Lincoln LS

keyrow

One man's totally subjective opinion: I own both a '01 Lincoln LS 6M and an '01 Infiniti I30. FWIW, I drive the LS and my wife uses the I30. This is because I am a more "aggressive" driver and prefer the handling and sporty nature of the LS. My wife just wants a comfortable cruiser. Also, as Giowa says, for long distance vacations we use the I30 as it has a roomier back seat and larger trunk. If pampered comfort is your desire then the I30 is the way to go, but for HUGE GOOFY GRINS going around corners the LS can't be beat, even by BMW. I also find the LS is much quieter but has a SLIGHTLY firmer ride. As always, test drive both and decide which better fits your driving needs/desires. Remember that the Infiniti I35 will be out this October so I30s are selling at $500 - $1000 below invoice which means you can pick one up for 28-29K out the door, and this is at least 5K less than a similarly equipt LS V6, and 8K less than an LS8. Please do let us know what you decide.

akirby

Don't be scared off by the wood kit in the one you test drove. It wasn't installed properly. Many owners have opted for the aftermarket WUD kits from joshua tree or exotic wood dash and when installed properly they look great and don't interfere with any controls.

As others have stated, the transmission problems were fixed with the 2001 models. I've heard ZERO complaints from 2001 owners or 2000 owners who had the 2001 software installed.

Also not sure what this LS-C model is. Sounds like a dealer package. I don't think there is a factory option with side skirts and rear spoiler.

akirby

Mark - have you done this with the LS? I asked the CAC specifically whether I could do this (I did it on the Explorer/Ranger we had previously) with the LS and the Expedition and was told that the remotes were not compatible with each other. If I can find the sequence for the expedition I'll try it.

ls1bmw0

The LS-C is a dealer installed package. Until later in the 2002 model year there is no factory body kit for the LS. Somewhere around October is when the factory LSE will be available. All it is a body kit, though in my opinion, it looks a lot better than most of the aftermarket kits.

Brian

mkovalsk

I did not try this with an LS. Much of the electronics is different in the LS, so they may be right that it wouldn't work.

I'd give it a shot.

Mark

ezaircon4jc

I agree mostly with keyrow. A high pressure return line failed at the pump last week (Fri). As it will take a couple of days for a new one I was put in an '01 I30. The trunk specs say it's bigger, but it looks much more shallow to me. Also, with the mini spare, there is loads of room down under the floor for those little things. The back seat looks like it has a little more legroom, but the seat sits lower. In the LS the rear seat is raised slightly. We took the Infiniti on a little Fathers Day drive yesterday. If this one has adjustable lumbar I couldn't find it and the seat was uncomfortable after on hour or so. The 55 series tires made a ton of noise on our grooved, concrete freeways. I got the feeling that the car was a Q45 wannabe. I can't explain, it's just a feeling. The LS has "creature features" the I30 doesn't. None of the steering wheel controls are lit which means you have to know all the cruise, radio and headlight functions by feel. The LS has an adjustable "lights on" feature on auto, the I doesn't. It's either auto on or manual on. The steering wheel telescopes on the LS, not so on the I. Those of us with short arms appreciate that! I found the dash lights way too bright at night. When I turned them down to a comfortable level, the panel lights, including the clock, were too dim to see. The day lights on the dash were nice, being the same brightness under an underpass, in a covered parking lot or in and out of the shade. The Bose system was fantastic. On the freeway it was a fine cruiser, but when we went to some back roads (Brian, Temecula to Valley Center would be a BLAST, although much more traffic than last week) the nose heavy FWD platform showed it's shortcomings. As the I is a gussied-up Maxima, you might save a few bucks and give the Maxima a looksie, If you go that route.

Everytime I drive something else, I appreciate my LS more! One more thing to consider. We represent a reletavily few LS owners and tend to be car enthusiasts. IIHO, most of our "problems" are minor in the big scheme of things. The car preforms above it's advertised level. Read back a few hundred posts and you will find Lincoln has delt with our issues quickly and correctly. There are quality "problems" with every marque. Heck, the steering wheel on the I30 is cocked about 7 degrees left. No pull of drift, the wheel just isn't straight. That, to me, is HUGE on a car in this class from this manfacturer.

