The LS is bigger than the CTS. Handling appears to be similar. V6 performance seems to be very close. LS has V8 and selectshift options that CTS doesn't. Styling and interior appointments are your call. I think there are a few differences in amenities - check the ones that are important to you (like auto wipers, electric tilt/telescoping wheel, etc.)
If you can wait a few months, the 2003 LS is rumoured to have a power upgrade and possibly (hopefully) interior upgrades as well.
I, too, am considering an upgrade in the near future. Yes, I have an '01 LS6M and an '01 Infiniti I30 so looking for a new ride doesn't really make sense. However, if the '03 LS is as good as Brian hints it will be I don't think either the Cadillac CTS or the Infiniti G35 will make me happy. I must admit that the CTS' styling does somewhat appeal to my flamboyant side and I would have to go through the first year teething pains. The G35 has been out for awhile in Japan as the Nissan Skyline so it should be relatively trouble free but its manual is not currently available but is RUMORED to be out about the same time as the new LS. For me no manual = no sale. Decisions, decisions . . . but the shopping sure is fun!
A major newspaper is looking to interview folks who learned how to drive stick in their adulthood, and either fell in love or hated it. Also welcome is any input on why people love to drive stick, and any unusual anecdotes about how you learned etc.
has it's privileges. I was at the dealer's yesterday for routine maintenance, and was visiting with the service manager and the sales manager (who sold me my LS). They urged me to stop in next week when they get the LSE they have coming in for a customer, thinking I'd really like to have a look at it. Think I managed not to sound smug when I told them I already didn't like the spoiler, but really liked the wheels.:) If ya know what I mean.
The radio probably needs a load to function properly. I would recommend 16 ohms so as not to draw too much power just to feed the amp.
You don't mention what the power rating of the amp is. If it's 100 watts per channel, then the amp will draw 20 amperes of current at full load. So use heavy gauge wire and a 20 amp fuse.
Can't help you on the wiring color code issue. Perhaps someone has a shop manual?
I'll make it brief. :-) Fall of 1992. E36 was just recently introduced. I had owned 3 VW Jettas at this point in my life (26 yrs old then) but always LOVED E30 3 series BMWs. Also had a cousin with a 1987 535is 5-speed. Drove it, and was sold on BMW's forever. In fall of 1992 dropped by a BMW dealer, and somehow drove away that night in a white 318is. Great car, but low on torque. (138hp 4 banger.). Also had a major defect. (Do a Yahoo search on "Timing Case Profile Gasket" and you will see my saga all over the web). Over the years, had fun with it though. Put on about 110,000 miles. After modifying it just right in 1999, totalled it in all of a 1 minute, maybe 20mph offroad excursion into a grop of trees. By then, I had a wife and 2 small kids. Needed something bigger. Needed legroom. Wanted to move up to a smooth 6 cylinder, and wanted at least ~200hp. Had to have rear wheel drive. Had to have a stick shift. Had to have 17 inch wheels and a sporty suspension. Price limit was $34k total. Figured a used 528 with Sport Package was the ticket. But wait, even those were priced around $38k. Then everywhere I turned I kept reading about the LS. Took weeks before I went into a Lincoln dealership. When I did, they had a Wedgewood blue one with graphite interior sitting pretty on the showroom floor. Awesome looking. They even had a black one with manual transmission on the lot. Test drove it and loved it. But in the end, traffic in my daily commute forced me to go with the SST transmission with my V6 Sport. Dont regret it a minute. Added tinted windows, a remote mounted Valentine one detector, and just finished adding a DVD player with LCD monitors mounted in each headrest. My daughters love it.
Slunar, on the seatbelt thing. I assume that you are taking about the male part of the seat belt that is 180 degrees out. I have had this happen in the past on numerous cars (the LS passenger side included) and it is an easy, but somewhat tricky fix. All you need to do is take the fabric part of the seat belt and fold it over itself in the slot that holds the male thingy to the belt. Slowly continue rolling the belt through until it basically flips over. This is the only way to fix it. If you're at Mania and you haven't figure it out by then, I'll show you how to fix it. It's not a problem with the belt being twisted, it is with the male thingy being 180 out.
Mike, congrats on the amp. As far as wiring an amp in, first you need to know if the amp you bought has speaker level inputs. If so, then you just need to cut and splice into your existing speaker wires coming from the radio and feed the input side of the amp. Then run another wire to the other side of the splice and hook it to the output side of the amp.
Now, if the amp does not have speaker level inputs, you will need to buy a line converter (I think that's what they call them) that will reduce the power from the radio so you can hook into the RCA inputs on the amp. Same deal though with having to cut and splice into the existing wires. Do not try wiring the radio wires into the amp unless you have speaker level inputs or you will blow your amp.
