I'd vote for Little Al on Brian's list. Jackie Stewart would be an excellent choice given his success driving Ford powered F1 cars, but I have to agree with the comments made by others . . . a little too old to be a pitchman for this car. Michael Andretti, rather than Mario, would also be a good choice. Same generation as Little Al.
I'm not sure Lincoln would want to use a Winston Cup personality to pitch the LS. While Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, and DJ are in the Ford stable, they drive a Taurus. Plus, I'm not sure folks that don't follow NASCAR would recognize them. Personally, I really enjoy NASCAR, probably more so than IRL and/or CART. My favorite form of racing is the TransAm series and cars that run the Rolex 24/Le Mans. It's too bad that this type of racing doesn't get better TV coverage. Speedvision televised the entire Rolex 24, and I believe they plan on covering the 12 hours of Sebring in its entirety. I really enjoyed watching that race unfold. I'm hoping Leavy can get the Spirit of Detroit Motorsport LS on the starting grid sometime soon! These cars are more similar to what we drive on a daily basis, so I'm more drawn to this type of racing. Paul Newman drives/drove this series (mostly in Nissans), but like others, he's getting a little old.
In general, I'm afraid that there are fewer contemporary American race car drivers that have risen to prominence where their names are immediately recognized.
tom12253 - thanks for the advice. I thought the reflash only affected auto downshifts when in full auto mode (though why I have no idea). If it improves the SST downshift I'm all for it. Except for that my tranny works perfectly, none of the other problems noted.
With respect to the radio not shutting off when the door is opened, that happened to me once a few months ago. I started and shutoff the car, and then it worked. I could open and close the door to my hearts content, but the radio just kept boogying.
For spokesperson, how about Hunter S. Thompson? Seriously, I do think Lincoln could do with a bit more aggressive advertising, if you didn't know from reading the automotive press most of their ads wouldn't even give you a clue that this is a performance car. Audi and BMW have been doing some impressive image ads that also convey a sense of high performance. Maybe an ad that starts with the driver smoothly driving along inside the car, then ending with it 4 wheel drifting through the corners on a mountain road? Of course, with the usual "Professional driver on a closed course. Don't try this yourself" legalese.
Nology, Inc. has a project LS with a number of performance and appearance modifications, the major one being nitrous. To view, go to: http://www.nology.com/lincoln.html.
I remember a feature article on this car appeared in an issue of Motor Trend and on their TV show last year, but I don't remember which. There are no new details on the web site, but I know how much we all love seeing anything LS-related.
BTW-preliminary results in new gov't vehicle rollover tests commend 4 cars: Toyota Camry, Crown Vic/Grand Marquis and, drum roll please: Lincoln LS.(Will we be now seeing LS police cars?:) Just one more feather in Lincoln's cap.
You are so right concerning LS advertising. I am constantly bemused by the low-key TV commercials, especially the one where they pair it up with the Navigator-huh?
I've long felt that they could play up the performance aspect some more. IMHO the original commercials were better, i.e, "wood, leather, adrenaline." How about something along the lines of the Lexus IS300 where they depict the car out in front of a BMW? I realize this is something of a different target market, but there is some overlap. They could play the theme down just a bit. Just my .02 worth.
A big thank you to Lincoln and Jim Rodgers and all the other Lincoln folk who were so great at the Mania event. The Waterford clock with the Seiko movement is lovely. The enclosed picture of all of us lined up before the pylon pushing began was great too. Except I was in row three and even tho the photog was up on a ladder, he wasn't high enough to get us all in. It's a keeper though.
New 2001 auto V6 sort package owner. A whopping 350 miles on the car. Love everything about it. I have noticed a delay or a hard shift when going from Park to Drive. Can anyone tell me what this is? I want to seem intelligent when I visit my service center. Great site here, very informative.
Joel, This is a common questions. First check your "build date" which can be found on a label on the frame behind the driver's door. If your car was built before 10/17/00, then there is a TSB (#01-01-05) which will help your situation. Have your dealer install the updated software.
If that's not it, you can "train" your transmisssion. See the FAQ (#4) at the LS Owner's Club site www.LLSOC.com
This isnt software related. Its something mechanical, but Mkovolask told me last year that its common, but assured us its not a problem, or something that would break. Actually, I thought it was from R to P. That one lets loose a pretty good "clunk" as well. Ive learned to reduce the clunk by going frm R to D and then to P. Helps a lot..
Every marketing or advertising study that I've seen essentially concludes that celebrety spokes people do very little to sway potential customers. The primary reason why companies spend big bucks on them is that company executives want to hang out with jocks or movie stars. Save the bucks on any celeb. spokes person and put the $$ saved into engineering to design a better car or into manufacturing to improve quality.
Dick, I think I can arrange for Phyllis Diller to hang around with the Detroit crew :-).
Seriously, Taurus was not hurt by a celebrity spokesperson (how many pups did Lindsay stuff into that wagon?)(and SPRINT has a long, positive branding - remember the "dime lady"?)
