I finally received my paperwork on the lease today. It only took a month to arrive. Final figure on an 02 LS sport was $32,444. It's leased so that works out to $485/month with 0 down. I'm happy.
I don't know who to be more envious of, the guys buying '03s or you folks getting the screamin' deals on '02s. In Oct. of 2000 I bought my '00 V8 Sport, moonroof, AdvanceTrac, Alpine non-audiophile stereo with the 6 disk changer. Sticker was $39.6k, got it for $37k and was happy with a 6% 5 year loan. At the time, new '01s were selling for sticker or very close to it.
Value has always been one of the LS's strong points, but this is the car deal of the century.
has uncovered possibly the only advantage to an LS owner of the geriatric image projected by a Lincoln. My insurance is pretty reasonable as well.
Wonder what'll happen when a bunch of younger risk-taking people buy up all the cheap used & off-lease LS's and start wrecking them at what is bound to be a higher rate than we've seen?
Yes, imagine thousands of first generation LS's coming off lease soon and being picked off at less than 20k by hoardes of teenagers and Generation Xers in lieu of new Civics, Accords and Eclipses. Somehow, I don't think a pair of 8" exhaust tips is going to do wonders for my image of the LS. I may prefer the vinyl top approach but I fear we may see both along with some wierd offset wheels and/or the hydraulic lifts that you see on low riders. Add the bright red L.E.D. wiper blades and the rest of the J.C. Whitney catalog. Hey, we may even get our own catalog section like the VW Bug. But it's the two wing bare aluminum adjustable spoiler that will really turn my stomach. Like who said we've got no aftermarket parts to choose from? Increased car insurance rates may be the least of our problems compared with dealing with our new stereotyped image. It took along time for me to get used to seeing senior citizens driving Z06's. But at least money separates the idiots from these cars. I fear that won't help us with the LS.
for stealthiness. I was behind a lady driving 40 in a 45 as we headed down a long hill. I pulled out a few car lengths before the double yellow changed to dashes, hit 60 and passed her in mere seconds, pulled back inline and slowed back down to 50. Then I realize that car coming up the hill was a cop (he was still several seconds away). He was really giving me the look as he went by and I could tell he was deciding whether to light me up. But he never did. I'm sure he thought "oh - just a middle aged guy in a Lincoln".
The 10 most expensive 2002 vehicles to insure are:
1. Mitsubishi Montero Sport 2. Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 3. Lexus GS 430 4. Cadillac Escalade 5. BMW 7 Series 6. Honda Civic Coupe 7. Chevrolet Corvette Coupe 8. Mitsubishi Mirage Coupe 9. Toyota 4Runner 10. BMW 5 Series
in front of each listing, and it might make a little more sense. I find the Escalade the biggest surprise. Maybe that's why the soccer mom's high-$$$ SUV has the brush guards on the lights. Those shopping carts can be murder.
I just bought a 2000 V-8 LS about a week ago. I am in California where the highest Octane rating is 91. The local auto parts store sells cans of octane booster that can increase the rating by 4-6 points. Is there a max octane that can be run in this engine?
it might help to a point, if the knock sensor can allow max advance. Remember, high octane fuel has no more power or BTU than regular. Higher octane fuel just resists heat and pressure better, and allows higher compression and higher temperature in the engine without detonating (pre-ignition). Many think Calif fuel has lower BTU content, and that's why consumers say that their mileage is down 6-10% when compared to the fuel in other states. One thing most octane boosters will do is lower combustion temperatures because many have alcohol of some sort. This can help you pass the NOX portion of the biennial smog inspection. But it's very hard to say whether our LSes will make more power with an octane increase. The engine is designed to run on 91 octane fuel. Next time you are in Arizona, try filling up with Premium there and see if you can feel a difference. I doubt you could detect a difference except in mileage.
Just read the C&D comparison test, where as usual, they give the LS a so-so rating. As I'm looking down the spec chart, I see that the '03 LS's top speed is 131 MPH, electronically limited!
Can you saw "H" rated tires. That, and pulling the plug on the European market.
Stan,
I noticed a drop in performance (and a slight decrease in mileage) when we went from 92 to 91 octane. Part of that was I was out of state when the change happened last July. They have good gas in Neveda! I also read where the drop to 91 was part of Greyout Dufass' plan to elimante all higher octane gas and leave just 87. That would supposedly open up storage from gas that only the rich need. I haven't heard much about that lately.
