Maintenance help. 135k Miles
07-27-2018, 03:41 PM
#1
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Location: VA
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Maintenance help. 135k Miles
Looking to do my own basic maintenance. At 135k miles, the book lists a few things beyond basic oil change and such. Can I get some tips how to do these myself?
- inspect wheel ends for endplay and noise.
- inspect engine cooling system and hoses.
- inspect steering linkage, balljoint, suspension, and if equipped, half shafts, driveshaft and U-joints.
- inspect automatic tranny fluid level if equipped with dipstick (I think this one is n/-)
- inspect wheel ends for endplay and noise.
- inspect engine cooling system and hoses.
- inspect steering linkage, balljoint, suspension, and if equipped, half shafts, driveshaft and U-joints.
- inspect automatic tranny fluid level if equipped with dipstick (I think this one is n/-)
07-27-2018, 05:21 PM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: IN
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I would have the tranny fluid replaced and the coolant. U can check the hoses yourself. Squeeze them gently and if you notice that one is a bit soft then have them all replaced. It would be cheaper in the long run.
Suspension can be checked by if you notice your car still rebounding from uneven surfaces more than it should then they need replaced.
Lift your car and grab your wheels and see if you can wiggle them in a sense. IF you can then you might have bearing issue. If not then you should be good
Im sure someone will be more elaborate with there description you might search on youtube as that can be a terrific way to gain knowledge
Suspension can be checked by if you notice your car still rebounding from uneven surfaces more than it should then they need replaced.
Lift your car and grab your wheels and see if you can wiggle them in a sense. IF you can then you might have bearing issue. If not then you should be good
Im sure someone will be more elaborate with there description you might search on youtube as that can be a terrific way to gain knowledge
08-05-2018, 11:19 PM
#3
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So for inspecting wheel ends, it sounds like i'm checking the wheel bearing assemblies? I jack up the car and simply push at the top & bottom of the tire to check for play/wiggle, and the rotate back and forth to check for noise (gritty non-smooth bearings)?
My engine coolant was changed at 100k miles, and schedule calls for every 50k after that. So for now I'm just supposed to do an inspection of the coolant system. From what I can tell, this means checking the water pump pulley for wobble, and inspecting the "weep hole" under the pump for stains of some sort. Then I check the coolant level, and the concentration. The top anti-freeze testers on Amazon are Prestone AF-1420 and ABN Deluxe Hydrometer, so I'll buy one of those. Lastly I inspect the large hose running to the coolant reservoir for cracks and unexpected stiffness. Am I missing anything here for the coolant?
My engine coolant was changed at 100k miles, and schedule calls for every 50k after that. So for now I'm just supposed to do an inspection of the coolant system. From what I can tell, this means checking the water pump pulley for wobble, and inspecting the "weep hole" under the pump for stains of some sort. Then I check the coolant level, and the concentration. The top anti-freeze testers on Amazon are Prestone AF-1420 and ABN Deluxe Hydrometer, so I'll buy one of those. Lastly I inspect the large hose running to the coolant reservoir for cracks and unexpected stiffness. Am I missing anything here for the coolant?
08-06-2018, 02:06 PM
#4
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
So for inspecting wheel ends, it sounds like i'm checking the wheel bearing assemblies? I jack up the car and simply push at the top & bottom of the tire to check for play/wiggle, and the rotate back and forth to check for noise (gritty non-smooth bearings)?
My engine coolant was changed at 100k miles, and schedule calls for every 50k after that. So for now I'm just supposed to do an inspection of the coolant system. From what I can tell, this means checking the water pump pulley for wobble, and inspecting the "weep hole" under the pump for stains of some sort. Then I check the coolant level, and the concentration. The top anti-freeze testers on Amazon are Prestone AF-1420 and ABN Deluxe Hydrometer, so I'll buy one of those. Lastly I inspect the large hose running to the coolant reservoir for cracks and unexpected stiffness. Am I missing anything here for the coolant?
My engine coolant was changed at 100k miles, and schedule calls for every 50k after that. So for now I'm just supposed to do an inspection of the coolant system. From what I can tell, this means checking the water pump pulley for wobble, and inspecting the "weep hole" under the pump for stains of some sort. Then I check the coolant level, and the concentration. The top anti-freeze testers on Amazon are Prestone AF-1420 and ABN Deluxe Hydrometer, so I'll buy one of those. Lastly I inspect the large hose running to the coolant reservoir for cracks and unexpected stiffness. Am I missing anything here for the coolant?
08-08-2018, 09:18 PM
#5
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Originally Posted by outceltj
I would have the tranny fluid replaced and the coolant. U can check the hoses yourself. Squeeze them gently and if you notice that one is a bit soft then have them all replaced. It would be cheaper in the long run.
08-09-2018, 01:50 PM
#6
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I never fully trust the manual. They don't even make mention of Brake fluid or power steering fluid yet those need regular servicing. If something has a maintenance cycle stated, I always go with severe duty at minimum.
I have done 30K tranny flushes on our Escape and Mustang since we've owned them new (90K on the mustang, and 150K on the Escape) and both vehicles get pretty beat when I drive them
. Only failure on the mustang was not fluid based, it was input shaft based. . If you do a lot of city driving or have high temperatures (like AZ), severe duty is a must (30K).
Being that you are in VA, you can pop the center Torx (30 size) on the drain pan and let a couple of drops out of it before putting the plug right back in. If it's a bright red color fine, if not, have it flushed.