Notwithstanding the studies, in certain applications, a spokes person or spokes voice (Orson Welle's and wine, for example) really defines a brand to wide audience.
If this wasn't so, we wouldn't pay Julia Roberts so much to "open" a picture.
Okay I've already set the expectation so here goes: Why are air conditioning systems in cars driven by a fan belt as opposed to being powered electrically like home units? Besides the obvious power requirements wouldn't an electrically powered unit tend to use less horsepower than a engine driven unit? I realize that the alternator would be significantly bigger, but to my inadequate engineering brain, it seems that the less accesories you hang off the engine the more power you could get.
Brian(who knows that this will probably elicit a chuckle or loud guffaw from the more knowledgeable types in the audience)
Personally I think Sean Connery would be great for the LS! I like Pierce Brosnan is great but not for the LS. The LS is a Little more Mature like Pierce's older counterpart Sean Connery. Let's Get him in a Commercial for the LS!
I know when I grow older I will aspire to be like Sean Connery! (Currently I will be 26 later on this month... I am getting closer to being like him every day!)
Regards,
Airwolf1000 P.S. Thanks for the info Johnnylinc, the shop I take my baby too is very good. I just don't think they have the latest reflash. They said they will flash it with the one they have now but they say its the same one my car has ( Build Date 2/08/2000) Yikes!
Mark has finally defrosted his beard and he can talk again!
The Automatic Transmission chat is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001 at 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 Pacific in the LLSOC Chat room. This way all you early sleepers back east can participate!
Consider typical driving patterns and the limitation of available stored energy (battery) and reserve capacity (alternator). The big challenge would be feeding that A/C motor with enough current during extended idling. Even with high amp alternators, the output at idle is pretty much used up with lights and vent fan, along with maybe a stray seat heater or window grid. Back in my auto repair days, I was one of the few who actually used a carbon pile to load test alternator rebuilds (OK now I am really dating myself!). A 180A police model would only crank out 30-40A at idle. If you overdrove it enough to get ~100A at idle you would spin the guts out of it if you ever hit passing gear. The only application I could think of would be the new "hybrid" cars that would have the battery capacity to drive a big consumer like an A/C compressor. Or an 18-wheeler that has lots of batteries already and spends most of it's time at highway speeds.
I think that's one of the reasons for the new 42 volt systems that are starting to roll out and are expected to be standard within a few years. Should make a lot of things possible: electrically actuated (infinitely variable) valves for one. Electric supercharger.
2 batteries - 42 volts. Don't ask me how or why it's 42 volts instead of 24 or 48.
How about the crew on this board? How about Jim, Dick, and Mark (TTG)? We know and are enthusiastic about the product, so wouldn't we be great spokes people?
I think the TV ads need to tone down the luxury and concentrate on the sport. Bring back the " wood, leather, adrenaline" campaign, with more mention of the sports aspect.
What an interesting topic; really takes me off on tangents. I'd like to see an ad with Denise McCluggage behind the wheel of an LS Sport, blasting through the esses at Watkins with a sly grin on her face.
Since she's a journalist with integrity, I doubt she'd never consider endorsing a car for money, and only a relative handful of the buying public would know who she is; consequently, it probably wouldn't work at all. I'd still like to see it, though.
A few of her photos were on display at the Petersen. They reminded me of Jesse Alexander's work; the one of Masten Gregory and Sir Jack Brabham was particularly good. What an immensely talented lady!
People who should NOT be paid to advert the LS:
Anna Nicole Smith Rich the Naked Guy from that ridiculous "Survivor" Eminem Zsa Zsa Gabor Richard Simmons The Sheens, the Estevezes, or the Baldwins Angelina Jolie John Rocker
Now, about Sela Ward: You can put me down as a "yes". Nicely done, Dick.
JohnnyLinc, not contemplating a career change (and apologizing for this questionable use of resources...)
Since you brought the subject up, the climate control on the LS is the one thing that baffles the hell out of me. RTOM I read the owners manual and I still don't understand how to set it up so not to engage the AC when its 0 degrees out side. Is there anybody else that is as confused with the climate control as I am. Even on the warmer days this time of year, if the AC is on it gives off a musty smell. I realize you guys in the warmer climates might not have this problem. Any insight would be appreciated.
There is more power available to run the car with a belt driven A/C than there would be with an electrically driven A/C.
To operate an electrically powered A/C you need to create the electricity. The engine provides power to do this by turning the alternator. The alternator has an efficiency of something less than 100%. I don't know what the real efficiency is, but for the sake of this discussion let's say it is 90%. That means that for every 10 horsepower the engine provides to the alternator you get 9 horsepower worth of electricity.
If the A/C requires 9 horsepower at maximum load (and that's somewhere in the ballpark) you need the engine to produce 10 horsepower.
The belt driven A/C gets it's 9 horsepower directly from the engine. So in this example you have one more horsepower to drive the wheels with a belt driven A/C. There is already a clutch on the A/C compressor that turns off the A/C when needed, such as wide open throttle. It will turn off here to get more acceleration.