Quick Question. What is the Optimal Speed for Fuel Efficiency for the LS on the Highway.. You know how they always say If you drive at 70 mph you are 17% less fuel efficient than driving at 55. What is the Optimal Speed for the LS? Is it 55? Is it car specific I.e gearing or more a matter of Drag.. I would like to hear if anyone know the optimal speed for the LS on the highway with Fuel Efficiency in mind. No 145 MPH answers!
You are correct in stating that octane rating is not a measure of energy content of gasoline. However, there are differences in gasoline energy content unrelated to octane. Oxygenated gasoline has about 4% lower energy content than normal gasoline. Most large cities and their surroundings now use oxygenated fuels to reduce certain pollutants. I bet California is rife with oxygenated fuels whereas areas like Nevada and Nebraska are devoid of it. Therefore many California folk believe their fuel is substandard but in reality it is the same as say Houston.
I wonder what gasahol does to the energy content of the gas I am presently using? They can go up to 10 corn alcohol. It is rated at 89 octane and is actually cheaper than the 87 octane regular. Subsidized by the government.
In June of 2000, I took a trip from San Diego to Omaha in a 1992 Supercharged Buick Park Avenue loaded with 6 people and lots of luggage. It consistently got about 24 mpg in Calif on the highway on the old, higher octane Calif gas. That 24 was with an "unloaded" car. I kept meticulous records on gas mileage on this trip. Outside King Dufuss' state, the mileage increased to 27 mpg, with the last fill-up in Kingman, Arizona at Terrible Herbst and this last leg was over 30 mpg in this pig. Now, back to oxygenated gas and lower mileage here in San Diego. Gasohol contains ethyl alcohol and so the BTU content will be lower and the combustion temperature will be lower as any alcohol has a high latent heat value. That's why all Indy cars run methanol and ice forms on the intake system.
I bought my car from, and use for service, Central Florida Lincoln Mercury in Orlando, located on West Colonial Drive (or West St Road 50, they're the same) to the west of downtown Orlando a bit. They are the oldest LM dealer in the US. I've had very good luck with service from them, outside of the occasional delay to get parts (common for the early LS's), they've always fixed it right the first time, I've never had to have a service done more than once, and they diagnosed a pretty obscure problem with the cooling fan early on even though the computer said it was working. My service writer is Glenn, but all of them seem to be good.
Haven't tried any of the other dealers, but have been quite satisfied with the service I get at Central Florida LM.
The easy answer is the lowest speed in 5th gear which would probably be around 45 mph (or less with SST forced into 5th gear). Slower speed = less drag. Of course this doesn't take into account the efficiency of the engine at various rpms. So I would guess 45 to 50. If you have the message center you could do a few test runs just for grins.
I do know that there is a significant difference between 70 mph and 80 mph in my expedition which I know is due to the increased wind resistance. LS shouldn't have that problem since it's not shaped like a giant cinder block.
It's more complicated than this, but as far as the engine is concerned, the most optimum thermal efficiency is at the torque peak, but that may be too high an rpm for the best mileage under light load. It's probably time to hook up the old vacuum guage!
That is exactly what I figured a combination of Drag, and Gearing I just left it open-ended and of course, I know I am seriously over-simplifying it. I was just hoping it would be somewhere around 65-70 mph range with the gearing and drag on the LS. Arghhh... I don't think I will be trying the 45 MPH Test.. Even the Grannies will pass me at that speed! :P
The torque peak is usually where the engine has maximum volumetric efficiency not maximum thermal efficiency. Maximum theraml efficiency is usually at a lower engine speed than maximum volumetric efficiency.
Our group was once told by a Lincoln engineer that the electronic control would indeed advance the spark enough to take advantage of higher than 91 octane. He of course would not commit to predicting the performance benefits but hinted that it would scarcely be noticeable, if at all. I can't believe paying for an octane additive would be worth the money.
I do a lot of highway travel, and have noticed a dropoff in fuel economy at sustained speeds of 85 or higher, maybe as much as 2 mpg below what it gets at 75. OTOH, it's the same at 75 as at 65.
Allen, since the engine is turning just under 2400 rpm @ 75 mph, nowhere near the torque peak, what else might be responsible for the mpg dropoff at higher speeds, if not aerodynamic drag? Not yanking your chain here, honestly wondering.
Well, assuming you're already in 5th gear and that's a constant, going faster not only increases the amount of drag (which shouldn't be much on the LS) but increases the rpms linearly as well. You'll burn less fuel at 2000 rpm than you will at 2400 rpm (steady state cruising). Which means you'll get better mileage at 60 than you will at 70. Think about it - that's why overdrive trannies were invented.
