Ford Bronco 1.5 liter engine and transmission leak.

[lathanmary]

Hello. I have a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks with the 1.5 liter. It only has 17,000 miles. I asked my husband to change my oil. He advised he found that the oil pain bolts were wet with oil. He inspected more and found that the oil leak was coming from the timing chain cover gasket. Or from the rtv gasket maker they used. He also found that the transfer case was leaking from where the cv axle inner joint connects to the transmission. Also, the transmission oil cooler may have a leak as well.

We took it to the dealership and they are going to fix everything under warranty. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Also, we sold our 2003 Ford Escape which had a timing cover gasket leak to get this vehicle. So kind of rough to by a new car with the same problem. Ford is still Using RTV gasket maker on timing chain cover gaskets?

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[lathanmary]

Here are some photos

 

[DWG]

Not my Bronco but we also have a 2020 Escape with the 2.0L engine and it had an oil leak from the timing chain cover. It also was covered by warranty but what I do not like is unlike the old ays when you could see oil leaking on the ground, with the engine covers underneath the oil leak never reaches the ground and you do not know there is a leak until you have the oil changed or the cover is removed for some other reason.

 

[Uncle Brad]

Not my Bronco but we also have a 2020 Escape with the 2.0L engine and it had an oil leak from the timing chain cover. It also was covered by warranty but what I do not like is unlike the old ays when you could see oil leaking on the ground, with the engine covers underneath the oil leak never reaches the ground and you do not know there is a leak until you have the oil changed or the cover is removed for some other reason.

Excellent point about the furry cardboard bottom cover (humorously called a "skid plate" by some) on the Big Bend and Out Banks trim. Going through the trouble of removing the 127 bolts and plastic fasteners, only to see fluid leaks that have been hiding, has got to be frustrating.

 

[Mark S.]

the furry cardboard bottom cover (humorously called a "skid plate" by some)

It's a wind deflector; meant to reduce wind drag and improve fuel economy.

 

[Uncle Brad]

It's a wind deflector; meant to reduce wind drag and improve fuel economy.

So it's kinda like auto-shutoff measurably reduces overall emissions?

 

[Mark S.]

So it's kinda like auto-shutoff measurably reduces overall emissions?

You can read a study about it here:

https://www.extrica.com/article/19210

 

[lathanmary]

Not my Bronco but we also have a 2020 Escape with the 2.0L engine and it had an oil leak from the timing chain cover. It also was covered by warranty but what I do not like is unlike the old ays when you could see oil leaking on the ground, with the engine covers underneath the oil leak never reaches the ground and you do not know there is a leak until you have the oil changed or the cover is removed for some other reason.

Yea if my husband would of never looked we would of never found that is was leaking.

when they fixed your did it stop the leak?

 

[DWG]

Yea if my husband would of never looked we would of never found that is was leaking.

when they fixed your did it stop the leak?

I believe so. Obviously the cover is back on so as far as I know it is fixed. It was more of oil seeping through the seam of the timing chain cover so not a big leak but obviously still needed to be repaired. Probably will not be dropping the cover again until the next oil change.

 

[lathanmary]

So here is the Ford fix the leak. Loaded the rtv around the whole timing chain cover. Just think if the gasket is pressing out that much from the outside. It is doing the same from the inside of the timing chain cover.

what do you all think?

 

[Mark S.]

what do you all think?

Did it stop the leak?

 

[lathanmary]

Did it stop the leak?

Hello. So my wife was referring to the RTV. This is her vehicle. As for the leak there was a lot of residue. So cleaned that off. I was telling my wife that the RTV gasket maker was put on excessively. I am a diesel mechanic and when you put to much RTV it can break off. Especially since it is next to a moving part like the timing chain. That intern can get into the Oil system causing oil contamination. I say this because I have torn down engines and see this (pieces of rtv Clogged up in the oil pickup).
So that is why she was pointing it out. It is a concern to me that the Fix from Ford was to double/triple the amount of RTV gaskets maker.

 

[Uncle Brad]

Hello. So my wife was referring to the RTV. This is her vehicle. As for the leak there was a lot of residue. So cleaned that off. I was telling my wife that the RTV gasket maker was put on excessively. I am a diesel mechanic and when you put to much RTV it can break off. Especially since it is next to a moving part like the timing chain. That intern can get into the Oil system causing oil contamination. I say this because I have torn down engines and see this (pieces of rtv Clogged up in the oil pickup).
So that is why she was pointing it out. It is a concern to me that the Fix from Ford was to double/triple the amount of RTV gaskets maker.

I'm surprised you haven't received many responses on this. The pictures you provided of the "fix" is alarming to me, because it appears that they just cleaned the surface of the joints and unceremoniously laid on the RTV externally to HIDE the actual leak(s). This of course won't work for long.

 

[cprcubed]

I'm surprised you haven't received many responses on this. The pictures you provided of the "fix" is alarming to me, because it appears that they just cleaned the surface of the joints and unceremoniously laid on the RTV externally to HIDE the actual leak(s). This of course won't work for long.

I don't think they just surface spread the RTV, but they were probably a little sloppy in their application of it when reassembling it. You can see the RTV on one of the bolt ends where it went through some RTV going back in. JMHO. Cheers!

 

[lathanmary]

Came home today and you could smell burning coolant coming from the engine bay. Smelled burnt oil I think as well. Told my husband and he said definitely a coolant leak.
What do you all think?