One more thing. There are Lincoln engineers and management that moniter this board and the club board. They post their e-mail address' and respond as quickly as their schedule allows.

Sorry for the long post. I realize my I30 is a rental and keyrow may have options which are standard on the LS.

Mike (who CAN'T wait for that hose to get installed!)

ronniepooh

Parallell parking in Washington, DC, especially outside of nightclubs at 3:00am is like taking your life (or bumpers) into your own hands. Got some nasty scrapes/gouges on my rear bumper from someone obviously pulling out of a space behind me, without enough room. Aarrggh. Body shop estimate is $374 for a repair/complete repaint. Bumpers.com has the bumper already painted for $174 shipped. Nice, but how can I be certain that the color is an exact (or very close) match. From what I've read and heard, there are many different variations of a factory color. Has anyone here actually used bumpers.com? How was the service? Did the paint match up well? Or does anyone know a successful do it yourself method that I can attempt to repair the gouges/scratches myself?

Thanx

albert19

You have 2 major concerns.....but as a reference every 2001 ls8 sport I test drove had NO tranny problems...as a matter of fact I think the tranny on my ls8 is more responsive then the one on my previous Mark VIII...On the quality issue....well in my humble opinion since most cars are assembly line products there are, in some instances, going to be issues. If you have done your homework (as it appears) and use this forum as a guide, my suggestion would be to take some of the issues you have read about, and on your EXTENDED TEST DRIVE, keep a special eye out for these problems. I too was a-little nervous about another Lincoln, but as I have previously posted when you really compare the other models to the LS, and now combine the financing and free maint...... well the choice was easy...You won't be sorry. It's a great car!!

stanny1

It's another FWD with an automatic. The world is full of these appliances. They are cheaper to make and plow through corners (physics - you can't accelerate hard and corner at the same time). If you drive hard at all, you better have a buddy at the tire store. You'll be there for many rotations and replacement tires. That's if you don't go off the road into a tree first. My front tires have enough to do. Besides, how do you break loose the rear tires to corner on a FWD?
The I30/Maxima, 3.2TL, STS, Conti - all great engines mired in terrible FWD platforms. Why pay so much for an appliance? A Hyundai Sonata will get you there in the same rolling coffin comfort. Turn the key, put it in drive, no one will know if you're dead or alive!

cwz

Finally after 4 weeks and a new tranny I have my LSV8 Sport back. Tranny/performance first appears to be a bit sluggish compared to what it used to be. Hoping the continued learning of the tranny resolves this.

One strange thing, my wife pointed out and I told her she was crazy was she claims the loaner LS V8 non-sport (early 00 build) glove box space is larger than our 00 LSV8 Sport (late 00 build). Is there a size difference between the Sport vs Non-sport glove box?

ronniepooh

I agree with you wholeheartedly, although at least one poster here seems to (of course) disagree with everyone else that FWD is cheaper to produce. Then again, that same poster drives a Hyundai as well. So much for automotive taste. ;-)

ezaircon4jc

Another tinsey weansy issue with FWD. They just LOVE to eat front brakes and rotors. Too much transfered weight on those two little pieces of metal during braking. You will most likely go through front pads 3-4 times as fast as rears. Rotors almost as fast. And as Stan said, without frequent rotations you will use up the front tires amazingly quick.
Mike

stanny1

If you look at the assembly line process, the FWD "drivetrain module" goes in the chassis (most times it's on a "subframe" in one step. Whala. Done. With RWD, you've got to produce and install the IRS pumpkin separately, manufacture a two or three piece driveshaft which has to be balanced, with a support bearing (pillow bearing) to install, etc. More parts, more labor. It's big in manufacturing to save a dime per unit, and FWD lets you save many dimes. That's why RWD is reserved for luxury cars. I don't care about the luxury part but I want the obvious performance advantages of RWD. Also, if you plan on keeping a car for a while, it's cheaper to have work done on RWD. More room for the mechanics under the hood and easier access to water pumps, exhaust manifolds and spark plugs(especially the rear ones on FWD). That's why law enforcement likes RWD. I also think that America has gone to the light truck because of the dependability, simplicity and cost of the drivetrain. FWD has limited applications in race cars, motor homes and anywhere servicability and strength is important. When Volvo took the V90/960 RWD drivetrain and stuck it in the S80 FWD abortion, they had to chuck the great Aisan automatic for a smaller tranny for FWD. They use a Buick Skylark auto, not even a premium unit like GM's in the STS, Park Avenue or SSE Bonneville. When Volvo put twin turbos on the S80t6, those first trannys blew up. I would definitely worry about going out of warranty on that Volvo! Not to mention the problems with a straight-six turned sideways. You probably have to take off the fender to get to the water pump. As they say on the Volvo Brickboard, the last real Volvos were made in 1998. I can't understand why the consumer eats up this FWD stuff without question. But then, cigarettes were supposed to be good for you in the 1940's. We consumers are not researchers. Gee, what a pretty car!