I stand corrected. When I wrote that, I knew it was one of them, and it is volumetric efficiency. It's been about 30 years since I read Sir Harry Ricardo's "The High Speed Internal Combustion Engine" (written in 1922, I think). I'll always remember Carnot's Formula though, and Harry always believed in the lowest intake temperature possible for the densest possible charge. Harry wouldn't like thermostats, but then engine life and emissions wasn't a big deal for Harry and his all-aluminum, overhead cam,hemi 4 valve racing engine that was very much ahead of his time.
I can attest to the incentives being slightly changed in the past week. They are now $3500 without the 0%/60mo. financing or $2500 with it. My new '02 V8 Sport in White Pearl with med. parchment, moonroof, CDx6, and all-season package is resting in the parking lot outside my office.
My thanks to "lobsenza" for pointing me to Johnson-Sewell FLM here in central TX. I netted $6500 off MSRP with 0% financing and got what I hoped for my trade.
So many things to do now - change my profile, get a full LLSOC membership, read the detailing instructions, etc.
This is reaching waaay back, but here goes. I'll write this as though my memory is correct.
For a given engine configuration; e.g. 2003 3.9L, original calibration, there is an optimum "Fuel Island". (No, this isn't where you fill your tank)
Visualize an X-Y plot with RPM on the X-Axis, and HP on the Y-Axis. Now, forget about your previous experience with such a graph where all the data are collected at WOT.
On this graph, several points are collected at each RPM. This is done by increasing the load (on the dynamomater), then increasing throttle opening to maintain the same RPM. This produces a point with a higher HP output. For example, we could start at 2000 RPM, 20 HP, then increase the load & throttle opening to get 2000 RPM, 30 HP, and so on.
At each point the fuel consumption is measured. The units of measure are #fuel per HP-Hour. (It's called Brake-Specific Fuel consumption BSFC). This value is 'noted' next to each point
After running several points at each of several RPM, we have an X-Y plot with a whole mess of dots. Then we connect the dots that have nearly equal BSFC values. The result looks like a weather map with lines of constant pressure (Isobars), or a topographical map of constant elevations, but our lines define 'islands' of constant BSFC.
Now, back to highway fuel economy: For a given vehicle, it takes a given amount of HP to move it at a constant 70 MPH. Let's say that engine speed is 2000 RPM @ 70 MPH and HP required is 50 HP.
A look at he fuel island graph shows that the point (2000 RPM/50 HP) falls in a particular fuel island. Moving left or right on the 50 HP line (by changing RPM via gearing) will move us to a different fuel island. It is VERY possible that increasing RPM will move us to a more fuel-efficient fuel island ... for that vehicle speed.
In summary: To achieve the best fuel economy for your vehicle, operate at the speed and gear corresponding to its optimum fuel island.
Knowing this, I see that meeting CAFE has to be an enormous challenge for the engineers. As the vehicle goes through the CAFE test routine, it is literally 'Island Hopping'
Now I gotta take a nap & wait for some of the engineers, who graduated after the atom was invented, to correct the lapses in my memory.
Congratulations on you new LS MKC. Sounds like you got a great deal and the Pearl While / Parchment is a great color combo. I've been planing on replacing my '00 V8 with a '03, but the combination of 0% and rebat has me looking make do with a leftover '02 as including 5 year financing an '02 is almost $10K lower than a comparable '03.
But then again once all the '02's are gone I'd expect the incentives on the '03's to get better.
My best ever run was with my V8 00. I had it a month when I went on a 3500 mile trip around Texas and New Mexico. I had my in laws down from Canada and they wanted to see all of Texas and they did. The first month around town was driving me crazy at 15/17 mpg. On the return leg from New Mexico with the cruise set at 80 we saw 27.7 mpg. This was with 4 adults, lots of luggage and 100 plus temps the entire trip. I can't remember exactly but I guess rpm's were just under 2500. We were so amazed I took a picture of the computer display. The new 02 still is stiff and I'm seeing about 18 mpg with under 1,000 miles on her.
Well, by the middle of next week my 2000 Lincoln LS will have hit the magical, mystical, 100,000 mile mark. Took a bit over 3 years to hit that number thanks to my 130 mile daily commute. I'm at 99,520 right now.
It's interesting to have a car that I've owned from day one that has that many miles on it. Only kept one other car past 100,000 miles and that was a 1979 Mercury Turbo Capri that used to eat a hole in my wallet every 10,000 miles or so.
