OK, ethyl, my service rep just called back. Here's what he said and he's always been straight with me:
Pressure plate (incl throw-out bearing and something else, forgot what) comes from a vendor. He says he could have it in max 7 days. He says there is stock in the vendors warehouse. He did not ID the vendor.
Clutch disk is a Ford part he says and he could have that overnight. There's no reason your dealer should not be able to do the same.
I inquired further about requirements to support a vehicle. He says it used to be 10 years, now he thinks it's either 7 or 8 years - I'm referring to the length of time they are required BY LAW to have parts available. Unbelievably that means that, if it is 7 years, Ford is actually under no legal obligation to have a part available for your 2000 LS in 2008. THat my friends SUCKS big time. He did opine though that I shouldn't worry about parts for my 2001 - he says they still have clutch parts for Broncos from the 80s. Course, they sold more than 1600 Broncos... He also opined that aftermarket clutch parts should be available.
jeyhoe, The throwout bearing, slave cylinder (one unit) and the pressure plate came when the shop placed the order w Ford last summer. The clutch disk did not. In addition to the local dealer in Frankfort, the shop checked w Ford dealers in Lexington, KY and akirby's Bill Jenkins in Las Vegas, and the story is the same. They enter the number in the Ford data base which indicates immediate availability, but when they follow up to order the message says the part will be available 6/3. He tells me the part comes from a CA company General Parts Distribution. The district parts rep for my local Ford dealer is trying to help, and the local parts' guy expects to hear from her tomorrow. What a mess!
"The throwout bearing, slave cylinder (one unit) and the pressure plate came when the shop placed the order w Ford last summer"
This confirms one part of what my SR said - that these 3 items came as a kit and none could be ordered separately. So the disk would NOT have come unless you ordered it separately. It sounds like you did do that and that Ford is screwing up royally (knock me over with a feather.)
6/3 is a long way off to be limping around. My SR did say that aftermarket parts should be available. Have u pursued that at all? I am almost positive that the LS tranny is also used in the BMW 3-series. You might try that direction.
Best wishes again. Next time, we should get slush-boxes cause they break so often there's bound to be parts for em eh? - NOT
I drove my niece's 04 BMW 3 convt last year, and I told her I thought it had the same gearbox as the LS. I've mentioned this to the mechanic, and he said if he could compare my defective piece to other disks he thinks he could match it. He loathes the thought of breaking down the transmission and having the pieces lie around the shop while he acquires parts to compare. He may have to do that tho.
Before this discussion falls off the bottom of the earth, gotta post somethin to bump it.
We LS enthusiasts already know we can't look to Lincoln for an LS replacement anytime soon, if ever. So GM is the place to look- the CTS is the best American car continuing the LS design goals. And I'm just now learning more about the next GM car that can lay some claim to these goals, and for a lot less money - the Pontiac G8. Yes, I know it's an Australian car. But it is here NOW, not in 5 years. And from what I read, it's a serious handler and has some serious oomph. This year's version is out for me since there's no manual. But they're supposed to fix that next year. A quick look thru the G8 forum here today and I think I recognize some of the posters over there from the LS glory days. From Lincoln to Pontiac? Oh well. When others were driving GTOs and SSes when I was young, I had a Mercury Cyclone, 1967 4speed. Now, Mercury is an absolute joke and Chevy and Pontiac are on the rise again. Gotta go with the flow.
Jeyhoe - I just got off the phone w the mechanic who is pulling my transmission as I write. The Ford regional parts rep got in touch w the vendor that makes the clutch plate, and they were supposed send it 3/28 or 3/31. Today she got a new date of 4/7, so the mechanic's going to take the worn clutch plate to a performance shop and have it resurfaced. Since I'm a casual rower I had not heard of this, but my hard core enthusiast friends say this is a viable process and an idea other owners may want to tuck away in their "surviving a manual LS kit."
My mechanic dropped the transmission on 4/7 the most current date the new clutch plate was supposed to be sent. He took the worn part to a performance shop and had it resurfaced. He installed it, the slave cylinder/throw out bearing and pressure plate on on 4/9 and had it ready that afternoon. This resurfacing is a very good option. I'd never heard of it, but my enthusiast friends were acquainted with the process. To add insurt to injury, the Ford dealer tells me I'm still obligated for the new clutch plate when it comes in. With the problems I've had I intended to keep a back up anyway. I'll post if the part ever comes in. Remember the service rep has had four promised shipping dates since the saga began on 3/10. The mechanic surmises that the distribution place in CA gets the parts from an unknow vendor because the Ford dealer was unable to get a tracking number.