I've neglected the losses for the belts because I'm assuming the losses for the A/C pulley and the alternator are about equal.
This also ignores the problem of producing enough electricity to operate an A/C unit. It takes a lot, and there would probably need to be a second very large alternator to be able to run the compressor.
I think Dick had an *EXCELLENT* suggestion with Sela Ward! Let's get her to the next Mania! I believe she would make a much better spokesperson than any of us Lincoln types. Only those of you who already know the LS would want to listen to us.
I promise to be at the chat this time. I apologize that I missed the first one I was supposed to be the featured person. I found out minutes before I was scheduled to start that I could not participate with my company issued laptop. Chat sites are blocked! And since I was 2,000 miles from my personal computer I had no way to connect.
I believe that several of the components vendors and possibly one or more of the auto manufacturers have played with electric A/C units but they are not yet practical for the reasons previously stated. There was a big push for electric AC units a few years ago due to the EPA and the desire to reduce if not eliminate Freon leakage into the atmosphere. Standing A/C units (like your central air) use a sealed compressor, the motor is inside the compressor can with hermetically sealed power feed through wires. Home systems rarely leak. Usually when you call out the service guy to check your system in the spring he tells you he added a half pound of Freon and your all set for the summer. Usually he is lying to jack up the bill as your system most likely did not loose any Freon. Auto A/C compressors that are belt driven from the engine are obviously not sealed units. These non sealed car units often leak and need refrigerant added. One of the reasons why many mechanics say to run your A/C occasionally in the winter, that is to pump the refrigerant around and keep the seals from degrading and leaking.
At the end of the last paragraph I used the word refrigerant instead of Freon, because the auto A/C world had chosen to change from Freon (actually correctly CFC based refrigerants as Freon is a trademark name and is now also use on modified and not CFC refrigerants) to other refrigerants that are allegedly more environmentally friendly. I believe that Ford was the first major auto manufacturer to build cars with CFC free refrigerant.
On to 42 Volt cars. Our 12 volt cars are really 13.8 - 14 volt cars. The new 42 volt systems are acknowledgment that present cars are really 14 volt systems and then new cars will operate on three 14 volt units or 42 volts.
If you have the climate control on Auto I think it always engages the air conditioner compressor. The only way I turn mine off is to go to manual and turn off the A/C switch. I noticed that even when it's cold here(I know that a relative term in SoCal) that whenever I switch from Auto to manual there A/C light goes on, no matter how cold it gets.
The musty smell sounds like you may have the system on recirculate. I know on one of my other cars I had a similar problem and it was because I would run it in recirculate mode and then turn off the car. Once I switched it to bring in outside air I didn't have that problem anymore.
Mark, thank you for your informative lecture. I knew there where good reasons for not doing it. Now I know why!
Mine goes off when the temp hits somewhere around 30F. If I don't leave it on the windows fog up quickly. You do have to turn it off manually each time you start the car (like the AdvanceTrac and Traction control).
I think the reason the A/C comes on along with the heat functions is for it to remove excess moisture/humidity from the air. Rain and Snow that drag into the car on your feet will evaporate and cause high humidity levels that will quickly fog the windows. The A/C function is to remove humidity to cool the inside more quickly, hence the condensation on the compressor that drips on your driveway/garage floor in the summer.
I agree with Brian that the musty smell is probably the recirc. button. But it may also just stale air from the compressor circulating briefly until the fresh outside air mixes in and the filter removes the smell.
It took me a while to get use to seeing the A/C light come on, but trust me, it works like a charm to keep the windows clear.
Got home last night to find my K&N airfilter had arrived in the mail from Performance Products. Imagine my surprise when I found, along with the filter, a Performance catalog of Mercedes oriented gifts and products..
I had the same problem. It seems that the cabin air filter had mold growing in it. Check this. The dealer cleaned and sprayed with a very smelly"AIR-WICK" type spray It smelled for 2 weeks.It also only helped for a short period of time. I think that there is a build up of condensate and this gives the mold a place to grow.
I have routinely turned off my ac (but left the blower blowing) about a block or so before I get to my house. This allows the cold air to completely blow out, and the outside air to "flush" the ventiliation system. Probably a bad explanation, but it works for me....
To start with, I have a 2001 LS V8 w/sport pkg and moon roof that I took delivery on the first week of Sept 2000. Build date is 7/18/2000.
Now that we are hitting 85 degree days here in FL, I am experiencing an A/C problem (once again) I had last fall. I was driving today with windows open for 15 minutes and decided to turn on A/C. I set on auto at 70 degrees. As I drove the drivers side seemed to cool down slowly, the passenger side not at all. I drove 5 miles like this and the passenger side never did cool down. The drivers side A/C got co1d only towards the end of the 5 miles. At times the drivers side seemed a bit warm too. The air coming in the pass. A/C vents felt like the same temp as the outside air. I even set it to max cool (60 degrees) and no change.
