Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Lincoln LS General Care & Maintenance

2

Comments

  • kargkarg Member Posts: 20
    Changing those V6 plugs is a bear - but I've got it down to a science.

    I just did my 100K overhaul with new Bosch +2 Platinum plugs, fuel filter, cabin air, oil/filter change, tire rotation, changed all 4 rotors and brakes out inside of about 5 hours. What a marathon - but the car performs just a bit better.

    Now - I've just got to fix the right rear window - as the little white plug must have come out because the window doesn't go down with the regulator and then will come crashing down. It also won't go back up the whole way. Ah - the only REAL problem I've had with this car...
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    I have replaced the front pads/rotors. The front rotors were loose. How do I break loose stuck rear rotors? Will spraying the center and base of studs with WD40 and hitting the rotor with mallet work?

    Where is the fuel filter? I bought the fuel filter several months ago.

    Joe
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Behind the driver's side front wheel well IIRC.
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    What did the rotors cost you? I replaced my pads, but I think my rotors might be slightly warped, hence I might need to replace them also. Did you replace the fuel filter and did you run into any problems?
    Craig
  • kargkarg Member Posts: 20
    I can't remember what the exact cost were of the rotors - but I order the cheapest front and rear (china made) ones from advancedauto's on-line store and they shipped for free!

    So - they were really reasonable. The pads however - I ordered the fronts from fastpartsnetwork and they were quite a bit.

    The fuel filter is EASY to change. It's best to remove the front wheel - driver's side front. Then if you have mud flaps - remove that flap. Then on the bottom of the large plastic wheel well liner - near the rear edge and under the body are a couple of those darn clips that you need pliers to pull out the center. Then there is one in the back - straight in, and 2 on top. Then you have to kinda push the liner back and down to get it out. I believe a 5/16 or 8mm socket will loosen the bolt holding the filter. First carefully remove the white plastic clips (flat screw driver) and pry the hoses away from the filter. Then loosen the filter from the body and remove. The mount can be fun to remove and replace the filter - just a little patience!

    Get ready to be bathed in gasoline! Its a $1.32 shower at least!

    Hope that helps.
  • rdkingmanrdkingman Member Posts: 1
    speaking of rear window problems! i have an '01 LS V8. it has been a great car, i have 80,000 miles and no problems until my left rear window dropped about 4 inches after hearing something snap....i live in a rural community and it would be a couple of weeks before i could get to the city! in the meantime the right rear window did the same thing! anyone else experience this? is it the plastic belt??
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    The rear caliper pistons are tough to push back in. I know they have two notches and they have to be rotated back in. I had a special tool that is a cube with so many different shape 2 or 4 notches 180 or 90 degree apart that worked fine on my 95 Cutlass. None of the notches fit the LS. The LS caliper has larger piston and the notches are farther apart. I bought a Ford-specific tool from Napa for $15. The tool made the piston rotate, but it did not retract. I was pushing in while rotating it...After hours of frustration, finally I put my 7.0" C-clamp on it, and starting clamping it. To my surprize, the piston started rotating and retracting at the same time. It was odd the way it was behaving but it worked.

    If you are doing the work yourself, also remove the caliper sliding pins, clean, lubricate, and reinstall. My lower left pin was frozen. I pulled back the rubber booth, sprayed some WD40 on it, let it sit 10 minutes, used a crescent wrench to rotate the pin, used C-clamp to push it in a little, and a screw driver and a mallet to pull it out. It was all rusted. Used sand paper and wired brush to clean both the pin and the guide hole.

    I bought Brembo rotors for both front and rear. They were like $55 for front and $45 for rear each. These were made in Italy. The ones for my Explorer were made in Mexico. Front pads are Napa's cermic type about $50. NO BRAKE DUST!! I am very impressed. For rear, I bought Napa's $25 pads. I will see how well the rear pads stay dust free.

    The LS has 112K miles on it and this was the first brake job.

    Joe
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    It's the regulators. You can buy the regulator without the motor for around $30. It will take you about 2 hours to do the first one, 45 minutes for the second one.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    Our 2000 LS V-6 with 114K miles does not start. It cranks like it wants to start then dies right away. Has anyone had this issue before? The battery is about a year old.

