I checked the shop manual last night, and it lists two ways to bleed the system, manual and pressure. The manual method, where you work the bleeder screws and your assistant does a leg muscle workout, requires the "tech tool". I'll take an educated guess and assume that when the pedal goes to the floor, a switch is activated which indicates a hydraulic "failure", and this needs to be reset. If you pressure bleed, or vacuum bleed, the master cylinder doesn't "stroke", therefore that switch is not activated, so it doesn't have to be reset. More specificaly, the shop manual starts out by saying, "Manual method, connect the NGS DCL cable to the data link...... Pressure bleed, follow the bleeder manufacturer's instructions......" In both cases, the sequence of RR,LR,RF,LF is specified as the proper way to do the job. To address your question regarding "depressurizing" the system, no mention is made in the manual. One thing that I noticed when I did this job last year is that the fluid does not flow from the calipers as readily as the GM cars that I'm used to doing. It took me a while to draw 5-6 ounces of fluid from each caliper. What I should do is get the proper adapter for my pressure bleeder. That probably would speed up the process. I hope that this helps you out.
Leadfoot4's instructions are the same as my serviceCD for the LS. (purchased off of ebay). INteresting to note that they list a manual method at all, as some manufacturers shun the manual method because pressing the pedal to the floor allows the piston in the master cylinder to travel farther than it normally ever does in regular use, potentially exposing the rubber boot covering the piston to dirt or debris that could damage the boot. Or something like that. I always thought the pressure method was the most complete, preferred method. E36 BMW's also had a 5th bleeder nipple under the car which was for the ABS system. Apparently in BMW's (at least some models) a fair amount of old brake fluid will remain here even if you dont bleed this nipple.
Thanks guys. I'll be using the vacuum method with the mityvac so no tech tool needed. I also heard there's a one-way valve available that prevents air from being sucked back in so you can do one person bleeding the manual way. Of course in the LS it sounds like this requires a tech tool to reset the sensor. The Mityvac was only $35 or so at the Eastman company. It can also transfer liquids from one container to another and perform pressure tests. Not a bad investment.
You should change your brake fluid every 2 years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic - it absorbs water which can damage the internal brake system over time, especially ABS systems. Dark fluid is contaminated - new fluid is clear. You just remove as much of the old fluid from the master cylinder as possible (a turkey baster works great) and refill with fresh clean fluid. Then you go to each wheel, crack the bleeder screw and (if you have a vacuum bleeder) draw out fluid until you see the fresh, clean fluid, close the bleeder and go to the next wheel, making sure you keep the master cylinder full. Then top off to the proper level and you're done.
A troll is someone who posts inflammatory remarks just to start an argument or get a reaction. The best way to handle them is to simply ignore their posts and they will eventually go away. So it's always a good idea to simply ignore posts from trolls.
One more thing that I do is change the brake fluid every year. As you mention, it is hygroscopic, and since the braking system probably "sees" more moisture in the winter, it's easy to change it when I'm taking off the snow tires. $2.50 worth of brake fluid is cheaper that a caliper replacement. Just my $.02 worth.
I think the industry recommendation is 2 years, but every year is definitely better. Especially if you're already pulling the wheels. Since I live in Atlanta we don't need snow tires. We just don't drive if there is snow on the road. Not only do we not have the equipment to handle it, most of the drivers here don't have a clue how to drive in it anyway. You're more likely to get hit by some other idiot than to wreck yourself or get stuck. And since our temperatures rarely stay below freezing during the day we tend to get a lot of ice - and no snow tire in the world will help on ice. Too bad most of the folks with 4wd SUVs don't seem to understand that.
Up here in western New York, we have sort of a similar problem with the SUV crowd, but it's probably worse. I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers, but most people who lease their vehicles won't bother to buy a set of winter tires. Therefore, since most of the SUVs come with all season tires, that's what these yuppies try to blast through the ice and snow with!! It's REALLY fun watching them try to stop one of those behemoths on an icy road. "I've got 4 wheel drive and ABS, officer. I don't know what went wrong ??!!"
I finally got the new radio (THAT'S a story!) and the amp wired up correctly. That correctly part sure helped . What a difference!! I could probably blow the windows out (even with the new regulators) if I tried! I can't even tell I have the Borla on! All you ManiaIII attendies can listen if you want. Now, if I can figure a way to get those 5X7 Polks in the rear deck...... If the holes are 6X9, maybe I'll trade for my son's Blaupunkt PCxt693's.
Up here in Southern Ontario we have the same problem with SBV's (Sport Brutality Vehicles)too. Isn't that why they call them "Off Road"? ; the first sign of snow and they go off the road and into the ditch ! One of life's great ironies - That one of America's most grotesque, hideous, and vulgar vehicles (the Navigator) is a stablemate to a car such as the LS. There's just no beauty there in this beholder's eye. Now that I've gone through my CD's and am into my cassette tapes more regularly I've noticed an (ignition?) whine. The topic has now popped up here again ; did anyone in the past get a simple satisfactory cure (eg. capacitor, ground) for this problem without having major surgery? (stanny1- I've got the same setup and condition as yours, so I'm waiting with you to hear too. Hope the person who can help us doesn't drive a Navigator Thanks - Brian.
