By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I also have had to replace 1 back and 1 front window requlator since the warranty ran out about 8 months ago. My first lincoln. Maybe my last.
Look at a new car or truck that hasn't been preped. You'll see a piece of tape, usually yellow, on the tire and the wheel. That's put there by the tire manufacturer, and the wheel manufacturer to indicate how the tire should be indexed with the wheel.
Things can go awry when the tires are replaced. If the tire is randomly mounted on the wheel, it's possible that the "high spots" are together. When this happens, the tire/wheel assembly can be in perfect balance when spun on a balancing machine, but be an awful vibrator on the highway. Then you get to spend the extra $$ for the Hunter force variation machine & tire indexing.
I avoid this by marking the location of the yellow tapes when I buy the car. Even if the tape is removed, there's usually some residual adhesive on the wheel. Then, when I replace tires, I have them align the little dot on the tire sidewall with the wheel mark. Has worked for me every time.
I also have had to replace 1 back and 1 front window requlator since the warranty ran out about 8 months ago. My first lincoln. Maybe my last.”
Comments: First, and by far most important, I would never consider owning a contemporary vehicle as complex as my Lincoln LS (or pretty much any recent BMW, Audi, etc.) out of warrantee. Even a relatively simple parts failure, if it occurs in a hard to service area (a recent post referred to an HVAC valve or flap behind the dashboard, for instance) will likely be very difficult and expensive to repair or replace at today’s labor rates, even if the part is only $10.00 or $100.00.
And diagnosis and repair of major items like the trans. and motor related (electronic and other) components, when (not if) problems eventually occur, will likely be “breathtakingly” expensive.
/ on soapbox /
[This has been stated before here, by me and others, and elsewhere on Edmunds.
But I believe it is a point worth repeating. Unless you are mechanically and electronically skilled, and have access to dealership quality diagnostic equipment, tools, manuals, vehicle schematics, and unless you also have a LOT of time to devote to such activity – and at least 1 other vehicle available to use when the primary is out of service – I believe that a less expensive vehicle that is newer and still under original or extended MFR warrantee is a better choice for anyone and everyone.
Personally, I’d much rather budget a set amount for a car payment, and KNOW there will be no significant additional expenses each month for maintenance or repair. While I certainly do understand the potential attraction (see below) I also believe that buying a very nice vehicle (the LS is only one) that is out of warrantee skews the odds dramatically against the buyer. Driving a new Toyota Camry or Honda Accord (I hear $189 / 199 leases available locally) is probably not nearly as satisfying as driving a LS V8 for people that appreciate and enjoy the performance and driving experience offered by the LS - - when it is running right. But I would prefer not to risk potentially thousands of unbudgeted dollars to repair any vehicle. The risk would not be worth it – to me.
And years ago I certainly owned several vehicles well beyond warrantee. But if my current financial position demanded a choice between a new $20K vehicle and a (somehow better, by my definitions) used $20K vehicle that would demand that I pay for any and all maintenance and repair out of pocket, I would have to choose the new one. Just my opinion. YMMV.]
/ off soapbox /
- Ray
Who very nearly purchased a very nice, ’67 Jaguar E-Type, for a very attractive (initial) price, a couple of years ago – and (for this reason) is glad this did not come to pass . . .
Pete
Pab5, you don't seem tolerant of lectures, so I'll try to be gentle....but I don't understand why 2 window regulators makes you sour on a 4 year old car. FWIW, the window regulators used by Ford for the Jaguar and LS are also used in the BMW - made by the same subcontractor. But I'll bet if they failed in your Bimmer, that wouldn't be something that would make you say, "maybe my last", would it?
Anyway - it's a machine, it's gonna have issues as it ages. Personally, I lease so that I'm never out of warranty on my main drivers. Like rayainsw said.
I usually consider changing the automatic tranny fluid an annual task. However, given the complexity of changing the fluid in the LS, I reluctantly paid the dealer the $65 in labor to do mine.