Since I just installed a sub in my car, I pulled the radio out, cut into the speaker wires right at the back of the radio and then ran the wires down the passenger side to the amp that I mounted in the trunk.
The trunk is the best place for the amp since the battery is back there and is a short run to connect. There are also a couple of easy grounds to get to at the top of the spare tire well.
There will also be either a blue wire coming from the amp or a remote terminal labeled +. This would go to something that powers on when the key is turned on, i.e. the radio. On mine, though, rather than having the amp turn on or off, I just jumpered the remote to main power wire and it keeps the amp on all the time. The way I figure it, the amp has almost no power consumption unless the radio is playing so it saves having to make another splice somewhere. I've had this same amp in 3 cars now for more than six years and if has never had a problem because it stays on all the time.
The speaker wires in the LS seem to follow the same color coding scheme that the aftermarket stereos use. There are a pair of each grey, green, purple and I just can't remember the other color but it's not yellow, black, red or blue. Ther is also a convention on which color feeds which speaker that I cannot remember off the top, but if the amp has instructions with it, it should list the colors and which speaker in the car those colors go to.
Also, one other thing about installing an amp that I know the pros do (but I did not on mine), you are not supposed to have any part of the amp case touching any metal in the car. This creates another grounding point and can generate noise. Again, since mine is only feeding a sub, my crossover eliminates any high frequencies before they get to the speaker. What you are supposed to do is mount the amp to a piece of wood or plastic and then mount that to the car somewhere.
Well there's my quick lesson on amp installation 101. Let me know if you have any questions, although I may not know about them until we're at Mania.
The amp is a Rockford-Fosgate 200.4. I do plan on mounting it in the trunk. You used the void between the left rear fender and the wheel well area, didn't you? The amp will fit, but it's tight getting it in there.
It does have speaker level inputs. I assume the rectangular plug in the back of the radio is the speaker plug? Of course the instructions don't mention a generic wiring scheme. I guess I'll have to try the 9V battery trick the guy at Circut City told me about. I will be putting Clairon components in the front doors and move the Polks to the rear deck. I figure I'll just wire the rear door and deck together.
I hope to have it done by next week, but if not, we can have an amp/speaker mounting seminar while we're waiting to "run the cones"!
People need to learn how to accept opinions that vary from their own. My 00 Lease will be up and i'm looking for alternatives. Poor service problems like mine are common. Maybe I should give the LS another shot because many people have had warranty problems and lived to learn with them
Mine was from the first model year maybe now in the third year problems are lessening. They have some $399 lease deals which is less than i am currently paying
I made the same decision on my last car when I got an auto instead of manual SHO. I'd driven only stick shift cars for over 17 years straight. I really wanted a sst type tranny, that was on my want list when shopping, along with memory seats, V8 (preferably), and RWD. The SHO was great, but the LS is far better. I also did this as the traffic here has gotten unbearable, I usually average 10-15 mph on the way to work, stop and go. When I had my last manual, a Stang, the clutch was so heavy that traffic gave me a left leg that looked like Ahrnold's but a right leg that looked like Olive Oil's. ;-)
That still doesn't stop me from wishing the V8 with a manual was available, if I move or change jobs to outside town, I'd go back to the manual. Still, the SST does a good job and makes the commute a bit more fun the few times the road will open up a bit.
Wish I had a digital camera, but I'll describe as best as I can. First off, I think everyone knows that the Valentine One Detector is consistently the best rated radar detector out there. Once you get used to the directional arrows, you cant go back without. Period. (Check the current Car and Driver mag for yet another top line detector review, and once again, the V1 far outranks all others).
I purchased the V1 and the optional concealed module. I mounted the V1 itself with velcro on the rear deck, just ahead of the third brakelight. You just need one half of the velcro, as the loops grab onto the carpet on the rear deck very firmly. The main radar "window" points to the front of the car. I have the unit offset slightly to the side of the third brake light so the rear "window" of the unit beside the controls, can "see" out the rear window. I drilled a small hole through the rear deck to feed the RJ-11 cord from the V1 down to the trunk. I then removed the rear seat bench (two small release latches are visible from the passenger compartment) and routed the RJ-11 under the seat, down the drivers side of the car, under the carpet along the doorsills. Removed the drivers side kick panel near the door to mount the small power module for the V1. Tapped into a switched 12V source somewhere down there, along with a ground. Ran the RJ-11 from the other side of the V1 power module up the pillar to the drivers side corner of the windshield. Used 3m doublesided tape to secure the module to the glass itself. Dont use velcro here, because the module will just keep falling down. Dont use crazy glue, because there isnt enough surface area on the backside of the module to hold. 3M tape works great. I also decided to get a simple red square off/on switch from Radio Shack. I routed the power wire from the V1 power module to this switch which allows me to turn the V1 unit off/on at will. I drilled a small hole in the blank panel right below the Fuel Door/Trunk Release switch. The remote concealed module has a button that allows you to temporarily mute the V1 if you encounter a false alarm or a series of false alarms (excellent feature) and also allows you to switch sensitivity modes. To finish things off, I purchased a 3rd brake light cover from the Lincoln dealer and sat this cover on top of the V1 in my back deck. With my tinted windows, even in bright light, its impossible to see the V1. The additional brake light cover covers the V1 almost completely, and the cover looks very natural and unassuming back there. The open end faces the front of the car, keeping the radar detection to the front of the car open. Rear radar detection is somewhat reduced, I assume, because the beams now have to penetrate the plastic. But in 15 years of driving, Ive never been nailed with radar from the rear anyways. My front laser detection is still good, because everytime Im behind an SUV with a high LCD-type 3rd brake light, it sets off the V1 laser.
