHO from in a "project manager" role.  It is obviously warrantied but I found a great service shop that did the latest tranny work on my Mariner and this place is straight up....clean..like showroom clean......they invited me in and showed me my torn down tranny...told me the issues and gave me the options.....they are seriously thorough...found front brake lines that were cracked let me know it is a known issue on that particular vehicle.....this same vehicle was at my local Ford dealership a month previous and they did not see this although it was no doubt present then....my point is that if it was not for warranty I would not waste my time at any local Ford service in this area...very frustrating....so when I do the PTU Amsoil Synthetic fluid change it goes to my new buddy Kirk at the tranny/auto service center.  Thanks again all...this forum rocks!

[SHOnUup]

Wheel bearings. SHODDED is on point as usual. Might be the tires as Z pointed out as well...I'm betting wheel bearings. I'll be installing my 3rd set in 2 years shortly

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[SHOdded]

Pretty sad to hear continuing bad reviews of Ford dealer service, but glad to hear you have a goto shop handy.  If you can find Doug Mellum ("Doug Mellum in Madison, WI is working at a Ford Dealer up there" - shoforum.com), that would be a good bet also.  I think it was Kayser Ford of Stoughton Wi, 1-608-873-5621.  He had his own SHO biz for years (Performance Plus) and was heavily involved in the Gen 1/2 world.

If we can add another "good" Kirk to our SHO world, that would be great!

[avidmotion]

Any update on this? My 2013 pp sho was at dealer two days for a whine 15 to 65+ mph. One dealer replaced whole rear which got rid of one whine could not diagnose 2nd whine, said did not whine while on the rack and said may not be from drivetrain and therefore diagnosis would start accruing diagnostic fees. I said give it back to me. Several months later I took to current dealer, after two days I had to get my car for use over weekend, bring back next week continue diagnosis believe in trans and they are going to pull trans. Oh boy. I feel 45,500 unknown miles ptu needs to seriously be looked. 1st place refused to inspect condition of ptu fluid. I tried myself but on ramps on my back I can't get by the ptu cooler lines, they could do it on lift in 10 minutes. wth....
Btw-stock, new stock plugs, AFE synthetic airfilter, Pennzoil

[SHOdded]

This howto doesnt help?
http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,4951.0.html