heyjewel

Just to weigh in a bit on the FWD issue. Someone mentioned tire wear as a problem? A colleague at work here has a 2000 Saab 9-5 turbo he's leasing. Saab is FWD, of course and his is a 5 speed. He has a 20 mile commute over a challenging backwoods road. Real LS territory. He loves the Saab and he drives it agrssively. Anyway, to the point: the car came with Z-rated Michelins. **He wore them out in 15,000 miles.** (He's got Pirellis on it now and feels they're not quite as grippy in the turns.)

George

akirby

My neighbor traded his 528i on a 540i. Went through the Dunlop SP Sports in less than 12K. When he found out how much the replacements cost he called tirerack and asked if they had anything cheaper. The guy said 'You bought a 540 - suck it up and write the check'!

heyjewel

When my family of 4.5 people goes on vacation in July, we may have to take our Dodge van instead of the LS. The LS is a great road car, I know, but it unfortunately does not have a TV and VCP in it to keep the kids amused while driving. Nor does it have headphone jacks so the wife and I can listen to Eminem while the kids watch a tape. Also, alas, the LSs' trunk is just too small to hold the reclining sofa bed that's in the back of the van where the wife and kids sleep while we camp.

If only all cars could be all things to all people!
:>)

George

billincal1

Wow! some people do respond! Thanks folks on your observations... It only seems to get hot when I'm climbing up a mountain top and still notice it on the way down...but it doesn't start out hot that way...even when I'm parked in the sun. I will ask my dealer when I take it in tommorrow for servicing.

I'm still trying to unbunch my underwear from heyjewels little slight ..I think now is a good time to remind new members of what I fell prey to when I first signed on here...Yep! got into a real electronic hair pulling, nasty reply, "how dare you think I'm stupid" posture when one of the members expressed his opinion I didn't think was very polite. Like heyjewel I found myself ripping into increasingly vicious replies till this whole forum turned into a free for all over one topic that should have ended with the first few discussion posts. It took Brian to calm me down and i felt better after i apologized to the guy I was fighting with...Anger can build really fast on this board and that clearly isn't the purpose for it's being here.

Bill

ezaircon4jc

I just found something of which to cheer about this loaner. When I return it on empty, Enterprise will charge me the outlandish price of $1.75 + 7.5% tax for gas. That's about $.12 - $.20 a gallon CHEAPER than I can fill it! When was the last time someone got a deal on filling a rental car? I called just to verify it. I guess I won't be filling it when I get my LS back!

tom12253

Bill,

I don't know if this relevant to your concern about the temp of the shift plate area, but this is what I observed last evening on the way home from the Jersey shore. I thought of your post about halfway home (about 35 min), so I felt the plate and noticed it was pretty warm to the touch on the left side were the lights are for the shift indicator. I'm quite shore this heat was from the lights under the shift position indicators. I will try to check it when the lights are not on and let you know what I find.

Tom

babicka

STANNY1-If consumers were researchers they would have made it very hard for for the US car manufacturers to switch to FWD platforms! The car makers and insurance companies are the true winners in the FWD platform push. Maybe more consumers education will help RWD and ALL-WD platforms in making a major come back. (SUVs are part of this push.)

ronniepooh

Saw a disturbing story in the Washington Post over the weekend. A woman driving a civic and 2 or 3 of her passengers were all killed in a car accident when her civic swerved and fishtailed on a wet road, spun out, then hit a guardrail. Huge Dodge Ram pickup than struck the civic, crushing it against a guardrail. Very tragic. Couldnt help but wonder if a stability control system (not to mention possibly slower driving in the first place) would have possibly prevented an accident of this type.

