I should really know better then to keep using dealers for work

Kumba

Kumba

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Car is pulling left, squeak in rear, wheel bearing whine, and rough idle. They can't find anything wrong. I swear if it's not failing catastrophically or hanging off the car where it shouldn't be they can't fix anything. I should have known better. What I get for being lazy. For the $80 diagnostic fee they all charge around here I'm just going to throw it at an independent mechanic for an hour or two in the future.

They also assumed I was leaving it overnight which I found out when I called. Welp, guess I'm bumming a ride home now.
 
Dealers probably don't see many LSes in for service anymore...
 
Mine has one tech that worked at a Lincoln dealer in the early 2000s and there's one that kinda liked Thunderbirds and they know the platform, but that's about it out of a crew of 30 techs. Unless you know a dealer has an experienced DEW98 techs, don't bother...

Had a 24 year old tech have to bringe to the car on the lift to show me the toe llinks/rear tie rods because they needed replacing, but didn't know what they were called...........
 
I had one good dealer within a hundred miles of me that I was using. They closed down. They said that with the loss of Mercury and the loss of the Town Car, they just couldn't get enough sales to continue.
 
There was one dealer here who had a real mechanic/tech that worked on my car. I came back a month after he diagnosed something to get the work done and he had left. No one else there could read the case notes he left on my car and figure out what he was trying to fix. Since then it's all pretty much been a crapshoot.

There is a Lincoln dealer up the road from my house who daily drives a 2004 Gen2 LSE (yes, an ACTUAL gen2 LSE). Only problem I have with that dealer is their service writers are all snake oil salesman. Every time I go in there it's doom and gloom with me needing to get a service checkup on the AC and new tires and induction cleaning blah blah blah. Guess I'll just have to put up with that in order to get a mechanic I know works on LS'.

I'm starting to like the Escape I bought my GF better and better. There's something to be said for getting service on a car that sells 200K+ units each year. They can tell if it's running right just by hearing it pull up in the service lane.
 
I like this dealer thread. I just finished talking to three dealers in order to get my remote programmed after replacing the battery in it.

1st dealer 80$ plus taxes, 2nd dealer was above 100$ and 3rd dealer took the time to talk with me first, and discussed how he proceeds to program the remote. Between 30-40$ if it goes well. If he runs into problems, it may be a max of 55-60$. My appointment is next Monday.

I guess there are fair dealers if you shop around.
 
Jack Flash said:
...dealers in order to get my remote programmed after replacing the battery in it...
Click to expand...

Wait. What?

Gen 1: new remote = dealer programming.
Any gen: new battery in remote = nothing, it just works.
 
joegr said:
Wait. What?

Gen 1: new remote = dealer programming.
Any gen: new battery in remote = nothing, it just works.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I should of been clearer.;) It stopped working from one day to the next. I replaced battery believing this was the cause. Nothing, even with new battery.
 
Jack Flash said:
Perhaps I should of been clearer.;) It stopped working from one day to the next. I replaced battery believing this was the cause. Nothing, even with new battery.
Click to expand...

Then I suspect that you need a new remote.
 
That thought did cross my mind. But, before I buy a new remote, I need to be sure this one's faulty.
 
Jack Flash said:
That thought did cross my mind. But, before I buy a new remote, I need to be sure this one's faulty.
Click to expand...

So, to avoid paying $8.95 (or two for $14.49), you are going to pay $30 to $60, then have to go back after buying a new remote and pay $30 to $60 to program it in? Of course, to be fair the $60 charge might include a new remote.

The remote you have is programmed in. It seems very unlikely that programming it in again is going to make it work. (The car gets programmed, not the remote. )
 
park of the reason I actually like my dealer, is the service advisor I always talk to leased an LS for a couple of years back when they were new, and now him and one of the techs both have retro thunder chickens. they seem to know and understand the struggle that is LS ownership!
 
joegr said:
So, to avoid paying $8.95 (or two for $14.49), you are going to pay $30 to $60, then have to go back after buying a new remote and pay $30 to $60 to program it in? Of course, to be fair the $60 charge might include a new remote.
Click to expand...

LOL. After posting, I decided to go on EBay and see what a new remote costs. I began to laugh. I need to call my dealer this morning, and iron out the details with him. I'll see what he charges me for a new remote, and calculate costs of new from dealer, or new from EBay, including programming.

To be fair also, I don't remember him offering me a new remote with that 60$ charge. A second phone call is in order. :shifty:
 
I called 2 different dealerships because I am looking to get my tranny fluid replaced. The first didn't even know there was a manual transmission ls. The second couldn't give me a quote, said he'd call back, and that was last week thursday. Am I correct that manual transmissions don't need to be, or can't be flushed?
 
nastynaters said:
... Am I correct that manual transmissions don't need to be, or can't be flushed?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that drain and replace is your only option on those. However, that should get 99% percent of the fluid on a manual.
 
Thanks. First manual here. Looks like it's around half the price as the flush/fill for the automatics
 
I've decided not to chance going to the dealer for nothing. I will order a new remote. This is one of thousands of dealers on the bay that sell these things. I chose one randomly. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-4btn-Rep...:Lincoln|Model:LS&hash=item58c146e140&vxp=mtr

If some of you who have purchased these with success, I would be very interested in knowing which vender you used. It's just a question of saving time and money, if thew one I chose is not really good.

LOL. Who am I kidding trying to save money with this car.
 
Jack Flash said:
I've decided not to chance going to the dealer for nothing. I will order a new remote. This is one of thousands of dealers on the bay that sell these things. I chose one randomly. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-4btn-Rep...:Lincoln|Model:LS&hash=item58c146e140&vxp=mtr

If some of you who have purchased these with success, I would be very interested in knowing which vender you used. It's just a question of saving time and money, if thew one I chose is not really good.

LOL. Who am I kidding trying to save money with this car.
Click to expand...

I haven't purchased any remotes, but the one you link to is already at $20. (Shipping is $15)
There are others on there at $8 or so with free shipping.

Edit: I suppose that the Canadian choices might be more limited. Sorry...
 
joegr said:
I haven't purchased any remotes, but the one you link to is already at $20. (Shipping is $15)
There are others on there at $8 or so with free shipping.

Edit: I suppose that the Canadian choices might be more limited. Sorry...
Click to expand...

Well, I have one week to get it shipped to Florida to take advantage of free shipping in the good ole US.
So, at 5$, I can't really go all that wrong even if it fails.

You're right about Canadian choices. There are no good deals like this. The only option is the dealer at 66,50$ plus 30$ to programme it. Does anyone have a little lub before I get it up the Arse ??? :hump:
 
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