No dipstick?

[4Liberty]

I vehemently disagree with this statement.

All fluids degrade from heat, collect condensation, and lose additives. The same principles are applied in our tractors with wet brakes, power shift or power reverse.

All the equipment I’ve worked on specifies a drain interval for the transmission and/or hydraulic system.

I’ve never had a transmission perform worse after a service.

If the new fluid causes a substantial loss of performance, that means that particles in the fluid, or degraded viscosity, was compensating for worn clutches or a dying pump. You did not cause a problem, you exposed an underlying issue that was simply going to continue to get worse.

In my mind a good analogy would be “never change the oil in an old engine because it will leak.”

That may be true, but how much damage is being done by that gummy sludgy oil?

I’ve had many poor performing hydrostatics come back after flushing the sump and refilling fluid.

GM electronic transmissions in particular are sensitive to fluid quality.

Anything with solenoids and switches bathing in the fluid will be affected by metal particles.

 

[Gregster613]

It’s bolted to the transmission right side front axle goes into it. It’s like a transfer case, sends power via driveshaft to rear axle. Can hold it in one hand when it’s removed, holds 1/2 quart of oil and almost touches the cat. Cat cooks the fluid in it and junk. The dealer never even mentioned it, because of course they want to sell you one. Regular fluid changes prevent that. It’s infuriating.

Okay, that tells me where it's located but what I was asking is what does PTU stand for? What does it mean? Pressure Transfer Unit? I'm just guessing here.

 

[Gregster613]

A Power Transfer Unit (PTU) is a compact, axle-mounted transfer case in FWD-based AWD vehicles (commonly Ford/Lincoln) that splits power to the rear wheels. It is prone to failure from high heat and minimal fluid capacity (approx. 1 quart or less), leading to failed seals, gear damage, and expensive repairs, often requiring fluid changes every 30,000 miles.

That's exactly what I was trying to find out -- Thanks bigtiller. Now I know what PTU means.

 

[4Liberty]

That's exactly what I was trying to find out -- Thanks bigtiller. Now I know what PTU means.

The really bad part is if you own one of these things and you don’t know what it is because the dealer just neglected to tell you. Bill you 1qt of synthetic gear oil every 30k vs $3,500 to replace it by design is not customer service.