Hey, thanks for keeping us informed. What an ordeal. What a shame. I'm really having strong thoughts about never buying a Ford product again. THis is intolerable. Nice to hear about the resurfacing option though, should I, knock wud, ever need to do any clutch work. I understand you wanting a spare clutch disk, considering this. But I'd be telling the dealer that they're on the hook for car rental expenses for every day past one week that the part didnt come in. SOMETHING to get even with these clowns. I suspect the box will say "Made in China" or "Made in Mexico" if and when it ever arrives. What a twisted situation we've got ourselves in these days.
:lemon: :confuse: Hello! I just bought my 04 LS. Have had it less than a month...I love everything about as of now BUT when I shift from Reverse to Park it makes a loud kind of popping/knocking sound and shifts to park from reverse pretty harsh. Is this normal? Did I buy a lemon? If it happens to be a big problem (tranny) do I have to keep this car? I know I could ask the dealership but I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions. Am I in for alot of work to this LS? I am beginning to think I made the wrong decision..... HELP!
Today I took the car to have the rotors machined, and the mechanic said the "Made in USA" clutch disk came in 4/23. I am keeping it because it must be "gooder than gold." I bought the car on a leap of faith, hadn't purchased an American made vehicle since '69, won't do it again. The dealer did not care a whit about my inconvenience.
I have a '03 Lincoln LS V8 Sport. I have the same problem with my car. The problem is not no more than the Neutral Switch. It needs to be replaced. View the www.fmotorcraft.com to locate a Parts Department near you or www.fastfordparts.com to price the part. It is easy to replace.
2000 LS V6,possibly the worst frequency of repair record of any car I've ever owned. Major repairs to front end,exhausts,continuous emission problems..latest repair was rear window regulator. Value of these cars in the after market is garbage..don't buy one!
Meanwhile we have people with the same model cars who have 150K+ miles with almost no problems. They're average with a few known problems, but they're not that bad.
Yeah, sure. My '01 LS, while certainly not perfect, has been a fanastic car. V6, Getrag 5speed, has 99K on it now and runs as new. Drove it 400 miles up and back to the California Gold country yesterday. Great drive. Got about 26mpg. I spent my FIRST non-ordinary (meaning tires, brakes, oil) maintenance money on it at 98K. New bushings on front sway bar and broken window regulator on drivers window. Total $500. Not bad for 98,000 miles. Of course YMMV, but thanks for playing the game and I am sorry you had bad luck.
On July 13 of last year I took my '00 with 112K miles on it (ordered new & delivered in May of '00) & headed north. I arrived in Dawson city (Yukon, not BC) a week later, with 116K miles on the car. I got home (via Vancouver) on the 29th of July with 120K miles. No problems -- overall gas mileage around 26.
I've had my issues with this car and much bigger ones with the corporation that left it high and dry, but the individual units are worthy drivers. If you have to spend some money on yours, do it. It'll last. Or not, but don't try to convince people that it's an overall POS.
These guys (Ford) used to build most of the taxis, police cars and limos driven in North America. They know how to do reliability & longevity.
Have to agree with you, Steve, although I have about half the mileage on mine that you have on yours. Yes, as we "diehard LS owners" know, there were a few issues that affected a number of the earlier cars, but most, if not all, were handled by the 4 yr./50,000 mile warranty.
The real issues, it seemed, were with dealer service departments that didn't bother to aquaint themselves with the cars. I was fortunate, as my selling dealer had a good service department, and always provided a loaner car, so the service trips were as painless as possible.
I've always enjoyed driving my LS, however its 8 salt encrusted winters in the northeast are starting to take their toll. I have a small rust blister showing up on the rear quarter panel, and the rocker panels need a little work also. I hate to get carried away with refinishing, as in all honesty the car is 8 years old, and probably will be replaced in the next 12-18 months. I just don't what it will be with....
Yes, I'll definitely say that I'm disappointed in the depreciation hit I've taken on the car, but what are you going to do? The US auto market has changed considerably in the last 15-20 years, and MANY cars lose a lot of their value. The LS, unfortunately, got hit a little harder, no doubt by becoming an orphan.
