Havent been on here in awhile, luckily the cars been running good. Just found a crack in the side radiator plastic and came to do some research, but i dont understand how/why Ford plastic is so sh*tty. I've had to replace just about every cooling system peice thats made of plastic. Now comes the radiator which is the most expensive part to buy and/or replace. I've had alot of other cars of all makes and models and never had the problems that i've had with the LS. As much as i talk sh*t about my wifes Dodge Intrepid that car has held together fairly well. Just as many miles but NONE of the cooling system parts have failed. F*ck Ford and their plastic. There, i feel better now!
F*cking Ford and their use of plastic
- Thread starter Fla02LS
- Start date
Gus_Mahn
Well-Known LVC Member
Just went through this twice including a tow from downtown Chicago with my 130,000 mile LS8. About $500 later most of the plastic has been changed. Still has the original water pump, heater hoses, heater core, and radiator. In other words, there's plenty left to leave my wife stranded. Ticks me off since my '97 F-150 with 330,000 miles has a completely original cooling system with only yearly drain and fill maint. One thing seems for sure, once you have an issue, more issues will follow unless you change a bunch of parts.
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
fyi, could be how how drive!
Gus_Mahn
Well-Known LVC Member
Yeah, right
My 331,000 mile '97 F-150 regularly endured long periods of WOT both with and without trailers, quarter mile runs, and speeds above 80 mph. Never a cooling issue. Even the water pump is original. My wife drives the LS. She drives pretty fast but rarely floors it. It's not a factor in my LS's issues. I believe the failures are the result of inferior materials from the degas bottle to the hose t's and thermostat housing.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
I fully agree that the plastics on the LS are the wrong materials and/or have bad quality control.
I really don't see how it could be related to how the LS is driven. It could have some relationship to where it is driven, in terms of high and low temperatures. However, that's no excuse. Other cars can endure any US climate, some of them are even Fords.
I really don't see how it could be related to how the LS is driven. It could have some relationship to where it is driven, in terms of high and low temperatures. However, that's no excuse. Other cars can endure any US climate, some of them are even Fords.
NYC LS8
Dedicated LVC Member
Please refrain from hitting the "post reply" unless you know what the hell you're talking about.
This summer has been really really hot, i was thinking that might have contributed, but regardless of the ambient temp the underhood temp is fairly constant. I've sat parked and idleing for as much as 45-60 min. and the temp gauge doesnt move. All the plastic that's been replaced has been within the past year and they have been one after another. It seems this plastic has a specific lifetime and then fails. When i replaced the plastic thermostat housing/tube the plastic was so brittle i could break it easily with my hands. The degas bottle had little spider cracks all around including the big split that was leaking. The upper hose plastic t leaked right at a "seem" on top. That sucks for a 5 year old car. Very poor quality. I had an old buick that the radiator cracked on the side plastic like the LS, but it was old as hell and a ton of miles, they were able to fix that by replacing the plastic side piece instead of the whole radiator. The radiator itself lists for $244 and from what i read its a 3 hour install so im expecting to pay about $500 because this is a repair i dont care to tackle. I replaced all the other plastic myself but the radiator looks more involved regarding the a/c system and everything.
Gus_Mahn
Well-Known LVC Member
I bet changing the radiator sucks. I know changing the '03 fan was harder than it should have been.
+1. Every FoMoCo product I've owned had terrible plastics.
tireman
Dedicated LVC Member
The dealers know it too
The parts man at the local Lincoln dealership knew of the plastics problems too. This is not uncommon knowledge. I would suggest that these parts were bought from China and brought into the states for assembly. I worked at the Buick plant in Michigan and most components were foreign made...we just installed them, nothing more.
The parts man at the local Lincoln dealership knew of the plastics problems too. This is not uncommon knowledge. I would suggest that these parts were bought from China and brought into the states for assembly. I worked at the Buick plant in Michigan and most components were foreign made...we just installed them, nothing more.
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
were talking about plastic, the same kind in your @ss :-D
NYC LS8
Dedicated LVC Member
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
srry i don't speak crysler
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Or spell it I suppose...
