Need Help/Advise

[merc]

I’ll try to make it short:

I experienced rough shifts with the occasional banging since I bought the truck new and it now has 5k on the OD. I took it in to get and oil change and recall done so I also decided to have the trans issue looked at.
Tech confirmed the rough shifts, checked the fluid level and determined it was low. He filled it with 2 quarts. I picked it up and drove it home. As I was backing in the garage I saw smoke coming from the engine bay. Parked the truck, checked underneath and saw a puddle of transmission fluid directly under the pan and saw fluid on the bottom of the pan and on other parts close by. Drove it right back to dealer. They called the next day and said the output shaft seal was leaking and replaced it. I went to pick it up and low and behold, there was trans fluid under the truck. I showed them and they investigated it further. Two days later I get a call that the drive shaft seal was now leaking, again the fluid was directly under the pan though. They replaced it, I picked it up today.
I drove it home and backed it in the garage. Smoke came from engine bay, I looked under the truck and had a similar size puddle under the trans pan again with splatter on other components close by.
Can someone please provide me with some ideas as to what is going on here. The techs haven’t figured it out yet and this is the third time. Dealer is sending out a tow truck to pick it up tomorrow to go back to the dealer to get looked at again.
It never leaked prior to them filling it, trust me I would have known as my garage floor is painted and the truck is always parked in the garage. I went under there and looked but can’t figure out where it’s coming from and after I park it and shut off the engine I don’t see it leaking anymore. Seems like it’s getting over pressurized and leaking from somewhere.
Please help!

Sponsored

 

[stangsandatruck]

I wonder if the dealership is overfilling the trans fluid. There is a specific procedure to do it which involves operating temperatures and shifting it into drive (at least that's what my other fords required). I believe the 10 speed also has an overflow tube/vent which releases fluid in the case that it is overfilled. This prevents catastrophic damage if someone accidentally overfills it.

The fluid in the 10 speeds expands quite a bit when it gets warmed up. It might be that the fluid is not low, it may just need to be warmed up to full temp and checked. I think the 10 speeds are now using the Mercon ULV fluid - which has an almost water-like consistency.

 

[merc]

Here are some photos.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Good morning. Would you please send over a private message with your VIN and the name/location of your local Ford dealer? I would like to see what I can do to assist with this leak concern!

 

[WRS]

Have them pull the shield and look for a cracked pan. Mine was replaced at 350 miles. Could not be seen until warmed up.

 

[merc]

Have them pull the shield and look for a cracked pan. Mine was replaced at 350 miles. Could not be seen until warmed up.

I just called them and relayed what you said, they said they are going to look at that now. Let's hope they actually do. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[merc]

I wonder if the dealership is overfilling the trans fluid. There is a specific procedure to do it which involves operating temperatures and shifting it into drive (at least that's what my other fords required). I believe the 10 speed also has an overflow tube/vent which releases fluid in the case that it is overfilled. This prevents catastrophic damage if someone accidentally overfills it.

The fluid in the 10 speeds expands quite a bit when it gets warmed up. It might be that the fluid is not low, it may just need to be warmed up to full temp and checked. I think the 10 speeds are now using the Mercon ULV fluid - which has an almost water-like consistency.

I agree with you. While I was questioning the Forman and Service Manager yesterday, they did mention that they were uncertain if the tech followed the proper procedure for checking the level and filling it. I asked them to drop the pan, check for issues and metal shavings and to refill to the proper fill level. They assured me that they did that however, I don't believe they did at all even though they wrote it up on the service ticket because I made them for documentation purposes.

Makes sense though, after they filled it, the leaking issues began and have continued. I'm pretty sure something is cracked or some seal is broken which is causing it to leak when pressure builds in the transmission. I travel over a few mountains to get home so I can see how above normal (flat road) pressure could build cause it to continue to leak if it was initially overfilled and something blew.

