My Big Bend disabled 4wd after seconds of climbing on loose ground.

69cuda340s

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Correct but I am wondering if there is any fluid change involved for the PTU when they perform scheduled transmission service. It would be interesting to see what the factory service manual says.
And rear axle gear oil you would think at some point that would get changed? But neither are listed in owners manual scheduled maintenance:

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?countryCode=USA&languageCode=en&Uid=G2088262&ProcUid=G2145076&div=f&variantid=7450&vFilteringEnabled=False&userMarket=usa
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MaxVelocity

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This has become common practice on newer vehicles. In fact my 2006 Super Duty does not have a service interval: "Ford design rear axles contain a synthetic lubricant that does not require changing unless the axle has been submerged in water ."

I have a hard time believing it too.
 

69cuda340s

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This has become common practice on newer vehicles. In fact my 2006 Super Duty does not have a service interval: "Ford design rear axles contain a synthetic lubricant that does not require changing unless the axle has been submerged in water ."

I have a hard time believing it too.
Axle oil gonna get dirty and as gears break in and wear some fine metal dust mixed in. Yeah you can get away long time without changing it but not ideal in my opinion...
 

tRex

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It appears you are a disgruntled customer who is mad at Ford. And under your circumstances, I would be mad too if I believed some sly car salesman half the BS they tell folks. But spoiler alert - most of them are like that, and that problem is not just endemic to Ford dealerships; it's at every dealership. Plus, we're in a global pandemic that has affected parts shortages. But to be fair to you, I'm sure it's super disappointing that you haven't received a vehicle that you ordered and was supposedly built in June of this past year (if none of this makes sense to those reading, check this guy's profile and see why he's mad).

So, now that the context of your frustration is understood, your opinion of a vehicle that you have likely never driven and if you have, never put it through its paces off-road, would not be one I would give a lot of weight to. You don't seem to know much about this vehicle, let alone have any real experience driving it off-road (please correct me if I'm wrong).

The article linked below has been shared before, but it would beg to differ with your statement that Sports are just "re-branded, re-badged Escapes". Yes, they're on the same C2 platform as the Escape, but there are several differences between the Sport and Escape, even with using non-Badlands trims as a comparison. These differences are pointed out in the article, and certainly give the Sport an edge over the Escape in off-road capability.

How Ford Makes the 2021 Bronco Sport Tougher Than the Escape
Excellent, accurate article on the standard and Badlands/First Edition drive systems. So tiring reading other no-knowledge articles about the Sport 4WD and BL/FE rear drive in particular systems (i.e. vs. the conventional open diff in the other trims). Understanding how these are all REALLY built is key to understanding their performance in various terrain, mode selected, and when/why protected by the computer safety controls.
 

fourthgear

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PTU in the Badlands is water liquid cooled; the PTUs in other trims are air cooled.


This is why I recommended OP take his car to the service department. If it is indeed low then there is a leak or it was not properly filled prior to sale. In either case, it should be covered by warranty. As far as I know, there is nothing in the owner's manual about how to check PTU gear oil level, nor is there anything about its normal capacity or the specification of the correct gear oil.

IMHO, performing maintenance not described in the owner's manual on a car that's still under warranty is not a good idea.
I agree , contact Ford service dept. , there could be a bad sensor in any part of the system , Ford service can electronically talk to the Bronco & may have the parameters of why the fault showed up . Far too many variables with a computer getting info from dozens of inputs at the same time , not to mention the logic programmed in .
 


CKV

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Had this happen to me twice:

First time I was driving trough a beach (KO2's, 225 65 R17 @15 psi), decided to test the system on a softer sand bank and got stuck (kind of expected). After digging around and letting the wheels spin a little on L + Sand mode I got the 4WD disabled message, it was about 4 C (40 F) so not a hot day. I had a friend pull me out at this point to avoid damaging the system. Note that the underside was not touching the sand yet, so there was a chance of getting unstuck if 4WD was still active.

