My Lincoln Headache

S

shoot the band

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So... last week I bought a 2003 Lincoln from a reputable dealer. Only 70,000kms. Paid a fare price, not a great deal, but a fare price.

Day 1, weird whining noise in the steering. It's not that loud. It comes and goes. I chock it up to cold weather or perhaps the power steering fluid is down slightly. Try not to worry about it.

Day 2, "Check charging system" warning comes on and the battery lights. Put a meter on it and it's getting a good charge at the battery, so it's something else electrical. Something alternator related, perhaps. I schedule an appointment with the dealer for Day 4.

Day 3, Get in, ceiling upholstery has fallen down in the back overnight. Doesn't seem to be a clip or anything to hold it in place... not sure if I should glue it or what.

Day 4, Get in, "Service parking brake" warning appears for no reason on start-up. Goes away on its own after idling for a couple of minutes. Oh well, I'm no the way to the dealer anyway... I'll mention it to them.

Drive to the end of my street, pull out on the main road, and it spins a tiny bit, the check engine light comes on and the car dies in the middle of the intersection.

Dead.

I put it in parking gear and try to restart. No go.

Call a tow truck...

Now sitting at work wondering if my 4 day old car is ever going to go again...
 
If it still has a good warranty like the 75K mile it will all be a-OK!

How did it stall out? Did it seem battery related?
 
Day 1, weird whining noise in the steering. It's not that loud. It comes and goes. I chock it up to cold weather or perhaps the power steering fluid is down slightly. Try not to worry about it.
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This was covered under the factory warranty as a bad steering rack. Mine does it, too, and I'll change it out myself when it gets real bad.

Day 3, Get in, ceiling upholstery has fallen down in the back overnight. Doesn't seem to be a clip or anything to hold it in place... not sure if I should glue it or what.
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Common 03 problem. Use velcro strips.

Day 4, Get in, "Service parking brake" warning appears for no reason on start-up. Goes away on its own after idling for a couple of minutes. Oh well, I'm no the way to the dealer anyway... I'll mention it to them.
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Could be a busted plastic fitting on the cable that pulls the caliper. The plastic clips on it at the caliper get brittle and break. Yes, you guessed it, mine is like that too. I just don't use the parking brake.



Welcome to Lincoln LS ownership! :D
 
Day 1 problem, probably just cold. My car does it too until it warms up. Then again, it's been well below zero here lately.

You can buy some industrial velcro for the headliner. Maybe that'll help.

Everything else I'm gonna guess alternator. But I am not a mechanic. I just like to guess, and see if I'm right!
 
There is a TSB(technical service bulletin)for the power steering where the should add a lubricant to the power steering fluid first.

A TSB for the headliner also.

Sounds like the battery is going dead, probably the original.

You must have at least a 30 day dealer warranty and the dealer should take care of the problems.
 
On the '03 I had I had the ceiling falling down in the back too. I used velcro strips but it would always fall back down, even if I had pressure on it overnight to hold it down. So I took someone's advice here and put some gorilla glue on the adhesive part of the velcro strips and never had it fall again.
 
The electronic parking brake is very sensitive to any battery/alternator voltage problems. When you get that fixed, the E-Brake problem may go away too.
 
This car is still in the shop. The original dealer who sold it to me has given up and sent it to a Lincoln dealer for servicing. That was 3 days ago. No one can tell me what the issue is...

I've owned the car for 11 days and it has been on the road for only 4 of those days. I loved that car for at least 12 hours.
 
Didn't you test drive the car before you bought it? Sometime the dealer lets you take it for a few hours out to dinner or something, I did, and fell in love with mine. This sound like stuff you would have noticed while test driving / beating on it.
 
CrackerJack said:
Didn't you test drive the car before you bought it? Sometime the dealer lets you take it for a few hours out to dinner or something, I did, and fell in love with mine. This sound like stuff you would have noticed while test driving / beating on it.
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Yes, I test drove it. The dealer gave it to me overnight before I purchased it. I put over 300 kilometres on the car before I committed.

I took it to 2 independent mechanics during that time who both gave it a good going over and said they thought it was ok.
 
i exopied the pieces of heavy duty velcro onto the headliner and the bottom of the brake light and let them sit overnight to harden then in the mourning i pushed them together and it worked perfectly, some one told me to just glue it up, i knew if i ever glued it together that would be the day that my brake light or the sunroof went out:rolleyes:
 
i love that movie my brother and i have been like that since i can remeber lol.and from now on you shall call me knight hawk
 
Sorry. Yeah, after being in the shop 8 of the first 12 days I owned the car, the dealer took it back. Full refund. Good-bye Lincoln.

Currently car or truck shopping...
 
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