Wildcardfox
New LVC Member
Hahaha... this post made me laugh... I agree with you.... Accountants to the rescue equals plastic.... Funny post!
NYC LS8
Dedicated LVC Member
You don't speak automotive knowledge, either. Stick to stupid pictures and talking out your ass.
Jim Henderson
Dedicated LVC Member
Yeah sure. I have driven and abused many cars since I started driving in the 70s. It isn't driving style, it's the cheesy parts used on the LS.
I have owned only one other POS car that had somewhat similar problems with cooling parts like my Lincoln. That truck was a 1974 Datsun truck. EVERY 24,000 miles you HAD to replace all the rubber cooling hoses because guaranteed, one of them would fail very soon, it was uncanny. Fortunately a full set of hoses cost about $25 back then. I owned that truck from new to 180K miles.
The Lincoln has so far required something like $200 worth of plastic cooling parts and there were 2 or three others that looked suspect when I worked on it last. I hadn't even cracked 100K miles yet. I still have a leaky water bottle, needs topping up every few weeks. NO other car I EVER owned had this common LS problem.
The cost isn't the biggest pita, it's the time, repair work and getting stuck in traffic that gripes me.
Don't get me started on plastic parts for engines. But then I have not heard of big problems with any other brand plastic cooling parts, could be I haven't paid attention.
NONE of my other cars have required any significant cooling parts replacement other than thermostats, usually after a chemical flush. I have only replaced 1 water pump on a car with 100K miles, and I cannot recall ever replacing any rubber hose on any of my other cars(cept the Datsun), many with well over 100K miles on them when I sold them off.
NOPE, Lincoln plastic cooling system parts are pos for sure and cost a bunch to boot. Almost all the parts are dealer only so there are no good alternatives. Why in the heck are there plastic components in the middle of rubber hoses? Can't just replace a rubber hose, got to replace an expensive assembly.
My next car is going to be a Hyundai or Kia or Chebby, all with 100K mile warranties. My poor son will inherit the LS next year to go to college, poor chump.
Enough of my grumbling,
Jim Henderson
I tried using some JB weld to atleast hold me over till i get the new parts, the JB weld today cracked right along the same path as the crack in the plastic. Wierd. I figured that the plastic contracts and expands with the heat and pressure but didnt think it would expand enough to put a crack in the JB weld. I just dont want it to go "Old Faithful" on me while driving or sitting in traffic. Any other products that can seal this crack temporarily? The coolant level dropped today well below the "low" marker on the bottle which i know will cause it to overheat. I had my son rev the engine while i watched the crack and it does dribble faster with increase of rpms, cant imagine that highway speeds are good.
Gus_Mahn
Well-Known LVC Member
My plastic seemed fine on the outside, but the inside had turned from black to brown and seem to be much softer after 5 years on the road. So I'd say any type of glue would be a temporary fix at best. BTW I've spent about $500 in cooling plastics(parts only, at wholesale pricing) over last two months. About half the cost was failed parts, and the other half was PM.
bearsfan39
Dedicated LVC Member
my dad bought a 2001 kia optima new fully loaded for 21,000, the only "major" repairs (if you want to call it that) was replacing one shock replacing the master cylinder, other than that nothing was wrong with it, he had it until i got my LS so he sold his lexus and bought his LS and then sold his kia after 120,000 + miles, can go wrong with that
milehighmikey
Dedicated LVC Member
Cooling system pressure, which helps to raise the boiling point, is the plastic parts' worst enemy. Your only hope for a glue fix would be to be under zero pressure in the cooling system, which would all but guarantee an overheat.
I just changed my own radiator on a 2000 back in early july, and with the hydraulic fan system, it really is a pain. You have to recover the refrigerant and take the condenser out of the a/c system, to get the radiator out. Total pain in the balls, when added to the hydraulic fan mess.
I just changed my own radiator on a 2000 back in early july, and with the hydraulic fan system, it really is a pain. You have to recover the refrigerant and take the condenser out of the a/c system, to get the radiator out. Total pain in the balls, when added to the hydraulic fan mess.