Lincoln Aviator

akirby

I just checked and mine go all the way to the front of the vehicle - I would estimate at least 39" if not a bit more. There is nothing in the rail tracks to prevent movement. They can both be moved fully forward or to the back. The crossbars are black and wide (about 3-4") and the rails are chrome.

Sounds like they either put them on wrong or maybe you have an aftermarket rack of some sort put on by the dealer. Either way doesn't sound right.

hammer995

I tried changing the batteries several times. The red LED lights up when I press the button but nothing happens. I hope its not my DVD unit...that wouldn't be good. My headphones work fine.

akirby

Where are you aiming the remote? There should be a remote sensor mounted somewhere - check the owner's manual. Should either be near the screen (or on the screen) or on the rear of the front console.

user1825

Hello,
There are quite some complaints about the rear axle whining problem on Aviator. Does anyone know the exposure of the problem? I wonder if it only happen on certain manufacturing date range or all affected? I just bought a 2004 Aviator last week. It only has 250 miles on it and the manufacturing date is 1/2004.

raul69

Great. I figured this was not normal. You just loosened the black grip screw right and then move them? I hav tried this but there is this metal obstacle there preventing movement. I am dropping off the Avi tomorrow with the dealer to have it checked and hopefully fixed. Hope they don't tell me its normal? Thanks again for checking akirby.

akirby

When you drop it off at the dealer, go check another Aviator on the lot. If they're not on the new one, show the service writer. They can't argue with that. Also - tell them what you want to do. Maybe there's a trick to moving them. Worst case you should be able to take them off the truck and put the front crossbar back on from the other side. Probably just a few screws.

nvbanker

I'm sorry I don't have specifics for you as to date of manufacture, etc. However, the problem was determined to be differentials which were installed with the incorrect lubricant at the factory, which caused early failure. The dealer could tell you if your car was affected, however, I doubt that it is at that manf. date. They did shut down the factory about that time for an engineering change and none were made for a couple of months, resuming again in April or May.

I wouldn't sweat it. You probably won't hear from it, and if you do, Ford will step up and replace it. They now know what it is.

aviator

Hello, this is the first time I have ever posted a message on this or any other car site, but I just bought an 04 Aviator and I love it. I want to thank all of you for the great information that you have posted on this site. Thanks to your help, I have been able to know what I was talking about when going to the dealer to fix the two problems that I have had.

The first problem was the vibration at speeds over 70 MPH and the second was the rear axle whine. Both issues are now gone and I have one sweet SUV. My Aviator was manufactured in 1/04 so it didn't get the new rear axle that they are now using. The whine from the rear axle was just fixed today and know it is perfectly quiet inside. Thanks again.

gteach26

What was the cause of your over 70mph vibrations?

quemfala

Does anyone know if the doorlocks can be programmed to open in a different sequence, or to open automatically when the key is removed from the ignition, allowing entry from the outside? I've read about "auto-lock" in the manual, but this is a system to "lock" all of the doors. What about a way to "un-lock" some or all of the doors, upon stopping the engine? Or, does one need to "manually" open all doors with the buttons on the door to allow entry? For example, on our Cadillac, we can choose to have the doors unlock when in "park", or with "key removed", driver door only, all doors, etc.
Thanx

akirby

That option does not exist as far as I know. I solved the problem by disabling the autolocks so they don't lock in the first place.

There is a way to rig up a switch that will do it automatically. Email me if you want more details.

mongo1

Greetings to all, may this find you well. Do any of you folk out there happen to know if Lincoln sells an auxilary transmission cooler as a Authorized Accessory? I found one on the net that claims to be a Genuine Lincoln, but I have my doubts. Also, does anyone out there know if Lincoln can install a Transmission Oil Temp. Gauge. Or possibly upgrade the Information Center to provide this information? Thank you in advance for your help.
Will Dougherty

user1825

Same here, except for the less than satisfactory encounter with the obnoxious finance dude (director?) at the Champion Lincoln (Highway 290, Houston), I like owning my Aviator so far.

