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GLewis

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My 2002 Lincoln Ls V8 3.9L was leaking anti-freeze so I took it to a dealer for repair. They said I needed a hose, bottle and thermostat. The service technician cracked the thermostat housing - the dealership called to say they'd have to add another $850 to my $1000 service charge for the housing repair. They say the housing was brittle and it cracked when the serviceman was placing the cap back on. They're saying the cars has 210,000 miles on it and I need a new motor. I drove the car into the dealership with leaking anti-freeze, their serviceman cracked the thermostat housing, and now I need a new motor?

I asked them to replace the thermostat housing at no cost to me and let me worry about whether or not I need a new motor. Does this sound true? How could he have cracked the thermostat housing? They also said Lincoln no longer makes the thermostat housing, but when I went on line I found them for under $100.

I don't know about cars, but I really love my LS. Any advice you can give will be appreciated.
 
Lol, they said you needed a new motor? Is its smoking white or blue all the time? If not then a new motor or head gaskets are out of the question. Also if there is no knocking, then no need for a new motor. I have 207,xxx on my motor with no problems. The tranny will go before the motor. Have them replace what's needed, and do the housing for free. They will charge you at least $5000 for a reman from Ford when you can get one for 2800-3200 no problem. If there was no engine problems before, don't listen to them.
 
I paid like $50 for my thermostat housing with the thermostat. That plastic gets extremely brittle. I just had to replace all my thermostat housing and stuff and most of it broke while removing it. My car is a 2006 with 138k miles, so I can imagine your 2002 with 210k would be even worse than mine was.

The price they threw you seems really high. I replaced most of the cooling parts for around $350ish and had my dad put them in LOL. I'd try taking it to a local mechanic and seeing what they say.
 
Exactly what did they say were the reasons for an engine replacement? I have my doubts if you truly do but it could not hurt to ask what their reasoning is.
 
No, the car isn't smoking at all. It was only leaking anti-freeze. The body needs a little work, but all in all, I've kept the car in good repair/maintenance. They charged $93/labor hour to have someone Lincoln certified work on the car. Yeah, I went for it. But when you don't know ... Thanks again.
 
The serviceman said once he repaired the radiator leak and pressurized the system, I might need head gaskets and the cost could run up into the thousands - he explained it as a domino effect - fix one thing and something else goes wrong -- and in the end he might find that I needed a new engine...
 
If nothing was wrong with the motor before, then nothing is wrong now. The engine has fail safe cooling. Even if it was leaking, you weren't totally empty in the radiator I'm assuming. And do not pay for that housing no matter what. They broke it, they replace it, no matter if it were brittle or not. Should have been more careful then.
 
The more I write, the more I realize I'm being bamboozled. Thank you for your responses. You've been very helpful.
 
centason said:
if nothing was wrong with the motor before, then nothing is wrong now. The engine has fail safe cooling. Even if it was leaking, you weren't totally empty in the radiator i'm assuming. And do not pay for that housing no matter what. They broke it, they replace it, no matter if it were brittle or not. Should have been more careful then.
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Want to hear something really! When they led me to believe I'd need an engine, I went financed a new car! HA! I can only laugh about it! I'll keep the LS and put it in mint condition. I just like that car -- everything about it! Thanks again. I'm signing-off now.
 
GLewis said:
Want to hear something really! When they led me to believe I'd need an engine, I went financed a new car! HA! I can only laugh about it! I'll keep the LS and put it in mint condition. I just like that car -- everything about it! Thanks again. I'm signing-off now.
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SAY WHAT? Sweet Jaysus brother why whould you go and do a thing like that? Hook, line, and sinker. They got you hooked on the idea, and then went for the kill. Exactly what they wanted. What dealership is this? I'd be apt to stay away for anyone who has an LS or any Ford in that area.
 
GLewis said:
Want to hear something really! When they led me to believe I'd need an engine, I went financed a new car! HA! I can only laugh about it! I'll keep the LS and put it in mint condition. I just like that car -- everything about it! Thanks again. I'm signing-off now.
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Yes, very serious. I'm not a brother - I'm a sister who doesn't know a lot about cars. I've jumped from one mechanic/dealership to another, but still can't find an honest one. A CD got stuck in the player, I took it to the dealer and they tried to sell me an $800 radio system - took it to Car Tunes and for less than $100 it was done. Neighborhood mechanics won't work on my LS because they say it is "too tight" have to dismantle too much stuff to solve the problems ... I'm glad I stopped by Lincoln vs. Cadillac, though. I'll stop by here before I get anything else done to my LS. Based on what you've taught me here, I didn't really need to buy a car, but I'm okay with it.

I'm going to get everything repaired on the LS. After I resolve the issue with the thermostat housing, what should I do next?
 
I like to do all the routine maintenance on a car (spark plugs, fluids and filters) when I buy it. It's not essential, but if I don't know the service history I like to start fresh.

Other than that, there's no sense in replacing anything that's not broken. You do want to monitor for leaks. Get the engine bay cleaned (helps you see new leaks as they form), and place a clean piece of cardboard/newspaper under the car while it's parked. Any leakage from the valve cover gaskets should be fixed immediately or the oil can get into the coil packs and ruin them.

Check the local section of the forum to see if someone can recommend a good mechanic in the Detroit area.
 
Well thank you for letting me know you are a lady. My apologies. You know you could have let your boyfriend or father disconnect the ground on your battery and that would have reset the alpine system, that is if you have the alpine deck your CDs would have reset themselves. It happened to me for the first time two weeks ago. Need a NAV system anyways.
 
This thread is crazy. Why would anyone buy a new car because their LS is leaking coolant?


The dealership saw a vulnerable person who didn't have a clue - now they have you tied up with repair bill and a new car payment.


You could have probably ordered all of those plastic parts online and the degas bottle and taken it to a local mechanic and said charge for labor. Then it's done if you or someone you know can't do it.
 
After the dealer replaces the housing, I'll have the spark plugs checked and get an idea what other items I'll need to replace. I'll probably get the body work done, park it in the garage and use it for leisure driving only. I'm glad I read your posts - when the dealer tried to talk about the motor being overheated, I asked about the failsafe you guys talked about in your posts -- I told him not to pressurize the system because I don't want any of the other plastic components to be compromised.

He seemed to have a little more respect after he realized I was researching the mechanics of the car. Thanks again. You guys have been very helpful!
 
The plastic parts on the front of the engine are well known for becoming brittle. It probably wasn't carelessness that caused the breakage.

The best way to do the replacement of the broken part is to use the identical part from Jaguar. Available on line for about $50 I believe, and made of aluminium.

If you want to PM me, I may be able to help you connect with a local mechanic.

KS
 
The plastic pieces do break over time. But the motors in this car are pretty strong. I have a 02 V8 with 207900 mi and the only thing on the motor beside the plastic pieces in the coolant system that has been replaced is 1 alternator.
Car runs great.
 
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