I am hoping somebody can help me with an ongoing battery problem going on with my Lincoln LS. We took delivery on 4/04 and it was in the shop on 12/04 for a weird steering wheel issue. When key inserted into ignition, steering wheel would click up and down sometimes once sometimes for several seconds. They said it was a faulty battery and replaced. Needless to say the car has been 8 times for this same type of problem. When battery starts to lose it, weird little electrical things happen, like the steering wheel, seat won't reset, parking brake warnings, tail lamp warnings, front lights blinking on and off just before starts. It dies, we jump it, take it to the dealer, they test, find nothing, I get it back, dies again. Once they did change a EATC head that was faulty. Wasn't that. Dropped a heavy duty battery in it. Made it for 7 months. Tried a valve and a module. Nope. Latest one 6/24/08, dealer had the car 9 days (after it had died on us yet again), could find no problem. Got it back on 7/3/08, died in the garage in 22 hours. The dealer currently has the car again. Has anybody had an issue like this, and if so, what did you do?
Im guessing your airbag light is on? I have been thorugh this too as well as many others!! haha The clockspring is in the steering wheel and from what i hear it is hard to fix. I had to take mine to a dealership 60 miles away to have it replaced but it fixed it after we replaced may other things including Airbag Control Module under the drivers seat. Im not sure where the RCM module is but if i were to guess thats also whats under the drivers seat. I wish you good luck!!! If I could give you any advise I would get rid of the car because there is probably more problems to come! Unless you can afford to keep fixing it than its a great car to have! Later
Just got one, an '04 V8 Sport w/40k miles. Rides so much nicer than my old Saab 9-3 and seems more agile too despite being so much heavier. FWD steering feel just can't compare... now I understand why people are so dedicated to their old RWD luxury boats
Does anyone have any experience purchasing COPs from online dealers selling on ebay? Are they seconds, Chinese, parts that didn't pass QE or are they just fine. Dealers on ebay are selling these things for $150 a set of 8. Parts stores in Maryland want $56. Ford dealers want $76 and independent repair shops want a wopping $96 each when you have them do the job. Big difference between $150 a set and almost a grand a set. Thanks.
:sick: :confuse: Hey everyone, I just joined this site so I might get some answers, and I'm not going to scan nearly 770 pages of posts for my problem, no time! Anyway, I JUST replaced the transmission in my car along with a few various other parts a week before Halloween of this year after over 111k miles. [it must be a record for this car, I'm sure!!] I haven't had another problem until tonight when I went to go pick up my 18 year old brother-in-law from his girlfriend's house right up the road and on the way home, about 2 miles or so from the driveway, the check engine light came on, but nothing changed in the driving and nothing sounded wrong. As soon as I pulled in the driveway, I parked, turned off the car, let it sit for about 2 minutes and then turned it back on and the check engine light was still there, so I'm quite curious as to what this could be! Any knowledge is appreciated!
My LS runs hot at certain times when it is in traffic for any length of time. I have heard that I would be better off to change to an electric fan and do away with the hydraulic fan. I want someone to tell me how to do it without ruining my automobile. I can install the fan but what do I do with the hydraulic pump and the lines that run to the fan.
Sounds like you need a new fan and/or pump. The reason Lincoln used a hydraulic fan instead of an electric one is current drain. The electrical system is pretty much maxed out which necessitated a hydraulic fan.
I have a 2003 Lincoln LS 6 cyclinder, and on the left corner of the odometer, there is the letter "B". Can you tell me what this code is? About two years ago, an "E" came up, and that was a code for a problem in the transmission, which they rebuilt under warranty. I called the dealer ship, and they said they think it may be a brake code, but they aren't sure!
Maybe this has been addressed before; maybe not. There is a mechanism on each door that attachs between the door and the body. It keeps the door from swinging freely away from the car as well as limiting its travel. The part of the mechanism that bolts to the body broke on the driver's side on my 2001 LS. I would assume that there is some sort of repair kit that one could get that could be used to repair that mechanism. Does anyone know of such? (This part is not unique to my Lincoln. I noticed that more than one of my vehicles had this same sort of device/connector.)
Hello LS fans: My 2000 LS v6 is great, but have a need for more power. I was considering a new(er) CTS or something similar, but thinking about making that kind of investment at this time has made me think twice. Any suggestions on after market exhausts or other options to get more out of the ride I have? Much appreciated!