I mention this because as we are all lovers of RWD Sports Sedans, many are closely following this new vehicle. Road and Track magazine and Motor Trend have first impression type test drives in their current issues. Styling will have to grow on me a bit, but I could see myself liking it, especially since the trend is going more and more towards rounded cars ala Nissan Altima and even a vehicle that has really changed a lot and will take a loooong time to grow on me, the new BMW 745i. I LOVED the last generation 7 series, particularly when equipped with the Sport Package/Accompanying 18 inch 5 split-spoke rims. The same one Bond drove in the next to last Bond movie. I saw two of the brand new 745's in Georgetown (DC) yesterday. Lets just say its an interesting look. (as as aside, I still am trying to like the current generation Mercedes S class sedan..still dont love it) I still think the LS is one of the most attractive 4 door sedans on the market today. Anyways, preliminary test results on the new Infiniti are both very favorable. That 260hp/RWD/soon-to-arrive- 6 speed manual transmission all for about $32,000 sticker (including the Sport Package option) looks REAL attractive. Torque is rated at 260, which is good. (For comparison, my buddy just brought a 1998 BMW M3 off of ebay, for a good deal. The same engine started in 1995 M3's, but has 240hp, and 314lb/ft of torque. BMW is always a few years ahead of everyone else, in my opinion.) But then again, with Lincoln about to boost the HP significantly on the V6 LS to hopefully 260hp or so, the gap will be quickly closed in a few months. But from sheer marketing and specs, the G35 will probably steal some sales from Lincoln, but then again, the age range for G35 buyers overall will still be a lot lower than Lincolns average buyers. Lincolns marketing guys have a really tough job. It almost going against the grain and against Lincolns overall image.
The G35 styling will have to grow on me too. I hope it looks better in person than in the car rag photos.
Another problem for me is that the G35 does not have fold down rear seats (according to Autoweek). I've lost count of how many times I've used the fold down rear seats in the LS. The G35 would have to be a whole lot better and lower in price than a 2003 LS for me to get it over another LS and go without the fold down seats.
On the + side the G-35 appears to have a larger trunk than the LS.
Call me a throwback to the 1960's, but there is nothing like the real dual exhaust that the LS has. I hate those single tail pipe with 2 tips on one side sticking out of the muffler setups like the G35 has.
Autoweek said that the G35 stability control was really invasive. It could not be turned off, but could be put into a reduced mode which they said made it a lot better.
Also note how small the standard tires on the G35 are, 205's standard and 215's optional with the sport suspension. The 215's are classified as "summer" tires.
Finally, from what I read it seems that the steering wheel may not telescope on the G35
I just called Tire Rack and asked about the February C&D ad price, and they said that they will not be able to honor the ad price. Also, they are out of stock until March (how convenient). Pressing on about the ad price, the guy would not budge. So that is the story as of right now. BTW, this is regarding the 235-17" version of the Firestone Firehawk LH.
On a side note, the Firestone Winterfire snow tires that I bought to go onto 16" rims are really sweet. Hardly any noise (lots less than OE tires on California roads with their "grainy" surface) and quite a fine rotational quality makes them a fine tire for jaunts to 100+. You just cannot corner with them and have to keep in mind what you are driving on in dry weather. The snow performance is just right, to me. They have what you would expect for grip, corner nicely, decent traction with no electronic assistance (2000 V6 manual) and are generally a fun tire in the snow. If you want to, and I am inclined that way, you can get the car sideways pretty easily and while applying throttle so as to not lose any speed in the recovery process, the car is a dream to reel back in and get it straight. One thing to watch for is toll-booth accelleration, as these tires tend to break traction under full throttle once the engine "comes onto the cam" in first gear, particularly when the road surface is damp. The 4 tires cost me $75 each drive away cost. I got the 4 rims for $212.50 shipped from San Diego to New Hampshire off Ebay, so I guess that I should not be whining about the higher cost of all-season radials. My local tire wholesaler can put me back onto the OE 17" Firehawks at $120 each drive away cost, so Tire Rack can stick-em where they please.
Mike, whose 4Xsnows virtually guaranteed a mild New England winter!
Dissapointed that Tire Rack wont honor that price. Wouldnt hurt to call back and try a different sales person, or take the ad to a local tire chain and see if they would match the price. Maybe Discount Tire Direct (another magazine advertiser) would match it? Worth a shot to someone who really wanted the Firestones at the $69.00 price.
For the past two years, new LS orders could be placed the first week of June, and production began in mid-July, with the first deliveries to dealerships occurring in late August. (I have an '01; my order was entered on June 5th, '00, my build date was August 4th, and the car arrived at the dealer on August 30th, IIRC.)
My guess would be that the '03 LS will follow a similar pattern. If that's the case, the order sheet will probably be finished in the April timeframe and will be sent to dealers in late May or early June. I don't have any inside info; this is all just a guess based on what happened in prior years.
J1g35 - if you're wondering if the MY03 LS is going to push the G35 out of the spotlight, I think that's an even money bet.
ronniepooh - I agree the g35 is intriguing. But no real world hard numbers yet with production cars and Nissan has a history of more hype than horsepower. My buddy has a 2001 Maxima that he thought was king of the road until he drove my MY02 LSV8 Sport. And his lease cost more.
Slunar - from pictures, its not growing on me. The front end of the G35 looks like a warmed over Cadillac DeVille, rear and general exterior styling is Asian/Nissan origami modified jelly bean. Interior is cheap looking. This car is near luxury, not entry luxury from the early look. Buy I've only seen pictures, not the car - so the jury is out.
Al that said, I'll wait and see and drive one before I really decide. If the LS cranks up the specs on the MY03 LS V6, I don't see the g35 as a real alternative.
I just returned from the Lincoln LS Owners Club (LLSOC)- sponsored Mania III event held at the Premier Auto Group Headquarters in Irvine, CA and hosted by the Lincoln LS engineers and marketers.
Of course the best part was the presentation of the freshened 2003 Lincoln LS, trucked in overnight directly from the Lincoln Dealers Show in Las Vegas especially for Mania III.