I stopped the car, put it in park, and then the passenger side A/C vents seemed to magically cool down quickly. I have repeated this scenario a few times.
I believe the problem has been there since day 1 and the dealer has looked at it twice. The first time they replaced a heater valve. The second time they replacred the whole A/C control module (user interface) to no avail. Still no change. The dealer does not know what to do and I am getting frustrated, especially when the Town Car loaner is ice cold inside of 30 seconds after sitting in a parking lot under the hot sun all day.
The asst. service mananger also said that apparently the dual climate controls seem to take longer too cool down on the passenger side on all of their cars.
Anyone else have A/C problems like this? Please HELP!!! I need to get an answer to this soon, its going on way too long now.
I have not had any trouble like you describe. Leaving work last summer I would drop all 4 windows with the remote for a few minutes and have ice cold air before leaving the parking lot (<5 min).
I too used to lower all four windows with the key fob as I approached the car (necessary in the desert heat) until the two rear windows dropped of their own accord at different times. Now I just don't chance it anymore.
I test drove a couple of V8 sport LS's the other day and was duly impressed with the car. Living in North Carolina I am not sure I would benefit much from the advance track option, but would like your opinions on this feature. The dealer is about $1,000 over invoice at this point, but we have not yet entered into serious negotiation. Any thoughts on pricing are also appreciated
I don't consider Advance Trac to be a necessity, but all it has to do is save your butt once and it's paid for itself. If you're not strapped for cash, buy it...it does work.
$1k over invoice sounds kind of high to me. I'd expect to pay around $300-500 over for this hot-selling car. But there are many variables.
I took my LS in for its first service to a new dealer last week. They neglected to rotate my tires. When I got home (and realized this) I filled out the little customer satisfaction card and complained about the oversight.
Two days later, they called me to apologize and told me to come in, at my convenience, so they could do it on the spot.
I'm pleased with this kind of reaction. Everyone makes mistakes but not all dealers will bother to correct them. This is a good sign.
This dealer complained to me that LM never sent them the updated service requirements for 2001 despite many requests. Their manager finally had to "call headquarters" to get a faxed copy.
Mr. Rogers, are you communicating with your dealers effectively, or are they just giving me a line of b_ll?
My 2000 LS V8 Sport, 7months - 16K miles has been everything I wanted and then some. No real problems to speak of. Replaced windshield no problems. I'm having the tranny replashed next week, will let you know how it works. I do have the hesitation into reverse and D5. Overall I would buy in a minute, just want more HP and 6speed manual. Very interested in any PCM work that is made available. Would love 300-325 as the target. Anyways ...
My question to everyone is their experience with the Auto sense for the lights. It waits way too long to turn the lights on when it is overcast. Mind you I live in Cleveland, and in winter that is all we have, sunshine leaves us from Dec - Mar. I talked to the service tech at the dealer where I bought the car and he said no adjustment exists. Is this true? I want it to come on much earlier.
I saw the earlier post of the "cones" over the sensor. A little to hokey for me. Anyone else with this issue? Looking for suggestions.
dac01ls, on the NHTSA site, I found some mention to a problem where the passenger doesn't cool. It is in the 2000 section, as they don't seem to have any listed for the 2001 yet. Anyway, I don't know if it would apply to your problem. Keep in mind that the NHTSA re-number Ford's TSBs.
Service Bulletin # 0065 Bulletin Sequence #128 Date 0003 SB 612913
Like I say, I don't know if this will help.
Regarding headlights on an overcast day, yes I agree that the lights don't light soon enough. I found a nifty cure for this, I reach over and turn them on by the switch.
I finally found a place where people are as nuts about ML's as I am. I lease a 99 contain. and love it for it's shear power and hill climbing stamina. I like the looks of LS but find it's interior a bit cramped... I'm 53 around 250 and need a comfortable "plus seat" to get me over from ant Crux to San Jose....I have been looking at the Tone Car artier as my next Lincoln, partially because I want a smoother ride ... less stress at the end of the day is better. Are there any of you who are in a similar mind frame and considering moving into the larger Cartier...I know this flies in the face of the "handling over pillow ride" younger crowd...but there maybe someone out there like me... I have had good luck with the Cont. and may buy out the lease in a year...if it behaves itself!
Anyway good talking to you all...hope to contribute more on my experiences and future purchases. I dedcided to rent a Cartier for a week from Hertz and than do the same with an LS just to compare. It's a pricey way to do things but sometimes you can only see car manners over an extended period of time rather than a "honeymoon" test drive... Nice meeting you all
Bill, I see you've found the forums silly spell checker!
You'll find the LS is very comfortable for driving. There are quite a few of us that can't seem to resist super-sized meals and I don't think I remember hearing anyone complain about the seat comfort. I have driven a lot of miles in my LS and it is the most comfortable car I have driven in.
dac01ls: Get a hold of the owner of the dealer and tell him in no uncertain times that his service dept. is incompetent and you want to talk to the zone service rep. That usually motivates them a little better. If that doesn't work find another dealer and email me the name of your dealer for the Hall o' shame collection.
teal_gtp: Get the AdvanceTrac option. You won't regret it.