For a bit more protection, I also purchased the laser diffuser license plate cover from www.radarbusters.com. On the rear of my LS I have the anti red-light camera plate over my tag. But thats another story. ;-)
Brian: Feel Free to post the above to the appropriate forum on LLSOC. Also, I seemed to have forgotten my LLSOC password. :-0
I also bought one of the factory service CD's off of ebay. My total was about $13.00 I think. Do a search on Ford Service CD or Lincoln Service CD if youre intersted. The one I received looks official, and covers everything for the LS. The wiring diagrams are invaluable if you plan to do any aftermarket mods.
Theres a company call Pac something or other that was mentioned here before, and on LLSOC.com in the message boards. I visited the site myself a few weeks ago, and the company makes all kinds of interfaces. Seems I recall one that allows very easy installation of aftermarket amps to stock systems.
Off to the Chicago auto show tomorrow to see the LS, etc., which I've decided to consider. My first visit here, and I'm sure this has been answered often, but what is 0-60 acceleration with the V-8 and what's th EPA city/highway mileage for that engine?
Usually I respect this mag. But has anyone read Robert Cumberford's article "Are We There Yet?" (March 2002, pg. 34) "Lincolns are not, and should not be, small vehicles. Apart from the bland and boring (sic) LS, there has never been a really small Lincoln, and that is as it should be...Earle MacPherson, of strut-suspension fame, was once Lincoln's chief engineer responsible for the "small" '52 models that cleaned up in the Carrera Panamericana stock car classes (!!! - emphasis mine). Even those cars, heavy as they were at two tons plus, were too small for traditional Lincolnesque presence..." This is the attitude that we have to change, guys and gals. Hope the Lincoln engineers and stylists understand that the type of vehicle that could win the Carrera Panamericana should not be sneezed at. Anybody hear of Porsche? Comments?
ronniepooh: Thanks for the post. I've added it to the LLSOC LS FAQs section. Now if I could only get the bulletin board functioning again I'd be a happy camper.
BTW I've moved the LLSOC site over to another provider so as to reduce the possibility of the downtime we experienced last week. The site is almost back to full functionality with the exception of the recalcitrant bulletin board. Hope to get that resolved today.
expect around 16-17 city and 25-28 pure highway cruising. I get around 17 - mostly city with frequent heavy right foot application. 0-60 is in the low 7's.
More power expected for the 2003 V8 along with other improvements.
I think in my feeble attempt to wire the amp I blew the left channel. I did the wiring with just a little trouble and all worked well. I ran two sets of wires per speaker as the amp is in the trunk. What I forgot to do was to label which lead came from the radio and which went to the speakers. Soooo, I now have no left speakers . I think I'll just outbid you guys on that ebay unit. It HAS to be cheaper than getting mine fixed. BTW, does anyone know an easy way to tell which leads come from the radio? I do have a digital volt-ohm meter, though I am mostly lost with it.
0-60: 7.1 sec EPA mileage: 17-23 My experience: 21.5 MPG overall 30,000 miles worst mileage: 15 MPG stop & go best mileage: 28.2 MPG steady 60 MPH level road 50 miles at 100 MPH: 22.5 MPG Exceptional passing acceleration: 50-100 MPH Quiet cabin on most road surfaces... like your living room. Handling: ALWAYS better than you expect!
Preparing for a Minnesota winter (which is finally materializing this weekend) I was looking at snow tires for my 2000 LS V6M. I determined it was cheaper to by a set of 16" wheels off of Ebay and add Michelin Arctic Alpin's than to buy any of the available snow/winter tires for the sport 17" wheels. Night and day from my 2/3 worn firehawks on snow. Excellent tire for light snow and icy roads, which seems to be typical for this winter. Have them on my 89 and 93 SHO as well and am very happy for winter driving. Saw an LSE at the Lincoln dealer in the Twin Cities a couple of weeks ago. (wblincoln.com, same dealer that stocks manuals). Love the chome dual exhaust. Reminds me of my dad's 68 Shelby. The front end looks a little too pontiac for me though. Any difference other than visual effects from the sport LS8?