The paint is still in great shape, the interior the same, the engine (3.9L V-8) still keeps making power with no clunking, tapping, clicking, or otherwise disfunctional noises. The transmission still shifts as good as when I first got it.
Only issue that I'm having is the rear sway bar bushings have worn so I just started getting a clunking from the rear.
Outside of that a fuel pump replacement for abnormal repairs and one set of headlights for condensation. No rear window regulator problems, no things falling off, no creaks and groans from a chassis loosening up. I can still jack the car up and balance it on two diagonal jack stands (and still get a kick out of doing it!)
My dealer, Rancho FLM, in Temecula, CA, has provided me with what I consider world-class VIP service since day one.
All in all, a very satisfying and very rewarding ownership experience. It will be interesting to report on what 200,000 miles brings. I suspect it will be more of the same.
I get 26 mpg on the highway and 21 around town consistently. And I still don't use any oil between oil changes.
This afternoon it was pretty yucky in NE Indiana. It snowed last night and is snowing more now. It has been yucky for a while. Most of the roads are covered with slush or snow drifts except the stretch I find suddenly myself on. I'm cruising along at the speed limit and start a long, gentle right-hand bend. There is a couple miles of deserted, dry, divided highway staring at me. It is begging to be exploited. I don't really mean to, but I start slowly accelerating and before long I am doing well over a hundred and feeling GOOD. The winter fog lifts from my soul and I forget who I am or where I am headed. I can hear the wind rushing past, the Firehawks singing reassuringly over the salty blacktop, and my favorite music playing softly in the background. The steering wheel feeds the topography back to my hands. The seat embraces me. The sun pours in and warms me. I am one with my LS and the road. Time stands still. Too soon, I see the end of the bare road and the beginning civilization. As I sigh and close my eyes briefly, I savor my last morsel of LS pleasure for a while. I hit the brakes and slow to match the traffic ahead. A few, brief minutes later I reach my destination. Work. As I walk toward the building, I look back and wish I was driving.
Great Prose! Sort of like the out of body experience I get on on/off ramps. That's why my new set of Bridgestone SO-3 Pole Positions, with only 8 months and very few thousand miles, have the wear bars showing. But the smiles are worth it. Brian is right. You can drive this car at the limit and it won't bite you, either mechanically, financially, or put you in the weeds (iceplant in Socal). Ok, it's not a rocket in 0-60 (and I have the MTX). But it makes it up big time in the handling department. The stock is .84g. Better tires must kick that up somewhere in the .86 range. Look in the back of R&T and see how many 4 door sedans reach that plateau unless you put out some big bucks. I paid 32k for my 2000 MTX. That's chump change for this class of car. Others have gotten 2002 V-8's close to that price. What a bargain!
Say hello to the OWNER, not lessee, of my 2001 Autumn Red LS V6 with 5 speed Getrag. Well, I mean me and the bank share title now instead of me and Fomoco.
I had originally leased the car for 2 years, which are up next Wed. I thought I was going to say goodbye to old red because I've been unemployed for over a year and $$$s are scarcer than hens teeth around here. But then, as if by magic, I ran into an old coworker who's now an eng mgr, and now I work for him. Good to be working again. At least on payday. And it happened just in time for me to buy out my lease.
Only 25,000 miles on my LS, still looks runs like new. See you at the next autocross.
While it wouldn't be appropriate for Lincoln to market the LS that way, that's, in fact, what it is. A bargain. It is also: A well executed piece of Art and Science. Something American to be proud of. And Synergistic, or more than sum of its parts. I am an enthusiastic LS owner and proud of it. I tell everybody I know and most of them think I'm crazy. I tell them they never had a car good enough to get excited about. Until I bought my LS, I hadn't either... Now I can't see myself ever owning any other car.
Congratulations on both counts! Glad you were able to find something and that you were able to buy your car out too!
I know this one was posted elsewhere but it's a fun discussion point. I think Scott C. started it but I know it wasn't me.
Do you look back at your LS as you walk away? If you are lucky enough to have a window at work where you can see your LS, do you catch yourself sneaking glances at it and grinning? Do you drive by a mirrored building and find that you check your LS out in the reflection?
who started it but I've had as much fun as anybody with it. My personal favorite embarassing admission is that I look for my LS on the security video monitors when I'm inside paying for my gas. Especially at night; bright fluorescent lights hitting the Zainoed Dark Satin Green. The best looking car on the lot and it's MINE. Sure, it's an ego trip but a fairly harmless one. We talk all the time about performance and durability, I've always been just a little embarassed by how much the looks of the car influenced me to by it. Since I'm not the only LS owner who does this stuff, I know I'm not alone.
