Hey guys!

My '16 F-150 3.5 EB was in the shop a week ago or so to get the leadframe in the transmission replaced as well as 'shift solenoid e' - so I have new transmission fluid.

I'm at ~40k miles and 2 years of ownership and I'm looking at what other maintenance I should conduct.

I changed the oil at 1k, 5k, 10, 15, 20 etc... and am about to change it at 40k tomorrow.

I was thinking a coolant flush wouldn't be a bad idea just to keep it fresh but wasn't entirely sure if there was a way to tell if it was needed or a waste. I generally know how to check the transmission fluid, oil, etc - but when it comes to the coolant it all looks the same to me. That said it's not terribly expensive and I'm considering going ahead and doing it this spring as I really want this truck to last as long as it can.

Any tips in regards to changing the coolant is appreciated. I know I can open the plug at or near the radiator and drain a bit out but I'm not entirely sure on getting *all* of the coolant flushed out. I'd prefer to do it myself than to take it to a shop / the dealer.

Beyond that I'm also probably going to swap the transfer case fluid - it's easy to do and cheap - cheap insurance for the longevity.

As far as the differential fluid - what kind of interval do people generally recommend? I'm hoping I can to proactive maintenance on this before it's actually necessary to help the components last longer.

That said - any suggestions or recommendations on overall maintenance are appreciated. I did the plugs at 25k and will likely do them again at 50k judging on how they looked at 25k.

Thanks!

 

I changed my coolant at 50k, it still looked clean so I just did a simple drain and fill. You don't get all of it out doing it this way but if the coolant looks good I don't see any problems doing this, especially since for says you can go 5yrs or 100k on the coolant.

I did the differentials at 50k also. Fluid in the rear had some discoloration but still had some life left in it. Front had evidence of moisture build up in it so I'm glad I didn't push it any farther. I talked to my mechanic and he said he's been seeing moisture buildup in front diff on a lot of the newer trucks, he thinks it's due to the front ends only spinning when in 4wd so on most trucks they don't see enough 4wd use to get hot enough to burn the moisture off.

I do the t-case every 25k and probably could go longer in that also, but since it only holds 2qts I figured what the heck.

 

The oil in the front diff will be milk white/yellow. It has been like this since the 2004 model year. That is what the factory fill looks like. Its a mix of anti corrosion inhibitors and lithium. I have done samples off many of these differentials and the UOA comes back less than .5% water.

 

As I will want to be changing all of it - is there a particular fluid / mix / I should be putting in there?

 

From personal experience only use Ford products I your Ford, I think it's all Motorcraft. If it were me I'd check the trans level after their done. Mine was left with three,yes 3, quarts high (over full). The Ford mechanic said it was OK since they have a small sump....I said BS and sucked it out, needless to say they won't do that again...

 

Haven't checked it yet but I plan to here in the coming few days. It's going in to the body shop to get my rear bumper fixed [was rear ended not long ago].

That said I haven't checked the fluid level on an automatic in a long time [I've had all manuals up until now] - any specific recommendations / directions you can give? I can read the manual or search on here - but 'been there, done that' type of experience is usually best imho.

 

Just make sure it's at operating temperature, like when you just get home from somewhere. Leave it idling in park and pull the dipstick. Wipe it off, stick it back in and then read it. See where it's at and maybe wipe it off and do it again. There is a fairly generous range. If you are in the hatched area you're good. Oh, a level surface is best to park on.