I have a 2001 LS8 Sport too and live about 12 miles from Palm Springs, CA.
We have similar weather and I can tell you something is wrong with your air conditioning system. On 100 degree-days my LS blows ice-cold air after about 1 minute out both Passenger and Driver registers. It takes less than 5 minutes to cool the car down to 68-70 degrees.
My advice is that you find another dealer that is willing to do a proper diagnosis and repair your system. Since the LS is a state of the art vehicle, some dealers just do not have adequately trained service technicians.
Believe me, this car is almost all electronic and if they do not have a highly trained auto computer tech in the service department they will not have a clue.
John (#841), I was more than a little caustic. Sometimes we want the car to be intuitive, but it can't be. I sometimes think that we rely on technology far too much.
teal gap(#838), I think that you might want to consider the AdvanceTrak option. The benefits that you glean from it, when needed, are amazing. I can see use racing up I-40 with it on! Actually, my Aunt lives in Brevard, so I take I-40 often, and it's a gas in the LS.
Bill (#844), you're a light weight. I'm about 260 and 44 years old and I love my LS. It's the most comfortable car that I've ever owner, and I own a V-8 Sport model. I cannot make a statement about how the non-sport rides, but I know that I've put on over 15 hours in mine without any crippling effects. I actually have no idea of what the Continental or Town Car ride like, but if you have any enthusiastic blood in you, the LS is for you. I tend to believe that this is the way the American Luxury Vehicle should have evolved, but we got spoiled by the Interstate System.
Just changed over to synthetic at 9500 miles. The dealer stocks Motorcraft so that's what I got. Not to re-hash previous discussions on the topic, but has anyone had any experience with the Motorcraft synthetic oil? Maybe a better question is, who actually makes it? (Doubt that Ford is in the oil business.) According to the bottle, it is a "full synthetic", as opposed to a blend. Then again, a recent magazine article (R&T or C&D, forgot which) pointed out that there's a lot of baloney going around in the syn. oil business.
So, almost 10k miles and the car is still flawless. Been doing my 90 mile daily round trip on a lot of snow packed roads with the Firehawks, and no real problems. They are not good snow tires but the fantastic balance and handling of this car seem to make up for it.
Somewhere, somebody is making a better car than this, but it's hard to imagine, and certainly not at this price.
I just got back from the Auto Show. As I was reliving MANIA with my salesman friend by one of their 3 LS', a guy walks up, had to be all of 70, wanting to know when there was going to be a 6-speed for the V8! He liked the manual, and was disappointed that it only came with the V6! There were more than he asking about a 6-speed also! They had an LS there with some goofy stuff on it. It was lowered (I can see Jonathon grimacing now!), had a rear spoiler, and 19" wheels on one side, and 20" on the other. The wheels looked alright. They were a 5-spoke design. The rocker panels were body coloured, and the rear facia was notched for the chrome pipes from the cat-back exhaust. I don't remember whose cat-back, not one of the ones we've talked about. It also had drilled and slotted rotors which looked really cool! It was locked up so you had to look through the windows to see the light grayish suede inserts in the seats, UCK! After poking around all the competition, I have definitely made the right vehicle choice! My friend said someone asked him how the Aurora compares with the LS. He said "It doesn't!" What a perfect answer!
I had the LS into the dealer last week to get the rear bumper repainted after the "cell phone ditz" rear ended my wife in traffic. While there, I asked them to do the tranny reflash. The good news is the tranny now works great! The bad news is that while leaving the dealership, the "check engine" light came on. They did a quick check on the spot, and got a strange code that they couldn't readily understand, so they reset the light. A couple of days later, it came on again. I took the car back, and this time the code was diagnosed as a faulty brake light/cruise control cancel switch. They told me that this has recently surfaced as a trouble area. Anyone else had this crop up yet? The parts are on order, so hopefully by next week the light will be extinguished....it's really annoying
I agree that the lights are slow to come on and I often end up switching on by hand on cloudy days. An interesting note: our C240 lights up in anything less than daylight and also has a setting via the message center to run headlamps all the time (low beam, not DRL). With the capabilities that are possible in the control panels you would think that Lincoln and other manufacturers would have a threshold setting for the autolamps, in addition to on/off delay timers. It's true we have gotten dependent on the latest technology. In my last loaner, a base model Focus, my wife whined about the hand crank windows and we laughed about that for an hour!
Comments
I'm not sure Lincoln would want to use a Winston Cup personality to pitch the LS. While Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, and DJ are in the Ford stable, they drive a Taurus. Plus, I'm not sure folks that don't follow NASCAR would recognize them. Personally, I really enjoy NASCAR, probably more so than IRL and/or CART. My favorite form of racing is the TransAm series and cars that run the Rolex 24/Le Mans. It's too bad that this type of racing doesn't get better TV coverage. Speedvision televised the entire Rolex 24, and I believe they plan on covering the 12 hours of Sebring in its entirety. I really enjoyed watching that race unfold. I'm hoping Leavy can get the Spirit of Detroit Motorsport LS on the starting grid sometime soon! These cars are more similar to what we drive on a daily basis, so I'm more drawn to this type of racing. Paul Newman drives/drove this series (mostly in Nissans), but like others, he's getting a little old.