Second time I was driving trough a frozen road with about 5 cm (2 in) of snow and -16 C (3 F), using Snow mode. The road was slippery, but the layer of snow gave some decent grip. After stopping to refuel I got the 4WD disabled message as I left the gas station. This was after 4 hours of driving trough that road, doing 40 to 50 kph (25-30 mph).

I understand the limitations the Sport has, but I was disappointed to have the 4WD system disable so easily. I have been off-roading for years with actual 4x4 vehicles, and have a decent amount of experience. I know the Sport is far from being a crawler, but I still expected a more dependable traction system.
 
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abxponce

abxponce

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Had this happen to me twice:

First time I was driving trough a beach (KO2's, 225 65 R17 @15 psi), decided to test the system on a softer sand bank and got stuck (kind of expected). After digging around and letting the wheels spin a little on L + Sand mode I got the 4WD disabled message, it was about 4 C (40 F) so not a hot day. I had a friend pull me out at this point to avoid damaging the system. Note that the underside was not touching the sand yet, so there was a chance of getting unstuck if 4WD was still active.

Second time I was driving trough a frozen road with about 5 cm (2 in) of snow and -16 C (3 F), using Snow mode. The road was slippery, but the layer of snow gave some decent grip. After stopping to refuel I got the 4WD disabled message as I left the gas station. This was after 4 hours of driving trough that road, doing 40 to 50 kph (25-30 mph).

I understand the limitations the Sport has, but I was disappointed to have the 4WD system disable so easily. I have been off-roading for years with actual 4x4 vehicles, and have a decent amount of experience. I know the Sport is far from being a crawler, but I still expected a more dependable traction system.
Agree 100%
 
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AllTerrain

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I've spent a lot of time over there and I haven't seen any of that.
I've seen lots of big Broncos with blown up engines and some with broken tie rods getting towed away.

All the YouTube videos, this forum, and Bronco6g I've not seen a BS break and get towed off a trail.
((abandoned lot rot Edition hilarious))
 

hwildey

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YES 4wd was disabled faster in sand mode. But it made better work climbing.
So, (and let me say I have a pretty basic knowledge of off-roading so this might be too simple and I am trying to understand what the different modes really do in the big bend specifically) from what I have read here and on other forums, is it fair to say that in Normal Mode the computer can transfer power to the wheels that aren't slipping and get you up, in Sand Mode the computer will be quicker to transfer power to wheels that aren't spinning and keeping the RPMs a bit higher. So sand mode is really made for loose sand like it says but could be helpful in certain conditions like this long, loose gravel climb but Normal mode is good for most obstacles. Slippery Mode is for ice and snow and would not be suitable in this application like the name says. Is sport mode ever an option off road?
 

thekingprawn

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Sand mode locks 4WD and turns off traction control. It holds gears to a higher RPM and changes the braking. It allows a lot more wheel spin than slippery mode.
 


Osco

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That looks a tough climb for an AWD SUV. Loose and a wheel in the air.
No that’s lack of skill.
I’ve done stuff like that in my base model without issues.
Did not need a spotter at all.
Needed low gear and the Loose Goat with a bit more speed.
But mostly a better line choice.
 

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So, (and let me say I have a pretty basic knowledge of off-roading so this might be too simple and I am trying to understand what the different modes really do in the big bend specifically) from what I have read here and on other forums, is it fair to say that in Normal Mode the computer can transfer power to the wheels that aren't slipping and get you up, in Sand Mode the computer will be quicker to transfer power to wheels that aren't spinning and keeping the RPMs a bit higher. So sand mode is really made for loose sand like it says but could be helpful in certain conditions like this long, loose gravel climb but Normal mode is good for most obstacles. Slippery Mode is for ice and snow and would not be suitable in this application like the name says. Is sport mode ever an option off road?
mode enhancement
GOATS is GOATS
but as OSCO said it's the operator
always found best control using both feet
gas pedal/brake pedal combo
independently or sometimes in unison
wheel goes airborne spinning
apply light brake
while applying gas
sensor says spinning stopped
all systems go
four wheels return to the game
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