All attendees were pledged to secrecy and cannot reveal any details.
But...present and future LS owners...Linclon LS personnel HAVE been listening to our concerns and suggestions.
Except for two items (maybe one; they didn't tell us everything!), virtually all of your concerns with the current LS have been answered on the 2003 model...plus some very neat surprises. Does the term Leading Edge mean anything to you? The 2003 model year freshing includes includes many enhancements that you will appreciate. They must have discussed at least 50 changes and there were many more that time would not allow (3 hours is just not long enough).
All will contribute to continue the best-in-class near-luxury sport sedan sold in America.
Kevin Klassner, newly appointed LS Brand Manager (second day in his new position) introduced the new 2003 LS to LLSOC Members and Mania III attendees. Kevin exhibits great enthusiasm and knowledge. He is truly interested and excited in his new position and I am confident he will be a great asset to the Lincoln LS Team and to LS owners.
The engineers: quality control, interior, chassis/drivetrain, were all very forthcoming in the Q & A session and the 2003 LS intro. Believe me, they are all LS enthusiasts and are totally committed to quality.
Mania II at the Wixom Assembly plant in Dearborn last fall was excellentl but Mania III was a once in a lifetime opportunity for average owner/enthusiasts to preview the continuing quality efforts of the LS Team.
I cannot adequately express the depth of my appreciation as an Lincoln LS owner to Brian and Debbie (Debbie: What a great Valentine gift to your husband!) and the Lincoln LS Team for the opportunity to be involved with the LS at this level. I am sure it is unprecedented at any other marque.
I am a first-time Lincoln owner (previously Bonneville, Mercedes and Audi owner)who will definitely be a repeat buyer for the freshened LS.
Mania III was an extraordinary event and I wish all Lincoln LS owners had the privilege of attending this event.
you were wondering who drives this board, when an Irvine event takes place, the daily postings go from 15 - 25 to 2 - 3.
It's good to hear that the next LS will address all of our concerns. I'll be especially interested to hear what Wixom has done to its paint line. And,it sounds like we'll have fold-in mirrors. This should be good.
The G35 appears to be the competition for the moment. The next 6 - 12 months should tell the tale.
It's a shame so few of the folks attending Mania III choose not to fire up their laptops. I'm sure we'll hear from them otherwise in the next few days.
Kevin Klossner is the new LS Brand Manager. Sorry for the mis-spelling.
BTW, LS engineers assured us at Mania III that just because Jaguar has a feature unique to their motors, it will not result in a diminished commitment to the LS engines. In fact, some very independent thinking is going on to provide unique powerplant features on the LS that may be even better than what Jag will have. We can hardly wait.
but you are now KILLING us who couldnt make it with your teasing about the 2003 model! :-) Glad the dedication to the LS remains. I plan to hang on to my 2002 for at least a couple more years, but good to know that the LS does have a future. Bravo!
For those who had dealers solve the alternator whine in their LS audio systems, could you tell us exactly where they added the additional ground wire? Did they remove the original ground, or just add a second? Was the added ground as thick as the original ground? If not, approximately how thick of a guage wire was used?
Who are you kidding? They truck a new car in to show a bunch of civilians and tell you not to tell anyone what you saw. You must be pretty slow to believe they were serious. Believe me if they didn't want anyone to know anything they would have never brought the car and THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER TOLD YOU ANYTHING EITHER. Get real.
I'm out of town on business but my wife told me 2 Waterford crystal LS wine glasses were delivered to the house today. Anyone else receive these or know what they are all about?
tell us some very general non-specific information on the 2003 LS without violating your pledge of secrecy? I am getting ready to buy an Infiniti G35 since my present lease is expiring soon. I may be able to wait for a 2003 LS if it seems worth it. How about the following: Is the horsepower increased for the V8? Are there significant transmission improvements? Could you list other general areas of change without being specific?
When will details be released to the public? I appreciate any help you can give me.
As Johnnylinc posted,there is a most unusual relationship that exists between the owners and the company. Kind of reminds me of a clip I saw yesterday on Viper owners meeting at the factory and adding their input into future designs. As an attendee of Mania I & II, I can assure you many execs at the PAG group stuck their necks out to make it happen. The first autocross as I recall, was verboten in the eyes of the corporate lawyers but we had it anyway. We were privvy to info and sites in Wixom and Dearborn that are off limits to most. Trust is a oft forgotten word in todays instant profit and corporate greed mentality. I beleive we have earned the PAG groups trust and that speaks for itself. Ray Charter LLSOC member
Obviously one non-Mania III attendee is unable to comprehend the special relationship and trust that LLSOC members and Mania III attendees have with the Lincoln Team. Lincoln has trusted us with information about products in which millions of dollars are at stake and that they do not want released early for competitive reasons. If you can't handle this explanation, read Motor Trend for Future Product Information For Civilians. Exactly one minute after any Mania III embargoed information is compromised, you can kiss goodby forever any chance of anyone ever seeing early plans again. I want to see that future Mania attendees have the same opportunity and that LLSOC members continue to have direct access to LS engineers. I also wanted to see the 2003 LS so I spent my money to attend Mania III. The 2003 LS enhancements substantially exceeded my expectations I will be a repeat LS buyer when my 2001 LS lease expires.
After seeing the 2003, I would run, not walk, to my leasing company and extend my lease until the 2003 LS is available. Ford Motor Credit told me I could extend my lease up to six months at the same payment. Be sure to tell them you are waiting for a new model Lincoln LS to be available as that may help.
Lincoln talked about a November intro date, but I am sure the October "buff" magazines will have information on most 2003 models. Your dealer may have details in his order book in July-August. These dates are from my previous experience with FOMOCO and are not official dates.