In general, I'm afraid that there are fewer contemporary American race car drivers that have risen to prominence where their names are immediately recognized.
. . . Now donning the nomex
With respect to the radio not shutting off when the door is opened, that happened to me once a few months ago. I started and shutoff the car, and then it worked. I could open and close the door to my hearts content, but the radio just kept boogying.
For spokesperson, how about Hunter S. Thompson? Seriously, I do think Lincoln could do with a bit more aggressive advertising, if you didn't know from reading the automotive press most of their ads wouldn't even give you a clue that this is a performance car. Audi and BMW have been doing some impressive image ads that also convey a sense of high performance. Maybe an ad that starts with the driver smoothly driving along inside the car, then ending with it 4 wheel drifting through the corners on a mountain road? Of course, with the usual "Professional driver on a closed course. Don't try this yourself" legalese.
I remember a feature article on this car appeared in an issue of Motor Trend and on their TV show last year, but I don't remember which. There are no new details on the web site, but I know how much we all love seeing anything LS-related.
BTW-preliminary results in new gov't vehicle rollover tests commend 4 cars: Toyota Camry, Crown Vic/Grand Marquis and, drum roll please: Lincoln LS.(Will we be now seeing LS police cars?:) Just one more feather in Lincoln's cap.
Hope you all have a great Valentine's day.
I've long felt that they could play up the performance aspect some more. IMHO the original commercials were better, i.e, "wood, leather, adrenaline." How about something along the lines of the Lexus IS300 where they depict the car out in front of a BMW? I realize this is something of a different target market, but there is some overlap. They could play the theme down just a bit. Just my .02 worth.
This is a common questions. First check your "build date" which can be found on a label on the frame behind the driver's door. If your car was built before 10/17/00, then there is a TSB (#01-01-05) which will help your situation. Have your dealer install the updated software.
If that's not it, you can "train" your transmisssion. See the FAQ (#4) at the LS Owner's Club site www.LLSOC.com
Joe
(So much for daydreaming, back to work!)
Dick
Seriously, Taurus was not hurt by a celebrity spokesperson (how many pups did Lindsay stuff into that wagon?)(and SPRINT has a long, positive branding - remember the "dime lady"?)
Notwithstanding the studies, in certain applications, a spokes person or spokes voice (Orson Welle's and wine, for example) really defines a brand to wide audience.
If this wasn't so, we wouldn't pay Julia Roberts so much to "open" a picture.
Sorry- off topic.
Madonna.....fast, naughty, but still a family matron.
Best of all would be 007 himself....the first one, the original...Sean Connery.
Us guys think it's all about us. My wife like her car for the first time ever. Enjoys driving, and looks good whild doing it.
We don't need no race car image. Those folks also believe in oil addiditves and treatments.
Greg
Wichita
Brian(who knows that this will probably elicit a chuckle or loud guffaw from the more knowledgeable types in the audience)
I know when I grow older I will aspire to be like Sean Connery! (Currently I will be 26 later on this month... I am getting closer to being like him every day!)
Regards,
Airwolf1000
P.S. Thanks for the info Johnnylinc, the shop I take my baby too is very good. I just don't think they have the latest reflash. They said they will flash it with the one they have now but they say its the same one my car has ( Build Date 2/08/2000) Yikes!
The Automatic Transmission chat is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001 at 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 Pacific in the LLSOC Chat room. This way all you early sleepers back east can participate!
2 batteries - 42 volts. Don't ask me how or why it's 42 volts instead of 24 or 48.
I think the TV ads need to tone down the luxury and concentrate on the sport. Bring back the " wood, leather, adrenaline" campaign, with more mention of the sports aspect.
Since she's a journalist with integrity, I doubt she'd never consider endorsing a car for money, and only a relative handful of the buying public would know who she is; consequently, it probably wouldn't work at all. I'd still like to see it, though.
A few of her photos were on display at the Petersen. They reminded me of Jesse Alexander's work; the one of Masten Gregory and Sir Jack Brabham was particularly good. What an immensely talented lady!
People who should NOT be paid to advert the LS:
Anna Nicole Smith
Rich the Naked Guy from that ridiculous "Survivor"
Eminem
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Richard Simmons
The Sheens, the Estevezes, or the Baldwins
Angelina Jolie
John Rocker
Now, about Sela Ward: You can put me down as a "yes". Nicely done, Dick.
JohnnyLinc, not contemplating a career change (and apologizing for this questionable use of resources...)
