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The engine computer mileage calculation for each tank generally comes out pretty close, but with a little 'jitter' from my computed MPG for each tank. I generally reset the computer's gas mileage after each fill up.
I am not known as a 'slow' driver, so some of you will probably get better MPG. However, I try to drive smoothly (which means not slowing down much unless I have to) ;-)
One company (sorry...cant think of the name) has a solution that the magazine apparently very successfully tested. It's kind of hard to describe, but involves a secondary small inline filter further up the intake pipe. The pipe at this point has rubber flaps around the circumference. Thes flaps are normally fully closed, but in the event the lower end of the pipe fills with water, these flaps open, allowing dry air to enter the engine. (Theres a foam filter element surrounding these flaps). At some point after leaving the "puddle", the water drains back down and out the main filter.
If anyone wants more details, I can try to go out and locate the magazine/name of it/issue that includes the article.
Sidenote: A year or 2 ago, detailed dyno tests about these filters were done over on one of the BMW lists. To make a long story short, the biggest factor in HP/TORQUE gains wasnt necessarily the air temps, but the underhood air turbulence caused by the cooling fan. This turbulence interfered with the actual volume of air being sucked into the cone filter. Visible dyno gains were noticed by simply placing a piece of cardboard between the cone filter and the cooling fan, to eliminate the turbulence.
Brian
Note to 90mercsable: I think you hit the nail on the head. Dealers probably don't stock it because of the cost and because most people either aren't aware of it or don't want it. Of the literally hundreds of LSs I've seen on dealer lots in Central Texas, only half a dozen or fewer had AdvanceTrac.
I have it on my '01 V8 Sport, and in 7 months I haven't activated it once. I'm still glad I have it, and I would definitely order it again, but I'd bet that the penetration rate is less than 5%. I do think that Ford is committed to this sort of system, though, because it's becoming available on more and more Ford models all the time. You can even get it on the Focus now.
Maybe you're thinking of the audiophile sport audio package?
Lincoln mailed me a color brochure on the '01 premium package. If I remember right, it could NOT be ordered with Sport Pkg. I haven't seen one. Wondered if anyone here has one. Do you like it? I liked the seat logos and picture of the leather surface. Is it selling well. (Wish Sport Pkg included different, sport seats.)
That's what happens when I assume too much. Most dealers around my area load up the models and the Sports usually have the Advance-Trac option on them. Wonder why they don't make it a standard part of the Sport package?
Thanks to everyone who corrected my error.
Brian(who should probably look at the brochure before speaking)
The biggest downside to me is the fact that you can't get the SST shifter. Premium has the wood shift knob and wood-and-leather steering wheel rather than the leather-covered ones from the Sport; it also has the chrome bumper strips.
The biggest upside is that the Audiophile sound system is included. The in-dash CD changer is standard on Premium, and the $605 discount is currently in effect, which reduces the V8 retail price to $3090 (V6 is $400 less, I think).
The new light/medium parchment and light graphite/deep charcoal interior colors are unique to Premium, as is the new exterior color called Ceramic White. It's non-tricoat and is similar to the Vibrant White available on the '00 model. The other exterior colors for Premium are Medium Cypress, Ivory, Silver Frost, and Black.
I've looked on dealer lots several times since the Premium Package was introduced, but I've yet to see one. My local mega-dealer's LS stock has dwindled drastically over the past couple of months from a usual 40-50 cars to probably 15 or fewer. They just don't seem to be shipping many LSs to this part of the country right now.
2000 LS light parchment list $39975 your price $32950
2000 LS autumn red list $39250 your price $32350
2000 LS white pearl list$39320 your price $32400
any thoughts?? Thanks!
Brian
If I was you, I'd check out the respective build dates. Look on door jam but also look on window sticker, if still available (or maybe they have a copy somewhere in business office if dealer was original seller and these are used cars). Also check to see when they went into use. Might be better to have a later build '00 LS than an earlier one. But a later build one with same or higher miles, esp. if put into service later, might indicate someone putting high miles on it quickly. If possible, try to talk to the original owners. Why did s/he sell? See if you can get service, maintenance, & warranty repair records. Long shot: maybe Service Tech might know something about it?
also... I almost passed on the midnight gray ext. I thought it would show the dirt and dust (which it did on the model that was on the lot...but you know, there is nothing more beautiful (IMHO) than a deep dark gray metalic...after it's just been washed and those chrome hubs buffed and polished and tires treated...