George, so glad to hear it. You and that MTX are made for each other.
Thanks, Brian - on both counts. Dropped off the check today at the dealer. Spent a while talking to the owner and my sales gal, both of whom are first rate folks. One thing we decided was - not one of us has a clue what Ford marketing is doing. And we all doubted they do either.
OK, yes, he says with a sheepish grin, I do look back. Love my Autumn Red w/chrome wheels. Especially :>) when it's clean.
This week as I was driving to *work*!! there was an Aut Red LS up ahead of me on Hwy 17. Well, it was ahead of me briefly :>) Afer I passed it I had an opportunity to 'see my bad self' in the rear view mirror. Gotta say, the LS has a real classy look to it from the front - classy and baaad.
I'll be looking to get those magnaflows soon, Brian. And a 2002 airbox for the K&N I just popped for. And I'm going to get one of the spoilers that are shown on Lincolnaccessories.com. Maybe toss in a couple good speakers and a cargo net. Did I miss anything? :>)
Great synopsis of your ownership of your LS up to the 100,000 (99520) mile point, you have provided much good information to present and future owners. Your trouble free report gives much credence to the Engineering ideal of this vehicle.
Normal maintance has cost me only one set of brakes, at 50,000 miles. There have been some issues with service, but they have all been rectified and resolved in an amicable way.
I haven't suffered the bane of the rear window failure yet. My car still has it's original headlights, yet. I can't think of a real problem outside of the errant Instrument Cluster. Not to say all is perfect, but I don't think that any mass producer of vehicles is perfect.
I agree with all previous comments on LS ownership. Add to it screen savers on my PC's and Lincoln sales personnel walking away from me (yes I do wash)as I babble on about the car, our club etc. Two business associates bought LS's on my rave reviews alone. They'd never heard of it before and now thank me every time they see me. Pity the poor soul that will ask me for info at the Dallas car show, they'd better have time on their hands :>)
Brian, we are waiting anxiously for you to roll over 100K.
You must report to us how the odometer reads over 100K. That is does the tenths digit go away and the odometer reads 100,000 or does the tenths stay and it reads 00,000.0
I'm kind of curious about that myself. Looking at the odometer it doesn't appear to have a spot for the 100k indicator, which would be strange since I thought all new cars were set up with that many numbers.
Hmm... if that's the case how am I going to show 100,000 at 100 mph? Suppose I could just park it and say the speedo did the same thing as the odo. :P
Ah, the LS upgrade program! I don't think Polk makes the 3 way speakers anymore, so you may be the test bed for a new upgrade speaker for the LS. The 5x7 is not an easy size to find in a 3 way. But 2 ways can also sound good. Those stock Philco whizzer cones are really low-class. Ford Parts Network can get you a good deal on the 2002 Airbox. Don't forget some Synthetic Lube for the Getrag. It really makes a difference in shifting quality. I use Redline Syn D4 ATF with a little Redline MTL mixed in for the Summer. It only takes 1.1 quart. You won't believe how small the tranny is. The whole trick is getting the fluid into the top fill hole. I use a Black and Decker Jackrabbit Fluid transfer pump but I'm going to modify a 12V windshield washer pump for the job.
Since I got my 2000 MTX, I've always felt that those plastic engine covers are preventing me from being intimate with my engine compartment. I want to inspect all the hoses and clean the engine. I just open the hood, check the fluids and close it. At the 3 year mark, I start worrying about belts and hoses and possible leaks. Can I drive the car without all this plastic on the engine?
We did it too on our 2001 Autumn Red V8 Sport, it must be a Autumn Red thing!
We bought out the lease in September and have never regretted it. We were going to turn it in on 2003 but we decided there was about another good 100,000 miles or more left in her.
I've never run my engine with it off, but I've heard (about new cars in general) the plastic covers are on there as much for noise as looks. Apparently fuel injectors make a pretty loud ticking sound.
Hey, George. I'm so glad to hear of your new job. Congratulations on that as well as becoming the owner of your LS. I remember admiring it at Mania II. In fact, I'm now driving an Autumn Red 03. At least I think that's what color it is under the salt. 2 feet of snow today! This car won't be clean again until April.
Comments
Final figure on an 02 LS sport was $32,444.
It's leased so that works out to $485/month with 0 down. I'm happy.