You could upgrade to a later model V8 - they're generally dirt cheap but won't be available with a stick if that's what you currently have. Other than that you're pretty much limited to a cold air kit and exhaust although you can tweak the computer settings a little bit.
I paid 11K for my '05 with 47K on it last summer. Mine's a base model, V6, but it's in mint condition from a local dealer. I feel bad for any one who paid any where near MSRP for one of these and went to trade it in or sell it.
2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
I feel bad for any one who paid any where near MSRP for one of these and went to trade it in or sell it.
Thank you for your support.
The LS was an interesting experiment, as well as a perfect case study illustrating the inepitude of the Big Three Corporate Culture. If the Ford of 1999 had the management it has today, either 1) the LS would have never been released, or 2) It would have been made profitable and kept, most likely #1.
If the current management was in place back then we would have had a cheaper, globally shared platform with more power, a better interior and even more amenities. And it would still be alive and thriving today. Using an expensive low volume platform with expensive low volume engines just wasn't the right solution, regardless of how much we liked the LS.
And if car sales hadn't totally tanked they'd still be working on a GRWD replacement. Mulally and Fields want it, they just can't afford it right now. The Fiesta, Focus, Transit Connect and new Explorer are more important.
Not trying to rub it in or anything. Looks like yours is a 2000? At least you kept it and got miles out of it instead of trading in two years and losing 20K.
I bought a new 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander when they came out in early '07 and the depreciation on those isn't pretty either. I'll be keeping that one a long time, too.
2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
Just got a quick question. Just bought a 2002 Lincoln LS. Can anyone tell me where to find a repair manual? Does Haynes make one? I'm utterly surprised to see how hard it is to find one. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!
Too bad this site doesn't allow that kind of information to be shared, as I recently sold my 2000 LS, and no longer need the factory shop manual I bought for it.
Bought a 2002 LS on Friday before Memorial day, When driving to mkt. the next day, car stalled and would'nt restart. Dealer picked it up and is looking for solution to problem. Anyone else experience this problem and knows reason?
I bought a new '06 LS and have had ongoing problems with the traction control causing the brakes not to function correctly. At one point dealer kept vehicle for a month replacing parts, bringing in regional engineers, etc. Solutions were found, fixes implemented and less than three weeks later, the exact same problem occurred. I've been back numerous times and yet nothing has worked. Has anyone else experienced this type of ongoing safety problem with braking?
Comments
Pressure plate (incl throw-out bearing and something else, forgot what) comes from a vendor. He says he could have it in max 7 days. He says there is stock in the vendors warehouse. He did not ID the vendor.
Clutch disk is a Ford part he says and he could have that overnight. There's no reason your dealer should not be able to do the same.
I inquired further about requirements to support a vehicle. He says it used to be 10 years, now he thinks it's either 7 or 8 years - I'm referring to the length of time they are required BY LAW to have parts available. Unbelievably that means that, if it is 7 years, Ford is actually under no legal obligation to have a part available for your 2000 LS in 2008. THat my friends SUCKS big time. He did opine though that I shouldn't worry about parts for my 2001 - he says they still have clutch parts for Broncos from the 80s. Course, they sold more than 1600 Broncos... He also opined that aftermarket clutch parts should be available.
Good luck.
This confirms one part of what my SR said - that these 3 items came as a kit and none could be ordered separately. So the disk would NOT have come unless you ordered it separately. It sounds like you did do that and that Ford is screwing up royally (knock me over with a feather.)
6/3 is a long way off to be limping around. My SR did say that aftermarket parts should be available. Have u pursued that at all? I am almost positive that the LS tranny is also used in the BMW 3-series. You might try that direction.
Best wishes again. Next time, we should get slush-boxes cause they break so often there's bound to be parts for em eh? - NOT
We LS enthusiasts already know we can't look to Lincoln for an LS replacement anytime soon, if ever. So GM is the place to look- the CTS is the best American car continuing the LS design goals. And I'm just now learning more about the next GM car that can lay some claim to these goals, and for a lot less money - the Pontiac G8. Yes, I know it's an Australian car. But it is here NOW, not in 5 years. And from what I read, it's a serious handler and has some serious oomph. This year's version is out for me since there's no manual. But they're supposed to fix that next year. A quick look thru the G8 forum here today and I think I recognize some of the posters over there from the LS glory days. From Lincoln to Pontiac? Oh well. When others were driving GTOs and SSes when I was young, I had a Mercury Cyclone, 1967 4speed. Now, Mercury is an absolute joke and Chevy and Pontiac are on the rise again. Gotta go with the flow.