Since you brought the subject up, the climate control on the LS is the one thing that baffles the hell out of me. RTOM I read the owners manual and I still don't understand how to set it up so not to engage the AC when its 0 degrees out side. Is there anybody else that is as confused with the climate control as I am. Even on the warmer days this time of year, if the AC is on it gives off a musty smell. I realize you guys in the warmer climates might not have this problem. Any insight would be appreciated.
Tom......
To operate an electrically powered A/C you need to create the electricity. The engine provides power to do this by turning the alternator. The alternator has an efficiency of something less than 100%. I don't know what the real efficiency is, but for the sake of this discussion let's say it is 90%. That means that for every 10 horsepower the engine provides to the alternator you get 9 horsepower worth of electricity.
If the A/C requires 9 horsepower at maximum load (and that's somewhere in the ballpark) you need the engine to produce 10 horsepower.
The belt driven A/C gets it's 9 horsepower directly from the engine. So in this example you have one more horsepower to drive the wheels with a belt driven A/C. There is already a clutch on the A/C compressor that turns off the A/C when needed, such as wide open throttle. It will turn off here to get more acceleration.
I've neglected the losses for the belts because I'm assuming the losses for the A/C pulley and the alternator are about equal.
This also ignores the problem of producing enough electricity to operate an A/C unit. It takes a lot, and there would probably need to be a second very large alternator to be able to run the compressor.
I think Dick had an *EXCELLENT* suggestion with Sela Ward! Let's get her to the next Mania! I believe she would make a much better spokesperson than any of us Lincoln types. Only those of you who already know the LS would want to listen to us.
I promise to be at the chat this time. I apologize that I missed the first one I was supposed to be the featured person. I found out minutes before I was scheduled to start that I could not participate with my company issued laptop. Chat sites are blocked! And since I was 2,000 miles from my personal computer I had no way to connect.
Mark
At the end of the last paragraph I used the word refrigerant instead of Freon, because the auto A/C world had chosen to change from Freon (actually correctly CFC based refrigerants as Freon is a trademark name and is now also use on modified and not CFC refrigerants) to other refrigerants that are allegedly more environmentally friendly. I believe that Ford was the first major auto manufacturer to build cars with CFC free refrigerant.
On to 42 Volt cars. Our 12 volt cars are really 13.8 - 14 volt cars. The new 42 volt systems are acknowledgment that present cars are really 14 volt systems and then new cars will operate on three 14 volt units or 42 volts.
If you have the climate control on Auto I think it always engages the air conditioner compressor. The only way I turn mine off is to go to manual and turn off the A/C switch. I noticed that even when it's cold here(I know that a relative term in SoCal) that whenever I switch from Auto to manual there A/C light goes on, no matter how cold it gets.
The musty smell sounds like you may have the system on recirculate. I know on one of my other cars I had a similar problem and it was because I would run it in recirculate mode and then turn off the car. Once I switched it to bring in outside air I didn't have that problem anymore.
Mark, thank you for your informative lecture. I knew there where good reasons for not doing it. Now I know why!
I think the reason the A/C comes on along with the heat functions is for it to remove excess moisture/humidity from the air. Rain and Snow that drag into the car on your feet will evaporate and cause high humidity levels that will quickly fog the windows. The A/C function is to remove humidity to cool the inside more quickly, hence the condensation on the compressor that drips on your driveway/garage floor in the summer.
I agree with Brian that the musty smell is probably the recirc. button. But it may also just stale air from the compressor circulating briefly until the fresh outside air mixes in and the filter removes the smell.
It took me a while to get use to seeing the A/C light come on, but trust me, it works like a charm to keep the windows clear.
Sorry about the double post if it occurs, I realized that I wasn't logged in.
Now that we are hitting 85 degree days here in FL, I am experiencing an A/C problem (once again) I had last fall. I was driving today with windows open for 15 minutes and decided to turn on A/C. I set on auto at 70 degrees. As I drove the drivers side seemed to cool down slowly, the passenger side not at all. I drove 5 miles like this and the passenger side never did cool down. The drivers side A/C got co1d only towards the end of the 5 miles. At times the drivers side seemed a bit warm too. The air coming in the pass. A/C vents felt like the same temp as the outside air. I even set it to max cool (60 degrees) and no change.
I stopped the car, put it in park, and then the passenger side A/C vents seemed to magically cool down quickly. I have repeated this scenario a few times.
I believe the problem has been there since day 1 and the dealer has looked at it twice. The first time they replaced a heater valve. The second time they replacred the whole A/C control module (user interface) to no avail. Still no change. The dealer does not know what to do and I am getting frustrated, especially when the Town Car loaner is ice cold inside of 30 seconds after sitting in a parking lot under the hot sun all day.
The asst. service mananger also said that apparently the dual climate controls seem to take longer too cool down on the passenger side on all of their cars.
Anyone else have A/C problems like this? Please HELP!!! I need to get an answer to this soon, its going on way too long now.
You're making the right choice.
I don't consider Advance Trac to be a necessity, but all it has to do is save your butt once and it's paid for itself. If you're not strapped for cash, buy it...it does work.