Horsepower-it will be worth the wait
Transmission-improvements (many incorportated in 2002 LS but nothing specific about the question everyone has been asking
Exterior-freshened-subtle, but welcome changes that makes the exterior more contemporary and evolutionary.
If you delay your Infiniti G35 purchase for the 2003 LS, I guarantee that it will be worth the wait and you will never consider the Infinit G35 again.
The short answer to asking the Mania 3 attendees to loosen their lips is: No. Ain't gonna happen. Period. The end.
We won't compromise the trust that Lincoln put into the club members that attended. Once we break that trust, we don't deserve to be privy to this information anymore.
But in about 3 months or so, the car magazine will probably start reviewing the new LS, so you'll be able to read about the improvements then.
rgnmstr: The glasses are from Lincoln as a new LS owner. You may think what you would like about the club and it's relationship with Lincoln, but the people who were at the event know better and the other club members who attended Mania 2 and were unable to attend Mania 3 know better also.
1. There's a limited edition color that is available only on a 1000 2002 model year LSes called Vibrant Red. It is a gorgeous color and all 1000 vehicles are in the process of being shipped to dealers. To me it looked similar to a candy apple red. Never being a fan of red cars this one really caught my attention.
2. The 2003 MY LSes, as Jerry pointed out, has a signifant number of improvements, which elevate the car to, what I feel, is the next step in the evolution of our cars.
3. PAG HQ is awesome. Each floor has it's own distinctive feel depending on the brand. LM is all black and chrome, Jag/AM is all green translucent glass, Volvo is all blond wood, and Land Rover looks like a safari.
The Showroom facility is fantastic, state-of-the-art. It has 3 turntables for car viewing and infinitely adjustable lighting to change the lighting conditions anyway that the designers want to view the cars.
Lincoln did an outstanding job hosting the club members for this event, from the minute we walked in, until the time we left.
Dito for everything Brian and Jerry said! But you have a terrific, presentation by Lincoln and you walk away thinking that the communication is just unheard of in this day and age. There were people there who genuinely care. We (LLSOC members)feel that they took our input both positive and negative as constructive, and they gave the distinct impression that if it is in their power, they will not be letting us down.
So now imagine, this band of LS Groupies (10~15 LSes)showing up at the 40 degree(very cold for LA!!)foggy morning at the California Speedway to Autocross our daily-driver LSes! Autocross newbies, like myself driving hard, braking hard just throwing thes cars around to decrease our lap times, and having the cars respond....Wow....Way cool!
The LS, a car that always surprises people, really held its own on the course! The wonderful comeraderie of the owners and a few Michigan "ringers" was just wonderful. The car can really grip as you power through the the curves. THIS is the "sleeper" part of the LS. This second day was surely icing on the cake for all of us.
By the way... If you want info on the 03s talk to your dealers, because LLSOC members are mute... and for for a good reason. funkcity....out!
Recently the plastic button that holds the male end of the drivers side seat belt broke on my LS. I asked the dealer for a new button. Would be east to install. Can't get that. Have to have a whole new seat belt. Warranty covers it but can you imagine the expense for a button that costs a few cents. Why isn't the button available? Anyone else have this happen? No wonder Ford is having financial difficulties with replacemtent items like this one. "For the sake of a few pennies". And to top it all off, the dealer ordered the wrong color belt and then told me he would "emergency order" the correct belt and theat would be in the next day. That was a week ago. Good thing this is just annoying.
jond: Credit our litigious society for that one. While it would be easy to install, imagine if someone else did the same thing, had an accident and the seat belt broke at the male end. I wouldn't doubt for one minute that some shady ambulance-chaser would use the fact that Ford hadn't ensured the proper installation of a vital safety component against Ford. Look at the supposed safety flaws that another internet site is trying to drum up for a prime example.
Sad situation since you are correct, the part is probably just a few dollars and you could easily install it yourself quite properly.
Can any "Mania Member" say if this candy apple red or any other new color (bright red or blue or yellow) will be available in the future. I know I must be the only LS owner that dislikes all the colors that have been offered on the LS so far. Why is it that luxury car colors are so boring on the Lincoln line of cars?? Why can't I get an LS with the Jag S-type and BMW-Mx or the new Audi S4 color choices. I would be willing to pay extra for these (European) color choices....hey is LS marketing team listening? The new Audi-S4 blue metalic(Nogaro Blue pearl effect) is fantastic! Can I have my 2003LS in a color like that?
Maybe this will help a little. Go to detroitnews.com, go down and select NEWS on the right hand column, then select AUTOS. Then go down under heading INDUSTRY NEWS to title "Ford gives dealers peek at future" Very interesting.
The special red paint is a limited production run of about 1000 LS's. I will wager it is a test to determine customer interest in acquiring a limited edition LS.
Your posting to this forum is the very best way to let Lincoln Marketing know directly of your interest and hopefully they will do more in the future.
All I can say is WOW!!!! What a show! Thanks to Jonathon, Todd, Ari (sorry for the misspell ), John, Amanda and last, but certainly not least, Kevin! Sometimes I wonder who loves the car more, you or we! You guys went out of your way to make us feel welcome. What a priviledge to be able to interact with the people behind our cars. To voice concerns and to actually be listened to is quite a priviledge! I can think of no other manufacturer that would think of this, let alone allow it. You are a true asset to Ford! PAG headquarters is gorgeous. What a nice place to work.
As for are the "secrets". Lunch was very good. The cookies were ENORMOUS. The pasta salad was very tasty. The hors d'ouvers were exceptional. Hats off to your chefs!
