FYI
Registering 33000 miles and over 5 years old for my 2011 TK our Ford dealer replaced a pinion seal and replaced the synthetic differential lubricant and additive to the tune of $500. Service advisor when asked how does this happen? said when parked for long periods the seal drys out. It does stay parked longer than our car does.
Yes, just like RV tires, they age out before they wear out.
FYI
Registering 33000 miles and over 5 years old for my 2011 TK our Ford dealer replaced a pinion seal and replaced the synthetic differential lubricant and additive to the tune of $500. Service advisor when asked how does this happen? said when parked for long periods the seal drys out. It does stay parked longer than our car does.
The usual recommendation in the manual is to drive it a few miles once a month, which exercises all the seals and tires, too. I guess that even every other month would be just as effective. Is periodic driving not possible for your situation?
FYI
Registering 33000 miles and over 5 years old for my 2011 TK our Ford dealer replaced a pinion seal and replaced the synthetic differential lubricant and additive to the tune of $500. Service advisor when asked how does this happen? said when parked for long periods the seal drys out. It does stay parked longer than our car does.
How does one know if seals need to be replaced? Are there symptoms of this or is it something that should be addressed in an overall inspection after buying an older rig that may have been sitting?
The seals will leak when they are bad. A mechanic's inspection should see it.
Hi Allen. That is very unusual to have a bearing seal go out at only 33k miles. Almost always that can be traced to a manufacturing defect; i.e. damaged during assembly, or a problem with the sealing surfaces, lubricant used on the sealing surfaces, etc. The differential oil itself should be ok. In my experience something 'sitting for a long time' won't cause this.
I have poor experiences with 'service managers. I think mechanics that couldn't 'hack it' as mechanics. RonB