slunar

Thanks to whomever posted the link to the "Road Force Variation" presentation. It confirmed my suspicion that tire & wheel imperfections are exciting a resonance somewhere in the LS. I just have to find the time to find a shop with a Hunter machine and take my LS in.

slunar

Ronniepooh, you just reminded me that I read a T-Bird article that beat up on Ford for not offering Advance Track or the SST on the T-Bird. Strange how Oldsmobile made their stability system standard or a very low cost option on most models (I think ~$100) and Olds is the first GM division to get the ax.

lateralg

The intent of this post is positive; absolutely no criticism intended. I've become very sensitive to the word "accident" when used to describe a car crash.

To me, "accident" suggests something innocent in cause, outside of one's control, and tends to deflect attention from things that can be done to prevent crashes.

As stated in one of the performance driving schools: "An accident is when a meteorite strikes our car; all else is driver error."

If my kids are involved in a car crash, I refuse to accept it as an 'accident'. To do so invites more crashes.

I apologize if my passion about this issue has offended anyone.

ls1bmw0

slunar:

Here's a link to Hunter that will let you find a dealer in your area with the Road Force Balancer, otherwise known as the GSP9700.

Brian

http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

leadfoot4

I agree whole heartedly. For a long time, I thought that I was the only one who felt this way.

billincal1

Tom..looks like I'm not the only one...you experienced what I did...a very warm, if not hot place where your hand sometimes drops to when driving. It's right at the lower left of the housing where the plastic inset rounds. I didn't notice it this morning when I took it to the dealer...It's just one of those things I'll keep monitoring to see if has a pattern. Your suggestion about the shift indicator lights sounds plausable. I'll ask the dealer tonite about anyone elese reporting this...no i won't he just called me now! Deklin says it's typical on LS's...I guess case closed. But if anyone else finds it uncomfortable let me know...might be something we can address to LM for future design correction.

Well, after my first 5K checkup I haven't got many complaints. A few phantom beeps and a trunk that makes me think I closed it when i didn't! Took it to the car wash one day and got something out of my trunk..thought I closed it! just as I was heading for the spray I caught the warning light...missed making my trunk into a swimming pool by 2 or 3 seconds! Since than I've leaned to shut the trunk hard and from the center instead of the side.

Bill

scottc8

You've hit the nail on the head. Newspapers make it even worse by the way they report "accidents". Last winter a guy was killed near my home when he ran a stop sign and was hit broadside. The local paper reported that he "was killed when the pickup he was driving ran a stop sign." I also see red when reading of a car that "went off the road" or "went out of control".

stanny1

Great point, guys. I also think it amusing when the press comments "the BODY of Joe Smith was found..." Usually, the press cites an incident as an accident or an off the road event to avoid the liability issue of blame unless an officer or "expert" cites a fact or opinion.

sterbz

I'm new to the board, so take it easy on me

I'm looking into purchasing an LS, and quite frankly, I'm not sure whether to go with the V-6 or V-8 (autos). I've read that the V-6 leaves something to be desired, yet the V-8 isn't all it's cracked up to be. I've only been able to test drive the V-8, and it was impressive, but how's the V-6? Considering an auto trans specifically, is the V-8 worth the upgrade (and the mandatory inclusion of the "convenience pkg", which I personally am not interested in)?

Also, I've been trying to find out some info on the AdvanceTrac option. I haven't been successful...worthwhile option, or overpriced hype?

Your comments are much appreciated.

ezaircon4jc

I've got the 6 had have been satisfied. I won't win any stoplight races, but try and keep up with me on the twisties! I have NO problem merging into, or even beating, traffic on the uphill onramp that I take everyday. As to the convenience package, I didn't think that I wanted it but have found it indispensible! You can't beat the seat and steering wheel retracting to let you out. I would also opt for the moonroof. I didn't and wish I had. Also the sport package. If you read back a few hundred posts I believe you'll find the AdvancTrac is worth the price. The six has better balance with no real MPG benefit.