 

[merc]

So after the tow truck picked up my truck and drove it back to the dealership, they inspected the leak and rechecked the dipstick. They called me and admitted to overfilling the transmission and claimed they were reading it wrong because it was hard to see and that the fluid was coming out of the weep hole. They said they were going to bring it up to the correct temp and properly fill it, take it for a test drive and let me know how it went.
They called me back and said it’s still leaking a little bit and they believe the pan has a hairline crack so they are going to replace the pan and gasket.
They replaced it today and refilled it, then took it for a test drive. They called me and said it was ready for pickup.
I picked it up, drove it home and parked it in the garage. I didn’t see any fluid on the floor but smelled something burning. I checked the passenger rear side of the pan and saw fluid but not a lot. I assumed it might have been from before so I wiped it off and went for a drive. As soon as I got back I rechecked the same spot and saw more fluid.
I called the dealer back but of course they were closed and won’t be back until Monday.
I’m at a loss….they caused the issue and admitted to it. The transmission was driven for approximately 250 miles overfilled and had 4 attempts to ic it….what should I do?

 

[merc]

Thinking I’m going to request they buy the vehicle back and order me a new one for invoice while providing me a loaner until it comes in. Technically they caused the leak and had four attempts to fix. They also put a deep scratch in the driver door (now requires repaint) and broke the door seal so I think think that’s a fair offer.

 

[RalpL]

What a nightmare! I certainly hope @Ford Motor Company gets involved on your behalf. This is the kind of thing that happens when the newest inexperienced tech is assigned what they think is a simple fluid check. When hosed up, the consequences are monumental.

 

[stangsandatruck]

So after the tow truck picked up my truck and drove it back to the dealership, they inspected the leak and rechecked the dipstick. They called me and admitted to overfilling the transmission and claimed they were reading it wrong because it was hard to see and that the fluid was coming out of the weep hole. They said they were going to bring it up to the correct temp and properly fill it, take it for a test drive and let me know how it went.
They called me back and said it’s still leaking a little bit and they believe the pan has a hairline crack so they are going to replace the pan and gasket.
They replaced it today and refilled it, then took it for a test drive. They called me and said it was ready for pickup.
I picked it up, drove it home and parked it in the garage. I didn’t see any fluid on the floor but smelled something burning. I checked the passenger rear side of the pan and saw fluid but not a lot. I assumed it might have been from before so I wiped it off and went for a drive. As soon as I got back I rechecked the same spot and saw more fluid.
I called the dealer back but of course they were closed and won’t be back until Monday.
I’m at a loss….they caused the issue and admitted to it. The transmission was driven for approximately 250 miles overfilled and had 4 attempts to ic it….what should I do?

Now that they have admitted to overfilling the transmission - a full inspection needs to be made to the casing. The other question is did they overfill it again when they replaced the output shaft seal?
Even with the overflow weep hole - there was immense pressure that built up in the trans where part of the result was a cracked pan. If there was that much pressure, there are other things that could be cracked, broken, failed, etc.

You did mention its on the passenger side - that's where the fill plug is located. It is possible that they never tightened it or made sure it was sealed.

If I were you, I would attempt to get a new truck at their cost (invoice - 3ish%), they buy your truck back for max value, and I would not use their service department anymore. The 10R80 has been around since 2017 and by now they should know the fill procedure.

 

[merc]

Now that they have admitted to overfilling the transmission - a full inspection needs to be made to the casing. The other question is did they overfill it again when they replaced the output shaft seal?
Even with the overflow weep hole - there was immense pressure that built up in the trans where part of the result was a cracked pan. If there was that much pressure, there are other things that could be cracked, broken, failed, etc.

You did mention its on the passenger side - that's where the fill plug is located. It is possible that they never tightened it or made sure it was sealed.

If I were you, I would attempt to get a new truck at their cost (invoice - 3ish%), they buy your truck back for max value, and I would not use their service department anymore. The 10R80 has been around since 2017 and by now they should know the fill procedure.

yes they overfilled it twice and a total of approximately 200 miles were driven in that state.
I agree with you. I’m going to request that tomorrow.

 

[merc]

Quick update - I created a detailed timeline of every event that happened thus far. I presented that to the folks at the dealership and then asked for them to buyback the vehicle. They agreed and bought it back in full. Now I have to order a new truck. Really stinks because I waited 6 months for mine and now I'll most likely wait 6-9 months for another one. Either way though, I am grateful the dealership took responsibility for everything that had happened.

Sponsored