I understand you wanting a spare clutch disk, considering this. But I'd be telling the dealer that they're on the hook for car rental expenses for every day past one week that the part didnt come in. SOMETHING to get even with these clowns.
I suspect the box will say "Made in China" or "Made in Mexico" if and when it ever arrives. What a twisted situation we've got ourselves in these days.
HELP!
I spent my FIRST non-ordinary (meaning tires, brakes, oil) maintenance money on it at 98K. New bushings on front sway bar and broken window regulator on drivers window. Total $500. Not bad for 98,000 miles.
Of course YMMV, but thanks for playing the game and I am sorry you had bad luck.
I've had my issues with this car and much bigger ones with the corporation that left it high and dry, but the individual units are worthy drivers. If you have to spend some money on yours, do it. It'll last. Or not, but don't try to convince people that it's an overall POS.
These guys (Ford) used to build most of the taxis, police cars and limos driven in North America. They know how to do reliability & longevity.
YMMV
The real issues, it seemed, were with dealer service departments that didn't bother to aquaint themselves with the cars. I was fortunate, as my selling dealer had a good service department, and always provided a loaner car, so the service trips were as painless as possible.
I've always enjoyed driving my LS, however its 8 salt encrusted winters in the northeast are starting to take their toll. I have a small rust blister showing up on the rear quarter panel, and the rocker panels need a little work also. I hate to get carried away with refinishing, as in all honesty the car is 8 years old, and probably will be replaced in the next 12-18 months. I just don't what it will be with....
Yes, I'll definitely say that I'm disappointed in the depreciation hit I've taken on the car, but what are you going to do? The US auto market has changed considerably in the last 15-20 years, and MANY cars lose a lot of their value. The LS, unfortunately, got hit a little harder, no doubt by becoming an orphan.
Thanks.
The clockspring is in the steering wheel and from what i hear it is hard to fix. I had to take mine to a dealership 60 miles away to have it replaced but it fixed it after we replaced may other things including Airbag Control Module under the drivers seat. Im not sure where the RCM module is but if i were to guess thats also whats under the drivers seat. I wish you good luck!!! If I could give you any advise I would get rid of the car because there is probably more problems to come! Unless you can afford to keep fixing it than its a great car to have! Later
-Nick
Moze
Hey everyone, I just joined this site so I might get some answers, and I'm not going to scan nearly 770 pages of posts for my problem, no time! Anyway, I JUST replaced the transmission in my car along with a few various other parts a week before Halloween of this year after over 111k miles. [it must be a record for this car, I'm sure!!] I haven't had another problem until tonight when I went to go pick up my 18 year old brother-in-law from his girlfriend's house right up the road and on the way home, about 2 miles or so from the driveway, the check engine light came on, but nothing changed in the driving and nothing sounded wrong. As soon as I pulled in the driveway, I parked, turned off the car, let it sit for about 2 minutes and then turned it back on and the check engine light was still there, so I'm quite curious as to what this could be! Any knowledge is appreciated!
My 2000 LS v6 is great, but have a need for more power. I was considering a new(er) CTS or something similar, but thinking about making that kind of investment at this time has made me think twice.
Any suggestions on after market exhausts or other options to get more out of the ride I have?
Much appreciated!
Thank you for your support.
The LS was an interesting experiment, as well as a perfect case study illustrating the inepitude of the Big Three Corporate Culture. If the Ford of 1999 had the management it has today, either 1) the LS would have never been released, or 2) It would have been made profitable and kept, most likely #1.
Oh well. . .
And if car sales hadn't totally tanked they'd still be working on a GRWD replacement. Mulally and Fields want it, they just can't afford it right now. The Fiesta, Focus, Transit Connect and new Explorer are more important.
I bought a new 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander when they came out in early '07 and the depreciation on those isn't pretty either. I'll be keeping that one a long time, too.
Just got a quick question. Just bought a 2002 Lincoln LS. Can anyone tell me where to find a repair manual? Does Haynes make one? I'm utterly surprised to see how hard it is to find one. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!