Value has always been one of the LS's strong points, but this is the car deal of the century.
Wonder what'll happen when a bunch of younger risk-taking people buy up all the cheap used & off-lease LS's and start wrecking them at what is bound to be a higher rate than we've seen?
As always, let's wait and see.
Somehow, I don't think a pair of 8" exhaust tips is going to do wonders for my image of the LS.
I may prefer the vinyl top approach but I fear we may see both along with some wierd offset wheels and/or the hydraulic lifts that you see on low riders.
Add the bright red L.E.D. wiper blades and the rest of the J.C. Whitney catalog. Hey, we may even get our own catalog section like the VW Bug.
But it's the two wing bare aluminum adjustable spoiler that will really turn my stomach.
Like who said we've got no aftermarket parts to choose from?
Increased car insurance rates may be the least of our problems compared with dealing with our new stereotyped image.
It took along time for me to get used to seeing senior citizens driving Z06's.
But at least money separates the idiots from these cars.
I fear that won't help us with the LS.
http://www.insure.com/CustomCenters/AOL/index.cfm?StoryID=44
The 10 most expensive 2002 vehicles to insure are:
1. Mitsubishi Montero Sport
2. Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
3. Lexus GS 430
4. Cadillac Escalade
5. BMW 7 Series
6. Honda Civic Coupe
7. Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
8. Mitsubishi Mirage Coupe
9. Toyota 4Runner
10. BMW 5 Series
thanks
Remember, high octane fuel has no more power or BTU than regular.
Higher octane fuel just resists heat and pressure better, and allows higher compression and higher temperature in the engine without detonating (pre-ignition).
Many think Calif fuel has lower BTU content, and that's why consumers say that their mileage is down 6-10% when compared to the fuel in other states.
One thing most octane boosters will do is lower combustion temperatures because many have alcohol of some sort.
This can help you pass the NOX portion of the biennial smog inspection.
But it's very hard to say whether our LSes will make more power with an octane increase. The engine is designed to run on 91 octane fuel.
Next time you are in Arizona, try filling up with Premium there and see if you can feel a difference. I doubt you could detect a difference except in mileage.
What's the story on that???
Stan,
I noticed a drop in performance (and a slight decrease in mileage) when we went from 92 to 91 octane. Part of that was I was out of state when the change happened last July. They have good gas in Neveda! I also read where the drop to 91 was part of Greyout Dufass' plan to elimante all higher octane gas and leave just 87. That would supposedly open up storage from gas that only the rich need. I haven't heard much about that lately.
Regards,
V.
You are correct in stating that octane rating is not a measure of energy content of gasoline. However, there are differences in gasoline energy content unrelated to octane. Oxygenated gasoline has about 4% lower energy content than normal gasoline. Most large cities and their surroundings now use oxygenated fuels to reduce certain pollutants. I bet California is rife with oxygenated fuels whereas areas like Nevada and Nebraska are devoid of it. Therefore many California folk believe their fuel is substandard but in reality it is the same as say Houston.
of the gas I am presently using? They can go up to 10 corn alcohol. It is rated at 89 octane and is actually cheaper than the 87 octane regular. Subsidized by the government.
It consistently got about 24 mpg in Calif on the highway on the old, higher octane Calif gas.
That 24 was with an "unloaded" car.
I kept meticulous records on gas mileage on this trip. Outside King Dufuss' state, the mileage increased to 27 mpg, with the last fill-up in Kingman, Arizona at Terrible Herbst and this last leg was over 30 mpg in this pig.
Now, back to oxygenated gas and lower mileage here in San Diego.
Gasohol contains ethyl alcohol and so the BTU content will be lower and the combustion temperature will be lower as any alcohol has a high latent heat value. That's why all Indy cars run methanol and ice forms on the intake system.
Haven't tried any of the other dealers, but have been quite satisfied with the service I get at Central Florida LM.
Good luck.
I do know that there is a significant difference between 70 mph and 80 mph in my expedition which I know is due to the increased wind resistance. LS shouldn't have that problem since it's not shaped like a giant cinder block.
It's probably time to hook up the old vacuum guage!
Are you sure?
Kudos!
:-)
Are you still practicing your yoga meditations?
:-)))
ohmmmmmmm... ohmmmmmmm ... ohmmmmmmm
;->
That is exactly what I figured a combination of Drag, and Gearing I just left it open-ended and of course, I know I am seriously over-simplifying it. I was just hoping it would be somewhere around 65-70 mph range with the gearing and drag on the LS. Arghhh... I don't think I will be trying the 45 MPH Test.. Even the Grannies will pass me at that speed! :P
Thanks for the answer.
