Me whining about the LS and My PC is a tank

[Jim Henderson]

I am posting this from another website where I was posting about worst pos's I have owned. Today I am much calmer, but yesterday if my LS "accidentally" caught fire, I would have got my fire extinguisher out of the trunk and saved it for my next car.

BTW my LS does this trick several times a year. Can't quite figure it out other than maybe tight turns into a slight rise at 25mph or more.

Anyway...

Jim Henderson


I probably already posted my 89 Taurus SHO years ago as my worst pos. But just yesterday(9/1/10) my 2004 Lincoln LS made a good effort to elevate itself in this ranking for worst POS.

I have owned the Lincoln used when it had 1 year and 14,000 miles on it. Many common problems later I was considering it as my second worst POS.

But, as I was driving home yesterday with a trunk full of groceries and my laptop PC on top of the groceries in the trunk, my LS did it's parlour trick of popping the trunk open and spitting my work Laptop PC out into the street. What fun. I knew something was wrong when I heard a strange grinding sound(like plastic on a cheese grater) and couldn't see what was behind me due to the trunk lid blocking my view.

I turned around and picked up my scratched up PC and got in the car, cursing a blue streak all the rest of the way home. I was not very hopeful but I plugged in the laptop and it WORKED. Only glitch I have seen since yesterday is that this morning the backlight seemed to be dead but I was able to whack the laptop a few times on my desk and it worked fine. Probably a loose cable which I will check this weekend. I am typing on it right now.

SOoooo, my Lincoln has advanced in ranks for worst POS I have owned, more irritating than serious issues, AND, my (6 year old)Sony VAIO PCG K27 laptop has made it to the best "portable" PC I have ever owned in over 30 years of working with computers. Man that thing is built like a tank. The Lincoln is built like a Yugo.

I think I'll post this on the Lincoln site too, but will probably get told it's all my fault. Shouldn't put groceries in the trunk of a fine car like the Lincoln.

Jim Henderson

 

[LS4me]

How could you ever hear a laptop hitting the ground at what had to be at least 10 feet behind a moving car. Sounds like one must make sure the trunk is fully closed before taking off.

 

[dNyce LS]

Mine popped once but didn't go all the way up. I had no idea y, but I jus pulled over n closed it and went on my way lol

 

[Hawk03]

Always enjoy your posts, Jim.

 

[Silver_LS]

So you didn't close your trunk and are blaming the LS for attempting to destroy your laptop...

Then you probably rigged some wiring in an attempt to torch your car and claim it on your insurance but then felt guilty and put out the "small fire"

Am I reading this right?

lol, just kidding man, sorry your car is giving you so much trouble.

 

[1LoudLS]

if this is a some what common issue, i would just disconnect the harness for the trunk pop motor and just stick to using the key, unless there is a problem with the latch holding tight.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Don't know why the trunk pops several times per year. I have driven miles and miles before the lid pops and then sometimes I may just get down the street.

I do recall closing the lid moderately hard, but did feel the hot dog buns getting squished by the lid arm. The lid stayed closed for about 2 miles until I took a 90 degree turn around a corner at about 25mph up a slight hill maybe with a small dip at the intersection, it does "jounce" when I make that particular turn. That is when I heard the plastic hit the street. I had all windows open since it was 100 degrees and my DCCV is dumping on me again so no AC.

If my kid was with me, he would have learned some manly man words right quick.

Like I say, I do not know why the lid pops but once in awhile it is on a bounce.

I am guessing either something in the trunk is hitting a release or maybe the body twists on that turn or bumpy roads, which then pulls a cable that may be tight. Or maybe the latch is not adjusted properly?

I DID figure out why my front hood pops from time to time. My 12D shoes occasionally snag the release handle when I get out and the next time I drive the hood pops loose. So I try not to swing my big feet near the handle.

Next year my son gets the LS to go to school.

Jim Henderson


BTW my laptop is still running peachy, and I haven't had to check the backlite, seems OK. I did have to glue on some new rubber feet today since the old ones got scraped off.

Maybe I could get in a Sony advertisement like they used to do with Volvos where drivers survived horrific wrecks thanks to the Volvo.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Yet another whine. My LS gives me too many opportunities.

Tuesday this week. I got into the passenger side of the LS so my son could get a short driving lesson on his way to school. Sharp boy he is, he asked me... "Dad, why is the accelerator pedal sitting on the floor?"

POS %%#$@*&!! I said. I took a look and nothing appeared to be damaged. I just slid the pedal back onto the shaft and it clicked into place. BTW it is made out of that cheesy lightweight plastic used in too many places now.

In over 40 years of driving and at least 37 years of owning various vehicles. I have NEVER had a gas pedal fall off. Always something new with the LS. Most more irritating than a serious issue. Good thing I have been working on cars since way before I could legally drive, otherwise I'd go broke with the LS.


Well not always something new. To top off my day, same day as the pedal, when I drove home from work, the LS decided then was a good time for it to finally crack the rear water outlet pipe and cause me to go into my all too familiar "Got to find some water" search. OH did I mention that morning that my son also got his first auto accident? Some housewife behind us must have dropper her nail file and rearended us. No damage, but jeez, I have been rearended 3 times in the LS now by people who weren't paying attention at a stop sign. THere were 3 other cars stopped in front of us and no one was moving so why did she decide to drive forward?

BUT I KNEW this Day was coming since I replaced the front Water outlet pipe and other plastic cooling system parts last year and saw that the rear water outlet pipe was suspect due to crumbling brownish plastic, should be black. I was too lazy at that time to replace the part so I paid for it yesterday by having to spend the better part of my day removing the part and finding a dealer that had one and then installing the part.

Why in the $@%!! do they use cheap plastic parts for cooling systems???!!