Question for everyone... recently when I start my car I occasionally get a burst of blue smoke at startup. The engine starts quickly and then runs fine. But whats with the smoke. Has anyone else had this problem. In addition it sometimes floods and wont start until you put the pedal to the floor. Dont know if this is related or not
All you window crash experts. I rolled my rear window up last night and when it was almost up I heard a crash, like breaking glass, and what sounded like cable unspooling. The window worked for one more cycle, but I'm afraid to lower it until I can get to the dealer. Is this the sound you get when the plastic piece breaks?
Mike - that's the sound but it typically won't work at all after that, because the cable is no longer attached to the window. If you lower it you may not be able to get it back. I can't think of anything else that would make that sound so I would leave it alone and let the dealer check it.
If your window does let go and won't stay up, don't use the clear plastic packing tape. I thought that would work better (and look better) than duct tape but the dealer had a heck of a time getting the residue off. As bad as it looks duct tape is a lot easier to get off.
Sorry to be a little off-topic, but it looks as though the LLSOC is now using new Bulletin Board software for the discussion area. Perhaps someone in the know can tell me whether I need to register with YaBB in order to use it, or were our user ids and passwords carried over from the former Ultimate Bulletin Board set-up? If they were carried over, then something went awry with my password, as it was not recognized when I tried to log in.
I would be glad to help you with determining which wire is which, since I have the service CD. Its 11:35am EST, and Im about to leave for an appt, though. If you still need help, drop me a line at r_browne@yahoo.com.
That's a hard-start condition that the dealer should know about and be able to correct. There was a TSB for it in the 1999 section of the club's TSB listings.
I just logged on in the same way as with the old board. The live chat is a good addition. Like anything new it will take a little getting used to, but I think it’s going to be a much better board. Poor Ray, after all his work reconstructing the old board, I hope we can integrate all the old posts he brought back from the dead.
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, when I try to log in using my old user id and password, I get an error message indicating "incorrect password." This must be an isolated problem unique to me, or perhaps a few others. I sent an e-mail to Brian & Debbie to look into this when they get a chance.
What a time for this stuff (radio, window) to be happening. I hope you can get your dealer to fix the window right away. Wouldn't want those Beemer boys next Sat to see duct tape on your LS! Good luck & c u Fri.
Hello to all on the board. I just bought a 2000 LS8 with 30000 miles. An awesome car! I have a few questions. I apologize if they have been covered in the past, but who has time to read through 7000 posts? Has anyone had it at top speed? I'm curious to know what it is without going to jail. Second, when I stomp on the gas at low speeds there is a "lag" then it takes off. Is this the upgrade that I have seen discussed? Mine was a Ford exec car. It has a little brass plaque on the dash that says "Designed and built exclusively for Gerald Bostom at Wixom assembly plant". Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I don't know what to think of it. Last of all, I need a front passenger floormat. Interior is light parchment. Any ideas where to look other than the dealer? This board is a gold mine of info! Thanks in advance.
Congratulations! Soon you to will have that silly grin we like to call the "LS Grin"!
Top speed on mine before any modifications was 143mph. I haven't had the nerve or the open road lately to find out what the new top end is. There is a little lag thanks to the computer deciding it should get out of economy mode and deciding to downshift. You can check with your dealer to see if the transmission reflash was done on your car. If it wasn't ask them to please do it. You'll notice a difference.
Try Torrie at www.fordpartsnetwork.com for your floor mat. He can get them for you and he works with LLSOC and our members so he's highly recommended.
If Witte can't take you check with Rancho. Talk to Tony or Brian and they'll get it done this week. Would hate to have you at the autocross looking shabby!
I concur with Brian as to top speed. I don't know if it's 142 or 143 as I'm starting into a double S bend at the end of my runs and I'd rather focus on the road than the speedo at that point.You won't hit it in 5th as it runs out of grunt. Torrie has been fantastic at getting my LS parts. If something is going to be a day or two late he'll email you every ten minutes to apologize for the delay. The dealers on the other hand.... Wish the economy would improve. This is the first time in a decade that I have to pass on the Daytona 500 and to rub salt in the wound, I won't be at Mania III either. C'est la vie! Ray LLSOC Charter member
If you can't get it fixed this week, rip the door panel off and drill a hole for a cotter pin just below where the "black trolley" sits when the window is in the up position. Drill into the "vertical slide rail" that the trolley slides up and down on. This way you don't need tape and the window won't move.