The autocross was a blast. I'd never had the joy of swapping ends until yesterday. Watching the poor rental was truly a joy. Did you guys remove the numbers before you returned it ? The SCCA guys were duly impressed with the agility of such a "large" car. I would love to do this on a regular basis, but I couldn't afford the tires!
The party at The Big Kahuna's was too cool. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Kahuna! The auction and raffle went over well, I thought (I LOVE that wud kit. In fact, it's on!). BTW, if anyone wants the top section with the message center cutout, the in-dash CD piece or the two triangular pieces that go on the dash, above the registers, send me an e-mail. I can let you have then REAL cheap. First come, first served. Kudos to steve_ca for organizing the raffle/auction, and procuring the donations.
I suppose you really want to hear about the car. Well............NOT FROM ME!! I saw it, sat in it, played with switches and knobs, opened things that would open, drove a little (just kidding!) and looked at just about everything I could think of. That's all I'll say until the car is released. One thing I will NOT do is jeapordize our unique relationship with the Lincoln.
Kudos to all involved with the excecution of ManiaIII.
For those of you that have big thick wallets would have loved the fact that we were allowed to climb all over a DB7 Aston Martin Vantage. A V-12, 420 HP 2+2 sports coup.
WOW!!!! What a blast from start to finish. From the MY '03 preview, the PAG facility tour, extended Q&A time with the Lincoln LS Brain Trust, and the SCCA Solo II autocross event, this was an adrenaline filled, jaw dropping experience. What more could an automobile enthusiast ask for in one weekend?
My personal thanks again to EVERYONE that was involved and participated. A very special thanks to Brian & Debbie Gowing (aka ls1bmw0 & ls2bmw0 - Happy B-day Debbie!) Jonathan Crocker (thanks for riding shotgun during the autocross!), Arie, Kevin Klossner, Amanda, Todd, and I'm sorry for not listing everyone else individually, but this was an experience of a lifetime (as Manias 1 & 2 were). No where will an auto enthusiast find an experience like this but with the Lincoln LS, interaction with Lincoln/FoMoCo employees, and Lincoln LS Owners Club! If you didn't attend, it was certainly your loss, and try even harder to make the next event.
I got back home to Tempe, AZ yesterday afternoon only to get bombarded by the realities of life, preventing me from attending to 'Silver' properly (ridden hard and put up wet). However, I'm still on cloud nine pondering all that I saw and did. I'll be cleaning up 'Silver' properly today, and do a better job of gathering my thoughts and posting relevent issues as I come back to earth over the next day or so.
This LLSOC thing IS WAY COOL!!!!!
Chris - LLSOC Charter Member and Mania 1, 2, & 3 veteran
Welly, welly well! I returned from Mania III last nite around 10:30 PM. I've got lots to say so I'm going to make several posts so you can breeze by if the subject doesn't interest you.
So, about the 2003 LS: sfhfn *** ()_))76 8 *76 &$^$ dsfjf; O**ops, gue<<ss my k??eyb>oard is screwe''d up :>)
In order to link to a page, just move your cursor to the address line (you know, beginning with 'http') while you're on the page ,right click (that should highlight the entire address) then select 'copy'. Now you've got the address on your 'clipboard'. Then, put your cursor where you want to put the link, left click, then right click and select 'paste'. Voila! here's a link to the pep talk article you cited above:
Sounds pretty good, eh? The LM folks at Mania III didn't say much about any other LM models, except to **assure** us that Mercury is here to stay, which I think is a very good thing. She really is kind lost in the PAG group, though. On the LM floor, first thing you see off the elevators is a big backlighted 'Lincoln' and the star above it set into what looks like black stone, IIRC. If you look then to the wall 10' to the left, there is a smaller, unlighted 'Mercury' on a grey background.
Over the past month, I have noticed a rattle that is driving me crazy coming from the fake wood plastic piece where the headlight and mirror switch is located. If I put my finger on the plastic panel it will go away.
Does anyone know how to remove the fake wood piece?
I don't recall any of the colors which will be available on the 2003 LSes. But I recall vividly the red 2002 they showed us. It's a bright, beautiful color. If it were available when I ordered my car, I would have chosen ot over my Autumn Red. But if I had, I probably would have gotten a few speeding tickets by now. It will really attract attention.
I also looked *very* closely at the paint. I could see **no** orange peel at all. I spoke with Kevin Klossner about that and he said that the paint line at Wixom has installed (he didn't say exactly when) some improved equipment (I think it was spray heads, but I'm not positive) which has markedly helped the paint's appearance. Wunderbar!
While my Autumn Red 2001, build date 1/18/01, does show some orange peel under close inspection, it is not nearly enough to bother me. And I made GM (well, the dealer did it) repaint my brand new '97 Tahoe when I bought it (yes, sorry but my alter ego is a ouppie SUV scum, but I actually go off road with it) because of orange peel. Also, I've parked next to new Mercedes M-class and the paint on my LS was better looking than that on the M.
Comments
The manual method, where you work the bleeder screws and your assistant does a leg muscle workout, requires the "tech tool". I'll take an educated guess and assume that when the pedal goes to the floor, a switch is activated which indicates a hydraulic "failure", and this needs to be reset.
If you pressure bleed, or vacuum bleed, the master cylinder doesn't "stroke", therefore that switch is not activated, so it doesn't have to be reset.
More specificaly, the shop manual starts out by saying, "Manual method, connect the NGS DCL cable to the data link...... Pressure bleed, follow the bleeder manufacturer's instructions......" In both cases, the sequence of RR,LR,RF,LF is specified as the proper way to do the job.
