Left front axle leaking transmission fluid

[G B L]

Here is a picture. The cap is right below the throttle and the cap has Mercon stamped on it

[Johnyguy]

thanks alot that was very helpful!

[Johnyguy]

so if you take the dipstick from yhe escape and stick it in there that may would work you mentioned before you were thinking about it?

[Johnyguy]

Here is a picture. The cap is right below the throttle and the cap has Mercon stamped on it2015-07-08_07-32-52_468.jpg

So today i attempted to check the trans fluid level this is how i did i used a hydraulic jack i parked the car pulled the parking brake put some wood wedges under the tires measured the bottom of the van to the floor than jacked up the left front but first loosen up the wheel bolts after i moved the wheel lowered the van down to the same highs as it was with the wheel on so the van was in level i checked with a 6 foot level than i located the filler cap its plastic as GBL said it is kind of at a hard place because the water hose is rigth next to it and its hot very hot anyway i was able to pull that plug out came out easy than i put in there a funnel after that than located the level check bolt by the axle and try to un tighten with a flash light all this by my garage so to my surprise the bolt was not tight so that made me think .

I toke the van to a dealer months ago to check the level and some other thing and they did the other thing but the manager said they did not check the level so i told him i want you to check the guy was saying when you come back to replace the seal we ordered we will check i was like F you i was upset but apparently the mechanic an older guy who worked on the van did check the level and may filled it up some because when i moved the bolt while the engine was running the fluid was coming out very little so i added like 4 oz so as i was added the 4 oz i noticed more fluid was coming out so i stopped and finished the process.

So i did not have clear indication of how much fluid was sipping out over the 9700 miles i have on the van because the mechanic may added some, anyway as i was done i washed around the check bolt with brake cleaner so when i check the next time will see how dirty is gets there.

It was not hard to do one thing to mention is its good to putt like a small tray under the hole on top of the undershield maybe like a aluminum from the supermarket home made one so it fits there so the fluid wont spill all over the shield unless you move the shield before you do the refill.

Let me ask you GBL so if the mechanic who possible put some fluid in my van how do i know if he did not overfill since some of this mechanics are very ignorant and i dont trust them so i do whatever i can my self.

My idea is to let the engine run until no fluid coming out of the checking hole would you agree with that so that would be an indication the fluid its to the right level??

Also had some thinking about the dipstick when you have a actual dipstick to check engine oil or trans fluid they insert a sleeve "maybe not the right word"in to that hole so the dipstick slides there so if they canceled the dipstick in our van they may have not inserted a sleeve in there so even if we try to use a dipstick from an escape it may wont work because we need to be absolutely sure we dont stick it to a wrong place anyway i think its too risky unless we know for sure but it is not to hard to check level like this without dipstick it an be done so maybe better off.

I like to hear your taken on this .

Thanks!

John

[G B L]

The dip stick on the Escape goes in through a port on the back of the trans

the Tc has a plug there.

At one point I will see if the plug can be removed

I will keep you posted

How much was you trans down?

How many miles on your TC

[G B L]

I posted before I got your whole post, good job.

If you take a 4 inch tie wrap and put a 90 degree bend that is 7/16 or 1/2 inch long

You can get it through the hole to get an idea of the fluid level is if it is not comming

out the hole.

this will allow you to guage the leak rate.

mine seems to be less as the joint wears in

[G B L]

Another thing if the fluid is not hot the tie wrap will tell you if the level is close

You are right the fluid wants to be just at the level of the plug

[Johnyguy]

Another thing if the fluid is not hot the tie wrap will tell you if the level is close

You are right the fluid wants to be just at the level of the plug

OK so if i remove the plug to check the level and fluid coming out while the engine running that means I'm over filled it rigth? or the mechanics did.

And that's can cause some issues are you using a lift?

Also the fluid was a little foamy.