$1k over invoice sounds kind of high to me. I'd expect to pay around $300-500 over for this hot-selling car. But there are many variables.
Are you ordering or buying off the lot?
Joe
Two days later, they called me to apologize and told me to come in, at my convenience, so they could do it on the spot.
I'm pleased with this kind of reaction. Everyone makes mistakes but not all dealers will bother to correct them. This is a good sign.
This dealer complained to me that LM never sent them the updated service requirements for 2001 despite many requests. Their manager finally had to "call headquarters" to get a faxed copy.
Mr. Rogers, are you communicating with your dealers effectively, or are they just giving me a line of b_ll?
More to come.
Joe
My question to everyone is their experience with the Auto sense for the lights. It waits way too long to turn the lights on when it is overcast. Mind you I live in Cleveland, and in winter that is all we have, sunshine leaves us from Dec - Mar. I talked to the service tech at the dealer where I bought the car and he said no adjustment exists. Is this true? I want it to come on much earlier.
I saw the earlier post of the "cones" over the sensor. A little to hokey for me. Anyone else with this issue? Looking for suggestions.
Thanks
John
Service Bulletin # 0065
Bulletin Sequence #128
Date 0003
SB 612913
Like I say, I don't know if this will help.
Regarding headlights on an overcast day, yes I agree that the lights don't light soon enough. I found a nifty cure for this, I reach over and turn them on by the switch.
I finally found a place where people are as nuts about ML's as I am. I lease a 99 contain. and love it for it's shear power and hill climbing stamina. I like the looks of LS but find it's interior a bit cramped... I'm 53 around 250 and need a comfortable "plus seat" to get me over from ant Crux to San Jose....I have been looking at the Tone Car artier as my next Lincoln, partially because I want a smoother ride ... less stress at the end of the day is better. Are there any of you who are in a similar mind frame and considering moving into the larger Cartier...I know this flies in the face of the "handling over pillow ride" younger crowd...but there maybe someone out there like me... I have had good luck with the Cont. and may buy out the lease in a year...if it behaves itself!
Anyway good talking to you all...hope to contribute more on my experiences and future purchases. I dedcided to rent a Cartier for a week from Hertz and than do the same with an LS just to compare. It's a pricey way to do things but sometimes you can only see car manners over an extended period of time rather than a "honeymoon" test drive...
Nice meeting you all
Bill
You'll find the LS is very comfortable for driving. There are quite a few of us that can't seem to resist super-sized meals and I don't think I remember hearing anyone complain about the seat comfort. I have driven a lot of miles in my LS and it is the most comfortable car I have driven in.
dac01ls: Get a hold of the owner of the dealer and tell him in no uncertain times that his service dept. is incompetent and you want to talk to the zone service rep. That usually motivates them a little better. If that doesn't work find another dealer and email me the name of your dealer for the Hall o' shame collection.
teal_gtp: Get the AdvanceTrac option. You won't regret it.
Brian
We have similar weather and I can tell you something is wrong with your air conditioning system. On 100 degree-days my LS blows ice-cold air after about 1 minute out both Passenger and Driver registers. It takes less than 5 minutes to cool the car down to 68-70 degrees.
My advice is that you find another dealer that is willing to do a proper diagnosis and repair your system. Since the LS is a state of the art vehicle, some dealers just do not have adequately trained service technicians.
Believe me, this car is almost all electronic and if they do not have a highly trained auto computer tech in the service department they will not have a clue.
teal gap(#838), I think that you might want to consider the AdvanceTrak option. The benefits that you glean from it, when needed, are amazing. I can see use racing up I-40 with it on! Actually, my Aunt lives in Brevard, so I take I-40 often, and it's a gas in the LS.
Bill (#844), you're a light weight. I'm about 260 and 44 years old and I love my LS. It's the most comfortable car that I've ever owner, and I own a V-8 Sport model. I cannot make a statement about how the non-sport rides, but I know that I've put on over 15 hours in mine without any crippling effects. I actually have no idea of what the Continental or Town Car ride like, but if you have any enthusiastic blood in you, the LS is for you. I tend to believe that this is the way the American Luxury Vehicle should have evolved, but we got spoiled by the Interstate System.
So, almost 10k miles and the car is still flawless. Been doing my 90 mile daily round trip on a lot of snow packed roads with the Firehawks, and no real problems. They are not good snow tires but the fantastic balance and handling of this car seem to make up for it.
Somewhere, somebody is making a better car than this, but it's hard to imagine, and certainly not at this price.
Scott
Now, about the 6-speed.......
The good news is the tranny now works great! The bad news is that while leaving the dealership, the "check engine" light came on. They did a quick check on the spot, and got a strange code that they couldn't readily understand, so they reset the light. A couple of days later, it came on again. I took the car back, and this time the code was diagnosed as a faulty brake light/cruise control cancel switch. They told me that this has recently surfaced as a trouble area. Anyone else had this crop up yet?
The parts are on order, so hopefully by next week the light will be extinguished....it's really annoying