Victor
I do a lot of highway travel, and have noticed a dropoff in fuel economy at sustained speeds of 85 or higher, maybe as much as 2 mpg below what it gets at 75. OTOH, it's the same at 75 as at 65.
Allen, since the engine is turning just under 2400 rpm @ 75 mph, nowhere near the torque peak, what else might be responsible for the mpg dropoff at higher speeds, if not aerodynamic drag? Not yanking your chain here, honestly wondering.
It's been about 30 years since I read Sir Harry Ricardo's "The High Speed Internal Combustion Engine" (written in 1922, I think).
I'll always remember Carnot's Formula though, and Harry always believed in the lowest intake temperature possible for the densest possible charge. Harry wouldn't like thermostats, but then engine life and emissions wasn't a big deal for Harry and his all-aluminum, overhead cam,hemi 4 valve racing engine that was very much ahead of his time.
My thanks to "lobsenza" for pointing me to Johnson-Sewell FLM here in central TX. I netted $6500 off MSRP with 0% financing and got what I hoped for my trade.
So many things to do now - change my profile, get a full LLSOC membership, read the detailing instructions, etc.
MKC
For a given engine configuration; e.g. 2003 3.9L, original calibration, there is an optimum "Fuel Island". (No, this isn't where you fill your tank)
Visualize an X-Y plot with RPM on the X-Axis, and HP on the Y-Axis. Now, forget about your previous experience with such a graph where all the data are collected at WOT.
On this graph, several points are collected at each RPM. This is done by increasing the load (on the dynamomater), then increasing throttle opening to maintain the same RPM. This produces a point with a higher HP output. For example, we could start at 2000 RPM, 20 HP, then increase the load & throttle opening to get 2000 RPM, 30 HP, and so on.
At each point the fuel consumption is measured. The units of measure are #fuel per HP-Hour. (It's called Brake-Specific Fuel consumption BSFC). This value is 'noted' next to each point
After running several points at each of several RPM, we have an X-Y plot with a whole mess of dots. Then we connect the dots that have nearly equal BSFC values. The result looks like a weather map with lines of constant pressure (Isobars), or a topographical map of constant elevations, but our lines define 'islands' of constant BSFC.
Now, back to highway fuel economy: For a given vehicle, it takes a given amount of HP to move it at a constant 70 MPH. Let's say that engine speed is 2000 RPM @ 70 MPH and HP required is 50 HP.
A look at he fuel island graph shows that the point (2000 RPM/50 HP) falls in a particular fuel island. Moving left or right on the 50 HP line (by changing RPM via gearing) will move us to a different fuel island. It is VERY possible that increasing RPM will move us to a more fuel-efficient fuel island ... for that vehicle speed.
In summary: To achieve the best fuel economy for your vehicle, operate at the speed and gear corresponding to its optimum fuel island.
Knowing this, I see that meeting CAFE has to be an enormous challenge for the engineers. As the vehicle goes through the CAFE test routine, it is literally 'Island Hopping'
Now I gotta take a nap & wait for some of the engineers, who graduated after the atom was invented, to correct the lapses in my memory.
But then again once all the '02's are gone I'd expect the incentives on the '03's to get better.
The first month around town was driving me crazy at 15/17 mpg. On the return leg from New Mexico with the cruise set at 80 we saw 27.7 mpg. This was with 4 adults, lots of luggage and 100 plus temps the entire trip.
I can't remember exactly but I guess rpm's were just under 2500.
We were so amazed I took a picture of the computer display.
The new 02 still is stiff and I'm seeing about 18 mpg with under 1,000 miles on her.
It's interesting to have a car that I've owned from day one that has that many miles on it. Only kept one other car past 100,000 miles and that was a 1979 Mercury Turbo Capri that used to eat a hole in my wallet every 10,000 miles or so.
The paint is still in great shape, the interior the same, the engine (3.9L V-8) still keeps making power with no clunking, tapping, clicking, or otherwise disfunctional noises. The transmission still shifts as good as when I first got it.
Only issue that I'm having is the rear sway bar bushings have worn so I just started getting a clunking from the rear.
Outside of that a fuel pump replacement for abnormal repairs and one set of headlights for condensation. No rear window regulator problems, no things falling off, no creaks and groans from a chassis loosening up. I can still jack the car up and balance it on two diagonal jack stands (and still get a kick out of doing it!)