With regard to warranty, I agree that it's somewhat spooky driving a highly complex vehicle when it's not covered. After some thought and considerstion, I spent $1200 to purchase a Ford Easy Care extended warranty for my 2000 LS. It's far cheaper than any new car would be. I bought another 3 years and 30,000 miles worth.
What are u talking about?
a 5 speed Ls is able to hide easier?
You bought an Ls 5 speed instead of FWD? Apples to oranges?
tire balancing rotating and tire wearing not straight
change the hydraulic bushing in the lower control arm ford dont sale
that bushing go to jaguar dealers and ask information about the tsb 204-07 may 2002 to remove vibration of the steering it will work
now am veery happy after 4 new tire 2 rotation 3 alignment
2 balance it was only that stupid hydraulic bushing at front
giving the problem this bushing is made in Germany and is exactly
the same as lincoln my dealer look stupid now he give me
a diagnostic tolding my car was inside the lincoln spec
and the lincoln supervisor who test my car without driving them
and tolding me evrything is in spec i think they gonna look
stupid in court i spend around 200$ bushing and camber bolts
1100$ tire 7 or 8 time dealers for the vibration 258$ at the dealers
because lincoln dont want to pay anymore and at least 800$ lawyer
and 275$ getting the bushing change and alignment
and 2 1/2 month lost turn around from a dealers to another
im gonna go in court for the time and money i lost.......
jaguar have handle this very differently and way faster
then lincoln if you have question contact me dwhitton1@hotmail.com
Last month I stalled 3 times on the same day and the day before yesterday I stalled twice. My LS had stalled in the past but the problem went away and only stalled my 2 or three times but the incidents were seperated almost by a month each. IIRC it had been almost 2 maybe three years since the last stalls that is till these recent events.
I have an 00 LS V6 Sport and have always used Chevron Premium fuel.
Thanks.
http://www.signaturelm.com
I ordered some fog lights and liscense lights from them. Good price and fast delivery.
The real question is why hasn't Lincoln put a TSB out on this to inform the dealers. Ford wasted a huge sum of money unsuccessfully attempting to fix the vibration in my 2000 LS, when it appears that all the time there was a relatively simple fix for it.
Also, if I understand what you said, you cannot purchase the replacement bushings at a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dearler, but you have to go to a Jag dealer. This sounds like insanity.
No big deal.
I'm in a crummy mood this afternoon, I just noticed. Sorry folks
Manumatics are not now, never have been and never will be a substitute for a manual tranny. They simply give you better control of the automatic and some work better than others.
Clutchless SMGs really muddy the waters.
In upshifting, it behaves just like a manual tranny: Instead of upshifting, it activates the rev limiter if red line is exceeded.
In manual down-shifting, it prevents shifting into second at 110 MPH ... a good idea in my opinion.
Why?
(0.0 - Arthritis means I cannot ever again own a car with a clutch.)
0.5 - In full automatic mode, at WOT and max. rpm, it can snap off shifts very quickly but smoothly – a challenge, of course. At part throttle, again in full auto. mode, it does a good job of dealing with typical metro-Atlanta area traffic.
1 - Ability to hold any selected gear (specifically including top / 5th not possible in the new 300C, for instance) within as wide a range of rpm / mph as practical. I typically run my cars (current and last 2 have has Man-u-matic functionality) at highway speeds ‘locked’ in 5th gear. This allows only TCC unlock, regardless of throttle opening, unless I manually force / request a downshift. Even in a very good automatic, I find the pause (“Are you really serious about this, Mr. Driver?”) before downshifts at highway speed to be rather annoying. This works well for me when in typical 50 – 80 mph traffic. And I can actually hold 5th gear (in my current vehicle) down to about 10 mph – assuming I don’t mind rather leisurely acceleration.
2 - Ability to upshift at any (reasonable) rpm when at WOT. Oddly, BMW’s automanual (as recently as the 2002 model year) does NOT allow this.