Can any body point me to a complete listing of what is supposed to be in the LSE package? I saw a 2002 with the E-package that had an LS-C badge on the dash. That mean anything? Chuck
Thanks. So far the window is up. I'm afraid to check it until I'm sure I'll be home tonight in case it falls. That way I can visit the dealer first thing. According to my parts contact, Witt has the new and improved part.
The LSE package is available only in conjunction with the Sport package.
LSE-specific items are: --Standard 17" aluminum, 5-spoke, 2-tone Blade Grey wheels --Optional 17" aluminum, 5-spoke, chrome wheels (option code 64C) --Modified upper grille: Blade Grey with color-keyed upper trim piece --Modified front fascia: Unique fascia with round fog lamps --Unique side rocker panels, color-keyed --Unique rear valence, color-keyed --Spoiler: Low-profile design with no opening, color-keyed --Dual stainless-steel exhaust tips --Rear license plate surround, color-keyed --LSE badge --LSE floormats Available colors and trim: --Black Clearcoat (UA) with Light Graphite (42) and Deep Charcoal (4W) trim --Silver Birch Clearcoat (JP) with Light Graphite (42) and Deep Charcoal (4W) trim
This info comes from the LS ordering guide. There are no mechanical upgrades; the LSE is mechanically identical to the corresponding Sport model.
There is no factory "LS-C" designation, so my guess is that it's a dealer/aftermarket package of some sort. There are some aftermarket packages that are visually similar to the LSE, but if it's a "real" LSE then it'll say so on the window sticker.
My 2000 LS is coming up on 50,000 miles within the next couple of months. Plan to take it in for a few final minor things, in addition to having the oil changed, transmission fluid flushed, brake fluid flushed, and fuel filter replaced. I havent had any window problems to date, but I do want to open my door panel to give things a visual to see if anything looks amiss. What do I look for? Cracked plastic? Anything in particular?
Congratulations on your LS. Our club toured the Wixom assy. plant last fall. Don't remember that name, but we saw where the Big Wheels got to park their wheels , an exclusive garage within the plant with it's own staff of maintenance people. The execs there could choose any car they wanted and, except for a couple Navigators, they ALL chose the LS.
I've never wound mine all the way out, but have seen 135 while passing two semis in a row, and it was still pulling & had a bit left. Once you've done some highway passing with your car, I predict you'll change your handle to "sixtyto120".
I would appreciate an e-mail from a reader who has a 2002 with the communications package. When making a call from the car the phone sounds tinny to the person receiving the call. I'm sure it's not the phone because when the phone is out of the car it sounds fine. I'm wondering if we might have a defective microphone or something. I would like to know if others are experiencing the same thing. Thanks.
IIRC, blue smoke is gas while white is oil. Two others here have had hard starting problems. One yet to be resolved, the other was a leaking fuel injector. Sound like the injector could be your problem.
I had no warning. I hardly ever roll down the rear windows. I just confirmed the failure. I cycled the window a few times and on the last up cycle the window tilted a little and went up. I'll lower it at the dealer tomorrow when I assume the mechanism will "reach room temperature".
Ray, Scott, Brian...Thanks for the info! As for the LS "grin", I had it the second I got in the driver's seat. Was hard to hide while negotiating with the dealer. I'm hoping that mine was one of those cars in the Wixom garage with all the preventive maintenance. That's one of the things that sold me. I figured that the car had been well taken care of. Brian...what are the modifications that you have done? People don't know what they are missing. Drove to Chicago yesterday in some good traffic. Just enough cars on the road to hide from the cops. Accelerating from the toll booths was awesome! She's a smooooth ride.
So far the mods have been pretty low-key since there isn't that much out there that produces the power results that they advertise. My car is also the club's project car but it is my daily driver so I can't go too crazy.
1. Borla cat-back exhaust system. I'm bring the car into Magnaflow to have the production prototype system put on for the review of the members attending Mania 3. From the last test drive I'm going to like the sound better than the Borla.
2. Opened up the air intake, from the airbox, which I basically took the bottom off except for the one side with the peg in it, to the replacement of the air tube with some 3 inch PVC pipe. Along with adding a cold-air intake running from the lower front air-dam. Also added a fuel/air ratio adjustable recalibrator to let me mess around with the mixture settings.
3. 18x8 Voxx MGR wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports in the 245/45R18Z size.
4. Porterfield Brakes Carbon/Kevlar R4S compound brake pads. These are fantastic pads. Great when their cold, even better when hot.
