2001 Lincoln LS battery problem

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Jason Hayes

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I have a 2001 lincoln LS 3.0 v6. About 2 months ago my car started turning off after i let it idle for about 5 minutes. Would easily start back up though. Check engine light was on and it said to replace my Mass airflow sensor. I replaced the air flow sensor on the car and the car still continued to do this. After about a month when i would go to start my car the car would just click and not turn on as if the battery had no power. So after a jump the car would turn on no issue for about 2 weeks or so. Then it would need a jump again. I went and bought a brand new battery hoping this would fix the issue and although it happens less. It still has times where it cant turn on. At this point im starting to think its the alternator. Ive had the car for about 75,000 or its 125,000 miles and have never changed the alternator as ive never had issues. I do have sub system (2 12s 600w amp) but i have a capacitor to control the power flow so i know its not the subs draining the system. I even unhooked the system and the car still had the turning on issues. Was just wondering if anyone has had the same issue before and how easy it is to resolve. Does it seem like its the alternator? and if it is, is it easy to replace?
 
WELCOME! I'd bet alternator. Also, did you replace the battery with the correct battery? The alternator is not easy to replace/find, etc. Lots of threads on both topics search using www.google.com "site:lincolnvscadillac.com lincoln ls alternator"


Rock auto has it remanufactured for $250.
 
Yeah i definitely have the correct battery. Swapped out for the same one ive used for almost 5 years. They said my old one wasnt even that bad either. But to be safe a whole new battery suited me better.
 
Jason Hayes said:
Yeah i definitely have the correct battery. Swapped out for the same one ive used for almost 5 years. They said my old one wasnt even that bad either. But to be safe a whole new battery suited me better.
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But is it the factory battery with the vent tube connection?

Also, there are no OBDII codes that say "Check engine light was on and it said to replace my Mass airflow sensor." There are only ones that say there is a problem in a given area. MAF codes could mean a bad MAF, but they could also mean a wiring problem or an air leak problem.

Your electrical problem could be a bad alternator or a parasitic drain when the car is off.
Drive around for a while with a voltmeter. It should always read between 14 and 14.5 volts. If it is dipping below or above that, you have alternator (or wiring to the alternator) problems.
If the charging voltage is all good, then try disconnecting the battery when you park for the night and then reconnecting it in the morning when you go to leave. If it always starts that way, that points to a possible parasitic drain.
 
joegr said:
But is it the factory battery with the vent tube connection?

Also, there are no OBDII codes that say "Check engine light was on and it said to replace my Mass airflow sensor." There are only ones that say there is a problem in a given area. MAF codes could mean a bad MAF, but they could also mean a wiring problem or an air leak problem.

Your electrical problem could be a bad alternator or a parasitic drain when the car is off.
Drive around for a while with a voltmeter. It should always read between 14 and 14.5 volts. If it is dipping below or above that, you have alternator (or wiring to the alternator) problems.
If the charging voltage is all good, then try disconnecting the battery when you park for the night and then reconnecting it in the morning when you go to leave. If it always starts that way, that points to a possible parasitic drain.
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Easy to check for drain if you have DVM. Current draw should be no more than 20 ma with car off and nothing on
 
qzyl2m said:
Easy to check for drain if you have DVM. Current draw should be no more than 20 ma with car off and nothing on
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Yes, but you have to wait for about 20/30 minutes for the car to go to sleep after you connect the meter and be careful not to press any switches or open or close the doors or trunk (it's okay to leave the trunk open the whole time).
 
Didn't get that part needes to make it a little clearer. Did he replace MAF and still get a code for MAF ? Or did he replace MAF and still have a power problem? If he replace MAF and the code still is coming up thst opens a bag full of worms but I'm thinking he just still have yhe power problem
 
I would bet alternator as well, but you could check the cables/wiring or fuses as well. You can pull the alternator and bring it to Autozone, O'reilly or Advance Auto, whatever is close to you, and they will test it for free. I havent done an alternator change on this car yet, but it looks like kind of a pain to access from what I can see. Also from what I have read, only go with the Motorcraft alternator if that is what it ends up being. Expensive, but you won't have to do it again in a month if you get the right part.
 
My 2001 was a V8 but also be advise don't trust AUTOZONE to read codes on a LS I'm not a tech just talking from experience but they have cost me a lot of money in the past chasing what coil was bad long story short I end up replacing all of them and then replacing them again with NAPA parts
 
Yikes... never use autozone, napa, any coils besides motorcraft/visteon. OR you will experience exactly what you did.
 
The code did state the MAF was bad/offset at first. After i replaced it the check engine light was gone. Its just come on a few weeks ago and havent had it checked again yet. Just seems like everything at this point is pointing to the alternator. im really hoping thats all it is because im only keeping this car until march and im buying a GTO. Ive put almost $4000 into repairs ( Both steering knuckles replaced, 2 coils replaced, MAF Struts battery and at this point an alternator) on a car i only paid $6900 for.
 
Jason Hayes said:
The code did state the MAF was bad/offset at first. After i replaced it the check engine light was gone. Its just come on a few weeks ago and havent had it checked again yet. Just seems like everything at this point is pointing to the alternator. im really hoping thats all it is because im only keeping this car until march and im buying a GTO. Ive put almost $4000 into repairs ( Both steering knuckles replaced, 2 coils replaced, MAF Struts battery and at this point an alternator) on a car i only paid $6900 for.
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Unless you can do repairs yourself, it will cost a fortune for repairs. Check output of alternator, if it is good, check for battery drain.
 
Jason Hayes said:
The code did state the MAF was bad/offset at first. ...
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Again, there is no code that absolutely says the MAF is bad. The codes all lead to troubleshooting charts that detail how to check the wiring and for vacuum issues, as well as the MAF itself.
Yes, I know that most people and even most "mechanics" just replace the most likely part when a code comes up, but this does not mean it is the correct way to do it. I can understand you replacing the MAF because of the code, but it is incorrect to claim that the code said the MAF needed to be replaced.
 
The car was at was at the dealer and thats what they told me was the code that came up. They then told me they could replace the MAF but would first have to run a smoke vacuum test to see if i had a leak. Showed no leak so their resolution was to replace the MAF. ITs a very simple thing to replace (only 4 screws) and they wanted to charge me nearly $270 to do it. So i replaced it myself. The check engine light went away and now its reappeard.
 
Well, that's different then. At least they did the smoke test and probably some electrical tests. You'll have to get the codes read to see what's up now. It may be complaining about something different. When you get the code(s), post the exact five character code(s), not just what the guy tells you it might mean.
 
Jason Hayes said:
The code did state the MAF was bad/offset at first. After i replaced it the check engine light was gone. Its just come on a few weeks ago and havent had it checked again yet. Just seems like everything at this point is pointing to the alternator. im really hoping thats all it is because im only keeping this car until march and im buying a GTO. Ive put almost $4000 into repairs ( Both steering knuckles replaced, 2 coils replaced, MAF Struts battery and at this point an alternator) on a car i only paid $6900 for.
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Just find you a good second gen people talk bad about first gen but understand that's the reason second gen was produced and it's a 13yr what luxury sport 13yrs is perfect I would buy a 2000 ls over a 2000 BMW or lexus any day. Just what I think though
 
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