Transmission fluid drain & refill at 10K miles - results for 2025 LOBO EcoBoost

[troyfordguy]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to post my experience with doing a drain & refill on my LOBO, the results were a bit surprising.



I'd highly recommend changing the fluid no later than 10K to get the break-in metals out of the transmission, I've posted videos here about my PTU and RDU which both had metal in them as well. If you want to keep your Maverick longer than the Warranty Period keep up on your fluid changes.

My Maintenance so far on the Maverick:

500 miles - Break-in oil change done, metal found but not excessive, had fuel smell to the oil.

2000 Miles - Oil change done, less metal found oil was a bit darker than the 500 mile oil change but still clean. No Fuel smell noted.

5000 Miles - Engine Oil change done, PTU & RDU Drain & Refill - Found Metal in both PTU & RDU, slightly less metal in the engine oil at 2,000 miles, no fuel smell.

10,0000 Miles - Engine oil change done, NO METAL in the engine oil! Transmission drain & refilled, metal observed, trans fluid was dark.

I plan to do another Transmission, PTU & RDU service at 30K and change my oil every 5K from then on, just curious on what you all do here?

Thanks!

Troy.

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[Pknopp]

My transmission is warrantied by Ford for 8 years, 100,000 miles. On top of that the dealership I bought through offers a lifetime drivetrain warranty. Just have to do maintenance by the book. So I will.

I 100% understand one wanting to do more for peace of mind and I'm not knocking that. Just noting what I will do and why.

 

[BK007]

This is for the 2.0L EcoBoost Only The Hybrid CVT is completely different. Much too early to change the PTU, RDU, and Trans, but to each their own. They are not even Broken in yet! I do 5k full synthetic oil changes, then 30k–50k on the trans drain and fill, PTU, and RDU, but this is just what I do.
BUT BY ALL MEANS, DO NOT FOLLOW THE FORD "NORMAL" SERVICE SCHEDULE. 95% of us fall under SEVERE SERVICE. Ford saying the transmission fluid is "lifetime sealed" and to change it at 100k–150k miles IS JUST PLAIN CRAZY!
THESE 8F35 8-SPEEDS HAVE AN INTERNAL FILTER THAT CAN ONLY BE SERVICED IF YOU PULL THE TRANS AND TEAR IT APART! If you let that fluid go for 150,000 miles, all that friction material and metal wear from the clutch packs is just going to clog the unserviceable filter, starve the pumps, and grenade the entire unit. Spending a little cash on fresh fluid now is cheap insurance compared to buying a whole new transmission later.

 

[HeyBales]

Just curious - how does metal caught in the filter get removed by changing the tranny fluid?

I've done enough tranny filter change services along with fluid - if the pan was never dropped and filter changed, it was going to be holding onto that metal no matter how much fluid I put thru it.
Maybe this is different - and new fluid goes backward thru the filter, so another drain could remove it.
But kinda doubting it.

 

[BK007]

Just curious - how does metal caught in the filter get removed by changing the tranny fluid?

I've done enough tranny filter change services along with fluid - if the pan was never dropped and filter changed, it was going to be holding onto that metal no matter how much fluid I put thru it.
Maybe this is different - and new fluid goes backward thru the filter, so another drain could remove it.
But kinda doubting it.

Spot on. Changing the fluid won't remove a single flake of metal that's already trapped in the filter. It's pure prevention. The goal is to get the suspended debris out of the fluid before it settles into the filter, and to keep the fluid's lubricating properties fresh so the components don't wear down and create that metal debris to begin with. It's cheap insurance to keep the wear to an absolute minimum since we can't drop the pan and swap the filter like the old days.

 

[srfdude44]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to post my experience with doing a drain & refill on my LOBO, the results were a bit surprising.



I'd highly recommend changing the fluid no later than 10K to get the break-in metals out of the transmission, I've posted videos here about my PTU and RDU which both had metal in them as well. If you want to keep your Maverick longer than the Warranty Period keep up on your fluid changes.

My Maintenance so far on the Maverick:

500 miles - Break-in oil change done, metal found but not excessive, had fuel smell to the oil.

2000 Miles - Oil change done, less metal found oil was a bit darker than the 500 mile oil change but still clean. No Fuel smell noted.

5000 Miles - Engine Oil change done, PTU & RDU Drain & Refill - Found Metal in both PTU & RDU, slightly less metal in the engine oil at 2,000 miles, no fuel smell.

10,0000 Miles - Engine oil change done, NO METAL in the engine oil! Transmission drain & refilled, metal observed, trans fluid was dark.

I plan to do another Transmission, PTU & RDU service at 30K and change my oil every 5K from then on, just curious on what you all do here?

Thanks!

Troy.

lol there are folks here that will insist the engineers know best so don’t waste your time and money changing earlier than the specs call for. My first oil change was 500 miles, then 2500 and now 5K. No such thing as changing early!

 

[Bob The Builder]

I was really starting to get nervous, it's been 2 days now since the last oil change post.

One can never be too careful. Good job, OP!

 

[troyfordguy]

I was really starting to get nervous, it's been 2 days now since the last oil change post.

One can never be too careful. Good job, OP!

 

[Tbone289]

lol there are folks here that will insist the engineers know best so don’t waste your time and money changing earlier than the specs call for. My first oil change was 500 miles, then 2500 and now 5K. No such thing as changing early!

