Eventually i'll get off this forum talking about my MKS but i thought i'd share this because i found it interesting. Apparently the MKS has the same feature where you can slide the shifter from "D" to SST. Big difference with the MKS is that you can just leave it in that position and the "D" stays on the dash but with a "SST" above it. This puts it in sport mode where it will still shift on its own but with MUCH firmer shift points. Big difference in driving. From there you can tap up or down which will turn the "D" into the actual gear number for manual shifting. So essentially there is three modes.... Normal, Sport, and true manual selection. I found this interesting. The MKS runs on regular gas but premium will up the HP to 275hp. Still not tremendous but the car will move for its size. Given the weight difference i think the MKS would hang really really close to the LS when in SST mode. Note "hang", not beat. Yes, still fwd, but this function ups the performance up a tad. I guess the difference is in torque. I mean my LT1 T/A was also 275 hp but would kill the MKS. The MKS definately isnt a slug, just not a sports sedan. Plus i get 4mpg more on my daily drive so that coupled with regular gas is a win in my book. I'll take the extra mpg, especially with the price of gas.
Hidden MKS SST feature vs. LS SST
- Thread starter Fla02LS
- Start date
mlara1129
Dedicated LVC Member
My college roommate's 02 bmw 330xi worked like that as well. Doesnt say much for Lincoln :/
Stopsign002
Dedicated LVC Member
What kind of BMW do you have?
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
It's an 02 325i. It's really for my daughter that recently turned 15.
Stopsign002
Dedicated LVC Member
Ah nice. Thats a pretty sweet first car
I cant see how a function on a Lincoln that is also on a Beamer is a bad thing? Granted its not "new" technology but i was very impressed in the way it worked vs. the LS SST which is strickly manual shifting and will bounce off the redline it you dont shift. I wonder why the LS didnt have that kind of SST option? I like having the three modes. But its a 6 speed tranny so there is more ups and downs getting thru the gears.
The MKS is rated 17 city and 24 hwy, not much difference than the LS but i always found the LS to be on the lower end of that rating. Gotta remember this car is HUGE! Its got a 3.7 V6 pushing alot of size and weight around. One thing i was pretty dumbfounded about the MKS is for a car at that price level it still has a space saver spare rather than fullsize. The rep at the dealer explained its all about the MPG rating and the govt in these cars and if it takes the weight savings of using a space saver then thats the direction they will go. Seems lame. Massive trunk, no battery so plenty of room for a fullsize spare.
The MKS is rated 17 city and 24 hwy, not much difference than the LS but i always found the LS to be on the lower end of that rating. Gotta remember this car is HUGE! Its got a 3.7 V6 pushing alot of size and weight around. One thing i was pretty dumbfounded about the MKS is for a car at that price level it still has a space saver spare rather than fullsize. The rep at the dealer explained its all about the MPG rating and the govt in these cars and if it takes the weight savings of using a space saver then thats the direction they will go. Seems lame. Massive trunk, no battery so plenty of room for a fullsize spare.
Now for the truly useful question, will it hold it in the selected gear?
In other words, put it in 4th, slow down to 15mph, and floor it. Does it automagically downshift? Cause that is annoying. On some cars the select-shift/manual-mode really means "Stay in this gear, unless you think another gear is really best". The LS will hold the gear at all speeds with the exception of dropping below 10mph and being above 3rd.
This might not be a big issue but sometimes you don't want to shift. For instance, shifting from 2nd to 1st coming out of a corner at full-throttle can unstable the car if it's not expected.
In other words, put it in 4th, slow down to 15mph, and floor it. Does it automagically downshift? Cause that is annoying. On some cars the select-shift/manual-mode really means "Stay in this gear, unless you think another gear is really best". The LS will hold the gear at all speeds with the exception of dropping below 10mph and being above 3rd.
This might not be a big issue but sometimes you don't want to shift. For instance, shifting from 2nd to 1st coming out of a corner at full-throttle can unstable the car if it's not expected.
Answer...yes. Once you take it out of the "sport" mode and get into gear selection it stays there just like in the LS.
Now my question....how often are you getting into 4th.... slowing down to 15mph.... and flooring it. Cause that would bog down and get you nowhere. Hoping just a hypothetical question.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
I'm sorry. My intent wasn't clear. I am saying that it is a good thing, and that it's something the LS should have had. I don't know if it didn't because there was some patent thing going on, or if Lincoln thought less was more.
I'd much rather have an automatic transmission with econ, regular, and sport mode than the SST feature. My feeling is that if an automatic is done right, and I can tell it how I want it to drive, there is no reason that I should have to tell it which gear to be in. (I know that many will disagree with that...)