BTW This time I cannot whine about cheesy Chinese materials and components. These parts are made by Ford in The UK.

Anyway, the pipe had a hairline crack along the length of the tube just like the front pipe had last year.


To redeem myself a bit with this group I will say that the job can be done by a normal shade tree mechanic but those two rear bolts holding the pipe in place are a beach to get at and to remove. I would love to personally demonstrate to the engineer who designed the cooling system how to use, unnaturally, the parts I removed. All he had to do was use bolts maybe 1/16 inch shorter than were used. Then maybe I wouldn't have had to fight with the bolts to squeeze them out from under the lip of the intake manifold. Those bolts probably took me over an hour off and then another hour on. Oh my aching back.

PROCEDURE...
To remove the water outlet pipe you need to remove the air box over the front of the engine, remove the dress up engine cover. Then I think for easier access next time it might be easier to just remove the entire intake manifold along with the throttle body. Then the bolts of the pipe would be wide open. As it was, I opted to remove the throttle body then I had to unbolt the EGR valve since I couldn't unbolt the EGR exhaust tube, didn't have a proper size wrench, I think 1 1/16 inch? Then you remove the manifold connector between the manifold and the TB.

From this point, you can get to the two front bolts but the rear ones sit under the lip of the manifold. You can screw them out almost all the way, but the last 1/8 inch is a beast since you can't get a socket in there and need to use a tiny 5/16 inch open end wrench to turn the bolts maybe 1/8 turn at a time. Takes FOREVER. Finally the bolts snug up right against the manifold and all I can say is you have to work at getting the last few turns in and wiggle the hell out of the bolts to remove them. Installation is equally a pita... wrench 1/8 turn, flip the wrench, 1/8 turn, flip the wrench... Maybe a 5/16 crowfoot wrench might work. You also remove the front outlet pipe and T'Stat housing, 5/16 bolts too, a little tight to get at but a cinch compared to the others mentioned above.

Like I said, I think removing the manifold along with the TB would be far easier next time. I think only 8 or so bolts hold it in place. I did not do this since I didn't want to break any gasket seal on the manifold, but it may be worth it.


So for now, my LS is holding water. I am hoping I won't need to replace the other numerous rubber hoses and the lower radiatorhose/pipe. That hose/pipe is another plastic pos(I assume) glued to rubber hose. I cracked the other hose/pipe(Upper radiator hose) last year while replacing the other plastic parts of the Coolant outlet on top of the engine.


Next year my son gets the LS but I am not sure I trust it anymore since it has stranded me more than any other car I have owned and caused me more panic(dang!!)sessions to boot. But then The new plastic parts should be good for about 100K miles and I would assume my son will be done with the car by then.


So that's all for now folks, but I know the LS will think of something new. Think I hear a wheel bearing hum. NEVER had to replace any other car's bearings before, but the LS is special.

BTW last week I replaced the front brake pads. Man the LS eats brakes faster than just about any other car I have owned. Maybe a year and 20,000 miles on the last set. Raybestos Pro series, I think they were too soft and not ceramic, but they were on sale. The wear was uneven, driver side gone, passenger maybe 1/5. Won't use those again.

Whine whine whine, I've had a real p'sser of a week.

Jim Henderson

 

[gcwimmer]

Plastic parts are becoming common with just not Ford but other auto manufactures. I had a friend back in the mid 80's complain about the cost of replacing his plastic degauss bottle in his Porsche. Now, just not the transmission dipstick, the manufactures are getting rid of the oil dipstick. Brake pads, you get what you pay, go ceramic and you should get 30K plus on the front. I have had my accelerator cable break, had to use string and pull by hand to get me home with an Austin Healey.

Times they are a changing.

 

[Mechanicboy]

Jim, you have been rear ended 3 times and wonder why your having troubles with the trunk?? There might be a correlation between the two, I mean 4.

 

[joegr]

You can change the coolant outlet pipe without removing the throttle body (or EGR valve), I did. When my outlet pipe starting crumbling, I checked with some service techs at the dealership that I like and found out all the other plastic cooling system parts that would be failing soon too. I replaced all of them so that I won't have to do it again for four or five years. I think it was about $500/$600 in parts (at a discount).
BTW, the lower radiator hose was on the list.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Change the coolant outlet pipe without removing the TB or EGR?

Are you talking about the 2nd Water outlet pipe that sits under the TB/EGR? This pipe is a straight pipe but at about a 45 degree angle off the top center of the engine. the back two bolts sit right under the intake manifold big circular opening. The easy to get at coolant outlet pipe is the one just behind the T'stat housing and a fairly complex piece of plastic piping.

I would love to know how to get at the second coolant pipe, the dealer called it something else, but the manual lists two pipes with very different pictures. I think the dealer uses different names because the parts are extremly different.

Some day, heaven forbid, I may have to remove the second coolant outlet pipe again, so please let me and the guys know the tools and procedure. My way is a real pita.

THe pipe I am talking about is part #23 on SECTION 303-03: Engine Cooling on the deanu webpage... http://deneau.info/ls/

#15 is the other coolanat outlet pipe that is easier to get at.

The lower radiator hose looks like a piece of cake once you remove the airbox above it, so I will replace that when it cracks and whine some more. I replaced the upper hose when I cracked it honking around trying to get at the front coolant outlet pipe.

Jim Henderson

 

[Jim Henderson]

Jim, you have been rear ended 3 times and wonder why your having troubles with the trunk?? There might be a correlation between the two, I mean 4.

the first rearender was paint scuffing. The second was a crack and paint scratching. The third showed no visible damage.

I wouldn't expect a problem with the trunk release unless the frame was bent or there was damage to the sheetmetal of the trunk. All visible damage was to the rubber cover only, so far.

Jim Henderson