[G B L]

If the fluid is at the level and some comes out it is ok, you would see some bubbles in

the fluid. I think that the fluid at the level of the hole is the the top of the range. So some fluid

Driping out the hole would be fine. If you found the fluid with in 1/4 " of the hole with

the tie wrap dipstick it would be fine also. If you were to add fluid with the plug in it would

be easy to add too much

Yes I used a lift. I have a receiver hitch on mine so two ramps in the front and a floor jack

Under the receiver would make the job easy. The air dam is very easy to pull it makes an oil change

an easy job.

[rbrown86]

So, I got my new 2014 connect xlt on last Thursday... it is currently in the shop after I dropped the belly pan only to find transmission fluid everywhere... They confirmed that it was the infamous cv axle seal. Getting a new axle and seal by Monday. The tech guy seemed convinced that this was an updated design that wouldn't have the same issue. I'm not so certain. I just traded my 40 mpg sonic for this thing and can't even drive it a week... so far not really impressed. The dealership did get me a loaner (edge bleh) but yeah. Anyway, I'll keep this thread updated if it does fix the problem because it seems that this is a pretty common issue.

[windguy]

So, I got my new 2014 connect xlt on last Thursday... it is currently in the shop after I dropped the belly pan only to find transmission fluid everywhere... They confirmed that it was the infamous cv axle seal. Getting a new axle and seal by Monday. The tech guy seemed convinced that this was an updated design that wouldn't have the same issue. I'm not so certain. I just traded my 40 mpg sonic for this thing and can't even drive it a week... so far not really impressed. The dealership did get me a loaner (edge bleh) but yeah. Anyway, I'll keep this thread updated if it does fix the problem because it seems that this is a pretty common issue.

sorry to hear about your leak. sounds like more than a drip. How many miles do you have?

there has been an active thread covering this same subject for Gen 2 TC's.

http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3064-left-front-axle-leaking-transmission-fluid/page-3#entry10908

Edited July 24, 2015 by windguy

[G B L]

Your leak sounds big let us know how it turns out

Windguy have you checked yours again how many miles on your rig now

[G B L]

daneli

did you get the new seal and CV joint? If you did is the Leak Cured?

[windguy]

Windguy have you checked yours again how many miles on your rig now

I've got 2,500 now and I haven't had the fluid checked since the initial 1,000 mile service.

I'm thinking I should bring it in now and then again at 5,000 when I get the next oil change.

[G B L]

Good Call. Mine has 12388 on the clock this time of the year its 400 plus a week The leak has slowed to a drip I am wondering it the guys that have had the seal changed are leak free now?

[daneli]

Hey! It has been about 1 month now since the new axle, bearing and seal was installed. The good news: No more leak at all! Totally dry. Also the axle movement in and out of the transmission is gone. Very good.

Now the bad: An enormous amount of grease has been expelled from the CV axle. I can't find a tear in the boot so I am totally confused about were the grease is coming from. What I mean is, it is definitely CV axle grease, I just don't know how it found its way out of the boot. Maybe there is a tear that I am missing? It is really confusing. There is so much grease I could run a MacDonald's fryer operation for weeks. (Ok I know that was gross.) The service advisor wants me to bring the van back so he can take a look. Maybe we can mount a permanent webcam pointed at the driver's side cv axle/transmission so I can do easy daily inspections to stay on top of the latest developments!

While this is annoying I have to say that the service people at my dealer are really very polite and helpful. In fact I think this is one of the best dealerships I've ever dealt with. I just wish we could get the the point of saying all of this is finally, totally, fixed.

[G B L]

Hey good news.

when did you first notice the grease,

Where was the grease? Was it on the Boot or at the CV end or the shaft end?

If the joint was really filled it could squeeze out of at the boot clamps.

In any event it is good that the the kit has solved the leak

[G B L]

Let us know what happens with the grease

[windguy]

@daneli - thanks for posting about your leak issues. hope your fix works.

how many miles did you have before the fix and how many do you have after?

hope the grease issues resolves itself. sounds messy.

I've got an update myself regarding the leak. brought the van in today to the local dealer to have them inspect the leak and check the fluid level.