Took the car to another dealer and had them check the fuel pressure drop for one hour. It dropped 35#. They called the tech line and replaced the "jet" fuel pump (external to the one in the tank) and the IAC motor. The pressure drop was now 45#. Called the tech line back and they said to change the fuel pressure regulator and the pump in the tank. After this, the pressure drop was only 2# in one hour. The dealer service writer was leery about the fix and told me he was keeping the ticket open on the car and to call him and let him know the status. He said the car would now start without pressing the gas. This was on Thursday, the 7th.
Drove it over the weekend with the temps in the mid 50's here in Chicago and after warming up and sitting for about an hour, it will usually start on the first turn of the key but stumbles and sounds like it wants to die and then catches and idles smoothly. Very perplexing. I can still smell the strong odor of gas when it does this.
It went back to the dealer today and we'll see what they want to do. One guy I talked to said they should check the relative injector flow test to see if an injector is randomly sticking open.
I wanted to say thanks to Scot Douglas who has been a great help in passing along valuable information.
Comments
If you can wait a few months, the 2003 LS is rumoured to have a power upgrade and possibly (hopefully) interior upgrades as well.
Hope to hear from you before Feb 22 via the Talk to the Press discussion or at jfallon@edmunds.com with your thoughts and contact information.
Thanks as always,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director, Edmunds.com
Scott
LLSOC Member
You don't mention what the power rating of the amp is. If it's 100 watts per channel, then the amp will draw 20 amperes of current at full load. So use heavy gauge wire and a 20 amp fuse.
Can't help you on the wiring color code issue. Perhaps someone has a shop manual?
Happy listening....
Mike, congrats on the amp. As far as wiring an amp in, first you need to know if the amp you bought has speaker level inputs. If so, then you just need to cut and splice into your existing speaker wires coming from the radio and feed the input side of the amp. Then run another wire to the other side of the splice and hook it to the output side of the amp.
Now, if the amp does not have speaker level inputs, you will need to buy a line converter (I think that's what they call them) that will reduce the power from the radio so you can hook into the RCA inputs on the amp. Same deal though with having to cut and splice into the existing wires. Do not try wiring the radio wires into the amp unless you have speaker level inputs or you will blow your amp.
Since I just installed a sub in my car, I pulled the radio out, cut into the speaker wires right at the back of the radio and then ran the wires down the passenger side to the amp that I mounted in the trunk.
The trunk is the best place for the amp since the battery is back there and is a short run to connect. There are also a couple of easy grounds to get to at the top of the spare tire well.
There will also be either a blue wire coming from the amp or a remote terminal labeled +. This would go to something that powers on when the key is turned on, i.e. the radio. On mine, though, rather than having the amp turn on or off, I just jumpered the remote to main power wire and it keeps the amp on all the time. The way I figure it, the amp has almost no power consumption unless the radio is playing so it saves having to make another splice somewhere. I've had this same amp in 3 cars now for more than six years and if has never had a problem because it stays on all the time.
The speaker wires in the LS seem to follow the same color coding scheme that the aftermarket stereos use. There are a pair of each grey, green, purple and I just can't remember the other color but it's not yellow, black, red or blue. Ther is also a convention on which color feeds which speaker that I cannot remember off the top, but if the amp has instructions with it, it should list the colors and which speaker in the car those colors go to.
Also, one other thing about installing an amp that I know the pros do (but I did not on mine), you are not supposed to have any part of the amp case touching any metal in the car. This creates another grounding point and can generate noise. Again, since mine is only feeding a sub, my crossover eliminates any high frequencies before they get to the speaker. What you are supposed to do is mount the amp to a piece of wood or plastic and then mount that to the car somewhere.
Well there's my quick lesson on amp installation 101. Let me know if you have any questions, although I may not know about them until we're at Mania.
Bruno
LLSOC member
The amp is a Rockford-Fosgate 200.4. I do plan on mounting it in the trunk. You used the void between the left rear fender and the wheel well area, didn't you? The amp will fit, but it's tight getting it in there.
It does have speaker level inputs. I assume the rectangular plug in the back of the radio is the speaker plug? Of course the instructions don't mention a generic wiring scheme. I guess I'll have to try the 9V battery trick the guy at Circut City told me about. I will be putting Clairon components in the front doors and move the Polks to the rear deck. I figure I'll just wire the rear door and deck together.
I hope to have it done by next week, but if not, we can have an amp/speaker mounting seminar while we're waiting to "run the cones"!
Mike
LLSOC Member
Mine was from the first model year maybe now in the third year problems are lessening. They have some $399 lease deals which is less than i am currently paying
That still doesn't stop me from wishing the V8 with a manual was available, if I move or change jobs to outside town, I'd go back to the manual. Still, the SST does a good job and makes the commute a bit more fun the few times the road will open up a bit.