I hope this helps a little and don't forget to join the owners club!
Mike

babicka

If you plan to drive in the winter in snow (or on slippery surfaces) the Advanced Track option is worth every penny. Also if you enjoy aggressive cornering the system prevents both oversteer and understeer. Any maneuvers that require excessive lateral weight transfer will trigger the AT system.

ronniepooh

I drove the V6 LS and V8 LS back in November 99 when I was making my choices. The V6Auto/Sport was more than satisfactory for me and my driving conditions. (DC area, so no wide open roads on flatlands...lots of congestion). After 34,000 miles, I have no complaints whatsoever about the V6 and its 210 horsepower. Recently, I had been considering if it was anywhere near worth it for me to trade in my V6 LS (owe $13k, trade in somewhere around $23k per Edmunds) and go for a new model to take advantage of the current pricing, finance rates, 3 year free maintenance program, and 1st monts free payment. So once again, I took a new LSV8 out for a long spin. I cant say the difference in power was night and day. It was quieter, the acceleration a bit more effortless than in the LSV6, but I immediately ruled out trading my LSV6 or selling it. I suggest you take both on very extended test drives, and go with the one that best suits you and your everyday needs. I rarely find myself doing 0-60mph sprints all the time, but whenever I need it, the power for passing/merging/whatever is smooth and always there. The V6 has also been around in various iterations for years, so it's definitely a proven and reliable engine.

Sidebar: Last night on rt 29 (Colesville RD) near Briggs Chaney rd, for those familiar with the area. Buddy of mine pulls up next to me at the stoplight, driving his Lexus ES300. We pull away casually, talking thru the windows...at about 15mph he catches me offguard and punches it to the floor. The nose of the ES lifts like a rocket (soft suspension, I'll guess), and being a victim of testerone, I floor the pedal in my LS. By the time we got to about 65mph, he was one full car length behind me, and that was with him having an initial jump advantage. I backed off of it at 70mph, because that road is famous for laser/radar traps. That might have been the first time I've ever "drag" raced the LS, but it kept itself respectable for me. At other times, on extended highway trips, Ive kept up very well in isolated sprints with other 5 series BMW's, Maximas, etc. (ie 55-110mph, back down to 60, open road...back up to 115, etc)..

Good Luck..and definitely get the roof and convenience package options

cdnpinhead

The seat/steering retraction feature of the Convenience Package is worth much more to people who don't already have the seat all the way back and/or the wheel most of the way forward (ie -- tall folks), and the switchable settings for two drivers are nice, but often one person drives the car 95+% of the time, so once again the feature is moot. Moisture sensing automatic wipers are of limited value in Phoenix, so there you are, at least in my case. I chose not to include the Convenience Package (I have the 6, of course) and have never missed it.

Good luck with your decision. You really can't go wrong.

ls1bmw0

Definitely get the Advance-Trac option. It will be worth the cost the first time you need it.

If you can test drive a V-6 don't be put off by the fact that it will seem quite a bit slower than the V-8. That's only until the engine loosens up. As ezaircon said, he can keep up with the V-8's without too much of a problem. While I have the V-8 and love it, I suspect that the V-6 starts producing a decent amount of horsepower once the engine loosens up.

I'd definitely recommend the sport model if you like enthusiastic driving. You'll get the sport suspension, Advance-Trac, SST shifter, and an oil cooler, along with more aggresive brake pads.

Brian

albert19

As the proud owner of a new ls8 sport I almost had a heart attack this am coming to work. Here I am on the freeway on ramp at 7:20 am with lots of cars not only on the on ramp (Reseda Blvd.) but also the freeway (118) just jammed with traffic(So. Calif.). I see 2 yahoos in my rear view mirror DRAG RACING on the on ramp. One yahoo has a new IS Lexus and the other has a NEW LS (with a dealer license plate). Now, I really do not care if these guys want to race but the yahoo in the Lexus was going so freaken fast he almost rear-ended my beautiful LS. The other guy in the LS was also going so fast he had to pull to the right and go around the other sain drivers to avoid rear-ending them. So like I said racing is fun....but ONLY WHEN IT IS SAFE......I would hate like hell to see any of us LS owners hurt, not to speak of our cars trashed in an accident, crash, or what ever you want to call it. Last words....the LS had the Lexus by 2 car lengths!