To prevent the entire drain plug from turning, use a 22mm wrech or adjustable wrench to hold it while you pop the center plug loose. It's only around 89 in/lbs (7.5 ft/lbs)
I have done 30K tranny flushes on our Escape and Mustang since we've owned them new (90K on the mustang, and 150K on the Escape) and both vehicles get pretty beat when I drive them
. Only failure on the mustang was not fluid based, it was input shaft based. . If you do a lot of city driving or have high temperatures (like AZ), severe duty is a must (30K).Being that you are in VA, you can pop the center Torx (30 size) on the drain pan and let a couple of drops out of it before putting the plug right back in. If it's a bright red color fine, if not, have it flushed.
To prevent the entire drain plug from turning, use a 22mm wrech or adjustable wrench to hold it while you pop the center plug loose. It's only around 89 in/lbs (7.5 ft/lbs)
Last edited by Derf00; 08-09-2018 at 01:52 PM.
08-11-2018, 11:25 AM
#7
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Originally Posted by Derf00
Being that you are in VA, you can pop the center Torx (30 size) on the drain pan and let a couple of drops out of it before putting the plug right back in. If it's a bright red color fine, if not, have it flushed.
To prevent the entire drain plug from turning, use a 22mm wrech or adjustable wrench to hold it while you pop the center plug loose. It's only around 89 in/lbs (7.5 ft/lbs)
To prevent the entire drain plug from turning, use a 22mm wrech or adjustable wrench to hold it while you pop the center plug loose. It's only around 89 in/lbs (7.5 ft/lbs)
Otherwise, this doesn't seem too complicated. Wondering what the risks are, given that Ford insists this be done by a shop for the auto tranny's.
08-13-2018, 09:20 AM
#8
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 407
Derf00 is right. Just jack to car up and do a little twisty twisty on the drain plug/bolt. Leave the car off.
+1 on all the cooling system stuff people said. Check for soft or cracking hoses. Look for any leaks (wet spots or stains) around where all the hoses connect to wherever they are going/coming from. For everything else, it really comes down how it drives. You'll generally feel if something is off in the steering, suspension, or driveshaft. Aside from that, jack up the car and check your control arm bushings and stuff like that. If you are unsure what they look like, Google an image of a replacement part, then look for that in your car. Cracked bushings means getting bad, but falling apart is actually bad.
As for the driveshaft and everything else, just look at it. If you see fluid, rust, and stuff like that, you may have a problem.
Have fun!
+1 on all the cooling system stuff people said. Check for soft or cracking hoses. Look for any leaks (wet spots or stains) around where all the hoses connect to wherever they are going/coming from. For everything else, it really comes down how it drives. You'll generally feel if something is off in the steering, suspension, or driveshaft. Aside from that, jack up the car and check your control arm bushings and stuff like that. If you are unsure what they look like, Google an image of a replacement part, then look for that in your car. Cracked bushings means getting bad, but falling apart is actually bad.
As for the driveshaft and everything else, just look at it. If you see fluid, rust, and stuff like that, you may have a problem.
Have fun!
08-13-2018, 01:21 PM
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Derf00 is right. Just jack to car up and do a little twisty twisty on the drain plug/bolt. Leave the car off.
+1 on all the cooling system stuff people said. Check for soft or cracking hoses. Look for any leaks (wet spots or stains) around where all the hoses connect to wherever they are going/coming from. For everything else, it really comes down how it drives. You'll generally feel if something is off in the steering, suspension, or driveshaft. Aside from that, jack up the car and check your control arm bushings and stuff like that. If you are unsure what they look like, Google an image of a replacement part, then look for that in your car. Cracked bushings means getting bad, but falling apart is actually bad.
As for the driveshaft and everything else, just look at it. If you see fluid, rust, and stuff like that, you may have a problem.
Have fun!
+1 on all the cooling system stuff people said. Check for soft or cracking hoses. Look for any leaks (wet spots or stains) around where all the hoses connect to wherever they are going/coming from. For everything else, it really comes down how it drives. You'll generally feel if something is off in the steering, suspension, or driveshaft. Aside from that, jack up the car and check your control arm bushings and stuff like that. If you are unsure what they look like, Google an image of a replacement part, then look for that in your car. Cracked bushings means getting bad, but falling apart is actually bad.
As for the driveshaft and everything else, just look at it. If you see fluid, rust, and stuff like that, you may have a problem.
Have fun!
Also, like any fluid level check you MUST have the car level So, all four points on jack stands or the front on ramps and rears on jack stands. That's why leveling the fluid properly without a lift can be difficult. Exhaust can get pretty hot after a couple of minutes and jack stands may not get the car up high enough if you're average thickness or above to get under there.
Last edited by Derf00; 08-13-2018 at 01:23 PM.
08-13-2018, 08:27 PM
#10
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 407
Negative on leaving the car off. That is the number one reason people that service the 5R55S themselves underfill the tranny. Like all automatics, the fluid level check is supposed to be done with the car ON and in park and the fluid warmed (not hot).
Also, like any fluid level check you MUST have the car level So, all four points on jack stands or the front on ramps and rears on jack stands. That's why leveling the fluid properly without a lift can be difficult. Exhaust can get pretty hot after a couple of minutes and jack stands may not get the car up high enough if you're average thickness or above to get under there.
Also, like any fluid level check you MUST have the car level So, all four points on jack stands or the front on ramps and rears on jack stands. That's why leveling the fluid properly without a lift can be difficult. Exhaust can get pretty hot after a couple of minutes and jack stands may not get the car up high enough if you're average thickness or above to get under there.
