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Comments
Yeah, get a pickup truck to pull your boat. The LS is for DRIVING!
I reset the computer at each fill-up. The reported mpg continues to track my calculated mpg from the pump pretty well. It is consistantly within a couple of tenths. Considering all of the possible sources of error in this kind of calculation, I'd say that's right on.
Joe
For those of you who have seen steady improvment, I have one question. Did you start out with averages in the 12 mpg range or does that number seem so low as to cause one to think there is some kind of problem and not just a result of the normal "breaking in" period.
Last thing...V6, V8, sport, non-sport, manual, automatic..who cares? In ANY configuration the LS is a fine, fine automobile. We should all be grateful that an American car company has delivered a truly wonderful blend of style and performance for such a great price. I NEVER tire of the compliments I get about my car and as a 35 year old married man with a new baby girl, the performance of this machine will more than suffice. So I say, REJOICE FELLOW LS OWNERS!!
Peace-
Scott
Since mine is an early model, I have the 3.58 rear end but I have always gotten around 23-24 MPG on the highway and 17 around town. In really bad weather (it has snowed 80 inches here this winter) and snail-like traffic, the mileage is less, of course. I would be a little concerned about 12 MPG regardless of break-in. That could indicate an overly rich condition. I think I would bring that to the attention of your dealer.
For the V-6 auto folks who are feeling slightly down in the dumps after the recent exchanges fear not! Scooter has a comment in the LLSOC message forum under Engines that you might find interesting:)
Brian
I am towing an 800 lb (Dry) Jetski + trailer weight. Dont know how big your boat is but I think the hitch can pull either 1500 or 2500 lbs. You should be able to do it. If you have the V8 you definitely won't have problems.
I am assuming you didn't know a Custom Hitch existed and that is the reason you thought an LS could not pull it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Regards,
Victor
Looks are secondary to weight in regards to performance.
Also - Thomas1. I agree. Without a limited slip differential, it is very hard to campaign a competitive LS in slolom racing. One needs to predictably break loose both tires in unison to slide rather than steer through the corners. Turning costs speed. The LS does great 4 wheel drifts until you apply power and one wheel breaks traction and upsets rear traction. It's one great limitation to an otherwise performance oriented car. Let's hope that LM "finishes" the LS with at least an LSD option for the Autos and as a standard feature for the Manuals. The best set-up is Traction Control (defeatable at each start-up) and LSD together. Stanny1 - who wishes he could have driven his own car on the gymkhana at LS Mania (without Traction Control)
Earlier this week I called the dealer to arrange for the 5k service. I was told that it would take 45mins to an hour and could just wait on it. I arrived 15 minutes before they opened and was about the 10th car in line. The service advisor informed me it might be a little longer because everyone else was waiting on their cars also. (So much for appointments!)
2 and a half hours later, my car is pulled around, oil changed, but the tires hadn't been rotated. I had specifically asked to have that done--but the service advisor told me afterward it only needed to be done every other oil change. I was too tired (and late to work) to argue, so went to the counter to get my keys where they only wanted to charge me 20.00 for the oil change.
When I explained the service was complimentary on 01 Lincolns, they looked at me like I was some kind of alien. I had to go out to the car and pull out the paperwork which explained it. They finally let me go and I was on my way. The best part-the service reminder sticker on my windshield says I'm due for my next service at 5130 miles. (It had 4800 when I brought it in.) I guess I'm on the 300 mile maintenance interval:)
BTW, this dealer is owned by some part of FOMOCO, which bought out most of the local dealers here in the OK City area. This particular store is a Ford/L-M/Mazda store, one of 4 or 5 in the area. I didn't intend to bring up the whole Company-Dealer service topic again, but you'd think a good place for the factory to effect changes in dealership experiences would be in dealerships they have some interest in owning.
Anyway, the car is great. Sorry for the long post!
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/driverschoice.shtml
I had stock silver finish wheels on my mustang cobra and found that brake dust was hard to remove unless you really kept on top of it.
In the end, it is personal preference.
That Duratec should last forever on 300 mile oil-change intervals. Probably wear out the oil drain plug!
Motor Trend's LS6 manual had corresponding numbers of 7.4 seconds & 15.7 seconds at 88.5 mph. Car & Driver's LS6 manual had corresponding numbers of 8.0 secs & 16.3 seconds at 86 mph.
IMHO, many of the test cars are really too "green" when tested. Some of the long term tests compare test times when "new" and at, say, 30,000 miles. Many of the cars are faster when "broken-in". My 00 Manual could have qualified as "Pig of the Year" until it had at least 4000 miles. At 10k the car is really fun, and pulls like a freight train in second gear. Now it's time for Amsoil and some intake and exhaust mods!
I'll just keep an eye on it for now.
I just wanted to say thanks for the great post about fluid changing and the many others before. It really is neat that you participate on this board... I know others have said it, but it bears repeating!
About a year ago, I decided to change the tranny fluid on my dad's 84 Grand Marquis. I don't believe it had ever been changed and at 212,000 miles, I was expecting to see some metal shavings or worse in the pan... (the tranny had been slipping a little - nothing bad) instead there was nothing at all in the pan and the fluid didn't look bad either! Its a shame the body died, because the engine/tranny were ready for another 200,000 miles!!
I tried to get the reflash at the local Ford/Mercury garage (knowing full well that they wouldn't have the 01-01-05 TSB program - but they said Ford was sending a disk.) Let's hope it works! They gave me the "Ford is having computer troubles" line.