Unless it's really dirty even after several weeks of no washing it still looks great.
I think the biggest problem is the polished wheels. They show dirt after a day or two.
As for resale I can't say. I can only tell you the color is rare. I seldom see it besides my own.
Which I think is a good thing
Kevin
So, speaking of trim, I searched and could not find, all I want is the wood trim that covers the AC/Stereo/ and center vents, that matches the existing wood. Called exoticwood and they won't piece it out. I would have to buy a whole kit. And the dealer quoted me $650, although I don't know if that was for an entire kiet. Does anyone know where to get the trim I am looking for?
And another annoyance is somewhere to put my shades. Up by the upper controls near the sunroof is an ideal place for sunglass storage, why didn't Lincoln put this there, it seems to have enough room. Anyway, I am being picky. How are you all storing your shades? I don't want to put them in the armrest, to much other stuff in there already.
Jeff
Brian
Both ATC and TRAC are set to default to on. If you switch off ATC or TRAC with the console button, that only stays off until the next time you start your car, then it switches back on again.
Brian
Johnnylinc: The LS I bought at Pavilion had the Advance-Trac option - no charge.
Kinny- I had that musty smell a few times during the winter, but it was a "new car" musty smell. Just before the car's 1st anniversary from purchase date (at about 10,000 km and two months after build date) the message center told me to change the filter. I thought the two events were related (a "musty sensor"?) but Day F-L told me that the message comes on prematurely because the cars can sit around at dealers or warehouses before they are sold and that the computer is counting that time too; a lame explanation, but I'll accept it for now. They told me to just reset the message back to zero again without replacing the filter.(The scheduled time for the filter change- at their expense of course, is still a long way off.) I would expect that the smell is coming from the filter, and not from the condenser itself, and for the price of a filter (probably not cheap) one could find out. Or maybe take the filter out and smell it. In any event, these are symptoms, and as you say maybe poor drainage of the coils could be causing all this. I'd sure like to find out before it becomes an "old car" musty smell. That A/C spray they sell at auto stores has done the job temporarily in previous cars I've owned, but I look at it as giving me a choice of dying from either the mould and fungus, or the chemicals meant to kill the mould and fungus.:)
BTW- Kinny, I'm just curious- Did you get any freebies, such as flute glasses or touch-up paint when you bought your LS? That is, of course, other than a "free" engine/tranny etc. I've been told that the flute glass promotion is US only.
Also - saw your car parked next to mine at the Price Club a while back -Black is Beautiful!
Regards - Brian.
Secondly, many many posts ago someone explained how the outside temp sensor logic worked and how high outside temperatures and whether or not the engine was warm determined if the sensor took readings every second or every XX minutes. Where can I find that explanation again? Thanks.
Regarding AdvanceTrac, it is definitely an option. For 2000, it was available only on auto-trans cars; it started at $725 and was increased to $735 later in the '00 model year. It's still $735 for 2001, and is now available on the manual, too.
If your car has it, it will be listed as an option on the window sticker, and the button on your console will have the letters "ATS" on it. Also, the last item on your message center status display (V8 models only) will say "ADVANCETRAC OK". If your console button says "TRAC", then you have the standard-equipment traction control system, but no AdvanceTrac.
If someone at Pavilion told you your car had AdvanceTrac as standard equipment, they were mistaken--it isn't standard on any 2000 or 2001 LS.
Brian(who is looking forward to normal pizza, not this SoCal stuff they call pizza:))
I'm coming up for my 20,000 Km service in a week or so, and I'll inquire about the smell and see what they say. They treat me very well at Day F-L, but I don't think they'll give me another LS over this issue :-)
Yes the black is nice *when* it's clean which as you know hasn't been very often over the last six months. But, Spring is here and I try to keep it as clean as possible now. I think I am going to try claying the car. BTW: If anyone has any tips on claying, I'd appreciate hearing about them.
As for freebies, you are correct, the flutes are for the US market only. Instead, I received a really nice package from Lincoln which consisted of a black leather portfolio (about 12 X 15 inches) made by Roots with the Lincoln logo embossed on the front and inside is a very nice pen (not sure who makes it) with the Linclon logo and name etched into it. There was also a pad of 8.5 X 11 note paper, again with the Lincoln logo on it.
I also received a complimentary membership in the Qwest travel club which gives you discounts on food and lodging. I think we saved a couple of hundred dollars on our last trip to Florida using it for hotels, etc.
