Fluid flush is every two years (or it should be, almost no one does that )

Don't forget the best way is to use Forscan for that, use the ABS bleed option and select, i think line replacement so it pumps through enough fluid to clear that line you selection.
It's a job i've got to do again, and i'm going to document using Forscan to do it as there isn't much out there on this.

I've got one last ATF drop/replacement to do, i *might* do another filter, just because they don't cost much and i won't be doing more fluid for a long time. Not got the urgency in this weather though, combined with it having mostly all new fluid in there already. It's easy, it really is, just a little time-consuming.

 

I am intrigued by this Forscan ABS bleed option........The community would appreciate a how to documentation process on that.

 

I'll see what i can do to somehow bring that forward a bit, i'm still trying to find/buy a travel trailer, it's proving annoying and time consuming.

 

I had no idea that ForScan had that option. Looks pretty sweet! Thanks for the tip, was planning originally on borrowing a vacuum bleeder from my neighbor.

 

It bleeds fairly well on it's own, i can't remember if i used my power bleeder, or a vacuum bleeder last time, i think it was my motive power bleeder - however, and this seems somewhat true of other Fords, under certain circumstances, there is a sort of softness to the feel of the brake pedal, even though it's otherwise firm and the brakes responsive - i've been told using the ABS pump to bleed them resolves this.

I can't recall the specifics in Forscan to use, but i will get them all down and hopefully a short video or two on the procedure.

 

Curious as to why you never see Redline Oil mentioned anywhere on Ford forums.

when I had my Ram, all those guys scream about on the forums is redline as switching to redline 5w30 seem to resolve a lot of oil consumption complaints as well as quieting down the old “hemi tick.”

I still want to vacuum and refill my front diff, drain/fill the transfer case, and probably have the dealer do the transmission…I’m a sissy on this newer truck

 

Honestly i don't have an answer on Redline, it's a boutique oil, with the associated boutique price, i'm curious to know some actual data on it some day. The basic data from Redline shows it's at the top of the viscosity grade so that goes someway to explaining the oil consumption improvements.
More interestingly, both their primary oil product and their OEM, or more mainstream oil, are both behind in their ratings - i am not too surprised their fancy oil doesn't have current ratings, but the OEM rated oil being still on SN Plus is odd. Everything current should be API SP now. The one caveat to all that is the OEM oil is rated to ILSAC GF5, which "essentially" makes it an API SP oil, which is good, but it could just be the minimum certificate they needed to be OEM approved.
Not all oil suppliers pay for the right to say they're API or ILSAC rated - see some of the AMSOil stuff as another example of not paying for the certification.

Update on the Red Line - my searching was SNAFU along with my memory - it's a high viscosity 5w30, it's old API and ILSAC, everything for the past 2+ years should be API and ILSAC GF6, this Red Line is old hat (so to speak) It's also very expensive and is bested by a lot of other common shelf oils, so, my suspicion is the Hemi boys are liking the extra viscosity - it's practically the same as Quaker State full synthetic 5w30 for viscosity, so just use that, protects a lot better and is a 3rd the price.

Don't get me going all technical on oils


Definitely do the front diff, they never get any love.
Transfer case is the most simple, uninvolved, lack of effort required thing you'll ever do on the truck

I know the transmission is daunting, and i can't give personal experience on the 10R80, but FordtechMakuloco did a video on changing that as well, just like the videos on the 6R80 - i would still attempt it with the help of the video if i owned a newer one.

 

Alright, time to bleed the ABS unit by using Forscan.

Brake fluid is due replacement at about 2.5 years since i last flushed the system.
I didn't really have time to do all of this as completely as i had wanted, mainly due to thinking something was messed up with my Forscan adapter.

The process that'd i'd seen, had several options when you went to Forscan's ABS bleed section, it was being demonstrated on a Ford Focus, i just assumed it was common across all modern Fords. The menu included an option/choice as to which wheel you wanted to bleed, and then you selected whether a caliper had been replaced, a hard line or a few other options.

In the past year, Forscan had started warning me that not all functions may be available due to the adapter type, i had to wait for a new one to arrive as i assumed that i couldn't see the option to choose hard line replaced, or choose individual wheels because of my adapter.

It turns out a new, fully compatible adapter made no difference, so instead, on the 12th gen system for 2012, i get this










This is fine, but far more "antiquated" than the Focus example i'd seen, you also don't get to choose the corner, it makes you start at the front left, followed by the rear left, rear right and front right. This should be noted as the wrong order for main brake bleeding, even per the service manual - this confirms the procedure is mainly for the ABS pump and manifold.

After checking and testing, i confirmed the procedure in the picture above, is the correct method, despite the horrible noise you can get from the pump as you push the brake pedal. Just letting the pump run does help the ABS manifold bleed, but the pumping of the brakes every two seconds is needed to move a decent amount of fluid out the caliper's bleed nipple.



Vacuumed the reservoir down to the bottom






Replaced with some DOT 4 low viscosity, which is supposed to be thinner at lower temps, aiding in the speed/response of the ABS and advanceTrak systems







I set up the calipers in order they were called in Forscan, opened the nipple one half turn - nearly all nipples needed some penetrant so it didn't feel like i was going to snap them off as i undid them.






Here i show the rear left being done, so you can hear and see what Forscan will do - in reality, instead of showing you the trickle coming out of the caliper, i should have been pushing the brake pedal every two seconds whilst the pump was active, that will help move enough fluid through the lines to flush them - notice the colour of the fluid in the jar after just two years and low miles.
(i did follow up and get more fluid from the system, but i might revisit when i have more time, just to make sure i got everything.








Test drives feel good, brakes didn't feel bad or spongy previously, but, under certain circumstances - such as adding further brake pressure when already braking - felt soft to me. After flushing the ABS module this way, that has gone and the entire pedal travel feels very good now.

Those of you who noticed the coolant funnel in the video.... there's a story there, so i'll get that posted soon, it's, um, dumb.



.

 

Be aware that using another funnel and a screwdriver to put fuel cleaner into your tank, can end up with a warning appearing a few days later...







Don't just make sure the fuel flap closes, make sure it locks too one of the little tabs on the side hadn't sprung back out again





Whilst we're on the maintenance subject, i highly recommend this stuff - very effective and works out around 88c a gallon

 

Does it have a temperature it's supposed to be good down to? I'm using the low temp Rain-X stuff right now with fresh blades and I haven't had to scrape my windshield yet this winter, just spray and go. I do have the scrape the side windows, though.