slunar

Brian, Thanks for the Hunter link. Saved me a lot of time. I was surprised to see 32 places within 50 miles of my house have one. Now here is the kicker!! Most of the places that have a Hunter are car dealers. The BMW, Porsche, 2 Lexus, 3 Toyota, Nissan and about 10 GM dealers, Chevy, Buick, Cadillac all have one along with one of the Daewoo dealers! Even the Chevy dealer that is owned by the same family that owns the LM dealer where I bought my LS has one. Plus, the Consumers Union test track has one. Amazingly, there is not a single Ford or Lincon-Mercury dealer on the list. Sounds like the FoMoCo dealers have some catching up to do. Makes me wonder if the other manufacturers are recommending or requiring their dealers to have one especially since almost all of the GM dealers appear to have one.

ls1bmw0

I know my LM dealer is getting one in. They're excited about it since it will allow them to do more tire work for the LM customers instead of having to send them to an outside location. I'm guessing that the Hunter machine is the next step in the evolution of the wheel balancer and it is now getting into the mainstream.

Brian(who still remembers balancing tires with a bubble level machine back in ye olde gas station monkey days)

ndally

It's been 6 months since I was last on Edmunds and llsoc...boy, go away for a short time and they change everything!

I have two problems that I'd like some advise on. First, mine's a 2000 LS8 with everything on it except the cell phone. I bought a Lincoln Bra (Yea, really is a MC part). It looks good, yet it flaps in the breeze (75-80 mph or more, stops at 100-105, but its hard to maintain that speed in town)and is beating the hell out of the paint. Went to the dealer and got a resounding... dub? It's installed properly, it's just... well... mum... it sucks! (Obviously the engineers had no concept of the "wind tunnel" theory of design)

Any suggestions for a manufacture of a good, well fitting, no flapping bra?

Second problem is one we all have had... brake dust. I've heard that this problem goes away at around 7000 ... I've got close to 14,000 and it seems to be getting worse! My wife is now refusing to clean the wheels, so I quess it's time to do something. (Good labor is so hard to fine)

Anyone know of a supplier(s) of dust shields?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If this has all be bantered to death in previous posts please email me directy so as not to clutter this site.

Thanks

Niles

akirby

are normally not recommended. Not only would they look terrible behind the super silvers (or even the non-sport wheels) but they tend to hold in a lot of heat and that's never a good thing for brakes. I wouldn't recommend them. Someone mentioned that switching to non-sport pads helped a lot (different compound).

penst8mel

This past Saturday could be the worst day I have ever had. Hurricane Allison hit Philly and tried to drown my baby. After no less than 16 inches of pounding rain, my baby sits at the dealership waiting for the Doc's opinion. Totaled or fixable. I am so sick. Has anyone ever had a flooded engine and is it possible to recover? As much as I hate to say it I hope for her to be totaled. I just don't think she can come back to life with the same spunk. So sad.
Someone give me some hope!
Melanie

heyjewel

Had a little fun this AM commuting to work over infamous Hwy 17 Summit to Silicon Valley.

As I was getting on this 2-lane each way twisty mountain road, a black M3 went by weaving lanes at probably 80 or 90 mph. Due to a little help from the traffic (moderately light for this road - meaning one can make some time, but will have to weave and will sooner or later get stuck behind 2 vehicles pacing each other in both lanes) I was able to catch him within 1/2 mile. And then swooped by him a 1/2 mile later. He immediately gave chase, but he saw nothing but LS tailights from there to the summit. He may be faster on the straights, but he had trouble keeping up with me on the curves.

Then we hit a jam-up at the summit caused by an accident on the other side, so I hopped off and took a backroad to bypass the freeway. This backroad is a one-laner each way and speed limit is usually 20-25. Didn't take me long to catch up to a Porsche who was doing about 35 when I came up behind. Right away, he tries to lose me by doing 45-50 in the 20-25 mph turns. But he couldn't. LS hung right with him, though it was the first time my Firehawks did some squealing around the corners.

Most Silicon Valley people don't want to live where I do due to the reputation of Hwy 17. I personally love the commute, because of the LS and because I can work my own hours and so don't *have* to be stuck in the commute stop'n go. Oh, and my ace-in-the-hole for when the highway is backed up all morning is my motorcycle.

