I HAVE FLUID LEAKING OUT OF MY FRONT AXLE VENT TUBE CREATING QUITE A MESS ON MY 1997 EXPEDITION. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL WHICH IS CORRECT AND THE VENT TUBE HOSE AND VALVE AT THE END ARE UNOBSTRUCTED.. THE TUBE IS ROUTED INTO THE ENGINE AREA AND IS ABOUT 2' LONG. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM AUCTION SO I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY ON IT BUT IT LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN LEAKING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I HAVE NOT USED 4 WHEEL DRIVE YET. COULD THE FLUID BE THE WRONG TYPE IN IT? IT LOOKS CLEAR.

 

I've seen this problem a couple of times. Every time it seems to be that the vent tube has been routed incorrectly, make sure that the tube does not have any traps in it, like under your sink, the tube cannot have any bends in it that brings it back below itself again. Like the trap under your sink. What happens is, when the oil is getting thrown around in the axle it goes up that tube slightly, if there is a trap in the tube, the fluid coolects there, as the axle heats up from driving, the pressure in the axle goes up, the onlly place for the pressure to release is through that tube, since it is now full of oil in that trap, it pushes the oil out the top of the tube, thus you have oil leaking out. Good luck.

 

There was a TSB (not a recall) on the front axle housing of '97 (and maybe '98) model Expeditions. The original housing has the vent in one place- I think it was verticle on the tube- and the new housing has a horizontal vent where it connects to the differential. Sounds like the original owner never had the TSB performed. It's probably too late now to get Ford to pay for the new design housing, but you might give it a try.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll check the dealer to see if I can get the new vent tube part. The hose seems to be routed ok but does lay flat when it crosses the frame, I'll try raising it also. John D.