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Rear Main Replaced needs it again!


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I had the rear main replaced under warranty 5 months ago. Had an oil change found rear main leaking again. It has been only 5 months. Getting out of hand now with all the recalls and now the need to pull the engine and transmision for a second time. Love CMAX but this is a real problem! lt is warranty covered. I have 58k on the car.

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I had the rear main replaced under warranty 5 months ago. Had an oil change found rear main leaking again. It has been only 5 months. Getting out of hand now with all the recalls and now the need to pull the engine and transmision for a second time. Love CMAX but this is a real problem! lt is warranty covered. I have 58k on the car.

What's a "rear main"?

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What's a "rear main"?

 

It's a seal around the crankshaft (the output shaft of the engine).  It keeps engine oil from leaking.

 

Typically, an engine will have two, one in front where the crankshaft comes out to power the belt used to drive things like the power steering pump, radiator fan, water pump, alternator, etc.  The other, the rear main seal, where the crankshaft emerges from the engine to attach to the transmission.  C-Max has only a rear seal since all the other stuff (e.g. power steering pump) is electrical.

 

Hope this helps.

 

PS:  There's also a "rear main" bearing, but they don't leak.

Edited by Bill-N
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I had the rear main replaced under warranty 5 months ago. Had an oil change found rear main leaking again. It has been only 5 months. Getting out of hand now with all the recalls and now the need to pull the engine and transmision for a second time. Love CMAX but this is a real problem! lt is warranty covered. I have 58k on the car.

 

Hi rajames2,

 

I'm glad this repair will be covered; I know your dealership will do all they can to make sure you're back on the road again soon. Additionally, I can assist by pushing this up the line to your regional customer service manager (CSM). To make that happen, send me a private message with your full name, best daytime phone number, VIN, current mileage, and servicing dealership.

 

Crystal

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Thanks for the description. A bit upset they are doing such a major repair twice in six months. This is one of those things that is rare to need replacement on a car with 48 K miles much less twice. I expect Ford should do more than say oops and tear the car down again. Don't flame me. I appreciate that it is under warranty. my concern is there is an underlying reason. the repair being done is treating the sympton not correcting the problem and in six months it will go out again. :)

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Compared with the old days, rear main seals have become really, well designed and built and are usually trouble free.  I would suggest the dealer investigate the possibility of excessive crankcase pressure (defect in PCV system?  Engine oil overfill?)

 

Also, while there are no driven accessories off the front of the crankshaft, there is a front seal, for the harmonic balancer

Edited by BIG ROCCO
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Thanks. I will ask them about both of those suggestions.

Engine oil overfill could be a result of the incorrect dipstick.  Also, any fluid (coolant? Fuel?) leaking into the crankcase would result in too high of a level and the crankshaft/connecting rods hitting the oil and causing frothing/foaming and increase in pressure.

 

PCV systems used to have a fairly large movable valve - nowadays a fairly small fixed orifice is common - not sure what the CMax engine uses, but if that valve/orifice is plugged, that will cause the pressure to rise and blow out seals.

 

Another cause of high crankcase pressure is excessive blow by past the rings...probably not the case at such low mileage, but it is possible if something broke like a ring or a piston land

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Compared with the old days, rear main seals have become really, well designed and built and are usually trouble free.  I would suggest the dealer investigate the possibility of excessive crankcase pressure (defect in PCV system?  Engine oil overfill?)

 

Also, while there are no driven accessories off the front of the crankshaft, there is a front seal, for the harmonic balancer

 

Ditto (emphasis mine).

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Crystal did you get my PM? Had an issue with send.

 

Thank you Crystal. Your help is very much appreciated. I have sent you a PM with all the informatio.

Thanks for letting me know! I don't see any messages from you in my inbox. I double checked, and my inbox isn't full yet, so you should be able to message me. :)

 

Meagan

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Got my car back Friday afternoon. They say they have no idea why the rear main gasket would fail not just once but twice. Looks like I will need to get rid of the car.

 

What's the deal ?  Are they buying it back rather than fixing it ?

Edited by obob
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I asked for a buyback. I was told they would give me an answer Monday. We shall see but I am not going to hold my breath. There is a cause for the failures and they are just putting a bandaid on it with no idea of the cause. The tone of the email from the area service manager sounded more like oh- well :(

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Maybe someone at Ford could look at the old seal and get an idea what the failure mode was?  Could be a lot of reasons including being damaged while installing.   This cost Ford a lot of money too and they don't want to replace this every 5 months either.   Maybe the third time will take care of it?  Does not seem to be a common issue on this car so far. 

 

Good luck.

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The Ford dealership found no cause for the seal going out. I tried to get some help from Ford. The area service manager was of zero help. In fact rather abrupt about telling me that's the way it goes. My dealership did help giving me by some help. I found on line that they had a few 2015 models left. I called the GM and let him know what was happening. I told him what I wanted and he did just that so I now have a new 2015 SEL. I am happy with them but Fords rep is way down on my Christmas list. I really dnidnt want to keep on with the problem :)

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The Ford dealership found no cause for the seal going out. I tried to get some help from Ford. The area service manager was of zero help. In fact rather abrupt about telling me that's the way it goes. My dealership did help giving me by some help. I found on line that they had a few 2015 models left. I called the GM and let him know what was happening. I told him what I wanted and he did just that so I now have a new 2015 SEL. I am happy with them but Fords rep is way down on my Christmas list. I really dnidnt want to keep on with the problem :)

I'm curious if you notice a MPG difference between the two CMAX's and anything else. :)

 

Paul

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Jus did a four hundred mile road trip that I do quite often. Two thirds freeway at 65 last third two lane at 55. Many high mountain passes on borh. Lots of up and down hill driving. Averaged 43 on yhe 2013 and 43 with the 2015. The new cr not broken in and of cource new tires so I think it will go up ip nd up! :)

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