I purchased the V1 and the optional concealed module. I mounted the V1 itself with velcro on the rear deck, just ahead of the third brakelight. You just need one half of the velcro, as the loops grab onto the carpet on the rear deck very firmly. The main radar "window" points to the front of the car. I have the unit offset slightly to the side of the third brake light so the rear "window" of the unit beside the controls, can "see" out the rear window. I drilled a small hole through the rear deck to feed the RJ-11 cord from the V1 down to the trunk. I then removed the rear seat bench (two small release latches are visible from the passenger compartment) and routed the RJ-11 under the seat, down the drivers side of the car, under the carpet along the doorsills. Removed the drivers side kick panel near the door to mount the small power module for the V1. Tapped into a switched 12V source somewhere down there, along with a ground. Ran the RJ-11 from the other side of the V1 power module up the pillar to the drivers side corner of the windshield. Used 3m doublesided tape to secure the module to the glass itself. Dont use velcro here, because the module will just keep falling down. Dont use crazy glue, because there isnt enough surface area on the backside of the module to hold. 3M tape works great.
I also decided to get a simple red square off/on switch from Radio Shack. I routed the power wire from the V1 power module to this switch which allows me to turn the V1 unit off/on at will. I drilled a small hole in the blank panel right below the Fuel Door/Trunk Release switch. The remote concealed module has a button that allows you to temporarily mute the V1 if you encounter a false alarm or a series of false alarms (excellent feature) and also allows you to switch sensitivity modes.
To finish things off, I purchased a 3rd brake light cover from the Lincoln dealer and sat this cover on top of the V1 in my back deck. With my tinted windows, even in bright light, its impossible to see the V1. The additional brake light cover covers the V1 almost completely, and the cover looks very natural and unassuming back there. The open end faces the front of the car, keeping the radar detection to the front of the car open. Rear radar detection is somewhat reduced, I assume, because the beams now have to penetrate the plastic. But in 15 years of driving, Ive never been nailed with radar from the rear anyways. My front laser detection is still good, because everytime Im behind an SUV with a high LCD-type 3rd brake light, it sets off the V1 laser.
For a bit more protection, I also purchased the laser diffuser license plate cover from www.radarbusters.com. On the rear of my LS I have the anti red-light camera plate over my tag. But thats another story. ;-)
Brian: Feel Free to post the above to the appropriate forum on LLSOC. Also, I seemed to have forgotten my LLSOC password. :-0
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=602140561&r=0&t=0
Thanks for repeating all this.
"Lincolns are not, and should not be, small vehicles. Apart from the bland and boring (sic) LS, there has never been a really small Lincoln, and that is as it should be...Earle MacPherson, of strut-suspension fame, was once Lincoln's chief engineer responsible for the "small" '52 models that cleaned up in the Carrera Panamericana stock car classes (!!! - emphasis mine). Even those cars, heavy as they were at two tons plus, were too small for traditional Lincolnesque presence..."
This is the attitude that we have to change, guys and gals. Hope the Lincoln engineers and stylists understand that the type of vehicle that could win the Carrera Panamericana should not be sneezed at. Anybody hear of Porsche? Comments?
BTW I've moved the LLSOC site over to another provider so as to reduce the possibility of the downtime we experienced last week. The site is almost back to full functionality with the exception of the recalcitrant bulletin board. Hope to get that resolved today.
Brian
More power expected for the 2003 V8 along with other improvements.
EPA mileage: 17-23
My experience:
21.5 MPG overall 30,000 miles
worst mileage: 15 MPG stop & go
best mileage: 28.2 MPG steady 60 MPH level road
50 miles at 100 MPH: 22.5 MPG
Exceptional passing acceleration: 50-100 MPH
Quiet cabin on most road surfaces... like your living room.
Handling: ALWAYS better than you expect!
Saw an LSE at the Lincoln dealer in the Twin Cities a couple of weeks ago. (wblincoln.com, same dealer that stocks manuals). Love the chome dual exhaust. Reminds me of my dad's 68 Shelby. The front end looks a little too pontiac for me though. Any difference other than visual effects from the sport LS8?
Question for everyone... recently when I start my car I occasionally get a burst of blue smoke at startup. The engine starts quickly and then runs fine. But whats with the smoke. Has anyone else had this problem.
In addition it sometimes floods and wont start until you put the pedal to the floor.
Dont know if this is related or not
Kevin
If your window does let go and won't stay up, don't use the clear plastic packing tape. I thought that would work better (and look better) than duct tape but the dealer had a heck of a time getting the residue off. As bad as it looks duct tape is a lot easier to get off.
Chris - LLSOC Charter Member
That's a hard-start condition that the dealer should know about and be able to correct. There was a TSB for it in the 1999 section of the club's TSB listings.
