POLL: Are your axle seals leaking!?

[Rhinopolis]

I purchased my car new in April 2015, and I drive it as a weekend/fun car. My goal is to eventually build it up for a light duty and occasional use track car (much more street than track), and my modifications path since new is to build a very reliable and fun driving machine.

I perform all my own maintenance and modifications, and I noticed sometime around August/Sepetember 2015 (maybe later I can't remember exactly) that both my driver side and passenger side seals were leaking transmission oil.

It took the dealer two attempts at repairing (under warranty) over nearly a two month span before the seals were repaired where no leaks. I have slightly over 3700 miles on the car since new and maybe 1200 miles since the last repair, and my passenger seal is leaking again.

I can't be the only one having this issue, and I would like to ask the members who have the to ability to get under their cars SAFELY, to please do so and inspect your axle seals.

EDIT: Perhaps your seals have been repaired, and this poll is to determine not only if they are leaking at present but also if you have had any issues with leaking axle seals on your Fiesta ST.

 

[Rhinopolis]

For those who haven't seen the photos of my axle seal leaks and aren't familiar with my story and where I am at present with Ford in getting this issue resolved, please read through this thread if interested

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/6680-RMM-causing-a-transmission-fluid-leak-!

 

[Flaco]

No seal leaks for me. I have a very early production 2014.

 

[Rainmann_the_Bikemann]

Mine are weeping slightly, which is very normal and to be expected. Almost 45,000 miles on my machine.

 

[Rhinopolis]

Mine are weeping slightly, which is very normal and to be expected. Almost 45,000 miles on my machine.

Why is "weeping" normal? Not trying to be combative, genuinely curious.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[FORZDA 2]

OP, if your seals are leaking (dripping not just weeping to attract dirt) even after replacement the trans vent is likely plugged up. Transaxles require an atmosphere vent because the pressure builds up with heat and must escape most vents are simply a crimped cap over a small opening on the top side. It attempts to be one-way to let pressure out but nothing in. If your seals simply have just enough seepage to attract a bit of dirt then that is within axle seal "limits" so don't worry about it.

 

[Rainmann_the_Bikemann]

Why is "weeping" normal? Not trying to be combative, genuinely curious.

Thanks,

Ryan

Because I have 40,000 miles more wear on my vehicle than yours. That's why I would consider it to be normal.

Also, there's a small amount of inherent play between the splines of the half-shaft and the differential. That small amount of movement of the surface the seal is seating to would, in my thought process, can cause minor fluid weeping over time as well.

If there is a very noticeable wet slick, trail of fluid, and/or fluid is hitting the ground while the vehicle is parked, I would say you have a definite issue. If I was in your position, with a newer vehicle, I would be a little irritated as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[me32]

I have 48k on mine bought new and its an early build 7/2013 and i have no leaks.

 

[Tr1cycle]

leaks on my 5k miles 2015

 

[Rhinopolis]

I took it for a drive earlier and definitely put the axle and seals through their paces. My wife bought me a set of "race ramps" for Christmas, and it's easy to get up under the front of the car with those.

I came home and inspected the passenger side seal, and it's just barely glistening with no fluid anywhere except right under the seal dead center. I'm of the mindset that maybe this isn't as bad or as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be?

Maybe I should leave good enough alone and not have the dealer take my car apart again unless it starts dripping?

 

[Butterybunz]

Mine are weeping slightly, which is very normal and to be expected. Almost 45,000 miles on my machine.

My driver side is weeping at 10k miles, dealer told me it was normal. That was last summer and I will be checking it again this spring.

 

[Rhinopolis]

With nearly 40% polled so far saying that we have experienced leaking axle seals, I encourage more members to inspect your seals if you haven't done so already.

At the time when I 1st discovered my leaking seals, I was down nearly 1/2 a quart of expensive Motorcraft XT-11-QDC dual clutch MTF. If leaking, get your car off the ground and level to check that your fluid level is where it needs to be.

Ford didn't make this easy for us, as they specifify that the fluid needs to come up 1" below the fill hole. I use a piece of weed trimmer wire, and I marked in easy to see permanent marker RED exactly 1" from the bottom of a 4" piece of the wire.

I hold the top portion of the wire that is furthest away from the marked end, and stick the marked end 1st in to fill hole until it's just inside the fill hole and past the red 1" marked line. When I remove the wire, the MTF level can be seen where it's at on the wire. Maybe it's not the best method, but this is the method that I use.

 

[mycargoesvroom]

Anyone who is leaking have a 2016 model?

 

[Rhinopolis]

As an update to my car specifically, the dealer inspected the suspension and axle and found no evidence of anything that could be causing my seals to keep getting leaks.

The dealership replaced my passenger side axle seal for the 3rd time in less than 5 months, and I guess I'm stuck with a car that likes to demolish axle seals...lol.

One more leak in the next few months, and I may decide to pursue further action such as the lemon law. I haven't decided what I will do if it keeps leaking really, because I don't want to go through the trouble of that route, and I have already invested so much time in to this specific car. I just want a car that doesn't continually leak MTF.......

 

[mycargoesvroom]

Yeah most states have a limit of 3 or 4 repairs. If it happens again definitely pursue the lemon law then get the 2017 model

 

[ogsigh]

Mine weeps

 

[mentokk]

2016 ST built in October. The passenger side is weeping a bit. I have around 3500 miles.

 

[toy5150]

[SUP][MENTION][/MENTION][/SUP]Checked mine, 2015 at 3,500 miles and both sides were wet and weeping, checked again 6,500 and they are a little worse. I don't know what to do. I don't want the dealer to touch my car after they destroyed my door panel and window switch trying to fix my driver side mirror. Finally had them give me all the parts to fix everything they messed up and fixed myself. Don't want to go through that again. Called and it will be about $100 for everything thing i would need to do the work myself to replace the seals. I wonder though what is causing these seals to fail? Is there a vent on the transmission somewhere that might not be working?

Also you can check passenger side pretty easy, don't even need to lift the car. Just use a bright flashlight and look through the wheel down the axle shaft and you can see the axle seal.

 

[toy5150]

Watch this video. I wonder if we are having a similar problem going on with our cars? No wonder just replacing the seals is not fixing the problem. Looks like there is a bushing in there too and the axle shafts are not smooth. This will be a lot more involved then just replacing the axle seals because of the special tools required and the axle shafts ends will need to be replaced too. With the low production numbers on our cars i wonder if ford will make a kit like they did for the truck in the video? I think we need to get the ford service that is on this forum involved. Hopefully they can talk to a higher up that could help solve this problem we are having. This is to many of us having this problem with such low miles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYUSKffTVqI

 

[toy5150]

Another video same problem on the Fusion too.

Kinda gets to the point of the problem a little quicker in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RukdxCnsCuU