They also tried to quiet down the HVAC defroster and vent paths. With fan on 2 or 3 bar speed, the air whooshing thru these vents is pretty loud and sounds like wind thru trees. They were reluctant to try to fix it (of course, they didn't even think it was a problem.) In the end, it sounds the same. I'm probably gonna go at this again with them. Anyone else have this?
Anyway, it's great to have my LS back. I really enjoyed driving it today. I've put 772 miles on it in a month. Well, 3 weeks really.
If it's any consolation the fan at 2 or 3 bars is definitely audible. I usually run it at 2 in the manual setting and I can hear it if I'm at idle even with the radio on. So I don't think you'll have much luck having the dealer work on that.
Brian
The info says that there are 16 hours left to bid on it. It's now 7:50 AM, EST, March 22nd.
I had a Chrysler Shelby Charger back in early 80s, for all of two months, that consistently shut down at speed, usually under acceleration.
Happy motoring.
Many years ago I had a Taurus that frequently shut down. I figured out that putting the trannie in neutral, shutting the ignition off it would reset it and I could crank the engine an it would restart. This is a very fun experience to have more than 20 time at 65 mph in heavy interstate traffic. Never had it happen on back roads. I also eventually figured out that the engine was not really shut down but in a very low speed "safe idle condition" That is I could just put the trannie in neutral coast to a stop and hear the engine running at something under 500 RPM. Putting it in drive would stall the engine. I must have taken the Taurus to the dealer more then 10 times to no avail. They first changed the oxygen sensor, then the throttle poisition sensor, then I think a timing sensor none of which did anything. The dealer of course tried to say that I was nuts and there was no problem for the car. I then insisted that they change the engine computer which they refused to do. Got the reginal Ford service rep involved and after a big argument we finally agreed to change the engine computer, but if the computer change didn't fix the problem I would pay for it. Bottom line, after the computer change never had the shutdown problem again in 50,000 additional miles before I sold it.
ezair: I haven't been hitting any bumps. The inch or two higher sport suspension makes a big difference, eh? For those curious, I've noticed that if I go over a speed bump "a little too fast" (say 10 - 20mph, depending on the shape of the bump) the suspension in my LS makes quite a bang, both front and rear when it 'unloads' on the far side of the bump. If I do the same speed over the same bumps in either my Mark 8 or the loaner Sable I had, all I hear is the 'whoosh' of the shocks. I don't notice any other suspension anomalies, and speed bumps at slow enuf speed are fine, but the noise is worriesome. Has anyone else noticed this? Dealer uses reason #4, I think, from the 'Automotive Dealer Service Excuse Guide' and I quote: "That's a design characteristic of these cars."
Brian: I don't really hear the fan so much as I hear the air whistling past blend doors or obstructions or something changing the flow of it. I've listened to one other LS and it was whisper quiet, as it shoud be.
Also, can u help me find the V6 article on LLSOC which you mentioned yesterday or day before?
stanny1 again: You're right. My V6 DuraGet is very tight. I can feel it. And I confess, I have stalled it more thatn once. I gotta start racking up some miles.
all Getrag drivers: Anyone else done this: I was sitting at a red light, stereo up, car in neutral. Big Dodge Ram pulls up behind and just then light turns green. So I quickly throw the car into gear and begin to release the clutch and - **whoa** - I start going backwards! Slam on the brakes in time and realize, Yep, I had pushed the gearshift too hard to the left and up and ended up in reverse instead of first. Pretty silly mistake on my part, but seems like a pull-up collar or something on the gearshift would prevent this mistake. Gotta make the thing idiot-proof.
I'm gonna take my red LS for a nice twisty ride today. I really love the car. Later.
Wes
I know that when my Uncle worked as a mechanic for the local Ford garage, he said that in the spring they always had about 10 or so cars that the fuel pumps would burn up because they still had the winter gas in the tank too far into the warm weather.
Don't know if that is related to the LS shutdown?
The V-6 info is on the LLSOC message board under Maintenance Topics, Automatic Transmissions, Hydraulic Losses. The poster is Scooter talking about gear ratios.
Brian
Sorry about the physics lesson, but being in the petroleum business, you learn all sorts of fun things about gas.
Bruno
Maybe someday I'll be able to post here that a problem was actually resolved. Thanks.
Hmmm; 4.3 sounds like a nice number...
In another article about luxury car sales, Lincoln chief designer Gerry McGovern is quoted as saying, "I don't necessarily want to be compared to Cadillac. We're shooting for the bigger hitters." Incidentally, Lincoln was #3 in sales in 2000, behind #1 Lexus and #2 Mercedes, and ahead of #4 BMW and #5 Cadillac.
I wouldn't worry about the weight difference either. While chrome might be slightly heavier than the super silver, you can deduct the weight of the silver finish. Presumably, they don't plate over that finish.
10-20 mph over speed bumps with the sport suspension is way too fast. I get a pretty good "bang" at just a roll. Worrisome- nah. If there's room, I try to go around them. Although, once in doing so, I cut a curb too close and ran over it. You should have heard that bang. I got under to look, while cringing, and no damage. Not even a noticeable scrape mark. This is one strong platform.
Enjoy! regards-Artie.
I scrolled back a few hundred messages & found one where Jim encouraged people who were having such difficulties to contact him at jroger19@ford.com for assistance. He has posted this address often, so I don't think I'm out of line to repost it here.
Jim travels frequently, and I don't know how often he checks his mail, but I'd bet my extra set of keys that you WILL get a response if you Email him. He has been extremely accommodating to us, and very generous with his time.
Good luck; hope this helps.
Tom...