It was first checked at 1,000 miles when the leak was first spotted and I now have 2,600 miles. I don't drive very much.

Working with a different service manager this time and he said they replaced the seals on another van this week and all went well.

I asked if there was a TSB on this issue and he said there was. He suggested we fix the problem rather than keep checking so I decided to proceed with the fix.

He checked with their transmission tech and the plan is to replace the left axle and seal. They will order the parts and setup an appointment, probably next week some time. Will provide updates when they happen.

Edited August 1, 2015 by windguy

[G B L]

Thanks for the input your issue is on the way to being solved

Good to here that they have a TSB on the issue .

See if you can get the Part number of the kit or Seal that they are going to install.

At one point I guess I will take mine in to have checked out.

this time of the year no time and lots of Driving.

[windguy]

Thanks for the input your issue is on the way to being solved

Good to here that they have a TSB on the issue .

See if you can get the Part number of the kit or Seal that they are going to install.

At one point I guess I will take mine in to have checked out.

this time of the year no time and lots of Driving.

I'd but curious to see that TSB the service advisor is referring to.

If the work order shows part numbers then I'll post them here.

At least you have the ability to check the leak and fluid level so you can monitor the problem and time the fix when it works for you.

It's great that we have this forum to discuss problems like this.

[daneli]

Good news on the TSB! (I searched through google but this TSB hasn't made its way to the inter-whatever yet.) This will make it much easier for Transit Connect owners in the future to get this fixed!

[windguy]

Good news on the TSB! (I searched through google but this TSB hasn't made its way to the inter-whatever yet.) This will make it much easier for Transit Connect owners in the future to get this fixed!

When the service advisor told me there is a TSB covering this leaking drive shaft seal issue, that doesn't necessarily mean there actually is an official TSB out there. As I said, I'd but curious to see that TSB the service advisor is referring to. You would think Ford would have some type of bulletin covering this issue considering the number of warranty repairs related to this that have been done so far (just a guess). Maybe since it's not a safety issue it's handled differently.

Edited August 2, 2015 by windguy

[windguy]

Work was completed today on my Gen 2 TC (2015) for the left front drive shaft seal leak.

Attached is the invoice for the warranty repair. Part numbers as requested by poster GBL.

The service advisor said the leak was minor, small drip. Same as reported at 1,000 miles on the first oil change.

I now have 2,800 miles after 7 months of use.

Interesting that they used an oil dye and black light to verify the leak before doing the repair and then again afterwards.

Turns out there wasn't a TSB on this work. It was an SSM or Special Service Message #44938 as shown on the invoice.

In case you're wondering the difference between a TSB and a SSM and also an FSA, as I was, I found the link below and explanation, cut and pasted.

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/2096-tsb-vs-fsa-whats-the-difference/

TSB - Technical Service Bulletin, a communication from Ford that addresses a known problem. The TSB describes the service procedure that needs to be done. The owner might have to prove to the dealer that the problem exists before Ford will pay for the parts & labor. TSB's are identifed by a title similar to "TSB 13-5-20" that indicates that it is the 20th TSB issued in May of 2013.

FSA - Field Service Action. The owner should get a letter from Ford to bring the vehicle in for the service procedure. Ford automatically pays for the parts & labor without the owner needing to prove the problem exists. An FSA can also include safety-related recalls required by the NHTSA or initiated by Ford. There are likely other subtle differences only known to the dealer and Ford.

SSM - Special Service Message. This is information from Ford acknowledging a possible problem, but the solution has not been determined or the problem may be due to unusual circumstances. Sometimes the SSM is followed by a TSB or FSA that resolves the issue.

I'm hoping this fix does the trick and I no longer have any leaks.

I plan to have the next oil change done at 5,000 (probably another 5 months) and we'll see how it looks. Fingers crossed.

Edited August 13, 2015 by windguy

[G B L]

Thanks for the great update . Hope that is the solution

Your van is going to last a long time in your climate and low mileage.