To address your question regarding "depressurizing" the system, no mention is made in the manual. One thing that I noticed when I did this job last year is that the fluid does not flow from the calipers as readily as the GM cars that I'm used to doing. It took me a while to draw 5-6 ounces of fluid from each caliper. What I should do is get the proper adapter for my pressure bleeder. That probably would speed up the process.
I hope that this helps you out.
You should change your brake fluid every 2 years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic - it absorbs water which can damage the internal brake system over time, especially ABS systems. Dark fluid is contaminated - new fluid is clear. You just remove as much of the old fluid from the master cylinder as possible (a turkey baster works great) and refill with fresh clean fluid. Then you go to each wheel, crack the bleeder screw and (if you have a vacuum bleeder) draw out fluid until you see the fresh, clean fluid, close the bleeder and go to the next wheel, making sure you keep the master cylinder full. Then top off to the proper level and you're done.
I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers, but most people who lease their vehicles won't bother to buy a set of winter tires. Therefore, since most of the SUVs come with all season tires, that's what these yuppies try to blast through the ice and snow with!! It's REALLY fun watching them try to stop one of those behemoths on an icy road. "I've got 4 wheel drive and ABS, officer. I don't know what went wrong ??!!"
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=11087
any news on how the Germans are doing in CA.?
Here is some very good news on the US car makers.
http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=38304
I hope this will help move more money to the LS design team.
One of life's great ironies - That one of America's most grotesque, hideous, and vulgar vehicles (the Navigator) is a stablemate to a car such as the LS. There's just no beauty there in this beholder's eye.
Now that I've gone through my CD's and am into my cassette tapes more regularly I've noticed an (ignition?) whine. The topic has now popped up here again ; did anyone in the past get a simple satisfactory cure (eg. capacitor, ground) for this problem without having major surgery? (stanny1- I've got the same setup and condition as yours, so I'm waiting with you to hear too. Hope the person who can help us doesn't drive a Navigator
Thanks - Brian.
Another problem for me is that the G35 does not have fold down rear seats (according to Autoweek). I've lost count of how many times I've used the fold down rear seats in the LS. The G35 would have to be a whole lot better and lower in price than a 2003 LS for me to get it over another LS and go without the fold down seats.
On the + side the G-35 appears to have a larger trunk than the LS.
Call me a throwback to the 1960's, but there is nothing like the real dual exhaust that the LS has. I hate those single tail pipe with 2 tips on one side sticking out of the muffler setups like the G35 has.
Autoweek said that the G35 stability control was really invasive. It could not be turned off, but could be put into a reduced mode which they said made it a lot better.
Also note how small the standard tires on the G35 are, 205's standard and 215's optional with the sport suspension. The 215's are classified as "summer" tires.
Finally, from what I read it seems that the steering wheel may not telescope on the G35
BTW, this is regarding the 235-17" version of the Firestone Firehawk LH.
On a side note, the Firestone Winterfire snow tires that I bought to go onto 16" rims are really sweet. Hardly any noise (lots less than OE tires on California roads with their "grainy" surface) and quite a fine rotational quality makes them a fine tire for jaunts to 100+. You just cannot corner with them and have to keep in mind what you are driving on in dry weather. The snow performance is just right, to me. They have what you would expect for grip, corner nicely, decent traction with no electronic assistance (2000 V6 manual) and are generally a fun tire in the snow. If you want to, and I am inclined that way, you can get the car sideways pretty easily and while applying throttle so as to not lose any speed in the recovery process, the car is a dream to reel back in and get it straight. One thing to watch for is toll-booth accelleration, as these tires tend to break traction under full throttle once the engine "comes onto the cam" in first gear, particularly when the road surface is damp. The 4 tires cost me $75 each drive away cost. I got the 4 rims for $212.50 shipped from San Diego to New Hampshire off Ebay, so I guess that I should not be whining about the higher cost of all-season radials. My local tire wholesaler can put me back onto the OE 17" Firehawks at $120 each drive away cost, so Tire Rack can stick-em where they please.
Mike, whose 4Xsnows virtually guaranteed a mild New England winter!
My guess would be that the '03 LS will follow a similar pattern. If that's the case, the order sheet will probably be finished in the April timeframe and will be sent to dealers in late May or early June. I don't have any inside info; this is all just a guess based on what happened in prior years.
Hope this helps.
JLinc
LLSOC charter member
ronniepooh - I agree the g35 is intriguing. But no real world hard numbers yet with production cars and Nissan has a history of more hype than horsepower. My buddy has a 2001 Maxima that he thought was king of the road until he drove my MY02 LSV8 Sport. And his lease cost more.
Slunar - from pictures, its not growing on me. The front end of the G35 looks like a warmed over Cadillac DeVille, rear and general exterior styling is Asian/Nissan origami modified jelly bean. Interior is cheap looking. This car is near luxury, not entry luxury from the early look.
Buy I've only seen pictures, not the car - so the jury is out.
Al that said, I'll wait and see and drive one before I really decide. If the LS cranks up the specs on the MY03 LS V6, I don't see the g35 as a real alternative.
I just returned from the Lincoln LS Owners Club (LLSOC)- sponsored Mania III event held at the Premier Auto Group Headquarters in Irvine, CA and hosted by the Lincoln LS engineers and marketers.
Of course the best part was the presentation of the freshened 2003 Lincoln LS, trucked in overnight directly from the Lincoln Dealers Show in Las Vegas especially for Mania III.
All attendees were pledged to secrecy and cannot reveal any details.
But...present and future LS owners...Linclon LS personnel HAVE been listening to our concerns and suggestions.
Except for two items (maybe one; they didn't tell us everything!), virtually all of your concerns with the current LS have been answered on the 2003 model...plus some very neat surprises. Does the term Leading Edge mean anything to you? The 2003 model year freshing includes includes many enhancements that you will appreciate. They must have discussed at least 50 changes and there were many more that time would not allow (3 hours is just not long enough).
