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I find this disturbing, for a $80K truck. I'm also considering asking my dealer to check at least the rear diff, even though it's a short drive home (8 miles). If this is common, it's unsat.
I'm wondering if the old method of the pinky dip is not how these are checked these days? What if it's a checking rod or something? Maybe these are correctly filled but we're using an old standard. Seems odd so many are not up to the plug.
Exactly what I've been thinking as I follow this thread. I think there would be more complaints about diff failures if they didn't have enough fluid in them. I sure hope so anyway.
Just like engine oil, very little of the diff fluid is needed for lubrication. The rest is a heat sink. Underfilling probably saves them money, and no one is going to have accelerated wear because of it.
You may be right. Still, every diff has a spec fill line.
I totally agree. It is disgraceful for the manufacturer to not have every fluid at exactly the text book level. But, I wouldn't worry about damage, just be annoyed at their cheapness.
I'm wondering if the old method of the pinky dip is not how these are checked these days? What if it's a checking rod or something? Maybe these are correctly filled but we're using an old standard. Seems odd so many are not up to the plug.
Agreed! I'm accustomed to seeing gear oil filled to the bottom of the fill plug opening (fill the diff until the oil begins to run out). Pulled my rear diff plug today and I could not see any gear oil while looking down through the opening into the diff. There is oil in there because all the internals were covered with it, but I could not see the top of the pooling. Only 1,700 miles on mine so far, and I'll take it in soon for my "first oil change free" from the dealer and mention it then. I do hear a slight whine when coasting to a stop ... usually around 25 to 30 MPH.
I have a ~2500 mile drive home from the dealership. I’ll definitely be asking them to check all fluids before I pick it up and leave. For everyone wondering if they can or should ask, of course you can ask. You’re buying a 50-90k vehicle, the very least the dealership can do is make sure it’s in tip top shape when you pick it up. And if a dealer told me no they won’t, I would never deal with them again. Pretty simple and logical request.
I was lucky enough to be at the dealership when my truck arrived by semi and talked with the PDI guy and he said they do NOT check the diff/transfer case levels. I planned on doing it sooner but life happens. Did my oil change at a auto hobby shop and it made checking everything a lot easier.
The axle(s), t-case, trans fill levels could be less than 100% full due to their position in shipping racks / crates. It could well be a situation where the racks that Sterling ships the axles in has the axle oriented in a position where oil could seep out a vent fitting during shipment (getting bounced around), and Ford doesn’t want axles that look to be seeping oil. Same could be for the other components. Just speculation, but could be a case like that.
When I worked at Dana, we only put a few pumps of grease in each ball joint, because Jeep didn’t want a customer to see a new Jeep sitting on the lot that looked to “have a leak”.
I would not expect that Ford checks axle / T-case levels when they are assembling the trucks. Would be redundant check and “waste of tact time”. I could also see where the dealership would expect the same components are full from Ford’s upstream
assembly process, and don’t typically check them during the PDI process. Where would they draw the line? What about checking bolt torques, lug nut torque, tire PSI, wheel alignment, etc.
Not making excuses, clearly I’d like to know my axles and Tcase are 100% full before driving my truck home from Chapman. Just saying how I can see where each player would expect the upstream party to have done it “to spec”. I may very well check myself if they hum and haw about it.
Can a new purchaser ask their dealer to check the fluids and top them off before final purchase?
They are supposed to during PDI. Most dealerships don't do anything except pull a clipboard out and check some boxes. If they were delivered empty or low, they would fill them. My sister works in service at a Ford dealership. She said since the disease, their have been chronic undefilled from the factory, different, transfer case, even the 10r140. She said their dealership checks and fills them. The tech that was caught just checking boxes was fired. My selling dealer did nothing but check boxes...as most do. Checking them only takes a minute and reduces warranty costs....they are lazy and incompetent if they don't.
If there was another method, if I was doing it wrong by filling it until it dribbled out, they could just lower the height of the fill plug to whatever position they deemed correct.
I'll wager that with 150k service intervals, most will never even check the gear oil. Its delivered low, run for 150k miles pulling a camper. It burns up just outside the warranty. Customers says Ford has junk axles, junk trucks and worse customer service....I'm going to Dodge...I've bet that's happened a few times and as time goes on, it will continue to happen.
Last edited by Dustin F450; Mar 20, 2022 at 08:55 AM.
I was lucky enough to be at the dealership when my truck arrived by semi and talked with the PDI guy and he said they do NOT check the diff/transfer case levels. I planned on doing it sooner but life happens. Did my oil change at a auto hobby shop and it made checking everything a lot easier.
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