Did you get a new rear axle or just new lubricant? I thought this is just the problem of incorrect lubricant.

nvbanker

I KNEW you had owned a Cadillac when I heard your question. I remember my Caddys locked when you put them in drive, and unlocked when you shifted into park. No, Lincolns don't do that.

nvbanker

I'm told that the incorrect lubricant will ruin the differential, so you would get a new one anyway.

akirby

The rear differential has to be replaced, not just the fluid.

asema

Hi, can you confirm if the differential replacement applies to the AWD Aviator as well? I have about 12k miles on my 2003 Aviator, and lately, I'm beginning to hear a high pitch noise from the rear. Doesn't seem to happen at any particular speed or RPM (i've heard it at 30 mph, and at 60 mph). I'm assuming this is the same whinning noise from the differential others have also heard on their Aviators.
Please let me know...thanks.

akirby

I thought it was limited to the 3.55 axles but I'm not 100% sure. In any case it's not intermittent - it occurs at exactly the same speeds (between 50-60 mph) all the time. It goes away when you take your foot off the gas and coast. If yours is different then its probably a different problem.

p100

I am familiar with this problem as I had it with my 95 Nissan pickup. The original differential started whining around 3000 miles at speeds between 45-55 MPH only while the differential was loaded (foot on the gas). When coasting, the noise disappeared. I had the differential replaced under warranty by Nissan. The new one was quiet for about 3000 miles too, and then it started whining in the same speed range, except now only during coasting (differential unloaded). This phenomenon has to do with backlash settting between differential gears (backlash is play between gear teeth). In my case, hearing some whining noise in very narrow speed range only when coasting was not that objectionable for a pickup truck so I live with it. So far no differential problems at 83K miles. However, the first differential was terrible - there was constant whine while the differential was loaded. I got tired of the noise so I seeked remedy. Nissan replaced the differential without any arguments. BTRW, this differential unit was of limited slip type and the same unit was used in the 4X4 V6 Pathfinder.

I believe that Nissan was aware of this differential problem and later redesigned it. I was advised to use different gear oil to limit the noise. I tried Pennzoil 80W90 gear oil (K-mart sells it) and it seems that the whining noise is somewhat less pronounced. This oil also contains limited slip differential additives, so no other additives are necessary.

raul69

I picked up my Avi yesterday and the crossbars are now working the way they should be!! They were assembled incorrectly in the first place. This metal nipple or stopper in the rail should be there but the front crossbar should be positioned in front of it and not behind it as it was. It prevents the crossbars from being positioned to close to one another. Thanks for the help. Now off to get a cargo carrier!

akirby

Glad you finally got it fixed. You hardly hear of those kinds of errors anymore. Surprising.

mikejhvacnv

I have replaced battery in my transmitter but some times no response then next time it works. Is any one else having problems? My general motors vehicles never had a problem, I live in Vegas.

nvbanker

It's not your car, it's Nellis AFB scrambling the 300MHZ frequency for some anti-terrorist reason. They deny it, but trust me, it's them. Notice how it's progressively worse the further northeast you are? And many makes and models are affected, many aren't. My brother in law's Trailblazer is not affected, but a friend's Suburban is, my niece's Saturn is, and my two cars are affected. But only in the Northeast part of town.

This happened 4 years ago. I called the Nellis public relations office and complained. They denied all responsibility, but that evening the phenomenon disappeared for a long time.

They had a special on Channel 8 about it last night as well.

mongo1

Greetings nvbanker and may this find you well. It is understandable that the Air Force would deny this. After all, they still deny the existence of U.F.O.'s as well! %^)) (Smiley face thingy)

nvbanker

Yes, yes......and we have Art Bell in Pahrump out here doing his best to substantiate the UFOs existence. No question in my mind this issue is homeland security related, and I'm ok with that. It's a pain, but what can you do. Just don't fret over the car.

mongo1

Good Morning nvbanker, may this find you well. Ah yes, Art Bell and the "quickening". Truly a testimony of the old saying, "Just because you're paranoid....:^) However, having grown up in the midwest, I can testify there ARE stranger things in heaven than on earth! As for the Aviator, all I can say is that as a Quality Control engineer I have been through this vehicle from roofline to tire tread and from hood badge to tailgate badge and I've only found one minor flaw in the paint. A thinning of the coverage at the roof deformations. Easily fixed with touch up. I am truly pleased (and somewhat amazed) that Lincoln (and others) have figured out what Quality actually means. I would easily give this vehicle a 5 star rating for initial quality. Now we will see how good it is after the 38th payment! Keep looking up!
Will Dougherty

quemfala

Is your Aviator a 6 or 8? 2-wheel or All-wheel? I'm taking my wife's into the dealer tomorrow for the "whine". She has a V-8, All-wheel drive. "Whines" at 50+, under load, but not when coasting. Manufactured early March. Now has 1400 miles on it.

nvbanker

All Aviators are V-8s, and a darn good V-8 at that.

ANT14

Too bad that version is going away soon

nvbanker

To be replaced with what, ANT?

ANT14

The 3V version of the 4.6L V8. Instead of 4Valves, the 3V version can put out just as much power, with better fuel efficiency, better low end torque, and less complicated to build.

THIS won't occur with the Aviator, I'm just stating what will become of that engine in the future....

explorerx4

agree with nv...
do you mean the future rx330 clone?

ANT14

No, that will get a 3.5L DOHC V6, I was just discussing the future of the engine itself.

nvbanker

Another Lincoln with a 6. I'm not a big fan of that....personally, I think all Lincolns should have hot V-8 engines - a mark of the brand, if you will. But who am I, just a happy customer, right? Anybody out there listening, Bill? If I were to buy an LS, it would be the V-8, mileage be damned..... So, I guess the next Aviator will be scratched from my list most likely.

I also think the CTS V-6 is a joke, but then again, I've been out of Caddys for a decade and a half now for that reason...

ANT14

This isn't to say a V8 might not be a possibility in the next Aviator if demand requires it....

Look at the Volvo XC90, when the Yamaha V8 is phased in....because the customer's were demanding it.

nvbanker

My business partner just traded an S-80 in on an XC-90 last week. I gave the car a thorough examination, of course. It's twin turboed, so that sort of makes up for the missing 2 cylinders. So, if Lincoln wants to use the new 6 in the Aviator, but would put a turbo or supercharger on it, I could live with that ok. It's not about the number of cylinders for me, it's about the performance going up a freeway ramp. And ANT, you of all people have to understand what I'm saying!

ANT14

True, although the 3.5L will surprise many in that regard, mainly because of the transmission that will be coupled with it. Although my mantra has always been, effortless and drama-free power... SO I'm very much about V8's....

quemfala

Right, I mis-spoke on that! The difference in ratios is probably between the 2-wheel and the all-wheel versions.
My trip to the dealer regarding the "whine" .....; they're going to order a replacement differential. Service writer says, "don't worry, it'll be fixed".

nvbanker

Did he write that on your estimate???? Just kidding

I once had a service writer at a Buick store tell me, "I'm sorry sir, Jesus doesn't work here."

asema

I have several things I can pick on with my Avaitor that disturb me as far as quality and finishing is concerned.
This is keeping in mind that this is a Luxury vehicle, that cost cost me close to $50,000.
1. when you lift up the window part on the tailgate, the plastic covering on the top (on the inside of the car) is conencted to the car using double sided sticky tape. How aweful. 2 weeks into ownign the car, the plastic was separating. I took it in to have it fixed - they kept the car for a whole day, and all they did was to replace the double sided sticky, and sure enough, 2 weeks later...more separation. thats poor quality right there.
2. the grey painted plastic on the dash surrounding the air vents, and the temp controls, are not aligned. there are mismatched gaps between each of the sections , and on their sides. Not to be picky, but thats not luxury quailty when compared to lower priced luxury vehicles where you can't even fit a finger nail between the seams of plastics becuase they fit so perfectly and aligned.
3. whats with the manual driver and passenger seat reclining? ( i know thats not necessarily a quality issue, but since I am complaining....)
4. the ashtray in the middle console feels like poor quality materials have been used to put it together(i.e a thin spring that pops the ashtray open, and feels like it will snap if its opened and closed to often). I rahter prefer the smooth controlled openening of these smaller compartments, like BMW uses. (I have 2 BMWs...so I guess thats where many of my comparisons are coming from)

Granted these are minor things, but i believe are examples of cheap materials and not-so-luxury quality being implemented inthe Aviator. I have other quality issues with the car to, but overall, I still love it as a whole. can beat the ride quality, power, and comfort on long drives.

gteach26

Asema, I own a very similar vehicle as yours (Navigator) and I agree that there are certain quality "look and feel" issues with the truck. Although the overall package is quite nice, there are little things that annoy me.

You're right, the ash tray door does seem flimsy and "plasticky". Also, I have double sided-tape coming out from the gaps in the center console.

My center armrest is also a little on the flimsy side and doesn't feel as tight as it should.

Like you, I also like my vehicle very much and I can appreciate and support the effort Ford is making at improving the quality of their vehicles. They are getting better every year....

nvbanker

Lincoln is not BMW, doesn't pretend to be, and frankly, is a lot better looking inside and out for my money than BMW. Still, I get your point, and agree. OTOH, my nephew has an X-5 that is made of the finest materials on earth - and needs many of them replaced every month. Example, the door that covers the (either) stereo or HVAC controls on the dash, has broken twice. My door that covers my stereo on the Navigator hasn't broken even once. So, there you have it.

Our trucks are Fords, and may have sticky tape here and there. But......

ANT14

I made the mistake of trying to fix something in a friends Passat (out of the billion other things that has broken on it already), and YES great materials and quality, but when I pulled out that screw driver and saw they don't use regular Phillip Heads screws, BUT Allen screws, it just added about one more hour of work. 15 minutes into it, gave up, screw it, literally !

mongo1

Good Morning all, and may this find you well. Interesting thread. I went out last night and looked VERY carefully at my 2004 tailgate and could not find any trace whatsoever that any type of adhesive was used in it's assembly. Mine is firmly attached inside the rubber seal around the window at the top and sides while attached to the gate itself at the bottom with snap buttons. As far as the ashtray, it seemed to be solid with a smooth detent action keeping it closed. Albeit, I thought is was a bit strange that there is no removable receptacle, just a lighter and socket with a open area that I presume is to be used to store a cell phone. I can assure you that the seams on mine, both outside and in, are aligned to within a few thousandths of an inch, with the inside trim so tight you could not fit a business card in the gaps. Perhaps the 2004 models got the benefit of complaints from the 2003? Anyway, my last Volvo, an S-90, had the 8-way power reclining seats and they were a considerable pain. As the car got older, the gearbox and cable assembly got weaker and I constantly had to adjust my seatback as it would creep back. I prefer the manual recline for this specific reason. To address the issue of plastic, well all I can say is my S-90 had the sorriest excuse for plastic trim I have ever seen in ANY vehicle, irregardless of price. The skin on the inside puckered on all four doors and pieces of trim were constantly breaking due to poor design. My console lid broke at the hinge (hinge was made from 3- 1/4" tabs of plastic) and replacement by Volvo exceeded 400 dollars! I am sorry you are experiencing these difficulties but while there is no such thing as a perfect car, this on far exceeds my expectations. Which is refreshing since it is an American made vehicle.
Yours,
Will Dougherty

quemfala

There you have it! Proof positive that we're all SUPPOSED to stop smoking; - - - but if you do, dump the ashes on the floor, or better still, throw them out of the window at the next stop light. Littering is better!

Life is Better at the Beach

mongo1

Greetings nvbanker, Sounds like it might have been the same service manager who worked for a local Chrysler-Plymouth dealer here who told me. "We don't even HAVE to fix your car, WE are SUBCONTRACTORS to Chrysler!" after the transmission fell out of the car on the 3rd day. Needless to say, that was the last American car I bought for 25 years.

mongo1

Greetings quemfala, may this find you well. Yes, there are a great many things I'm SUPPOSED to do. ;^) Did you ever find out about that Class III hitch exchange?

nvbanker

And apparently, mongo, still the last Chrysler, eh?

quemfala

I did, thanks. The local South Florida dealer will do it. So far, my wife loves the truck (CAR, to her!) No complaints from her other than they could have done a better job "prepping" it on delivery. But I handled that when I got home, with a couple of applications of Meguiar's.
Life is Better at the Beach

bmwlover

i will be moving to Pennsylvania.... and I wanted to ask owners if the aviator is great in the snow. does it handle well? please answer