All will contribute to continue the best-in-class near-luxury sport sedan sold in America.
Kevin Klassner, newly appointed LS Brand Manager (second day in his new position) introduced the new 2003 LS to LLSOC Members and Mania III attendees. Kevin exhibits great enthusiasm and knowledge. He is truly interested and excited in his new position and I am confident he will be a great asset to the Lincoln LS Team and to LS owners.
The engineers: quality control, interior, chassis/drivetrain, were all very forthcoming in the Q & A session and the 2003 LS intro. Believe me, they are all LS enthusiasts and are totally committed to quality.
Mania II at the Wixom Assembly plant in Dearborn last fall was excellentl but Mania III was a once in a lifetime opportunity for average owner/enthusiasts to preview the continuing quality efforts of the LS Team.
I cannot adequately express the depth of my appreciation as an Lincoln LS owner to Brian and Debbie (Debbie: What a great Valentine gift to your husband!) and the Lincoln LS Team for the opportunity to be involved with the LS at this level. I am sure it is unprecedented at any other marque.
I am a first-time Lincoln owner (previously Bonneville, Mercedes and Audi owner)who will definitely be a repeat buyer for the freshened LS.
Mania III was an extraordinary event and I wish all Lincoln LS owners had the privilege of attending this event.
Thanks a MILLION!
It's good to hear that the next LS will address all of our concerns. I'll be especially interested to hear what Wixom has done to its paint line. And,it sounds like we'll have fold-in mirrors. This should be good.
The G35 appears to be the competition for the moment. The next 6 - 12 months should tell the tale.
It's a shame so few of the folks attending Mania III choose not to fire up their laptops. I'm sure we'll hear from them otherwise in the next few days.
BTW, LS engineers assured us at Mania III that just because Jaguar has a feature unique to their motors, it will not result in a diminished commitment to the LS engines. In fact, some very independent thinking is going on to provide unique powerplant features on the LS that may be even better than what Jag will have. We can hardly wait.
Thanx
Regarding your previous post about Mania: Have you ever attended any of the Mania events?
Is the horsepower increased for the V8?
Are there significant transmission improvements?
Could you list other general areas of change without being specific?
When will details be released to the public?
I appreciate any help you can give me.
As an attendee of Mania I & II, I can assure you many execs at the PAG group stuck their necks out to make it happen. The first autocross as I recall, was verboten in the eyes of the corporate lawyers but we had it anyway. We were privvy to info and sites in Wixom and Dearborn that are off limits to most. Trust is a oft forgotten word in todays instant profit and corporate greed mentality. I beleive we have earned the PAG groups trust and that speaks for itself.
Ray
Charter LLSOC member
After seeing the 2003, I would run, not walk, to my leasing company and extend my lease until the 2003 LS is available. Ford Motor Credit told me I could extend my lease up to six months at the same payment. Be sure to tell them you are waiting for a new model Lincoln LS to be available as that may help.
Lincoln talked about a November intro date, but I am sure the October "buff" magazines will have information on most 2003 models. Your dealer may have details in his order book in July-August. These dates are from my previous experience with FOMOCO and are not official dates.
Horsepower-it will be worth the wait
Transmission-improvements (many incorportated in 2002 LS but nothing specific about the question everyone has been asking
Exterior-freshened-subtle, but welcome changes that makes the exterior more contemporary and evolutionary.
If you delay your Infiniti G35 purchase for the 2003 LS, I guarantee that it will be worth the wait and you will never consider the Infinit G35 again.
We won't compromise the trust that Lincoln put into the club members that attended. Once we break that trust, we don't deserve to be privy to this information anymore.
But in about 3 months or so, the car magazine will probably start reviewing the new LS, so you'll be able to read about the improvements then.
rgnmstr: The glasses are from Lincoln as a new LS owner. You may think what you would like about the club and it's relationship with Lincoln, but the people who were at the event know better and the other club members who attended Mania 2 and were unable to attend Mania 3 know better also.
Brian
1. There's a limited edition color that is available only on a 1000 2002 model year LSes called Vibrant Red. It is a gorgeous color and all 1000 vehicles are in the process of being shipped to dealers. To me it looked similar to a candy apple red. Never being a fan of red cars this one really caught my attention.
2. The 2003 MY LSes, as Jerry pointed out, has a signifant number of improvements, which elevate the car to, what I feel, is the next step in the evolution of our cars.
3. PAG HQ is awesome. Each floor has it's own distinctive feel depending on the brand. LM is all black and chrome, Jag/AM is all green translucent glass, Volvo is all blond wood, and Land Rover looks like a safari.
The Showroom facility is fantastic, state-of-the-art. It has 3 turntables for car viewing and infinitely adjustable lighting to change the lighting conditions anyway that the designers want to view the cars.
Lincoln did an outstanding job hosting the club members for this event, from the minute we walked in, until the time we left.
Brian
But you have a terrific, presentation by Lincoln and you walk away thinking that the communication is just unheard of in this day and age. There were people there who genuinely care. We (LLSOC members)feel that they took our input both positive and negative as constructive, and they gave the distinct impression that if it is in their power, they will not be letting us down.
So now imagine, this band of LS Groupies (10~15 LSes)showing up at the 40 degree(very cold for LA!!)foggy morning at the California Speedway to Autocross our daily-driver LSes!
Autocross newbies, like myself driving hard, braking hard just throwing thes cars around to decrease our lap times, and having the cars respond....Wow....Way cool!