Brian
I just logged on in the same way as with the old board. The live chat is a good addition. Like anything new it will take a little getting used to, but I think it’s going to be a much better board. Poor Ray, after all his work reconstructing the old board, I hope we can integrate all the old posts he brought back from the dead.
Tom
Member LLSOC
Chris - LLSOC Charter Member
What a time for this stuff (radio, window) to be happening. I hope you can get your dealer to fix the window right away. Wouldn't want those Beemer boys next Sat to see duct tape on your LS! Good luck & c u Fri.
Top speed on mine before any modifications was 143mph. I haven't had the nerve or the open road lately to find out what the new top end is. There is a little lag thanks to the computer deciding it should get out of economy mode and deciding to downshift. You can check with your dealer to see if the transmission reflash was done on your car. If it wasn't ask them to please do it. You'll notice a difference.
Try Torrie at www.fordpartsnetwork.com for your floor mat. He can get them for you and he works with LLSOC and our members so he's highly recommended.
Brian
LLSOC Prez
If Witte can't take you check with Rancho. Talk to Tony or Brian and they'll get it done this week. Would hate to have you at the autocross looking shabby!
Brian
Torrie has been fantastic at getting my LS parts. If something is going to be a day or two late he'll email you every ten minutes to apologize for the delay. The dealers on the other hand....
Wish the economy would improve. This is the first time in a decade that I have to pass on the Daytona 500 and to rub salt in the wound, I won't be at Mania III either.
C'est la vie!
Ray
LLSOC Charter member
What about the smoke? any ideas? same TSB ?
Kevin
Who's still waiting for the heated seat and moonroof repairs..
Chuck
LSE-specific items are:
--Standard 17" aluminum, 5-spoke, 2-tone Blade Grey wheels
--Optional 17" aluminum, 5-spoke, chrome wheels (option code 64C)
--Modified upper grille: Blade Grey with color-keyed upper trim piece
--Modified front fascia: Unique fascia with round fog lamps
--Unique side rocker panels, color-keyed
--Unique rear valence, color-keyed
--Spoiler: Low-profile design with no opening, color-keyed
--Dual stainless-steel exhaust tips
--Rear license plate surround, color-keyed
--LSE badge
--LSE floormats
Available colors and trim:
--Black Clearcoat (UA) with Light Graphite (42) and Deep Charcoal (4W) trim
--Silver Birch Clearcoat (JP) with Light Graphite (42) and Deep Charcoal (4W) trim
This info comes from the LS ordering guide. There are no mechanical upgrades; the LSE is mechanically identical to the corresponding Sport model.
There is no factory "LS-C" designation, so my guess is that it's a dealer/aftermarket package of some sort. There are some aftermarket packages that are visually similar to the LSE, but if it's a "real" LSE then it'll say so on the window sticker.
Hope this answers your questions.
JohnnyLinc
LLSOC charter member
I've never wound mine all the way out, but have seen 135 while passing two semis in a row, and it was still pulling & had a bit left. Once you've done some highway passing with your car, I predict you'll change your handle to "sixtyto120".
Scott
LLSOC Member
1. Borla cat-back exhaust system. I'm bring the car into Magnaflow to have the production prototype system put on for the review of the members attending Mania 3. From the last test drive I'm going to like the sound better than the Borla.
2. Opened up the air intake, from the airbox, which I basically took the bottom off except for the one side with the peg in it, to the replacement of the air tube with some 3 inch PVC pipe. Along with adding a cold-air intake running from the lower front air-dam. Also added a fuel/air ratio adjustable recalibrator to let me mess around with the mixture settings.
3. 18x8 Voxx MGR wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports in the 245/45R18Z size.
4. Porterfield Brakes Carbon/Kevlar R4S compound brake pads. These are fantastic pads. Great when their cold, even better when hot.
Took the car to another dealer and had them check the fuel pressure drop for one hour. It dropped 35#. They called the tech line and replaced the "jet" fuel pump (external to the one in the tank) and the IAC motor. The pressure drop was now 45#. Called the tech line back and they said to change the fuel pressure regulator and the pump in the tank. After this, the pressure drop was only 2# in one hour. The dealer service writer was leery about the fix and told me he was keeping the ticket open on the car and to call him and let him know the status. He said the car would now start without pressing the gas. This was on Thursday, the 7th.
Drove it over the weekend with the temps in the mid 50's here in Chicago and after warming up and sitting for about an hour, it will usually start on the first turn of the key but stumbles and sounds like it wants to die and then catches and idles smoothly. Very perplexing. I can still smell the strong odor of gas when it does this.
It went back to the dealer today and we'll see what they want to do. One guy I talked to said they should check the relative injector flow test to see if an injector is randomly sticking open.
I wanted to say thanks to Scot Douglas who has been a great help in passing along valuable information.
I'll let you guys know of any updates.
Matt