They also somehow think the same engineers are the soul decision makers at Ford when it comes to setting service intervals. They don't consider that lower "cost of ownership" is a sales advantage.

 

[TiberiusWise]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to post my experience with doing a drain & refill on my LOBO, the results were a bit surprising.



I'd highly recommend changing the fluid no later than 10K to get the break-in metals out of the transmission, I've posted videos here about my PTU and RDU which both had metal in them as well. If you want to keep your Maverick longer than the Warranty Period keep up on your fluid changes.

My Maintenance so far on the Maverick:

500 miles - Break-in oil change done, metal found but not excessive, had fuel smell to the oil.

2000 Miles - Oil change done, less metal found oil was a bit darker than the 500 mile oil change but still clean. No Fuel smell noted.

5000 Miles - Engine Oil change done, PTU & RDU Drain & Refill - Found Metal in both PTU & RDU, slightly less metal in the engine oil at 2,000 miles, no fuel smell.

10,0000 Miles - Engine oil change done, NO METAL in the engine oil! Transmission drain & refilled, metal observed, trans fluid was dark.

I plan to do another Transmission, PTU & RDU service at 30K and change my oil every 5K from then on, just curious on what you all do here?

Thanks!

Troy.

Thanks for posting Troy. It's hard to argue with the flakes of metal clearly visible in the pan.

Manufacturer recommendations have to balance the customer appetite for maintenance costs vs long life. Today's consumer might be swayed by promises of delayed oil changes and lifetime transmission fluid as a sign of higher quality. We educated Maverick fans know better! As my favorite Chief Engineer would say, "I can't change the laws of physics."

 

[Bob The Builder]

LOL, all in good fun. I would much rather see someone being too careful than thinking, because it is synthetic oil, they can go 25K between changing their sludge.

 

[zach57x]

This is for the 2.0L EcoBoost Only The Hybrid CVT is completely different. Much too early to change the PTU, RDU, and Trans, but to each their own. They are not even Broken in yet! I do 5k full synthetic oil changes, then 30k–50k on the trans drain and fill, PTU, and RDU, but this is just what I do.
BUT BY ALL MEANS, DO NOT FOLLOW THE FORD "NORMAL" SERVICE SCHEDULE. 95% of us fall under SEVERE SERVICE. Ford saying the transmission fluid is "lifetime sealed" and to change it at 100k–150k miles IS JUST PLAIN CRAZY!
THESE 8F35 8-SPEEDS HAVE AN INTERNAL FILTER THAT CAN ONLY BE SERVICED IF YOU PULL THE TRANS AND TEAR IT APART! If you let that fluid go for 150,000 miles, all that friction material and metal wear from the clutch packs is just going to clog the unserviceable filter, starve the pumps, and grenade the entire unit. Spending a little cash on fresh fluid now is cheap insurance compared to buying a whole new transmission later.

What frequency do you think is good for the hybrid transmission? I'm at 35k and plan at doing at 40k

 

[BK007]

What frequency do you think is good for the hybrid transmission? I'm at 35k and plan at doing at 40k

Doing it at 40k miles is a good plan. Since 95% of us fall under the severe service cycle anyway, 40k–50k miles for the eCVT. Just what I have read on the eCVT Hybrid Trans.

 

[HeyBales]

In case anyone is wondering what that severe list is:

What Are Considered Severe Driving Conditions
A vehicle that is
driven for short trips of less than 5–10 mi (8–16 km),
driving in temperatures well below or above average,
driving in any dusty conditions,
idling more than recommended such as in traffic, and
driving with a heavy load or while towing a load
are considered severe driving conditions.
If the vehicle is driven in any of these conditions, follow the severe service maintenance items listed in the scheduled maintenance chart.

 

[GearGuy]

In case anyone is wondering what that severe list is:

What Are Considered Severe Driving Conditions
A vehicle that is
driven for short trips of less than 5–10 mi (8–16 km),
driving in temperatures well below or above average,
driving in any dusty conditions,
idling more than recommended such as in traffic, and
driving with a heavy load or while towing a load
are considered severe driving conditions.
If the vehicle is driven in any of these conditions, follow the severe service maintenance items listed in the scheduled maintenance chart.

In addition, from the owner's manual...

Items impacted by severe service:

• Every 48,000 km (30,000 mi) Change the automatic transmission fluid.
• Every 96,000 km (60,000 mi) Replace the spark plugs.

Axle and PTU Maintenance

The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) and rear axle (AWD only) in your vehicle does not require any scheduled maintenance. The PTU lubricant may be more likely to require a fluid change if the vehicle has extended periods of extreme or severe duty cycle driving. Changing or checking the PTU lubricant is not necessary unless the unit has been submerged in water, shows sign of leakage.​

​

Hot Climate Oil Change Intervals

Vehicles operating in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa or locations with similar climates using an American Petroleum Institute (API) Certified for Gasoline Engines (Certification mark) oil of SM or SN quality, the oil change interval is 8,000 km (5,000 mi).​

​

I've changed my engine oil at a higher frequency through the break in process, which I believe typically levels out at around 15k miles (see YouTube Motor Oil Geek). Wear metals will vary in particle size, both large enough to be trapped by an oil filter and small enough that they pass through and remain in circulation. Changing the engine oil is necessary to remove these smaller particles. And of course with the PTU & RDU there is no filtration. I do tow a light pop-up camper a few times a year, and I've been meaning to service my PTU, RDU and transmission to flush out the break in metals, but its been hard to find the time. Soon though.

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