    Thanks,
    Joe
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    sound like fuel pump failure. Check if pump is working.
  • jetstangjetstang Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the advice. I had a rear caliper freeze up today and had smoke coming from the pads. I went to Autozone and got a loaner tool for $35 with 10 adapters for different piston sizes to screw the piston back while applying pressure to the piston, worked great, then installed new pads. I am trying to reuse the rear caliper for now since I would have to order the caliper anyway and got my car back on the road tonight, except I only bleed one side so the peddle is soft. It is late, I will change the other side pads tomorrow night and bleed it correctly. Oh, the symptom was that the car acted like a tire was out of balance :confuse: intermittendly, and the car would run smooth, then shake and sound like a flat tire, then run smooth again, very confusing.
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    Good info on the brake tool from Autozone, thanks. I did my brakes last winter and made a tool out of wood and nails, which made the job much harder than it needed to be. Next time I'll rent the tool. I'm planning to change the auto trans fluid this week and waiting for the filter to come in from Advance Auto. Job doesn't look too difficult except I must pump the new fluid in since there is no dipstick. My tranny is mis-behaving (clunks when changing gears and sometimes hesitates when put into drive). Had it rebuilt once already be the dealer at 15k miles (under warranty) but now has 53k miles and acting up again. Hoping new fluid will help.
  • jetstangjetstang Member Posts: 16
    Actually it is a loaner tool, you "rent/buy" it for $35, and return it for a refund when you are done, no charge to use the tool. It is a good program they have. They loan AC manifold, guages, and pumps here, plus 100 other tools, check it out. Good luck on your tranny job.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    You really should get the tranny flushed at the dealer - that will get 95% of the old fluid out. They use the cooler lines to remove the old fluid and replace it with new with the engine running. Much better than dropping the pan where you only get about 1/3 of the fluid.
  • jetstangjetstang Member Posts: 16
    On the tranny flush, I understand the concept and the claim of 90% plus new fluid, but how can you pump new fluid into a full tranny oil pan and torque converter and expect only the old fluid to come out? It is good to flush the tranny, but the percent effective is over estimated I am sure. Just my 2 cents.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Because it uses the transmission's own pump. Think about it - when you're driving the transmission is pumping the fluid and sending it through the cooler. You can try this yourself with a couple of 5 gallon buckets and rubber hose - just make sure not to contaminate the new fluid or run it low.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    I much rather have them drop the pan, clean the pan, replace the filter/screen, put it together and then flush the whole thing. Flushing without removing the pan is a lazy way to get it done. My 96 Camry had a drain plug in the trasmission pan, once a year I was able to drain and replace about 3 quarts at a time.

    Joe
  • jetstangjetstang Member Posts: 16
    You should change the filter also, but I think we all agree that any maintenance is better than no maintenance. As for my brakes, bleed the brakes for an hour, never got a decent pedal, I think you have to get the piston to rotate back out to get a full pedal, I don't know??? Drove it around the block, and the caliper is still sticking and the rotor is too hot to touch and smells like it's burning, new caliper tomorrow. Oh, make sure you flush your brake fluid also :) Is there a link for changing the clock spring, and how do you disable the air bag since the fuse box is so nicely marked.
  • jetstangjetstang Member Posts: 16
    Hey,
    I am replacing my caliper on my 01 LS and have a choice of Phenolic or metal piston in the caliper. I didnt' know they made phenolic pistons, and that would cure the piston corrosion problems if they are strong enough to live. Any one with any experience with this? Thanks.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    There is no reason to change the filter. If there is enough crap in there to clog up the filter, the tranny is already toast. This advice comes from a former transmission engineer. He flushes his every 30K but doesn't drop the pan.
  • bonniesboytoybonniesboytoy Member Posts: 11
    I haven't read all the replies to this but the drivers rear window is on a do not recall recall. Linc has tons of problems with this and should replace it for free. They did mine last month..TFC...
  • mpoundersmpounders Member Posts: 4
    where is the PCV Valve located? My car staling when stoping :(
  • dryden57dryden57 Member Posts: 8
    you have to take off the plenum, then the intake it should be under there if thats where the hissing sound is coming from if yours is a 3.0. I have an s type jag it idles rough the stalls and there is a hissing sound
  • richman1richman1 Member Posts: 4
    I have been having a problem on quick acceleration. My car runs fine at almost any speed, but when I push it to the floor and goes to a lower gear it coughs and misses. Does anyone know what that sounds like?
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    "Does anyone know what that sounds like? "

    Ah, I'll give it a shot -

    "Vrrrroooo ohm -ohppfff bubbubbubbaaaa arggarrgg clickaclicka schploot"

    Is that close?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Careful jeyhoe - I'm starting to like you.

    As for the cause I'd say COPs or fuel pump.
  • richman1richman1 Member Posts: 4
    That is very close.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    richman

    Yeah, I should only have my own radio show with my brother! :)

    akirby is usually right about these things, so check those out. Course if it's fuel line, cheapest possible is fuel filter. Other than that, I dunno. Good luck and thanks for havin sense of humor.
  • brucelincbrucelinc Member Posts: 815
    If the sound really ends in "clickaclicka schploot" your problem could be terminal!