Take care.
I'll admit my best times were two or three seconds slower than the top runners, but frankly, I thought the AdvanceTrac operation was very non-intrusive and subtle.
If I had really tried to push my LS to the limit, I expect I could do better with it off, but for almost all ordinary every day driving circumstances I think it provides an important and very effective safety factor that will almost always help, rather than hinder.
Bill
Bruno
My MPG was averaging 20 for the first tank, that was mostly highway driving. I am on the second tank and doing mostly city driving, and of course testing the acceleration, now at almost half a tank and avering 16.7MPG. Almost at the 17 stated for my 2001 LS build 2/01, so I guess I can't complain. And if I recall, someone said the MPG increases slightly with the breakin period. I am also the victim of San Diego sucky gas and high prices for the crap. Someone wanna send me a tank of that good stuff from Arizona :-).
Jeff
I'm not sure that "claying" is the proper term and I have never done it yet..... but my understanding is that we can purchase a clay bar which I *assume* is an extremely fine grit clay material that when rubbed over the car removes all of the surface imperfections caused by old wax, scuffs, road dirt, salt, etc. I imagine that this is something like a mild rubbing compound. Again, this is an assumption unless someone corrects me, but this is done prior to giving your car the summer treatment which in my case is a Mother's brand cleaner, sealer and wax. (No I'm not trying to start a brand name war here folks:-)
I first heard about claying on this board and I wanted to really give my black LS-6 5M the works now that the better weather is fast approaching.
So again, if anyone can offer any advice on claying, I'd really like to hear it.
--Kinny
Turns out that if you drag appropriately manufactured and lubricated clay across your car's finish, the clay will grab onto any particulate matter that may have been embedded into it. The stuff really does work (and anyone who has been following any forum I've been involved in should know I'm a skeptic at the best of times), but is a dfinitely labour-intensive.
The Zaino zealots will tell you it's worthwhile, but I'm not so sure. I bought it and used it, but got very little crud off my new car. OTOH, it took off a mystery mist/splash spotting that my wife's van had on it that was resistant to everything else. Using clay ("Claymagic" or some such is another brand name) does tend to leave a very smooth surface, which you would then clean with Dawn or a similar mild grease-cutting detergent, followed by the surface protectant of your choice. I've done all this, and it's rewarding. Much more so on a painted surface (yes, many of you have heard this before) that doesn't look like it was put on with a roller.
As far as the radio problem goes Pavilion was the one who actually fixed the problem. They added a second ground wire to the amp. The service manager had seen this before. I did talk with your contact at Covert about the radio problem back when it first started about 6 weeks ago. It turns out the the same guy who fixes Covert's radio problems is the same guy who tried to fix radios at Pavilion.
I had read somewhere you work at Solectron. I worked at IBM for 17 years before Solectron bought us out. I stayed with Solectron for about 6 months before moving on. Prior to my IBM service I worked at the TI plant from 79-82. Small world.
When the in-dash CD player in my Mark 7 conked out (around '92 or so), I took it to Covert and they did the same deal you described earlier--a subcontractor swapped out the entire unit. I don't remember the name of the sub; may have been the same one. Worked out OK for me, though; it was a 1-day fix and the unit worked fine from then on.
Have you noticed how Pavilion's LS stock has dwindled to almost nothing? I went & looked on Sunday--they haven't gotten any new ones in weeks, and 5 or 6 of the ones they have are 2000 models. Maybe it's due to the plant shutdown or something, but they sure don't have the number of units they used to carry. I wonder if this is the case at dealers in other parts of the country.
Yeah, I'm at Solectron. Been in the same plant since '78; heck, we might've been in meetings together way back when! Seems like a lot of the IBM folks have left--likely a good idea, too. I probably should have done the same when we got bought. Companies don't treat employees the way they did when I started with TI. We're all just meat now.
Glad you got your car fixed; thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding.
http://media.ford.com/
http://www.auto.com/industry/ny11_20010411.htm
Best thing to do is wait for month or quarter end, then go in. Most Sales managers/people are likely paid on monthly/quarterly sales, so you can better negotiate on these days. Best thing to do is research your payment options, buy vs lease, and work out your expected payments for each. If you want more thoughts on either option, let me know which and I can give some insight?