I havent researched to see if the MKS is drive by wire like the LS but it doesnt have anywhere near, or really none of the delay from pedal push to engine response as the LS did. And it doesnt hunt around for a gear like the LS would. When on the highway if i wanted to switch lanes and needed to use some quick throttle i always had to take into account the delay from the drive by wire with the LS. Sometimes being a safety issue if someone was really coming up fast from behind and you pulled in front and mashed the gas pedal, the LS would just sit there for a second or so, and a second at highway speeds has a person on your bumper quick.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
No, I'm totally smelling what your stepping in. it would be far more useful for the computer to be able to change its behaviors from different modes(as long as it is programmed properly), versus trying to manually over ride what gear an automatic trans want to be in.
now it is more useful to have our SST than a trans without it for certian circumstances, but SST still way far from a three pedal trans. you cant say that being able to go from a setting with nice slow super smooth shifts when crusing, to faster harsher tire chirpers (or even somewhere in between) when you want at the push of a button wouldn't make it a much more enjoyable of a machine. hell, not to get too crazy, but would it be too much to have different settings AND SST!
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
dont worry, it is. they have just got a lot better at it.
dont forget, the LS was one of fords first tries at TBW!
That's the best way to test if the gear sticks or is merely a suggestion to the computer. If you are going 20mph and floor it in 4th gear, the computer would definitely need to downshift if the behavior I mentioned existed. Same reason it's the best way to show the glorified parts changer aka "mechanic" at the Ford dealership that the coil really was bad. The intention is to purposely bog the engine to create a response.
The reason why it is important is if you are coming hard and fast around a turn and flooring it, if you suddenly get a downshift from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st, the sudden power change can cause the rear to break loose and spin you out. It's just one of those little things that matters to me.
You must have a bad dealership by you,, I just had my transmission fluid changed and all 8 coils stress tested for $190. My dealership used a scope and gave me a print out of each coils frequency with an example print out of a new coil and a bad coil for comparison.
They didn't give me crap. Just "COIL BADDD!". Same reason I had to fight with them to replace the wheel bearing, under warranty, after I had to have it diagnosed and then show them that it was bad and then TELL them how to diagnose it. Their response: "Well, it's starting to go bad, but it's not all the way bad yet". Sorry, I don't want to fix it later after it's beaten the suspension to hell and taken the CV shaft with it. They just aggravate me.
That was the third dealer I've been to. First one was a Lincoln/Merc dealer, second was a Ford franchise dealer, this one is a local Ford dealer. Going to have to start driving 45 minutes or more if I want to take it to a fourth one at this point.
Oddly enough, the Linc/Merc dealer was the worst. Took the car there with breaks squealing from the little inserts, told me everything looked beautiful, couldn't figure out the cause, wanted to sell me everything from the hub out.
So you might be asking yourself why I put up with them clowns around here? Simple, "Ford ESP Warranty". Yup, has to go to a Ford dealer.
I don't blame you for the ESP or trust in a dealership.. I have used mine for several years from my F150 to now my LS, I guess I'll just count my lucky stars that I haven't experienced your pain. The most I had to argue was when I asked for my coils to be checked I was tolded at time of pick up that there was no oil in the plug wells,, I had to repeat that I knew there wasn't any oil in the wells as I could see that, but that I wanted the coils checked,, the first guy kept saying we did,, no oil,, I explained that the only way to test the coils was a stress test,(thanks LVC) and the service manager stood up from behind his counter and told the service rep to go stress test the coils for Gods sakes. But I chalked that up to poor comunication and inexperience, in the end I was happy and not charged for the stress test. They kept saying that they wanted me to be happy.
I'm sure there are real mechanics there, I just never get a chance to meet them. When I had my '95 SHO there was only 2 guys there that the dealer would even let touch it. They knew there stuff but have since moved out of state. At some point I'm just going to have to walk in the back and start talking to them to figure out the rocket scientists from the square-peg-round-hole guys. Then I'll just start requesting him.
In their credit, the 4th guy they had look at it did finally agree with me that the bearing was bad and should be replaced before it failed catastrophically and took other stuff with it. I later found out that he's semi-retired and just comes in a few days a week to look at the tougher jobs. In other words, he finds and fixes the problems that aren't in the diagnostic checklist.
In their credit, the 4th guy they had look at it did finally agree with me that the bearing was bad and should be replaced before it failed catastrophically and took other stuff with it. I later found out that he's semi-retired and just comes in a few days a week to look at the tougher jobs. In other words, he finds and fixes the problems that aren't in the diagnostic checklist.