    Seriously, you will probably need to have the engine scanned for any codes. Even if the check engine light doesn't come on, diagnostics can be done. Like Akirby, I would be suspicious of fuel pressure. That could be filter, fuel pressure regulator, or fuel pump. A bad COP could also cause the problem. They can stress test the COPS and pinpoint if they are the problem.

    There are SO many things that can cause this, I wouldn't recommend just throwing parts at it. Mine had a problem last week and it was caused by an insect getting caught in the mass air flow sensor.
  • cumptrnrdcumptrnrd Member Posts: 53
    Hey,

    I'm thinking about getting an '02 Lincoln LS V8 from Carmax (Stock# 4308961 in Waukesha, WI for those who want to look it up). It has 57K miles on it, and it's $14,998.

    I liked this car ever since it came out, but I've been reading reviews since I'm thinking about getting one, and they have definitely been very mixed. I've seen a lot of people saying they've had a lot of repair/maintenance issues, and that the car is expensive to maintain, in which case I don't know if I want to get it...

    Also, I read that many improvements were made starting in '03, and that the '00-'02 LS V8s had some transmission problems...

    I was just wondering if I could get some reviews from some actual owners...
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Actually the 03's had more transmission problems than the 02s. The 02 was the best year of the first gen - it actually has about 10 more hp than advertised due to a new airbox. You'll probably have to replace the COPs and maybe the valve cover gaskets but the tranny should be fine (famous last words). The other potential replacements are sway bars/bushings and front ball joints. Keep in mind that many folks have had none of these problems on their 00-02 LS while some have had most or all of these. The bargain purchase price more than makes up for a few repairs and it's a great car to drive. That car probably stickered over $40K new.

    Do you get a warranty from CarMax?
  • richman1richman1 Member Posts: 4
    I have had my LS for 38 months. It had 32000mi when I bought. It now has 154000mi. It has been a great car. I have replaced 3 Ignition coils, $250.each. I have replaced the front rotors, etc. $200. I replaced all 4 wheels, I had a front end vibration that we could not get rid of. I spent $125.00 for after market wheels, no more vibration. I drive all road miles 125mi per day 5 days a week. I would say it has been one of the most reliable cars I have owned. It is fun to drive and comfotable. I am probably going to buy another in the spring.
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    My '02 LS (V8) definitely has its problems. But the anticipated enjoyment of driving it keeps me going. Not for the faint of heart, and must have a sense of curiosity to own one (needs constant attention).
    I have 53K miles on it and had the tranny rebuilt at 20K (under warranty), but tranny is acting up again at 53K.
    Heated driver seat doesn't work, airbag light is on, lug nuts are annoying, paint has bubbled in a few spots... but the car is fun to drive. Would I buy another... maybe not, but compared to the cost of the comparable bimmer, these cars are a deal provided you like to work on cars.
    Craig
  • cumptrnrdcumptrnrd Member Posts: 53
    Would you guys recommend getting the V8 or the V6? There is a decent power difference, but only 1MPG difference in gas mileage...

    What do you think you would choose between an '02 LS and an '02 Acura TL Type S?
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    I still love my LS but honestly, I did also consider an Acura before I bought the LS. I liked the rear wheel drive of the LS vs front wheel. The Acura will probably require less maintenance. My LS has the Sport Pkg. Tough choice might come down to price. I got a heck of a deal on the LS.
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    We have a 2000 LS V-6 with sport package with 115K miles that we are selling. We just bought a 2008 Accord EX. The LS drives very nice on smooth roads. In city driving, you feel the car's weight, and when the road gets rough, the LS gets rough.
    LS is not a nimble car. My 2001 E430 at 3750 pounds feels like it is a 3200 pound car. The LS at same weight feels heavy.

    The LS has an excellent driving position and highway manners. the seats are comfortable, both road and wind noise are low.

    I think you can do better with the price. $14-15K seems high for a 02 LS V-8. Track a few LS's on E-bay to see what the going prices are and add $800-$1000 for shipping.

    Don't feel bad if this LS slips away as there are tons of good used cars out there.

    Joe
  • cumptrnrdcumptrnrd Member Posts: 53
    Thanks for all the feedback, everyone.

    After reading Edmunds' long-term test of their '00 Lincoln LS (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/LongTerm/articleId=44682#9), I'm not so sure anymore... They said they had a lot of problems, especially with the transmission... Have you guys read this? Is it valid? I haven't read anything nearly as bad about the '02 TL Type S as some of the things I have read about the first-gen LS... Granted, the long-term test was on an '00, and the one I'm looking at is an '02, but did they make any changes in that first generation?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Don't believe everything you read, especially on Edmunds. The transmission problems on their 00 LS were fixed by a software update and TSB. I personally told the editor about the TSB after one of their monthly reports where they complained about it. The editor took it in for service and instead of asking about the TSB he decided to "test" the service writer and see if he would find it on his own. He didn't so they continued to drive the car and complain about the tranny for the next 3 months. Irritating, to say the least.