Best thing to always do is try started near invoice pricing, check the Edmunds TMV and work from there. TMV for my vehicle, 2001 V8 with moonroof, Audiophile system, and premium wheels was $37,500. I negotiated down to $36K. Dealers get fleet pricing usually, which is below invoice, so the 2% holdback on invoice is usually greater, including incentives which are likely going on now since car sales are way down. If it were me, I would offer 5% below invoice for a 2000 model. Mostly because dealers are motivated to move the inventory if it has been costing them money to hold the inventory. This depends on their financing though, many dealers actually finance their inventory, so this may not work. However, if one of the 2000's is used, then you can work this plan.
As you can see, a lot of variables. If the dealer laughs when you offer a low price, then they are likely not motivated. I had this happen when I bought my 1996 Taurus. Told one dealer I wanted to spend $17K, $3K under invoice, he said I would never get that. A couple of dealers later, I drove off with what I wanted. Be diligent. I drove back to the original dealer to show off, he wasn't happy :-).
Jeff
There were a few first-year bug issues with the 2000s. The only one I would worry about is the "51mph drone" as that's the only bug they haven't got a definitive fix for, altho it's rare in the 2001s. The drone sound appears under light acceleration at that speed. Test drive carefully and listen. Many 2000s had adjustable headrests for rear passengers. Early ones may even have the audiophile radio with the sports package - an unavailable combination since early 2000.
Course the 2000 is going on 2 years old, model-wise timeframe. But it is a new car, and your warranty would still have 4 years on it.
The prices went up at least $1000 in 2001. So a $40K 2000 = $41K+ 2001. Edmunds TMV, probably a realistic price to pay for an LS, says $38,500 for a 2001 stickering at $41.3K.
So $5500 or so more out-of-pocket for a 2001. (Or only $4000 or so more if you can negotiate a deal like Jeff, above.) For that you get current year, complimetary maintenance (3yrs), a different cupholder design, an extra power point and child seat anchors.
Also, the recent 2001s have some new interior options available that the 2000s did not.
So that's it, IMHO. Either choice is good and the car really is great.
If you travel a heck of a lot and with wife/kids, the '01s' changes make this a bit easier. But I love fact my '00 Sport has the full-size spare w/rim, rear headrests, & audiophile. If you want those items in the Sport then maybe go '00.
I much preferred the Motor Trend artist rendering of the Lincoln suicide-door convertible with some of the '61 styling cues, FYI. Hey, why not add suicide doors to the current LS and make that a convertible? Who's making a four-door convertible these days?
If you need a market research guy in the very affluent Atlanta area, I'm your man. I work for a bank and know what all the new-generation bankers want to drive.
Thanks, as always, for listening.
Another die-hard LS owner,
Steve Glauser
The only downside is that if you intend to trade the car in after a couple of years, you will be a year down in value.
Brian
It is difficult to see enough of the Mark 9 concept to offer an opinion but I, for one, would love to see a coupe on the LS platform.
The concept drawing shown in Motor Trend is interesting - sounds like we are seeing some styling cues for the facelifted LS. IMHO, the styling cues would be a better fit for the Town Car or Continental. I would love to see Lincoln more competitive with those. A Continental on a stretched DEW platform with the 5.4 DOHC engine could make Lincoln a player against the Lexus LS 430, et al. It is a shame that in many markets Lincoln has to discount Town Cars and Continentals $10,000 off MSRP to move them.
Like many others, I would like to see a bit more distictive front and rear end on the LS. A major change to the retro look isn't necessarily my first choice. I think it adds to the integrity of the brand when you maintain some identity from year to year even as sheetmetal is changed. Note that while a new Mercedes looks modern, you can sure see the family resemblence to a 1990 model.
http://www.autoshowny.com/newproducts1.cfm?manufac=Lincoln
http://www.autonews.com/html/main/nyshow/lincolnny.htm
As a former Mark 7 & Mark 8 owner, I'm really jazzed that Lincoln has a Mark concept car at the show. I'm less jazzed that they used the Town Car platform, though--a DEW98-based Mark with the 4.6 four-cam Cobra engine (or the 5.4 suggested by brucelinc) seems much more logical.
I'm especially jazzed that they used the absolute best color combo for a car: Black exterior, red interior! Booyah! The lipstick red seats are a bit much, but the rusty red on the steering wheel and dash would be a PERFECT interior color for the LS. Hope someone at HQ is reading this.
JLinc, still not quite used to having his first 4-door...