3 – Does NOT execute an unrequested upshift except at redline and WOT. (Wish it did, instead of bouncing of the rev limiter, but that’s just me.) (Once again, BMW has some rather odd behavior here. And I really do like a lot about BMWs . . .)
4 - Ability to start in either 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear. And hold any of those gears from idle to redline - or until manually changed.
Just my $0.021251291 worth (precisely adjusted for inflation)
- Ray
Wondering how an SST version on this trans. would perform behind the new Mustang’s V8 . . .
Are you sure about this? I don't think it upshifts. Rather, it activates the rev limiter.
Doesn't it?
Doesn't it?”
“Typo?”
Well – I certainly was not clear. Clearly cannot proof my own copy!
Here is what I was trying to get at:
Some (I pick on BMW here again) implementations of these man-u-matic devices will actually upshift without being asked under certain circumstances LESS than WOT and (approaching / very close to) red line. BMW’s 3 Series (Steptronic?) did, at least up until about a year ago. It would sense backing off the throttle – wait a bit – then upshift, even when in ‘manual’ mode. I found this both disconcerting and annoying. The LS in SST mode will not do this. In 5th, it will not shift up (clearly - and sadly), and will not shift down (automatically) until just below 10 mph. In 1, 2 and 3, it will not ever shift up – or down without input from the driver.
And, yes, the SST mode in the Lincoln LS will bounce off the rev limiter rather than upshift in any gear. I find this behavior a bit odd, but others prefer it.
My sense is that if your right foot is buried in the carpet and you are approaching the rev limiter, you (and the vehicle) might be rather upset by a sudden interruption in acceleration. Certainly, if I wanted to stay in a certain gear, I’d be letting off as I approached the peak rpm, not still asking for “more power” from the engine room.
Sorry for any confusion.
YMMV.
- Ray
Perhaps not typical – in many ways . . .
If I want the LS tranny to control upshifts for me, I'll put it in D4 or D5 & floor it.
"Perhaps not typical – in many ways" Are any of us gearheads tupical?
I believe that you are correct - and I believe that L-M folks have said that. I just disagree with their logic.
And I believe that it technically possible (almost trivial) to allow owners / drivers to customize many aspects of the vehicle behavior - so that it matches what we happen to think is logical.
Meaning: I need an automatic trans., for several reasons. But I enjoy the SST / man-u-matic mode that I have now. It allows me to make shift / no shift decisions when I want to – yet I can also allow the automatic to make decisions at other times, based on the shift lever position. In other words, I have a choice in how the trans. is controlled.
(I also have an Automatic Temp. Control mode on the HVAC system, but typically I run it in ‘manual’ mode.)
I think it is critical that all auto manufacturers address this issue of choice. Never more so than now.
With electronic systems in cars now so pervasive – there is the option / choice to offer amazing flexibility to tailor the car behavior to the individual. The 2005 Mustang will offer a wiiiide variety of instrument panel colors, for instance.
For my LS, in SST for example: [for driver 1, ID by remote / key] Car asks initially:
Mr. Driver, do you want the trans. to allow the engine to bump off the rev limiter and not upshift – if so, press 1.
If you want the trans. to upshift at redline instead – press 2.
(We are really only talking about interpretation of various electronic signals here – why not allow us choice?)
Want the trans. to upshift when shift lever is moved forward [default behavior] - press 1.
Prefer the trans. to upshift when the shift lever if moved to the rear (I believe BMW and others have selected this) – press 2.
Always start in 2nd (or even 3rd gear) for Winter driving – press 2.
Next Spring: resume default / always start in 1st gear – press 1.
Want the headlights to come on with the wipers – press 1.
No – press 2.
Etc.
Etc.
Let us select. Let us make the choice and tailor the vehicle behavior to us – not the reverse . . .
Just my $.01 (after rebates)
- Ray
Preferring to have the car adjust to me (where it makes sense) rather than me adjust to the car . . .