    The 00 was the very first model year and had some teething problems. The 02s were much, much better and even had a few more (unadvertised) hp due to a new airbox. You may have to replace the COPs and the valve cover gaskets plus the front sway bar. Some have had to replace front ball joints but not a lot.

    It's not perfect but the handling more than makes up for a few repairs (yours may have already had those repairs). Do a panic stop from 70 and notice how it just squats down and stops - no nose dive at all.
  • lsmoneyhoglsmoneyhog Member Posts: 1
    same problem here in marylnd :mad: we should start writing letters :lemon:
  • keystone2k9keystone2k9 Member Posts: 25
    So the other day, my '00 LS hit 90K. I took it in to the shop today for a regular oil change, brake cleaning and the guy told me I'm due for the 90K big boy.

    He also gave me suggestions on a transmission service and replacing spark plugs. I'm holding off until next month for the spark plugs to give me a little breathing room.

    All said and done, here's his estimate on the 1 day project:
    90K Service - $625
    Transmission Service - $199
    Total Estimate - $825

    Is that seemingly appropriate for the services I'm getting on my baby?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Sounds about right for the tranny service, but what's included in the $625?
  • keystone2k9keystone2k9 Member Posts: 25
    1. Perform S&C per 30K (Oil/Filter Lube per factory specs flush cooling system. Rotate/inspect brakes. Injector flush fuel filter air filter inspections)

    1 Inter-MED serv kit
    1 Rad Flush & Treatment
    1 Battery Pads
    1 Fuel Injector Flush
    1 Anti-Freeze
    1 Element ASY Air Cleaner
    1 Filter ASY - Fuel
    2 Retainer - Quick Connect.
    GBK Brake thickness OK Disc over 5MM Drum over 2MM

    Inspect Air Filter - Fluids Under Hood
    -Free 35 Multi Point Inspec

    Initial Tire Inspection OK

    Perform Transmission/Transaxle Flush with MOC machine
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Sounds like way too much to me. You don't need the injector cleaner unless you're having problems. I don't see more than about $300 worth of work - $400 at the worst. Call another dealer and get a quote for new air filter, fuel filter, coolant flush and replacement, engine oil and filter replacement. The rest is fluff.

    You should also have the brake fluid replaced if it's been in there more than 2-3 years. It's hygroscopic and absorbs water over time which can rust the brake system if left in.
  • skidadskidad Member Posts: 3
    I have on 00 LS w/V6. With 137,000 miles there are several little things going wrong with it. It will be relegated to my son soon, so spending a lot of money is not going to happen. Two things though have me concerned. The front stabilizer bar bushings are worn out. I've tried to get just the bushings, but am told I can only order the bushings with the stabilizer bar. Is there some place to get just the bushings? Secondly, when the car sets for 2 or 3 days (especially if it's damp out) the car runs like it's got water in the fuel. A dose of fuel conditioner and a fill up clears it right up. How could water or that much condensation get in the fuel, if that in fact is what it is? Any help would be appreciated. Once I have answers to these questions, I have plenty more! Thanks!
  • ccicakccicak Member Posts: 13
    just my opinion, but water in fuel doesn't sound like the problem. where do you live...high humidity place? could be electrical contacts problem (if moisture is the issue). try new fuel filter, new plugs, air filter, normal tune-up stuff? I don't know about bushings either.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    I duno about the water problem, but I do know about the bushings sortof.
    There's a new stabilizer bar design so Ford will only sell you that plus bushings for it - about $700 I think. My mechanic got hold of some bushings he says are for the old design but that was 6 months ago and I havent had him put them in yet.
    Supposedly the worn bushings are not a safety issue. But it's strange that they wont sell the old bushings. Strange and a BIG PAIN.
  • skidadskidad Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info. I live in Iowa and we get some humidity, but nothing like the south. I had the car completely tuned up last summer and it runs fine until it sets for a few days. ????????????????
  • skidadskidad Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info. I thought my mechanic back in said the stabilizer and bushing were only around $140. The busings alone were only (if he remembered correctly) around $40. I may go junkin and hopefully find some. Thanks again.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    Yeah, I think I was quoting the installed price with labor. If ou're real handy under a car, could do it yourself.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    If you put new bushings in the old swaybar they'll just fail again. The new swaybar will last a lot longer (maybe the life of the car).
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles