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Comments
Yes, we can change our rear ratios at will. The speedo is taken off the ABS sensors. Everything should adjust to the new ratio.
About Coneinator at Mania 3: Except for one holy donut spinout near the end of the course on my fourth run of 11 runs, I don't think I hit any cones. I had only one cone mark on the rear and I attribute that to that one spin-out. Jonathan loved to spin near the end. I learned at Mania 1 that this is not the best place to "make time". But then I got to drive my own car with NO Traction Control. My best run was 65.325 and I did 3 runs in the 65 range. Jonathan was right about tire pressures. The rears don't work very hard and run a lot cooler than the fronts. Thus, run the rears with 2-3 lbs less pressure (36-37) while the Firehawks like about 40 hot in the front. Your tires may vary. Mania 3 runs were held on a "practice" day for the real race on Sunday. So cones were not called in and counted. Your time slip was not corrected for cones. So some times may not be "for real", as has been mentioned here before. But it was all in the spirit of fun and to illustrate the capability of the LS versus the folly of our egos. Like the "Peter Principle" suggests, each one of us reached our own level of incompetence. Or in the words of Clint Eastword in Dirty Harry: "A man has to know his limitations". Kudos to those brave enough to try.
You're thinking of the error that can occur when changing the rear axle on cars that use the transmission to determine speed.
Sorry about your window, Ray.
A couple more thoughts about HID's. I believe their "light-off" wattage is much higher than their running wattage, so most power is required upon lighting the lamps. I realize that their stationary power consumption would be lower than the standard halogens, but I'm not sure how the Front Module would interpret the amperage draw using the HID's. Would you get a constant "headlight out" warning since you the amperage would be lower, would the wiring be up to the additional load at lighting the lamps or would everything work as we hope?
It's somewhat funny when I think about it, but I remember when a 65 amp alternator was consider "Heavy-duty", now it barely is up to task in our modern cars!
Haven't tested RPMs, but got under the car with no muss and no fuss. Things are whistle clean, with no drips, leaks, caked on grime etc.
Tag facing rear of car reads 3 31 xx xx etc.
First three digits likely tell the story. Guess I have to blame the mileage on my heavy foot. Ah well, gas is cheap----fun is priceless.
I can honestly say this is one of the few cars I've owned since 1970 that I wanted to drive for the fun of driving it. Remember the old VW beetle? Everything was a long trip. Lots of cars are nice to travel in. This is different. This one makes me grin.
Scott
LLSOC Member (still grinning @ 42k miles)
My LS, a V6 Manual, is approaching two years old. I love the car, and have only $16,000 miles on it. Since I bought it with a two-year prepaid lease, my decision date is at the end of May.
Before I decide, there are a few questions:
1) Is there a good way to get more power from the V6? I would be willing to spend a few thousand dollars, but don't want to compromise the car's extraordianry drivability.
2) Is there a bloody V8 manual, or better yet--SVT-type version of the LS coming--I would buy the car and just hang onto it until nirvana arrived at my local LM dealer.
3) Should I switch to someting else? I test drove a Jaguar X-Type--nice, pretty quick with the 3.0 and manual, but costly, and not as quiet or comfortable as the LS from my short test drive (other opinions welcome!). I would consider a Cadillac CTS, but it seems only marginally more powerful, and not much of a step up. Any BMW or AUDI is out, out, out--they are dull dull dull. Don't even mention Japanese cars.
Next is exhaust. The 2.25" pipe from the catalytic converter is squeezed down to 1.5" on only the V-6 models. The Borla cat-back system restores the entire system to 2.25", eliminates sharp bends, adds less restrictive mufflers and an "X-Box" instead of the two resonators. These two mods should be good for at least a 10hp increase, as the 2002 is rated 220hp with it's new air box and just less restrictive mufflers.
I agree, the CTS is not really a step up. The first year of the CTS is crippled by the use of the old Opel engine. Next year the new Caddy engine debuts in the CTS and that's supposed to be more impressive. Sometime later in the year, the Infiniti G35 with six-speed and 260hp/260 lbs torque will debut. This is the most anticipated manual in many years.
Anyway, the question... Has anybody had a problem with the moonroof failing to retract the whole way when you hold the switch down? Mine typically closes about 95% of the way, and then something starts sticking. I have to let go of the switch and jog it a few times to get it to close the last little bit. I'm going in for an oil change and I'll have them look at it, because I'm nervous I'll forget sometime (you can't tell visually from the inside that it isn't closed) or somebody else will be driving the car and not realize it, and I'll end up having my interior get soaked.
Drove into Manhattan yesterday from here in Fairfield county, with 3 passengers who all marveled at the comfort and performance. On two occasions though they were flustered by the trunk lid though, when it refused to latch. Anyway, I'm always pleasantly surprised by my LS in the city, but I guess I shouldn't be. It can easily jockey with the hordes of yellow Crown Vics, it's a good Avenue cruiser, and it draws looks.
About ten miles out, saw a BMW (5 series) coming up a little too fast behind me just as I hit some 30 mph curves. Forgot the brakes, dropped the SST down a couple notches, and lets just say he didn't "grow" in my mirror.
I don't know what your roads are like, but I grew up in Michigan's UP. We had lots of room on the sides of the road to accomodate plowed snow in the winter. That hasn't been my experience in either Kentucky or Virginia since then, and sometimes it seems they built the roads around some of these 300 year old oaks that virtually touch the pavement. The other difference here is that we don't have that cushion between pavement and treeline to see the four legged vermin with antlers. They step directly from the underbrush onto the roadway.
Guess I need to find some better roads, save the adventuresome stuff for daylight hours, and recognize that I don't have to play games with BMWs even if I can.
cwesley
llsoc charter member
Of course, I just had to "blow out the cobwebs" a couple of times. I'll give the guy in the Neon an "E" for effort for attempting to race me!
That is one thing I've noticed with this car, it does prompt suprise challenges from those drivers that you would least expect it! (I don't tailgate, etc. to provoke it, either...)
I put many miles on my cars before selling them (usually a minimum of 175,000 miles) and have never added fluid (at least in the past 15 years). Don't even change it, just run them and have never had to do any maintenance on the transmissions.
Just a quick check to see if I should be concerned since the warranty will be gone in a couple of months.
randatola, I've had the same problem on rare occasions, and believe others have as well. But too rare to be able to duplicate it for the dealer, and the switch always works fine when it's pushed all the way back to "express open".
tlahaye, yes, you DO have to play games with BMWs. I think it's in the owner's manual, or warranty requirements, or something.
Scott
LLSOC Member
Thanks for the tip. I bought my car used with 32K miles, and while it appears to be well maintained, I want to be sure it is going forward. One thing that impresses me in the posts I read on this site is the active interest in routine maintenance. This is true even though I perceive many LS drivers lease their cars. An interest in maintaining a car you won't "own" past the warranty period indicates a fundamental respect for the machinery.
This is really a Mark question. I understand there are shops that drain and refill transmissions, replacing maybe half the fluid. Others actually flush and I believe pump out the torque converter (or claim to anyway). Costs twice as much. Would you recommend I drive 50 miles (DC metro traffic, so not the best of drives) to get the so-called premium service for this transmission?
What does the recommended service entail in terms of screens, filters, etc?
http://home.attbi.com/~mjm-gru/2003_bmw_5ser.jpg
The way it is done it will change about 95% of the fluid, including the fluid in the torque converter. Most places use a machine that connects into a cooler line. As the old fluid is pumped out new fluid is pumped into the other end of the cooler line. This fluid is straight from the torque converter, so it is getting it's fluid changed, too.
I do not believe it is necessary to drop the pan and change the filter. Ford does not recommend a filter change for the life of the transmission.
I have opened some VERY high mileage filters and didn't see any reason why they needed to be changed. If the filter is plugged enough to restrict the flow the transmission has already failed.
Mark
The service tech asked, "How many miles are on it?" I said, "14K". He replied, "Wait until 30K, and save your money". I'm just used to doing it annually, regardless of mileage.
The question I ask is: why?
My LS lease expires in May. As I look at the numbers it appears that the residual value I will pay will be considerably less than the Edmunds TMV for a used LS, even less than the trade-in value.
As I recall, the residual for the 2000 LS I bought was 63%. But since the residual was figured on MSRP, and the price I payed was $200 over invoice, the actual residual value was higher than the quoted.
The way I look at this, I would have been better off if I just payed cash--but not a lot better. As I computed it the discounted net cost of leasing instead of purchasing was about $600 in 2000 dollars.
Am I thinking about this incorrectly?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1807560403&r=0&t=0
going to the dealer soon...uhgggg
Kevin
I know this has been a common problem with early 2000 models and after 2 years of ownership I was hoping it wasn't going to happen to me.
I have not read any posts in a while on this problem. I believe it is caused by a poor quality part in the heater unit installed in the seat.
Is there a TSB on this problem? What has to be done at the dealer to repair the seat? Would it be anything else other then this defective part? The button on the dash still lights up and shuts off after the normal time.
I just picked up a 2001 LS service CD on ebay for $9.99 plus $4 shipping. Mine is a 2000 but there weren't any significant changes.
It will be interesting to see how the 2003 S-type V6 manual sells here.
Bruno
LLSOC member
John
LLSOC member
Let me know..
Regards,
V.
Yes, two parts should be heating, the butt and the back. When mine failed, it was intermittent whether it worked at all or just the bottom seemed to work. Most of the heat is felt at the bottom but there should be some heat towards the middle/lower back also.
Chuck