The LS, a car that always surprises people, really held its own on the course! The wonderful comeraderie of the owners and a few
Michigan "ringers" was just wonderful.
The car can really grip as you power through the the curves. THIS is the "sleeper" part of the LS.
This second day was surely icing on the cake for all of us.
By the way... If you want info on the 03s talk to your dealers, because LLSOC members are mute... and for for a good reason.
funkcity....out!
For those that feel otherwise, you might as well consider yourselves an orphan to this group.
We saw the 2003 Lincoln LS V6 and V8. You should have been there.
Sad situation since you are correct, the part is probably just a few dollars and you could easily install it yourself quite properly.
Brian
Maybe this will help a little. Go to detroitnews.com, go down and select NEWS on the right hand column, then select AUTOS. Then go down under heading INDUSTRY NEWS to title "Ford gives dealers peek at future" Very interesting.
Your posting to this forum is the very best way to let Lincoln Marketing know directly of your interest and hopefully they will do more in the future.
As for are the "secrets". Lunch was very good. The cookies were ENORMOUS. The pasta salad was very tasty. The hors d'ouvers were exceptional. Hats off to your chefs!
The autocross was a blast. I'd never had the joy of swapping ends until yesterday. Watching the poor rental was truly a joy. Did you guys remove the numbers before you returned it
The party at The Big Kahuna's was too cool. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Kahuna! The auction and raffle went over well, I thought (I LOVE that wud kit. In fact, it's on!). BTW, if anyone wants the top section with the message center cutout, the in-dash CD piece or the two triangular pieces that go on the dash, above the registers, send me an e-mail. I can let you have then REAL cheap. First come, first served. Kudos to steve_ca for organizing the raffle/auction, and procuring the donations.
I suppose you really want to hear about the car. Well............NOT FROM ME!! I saw it, sat in it, played with switches and knobs, opened things that would open, drove a little (just kidding!) and looked at just about everything I could think of. That's all I'll say until the car is released. One thing I will NOT do is jeapordize our unique relationship with the Lincoln.
Kudos to all involved with the excecution of ManiaIII.
Mike
Proud Charter Member LLSOC
"A high-performance version of the new LS sedan."
Not asking any of the Mania attendees to violate any agreements, but if this article is true, it pretty much speaks for itself.
No comment
All I can say is WOW!
For those of you that have big thick wallets would have loved the fact that we were allowed to climb all over a DB7 Aston Martin Vantage. A V-12, 420 HP 2+2 sports coup.
Yep, Mania III was a blast.
"2002 Linoln LS: Facelift, manual transmission."
I guess the Fantasy Watch people never read the M/T article about the 2000 V6 LS manual.
For 2003 they say; "2003 Lincoln LS: V-8 engine topped with a supercharger." Which I think we all figured out a long time ago without M/T's help.
For 2004 & beyond M/T says nothing about any Lincoln product except the baby LS, which we all know about anyway.
My personal thanks again to EVERYONE that was involved and participated. A very special thanks to Brian & Debbie Gowing (aka ls1bmw0 & ls2bmw0 - Happy B-day Debbie!) Jonathan Crocker (thanks for riding shotgun during the autocross!), Arie, Kevin Klossner, Amanda, Todd, and I'm sorry for not listing everyone else individually, but this was an experience of a lifetime (as Manias 1 & 2 were). No where will an auto enthusiast find an experience like this but with the Lincoln LS, interaction with Lincoln/FoMoCo employees, and Lincoln LS Owners Club! If you didn't attend, it was certainly your loss, and try even harder to make the next event.
I got back home to Tempe, AZ yesterday afternoon only to get bombarded by the realities of life, preventing me from attending to 'Silver' properly (ridden hard and put up wet). However, I'm still on cloud nine pondering all that I saw and did. I'll be cleaning up 'Silver' properly today, and do a better job of gathering my thoughts and posting relevent issues as I come back to earth over the next day or so.
This LLSOC thing IS WAY COOL!!!!!
Chris - LLSOC Charter Member and Mania 1, 2, & 3 veteran
So, about the 2003 LS: sfhfn *** ()_))76 8 *76 &$^$ dsfjf; O**ops, gue<<ss my k??eyb>oard is screwe''d up :>)
In order to link to a page, just move your cursor to the address line (you know, beginning with 'http') while you're on the page ,right click (that should highlight the entire address) then select 'copy'. Now you've got the address on your 'clipboard'. Then, put your cursor where you want to put the link, left click, then right click and select 'paste'. Voila! here's a link to the pep talk article you cited above:
http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=38365
Sounds pretty good, eh? The LM folks at Mania III didn't say much about any other LM models, except to **assure** us that Mercury is here to stay, which I think is a very good thing. She really is kind lost in the PAG group, though. On the LM floor, first thing you see off the elevators is a big backlighted 'Lincoln' and the star above it set into what looks like black stone, IIRC. If you look then to the wall 10' to the left, there is a smaller, unlighted 'Mercury' on a grey background.
Does anyone know how to remove the fake wood piece?
Thanks
I also looked *very* closely at the paint. I could see **no** orange peel at all. I spoke with Kevin Klossner about that and he said that the paint line at Wixom has installed (he didn't say exactly when) some improved equipment (I think it was spray heads, but I'm not positive) which has markedly helped the paint's appearance. Wunderbar!
While my Autumn Red 2001, build date 1/18/01, does show some orange peel under close inspection, it is not nearly enough to bother me. And I made GM (well, the dealer did it) repaint my brand new '97 Tahoe when I bought it (yes, sorry but my alter ego is a ouppie SUV scum, but I actually go off road with it) because of orange peel. Also, I've parked next to new Mercedes M-class and the paint on my LS was better looking than that on the M.