My dealer, Rancho FLM, in Temecula, CA, has provided me with what I consider world-class VIP service since day one.
All in all, a very satisfying and very rewarding ownership experience. It will be interesting to report on what 200,000 miles brings. I suspect it will be more of the same.
I get 26 mpg on the highway and 21 around town consistently. And I still don't use any oil between oil changes.
Did I mention I LOVE this car?
Brian
Sort of like the out of body experience I get on on/off ramps.
That's why my new set of Bridgestone SO-3 Pole Positions, with only 8 months and very few thousand miles, have the wear bars showing. But the smiles are worth it.
Brian is right. You can drive this car at the limit and it won't bite you, either mechanically, financially, or put you in the weeds (iceplant in Socal).
Ok, it's not a rocket in 0-60 (and I have the MTX).
But it makes it up big time in the handling department. The stock is .84g. Better tires must kick that up somewhere in the .86 range.
Look in the back of R&T and see how many 4 door sedans reach that plateau unless you put out some big bucks.
I paid 32k for my 2000 MTX. That's chump change for this class of car.
Others have gotten 2002 V-8's close to that price.
What a bargain!
I had originally leased the car for 2 years, which are up next Wed. I thought I was going to say goodbye to old red because I've been unemployed for over a year and $$$s are scarcer than hens teeth around here. But then, as if by magic, I ran into an old coworker who's now an eng mgr, and now I work for him. Good to be working again. At least on payday. And it happened just in time for me to buy out my lease.
Only 25,000 miles on my LS, still looks runs like new. See you at the next autocross.
George
Congratulations on both counts! Glad you were able to find something and that you were able to buy your car out too!
I know this one was posted elsewhere but it's a fun discussion point. I think Scott C. started it but I know it wasn't me.
Do you look back at your LS as you walk away? If you are lucky enough to have a window at work where you can see your LS, do you catch yourself sneaking glances at it and grinning? Do you drive by a mirrored building and find that you check your LS out in the reflection?
I know I do.
George, so glad to hear it. You and that MTX are made for each other.
OK, yes, he says with a sheepish grin, I do look back. Love my Autumn Red w/chrome wheels. Especially :>) when it's clean.
This week as I was driving to *work*!! there was an Aut Red LS up ahead of me on Hwy 17. Well, it was ahead of me briefly :>) Afer I passed it I had an opportunity to 'see my bad self' in the rear view mirror. Gotta say, the LS has a real classy look to it from the front - classy and baaad.
I'll be looking to get those magnaflows soon, Brian. And a 2002 airbox for the K&N I just popped for. And I'm going to get one of the spoilers that are shown on Lincolnaccessories.com. Maybe toss in a couple good speakers and a cargo net. Did I miss anything? :>)
George
Normal maintance has cost me only one set of brakes, at 50,000 miles. There have been some issues with service, but they have all been rectified and resolved in an amicable way.
I haven't suffered the bane of the rear window failure yet. My car still has it's original headlights, yet. I can't think of a real problem outside of the errant Instrument Cluster. Not to say all is perfect, but I don't think that any mass producer of vehicles is perfect.
It's still a hard deal to beat!
Two business associates bought LS's on my rave reviews alone. They'd never heard of it before and now thank me every time they see me.
Pity the poor soul that will ask me for info at the Dallas car show, they'd better have time on their hands :>)
You must report to us how the odometer reads over 100K. That is does the tenths digit go away and the odometer reads 100,000 or does the tenths stay and it reads 00,000.0
Hmm... if that's the case how am I going to show 100,000 at 100 mph?
Ford Parts Network can get you a good deal on the 2002 Airbox.
Don't forget some Synthetic Lube for the Getrag. It really makes a difference in shifting quality.
I use Redline Syn D4 ATF with a little Redline MTL mixed in for the Summer.
It only takes 1.1 quart. You won't believe how small the tranny is. The whole trick is getting the fluid into the top fill hole. I use a Black and Decker Jackrabbit Fluid transfer pump but I'm going to modify a 12V windshield washer pump for the job.
I want to inspect all the hoses and clean the engine. I just open the hood, check the fluids and close it. At the 3 year mark, I start worrying about belts and hoses and possible leaks.
Can I drive the car without all this plastic on the engine?
We did it too on our 2001 Autumn Red V8 Sport, it must be a Autumn Red thing!
We bought out the lease in September and have never regretted it. We were going to turn it in on 2003 but we decided there was about another good 100,000 miles or more left in her.
Anyway, good luck on both the new developments.