George (who really needs a radar detector.)

ronniepooh

I was the one who installed the non-sport LS brake pads on the front of my Sport LS V6 a few weeks ago. Fronts wore out completely after 33,000 miles. Rears are fine. I now have about 500 miles on the non-sport pads. Difference in pads is amazing. I estimate the amount of dust is reduced by around 90%. As a point of reference, I now get no more dust on my front wheels than I do on the rears, and to be honest, I *think* I may be getting slightly less dust on my fronts now than on my rears. As you know, the rears dont dust bad at all, which is common. Performance wise, I can tell no difference at all. For a how-to on installing the pads, see my writeup at www.llsoc.com

ronniepooh

Heyjewel, not to put the LS down in anyways, but if that was a 2001 M3 generating 333hp out of its naturally aspirated 6 cylinder, then it definitely was the driver of the M3 that was lacking. :-)

Also, check out Edmunds new First Drive of the m3 now up on the site..

stanny1

How many miles on the Manual? It sounds like it may be loosenin-up some! A couple weeks ago, I dropped off my kids at school and I was right behind another dad with a new IS300, clear tail light lenses and all. I know his 0-60 is faster, so at the light before the freeway on-ramp, as we sat stopped side by side, I knew we were going at it, and I let him go first. True to his auto transmission heritage, he lost it in the first 50 feet, as I stayed on his bumper up to 80 mph. His lighter weight and higher hp couldn't make up for his torque converter losses and my hole-shot. I think my methodology of keeping the revs up and using the clutch pedal as the throttle helped in a way that no car magazine has ever duplicated in their 0 -60 runs! The clutch didn't complain at all although I'm sure pressure plate and disc life is not helped by this procedure. Next challenge will be the new IS300 with the six-speed Manual. Watch out for those.

akirby

If it was flooded on the outside only it may be ok after it dries out. But if it ingested water through the intake and hydrolocked, you'll most likely need a new engine. This was common on certain explorers (97?) when they moved the intake lower, then had to move it back up.

heyjewel

Melanie: What a pity. Did it flood inside too? I'd hope to get my insurance company to total it too.

M3: Well, the driver didn't seem willing (or able) to take the turns as fast as I was. When I got on and he was doin 90 or so, road is nice and straight. On the mountain, we were weaving and leaving everyone else in our wake. He had a couple of opportunities to try to get by, but he just stayed a couple car lengths back. I kept the LS in it's best torque band (around 4K) just to have max punch available if he did try to sneak past. I don't doubt he would've dusted me once we got to the straightaway.

Stanny! Well, I've got all of 4200 miles on her in the 4 months I've owned her. They'll start piling up fast though cause I was out of work for about a month and a half but now am commuting 44 miles/day. She has loosened up, though I hope to see more. Haven't done anything to her yet. Spect I'll do the K&N soon. The engine has developed a bit more of a growl, which I like. I posted to MasterTech forum on LLSOC yesterday that the engine performance is smooth and powerful as I run it up thru the gears at WOT, *except* trying to get going in 1st. It seems to have a hesitation, like it's not getting enuf gas or air, up to about 3000 rpm in first, then it's great. Haven't noticed this in the other gears, but then I don't drop down to 1500 rpm in other gears during WOT runs. Have you ever noticed such a bog down at WOT at low rpms in first?

Clutch as throttle, huh? That's a new one. Not sure I've got the maracas for that since clutch is not a warranty item :>)

ezaircon4jc

I've had very good service from "front end protection devices" from Le Bra. I've had 2 on previous Sables as well as a Merc one. The Le Bra fit much tighter and actually better.

I still don't have my LS back as the dealer ordered the wrong hose. It wasn't the power steering hose that failed, it was the cooling fan hose Now I gotta wait until at least tomorrow Oh well, hopefully by Friday.

Mike (going through SERIOUS withdrawl. The I30 isn't near the car my LS is!)

albert19

Try Beverly Hills Motor Accessories, or California Car Cover...Both handle car bra's, car covers, etc. I prefer Beverly Hills but try them both out. Beverly Hills Motor Accessories is in, you guessed it, Beverly Hills Ca, and California Car Cover is in Chatsworth Ca. Both also have detailed catalogs, along with the prices and you can do mail order if your out of state.

buckwheat

Ford has raised the prices on remainder of 2001 models. LS goes up $200...

http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories0618/fordprices618.htm