Possibly buying LS have some questions

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98powerstang

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I have been through all the stickys and a lot of my questions and been awnsered and been through search also.

First question is how much better is the Gen 2 over the Gen 1? I read there was a lot of changes done. Is the reliabilty that much better on the Gen 2? What are the common issues on the LS and when I go to look at a LS what do I need to check?

Second question is what do you see for MPG? Im not talking about what the LIE-0-METER in the car says im talking hand calculated numbers.

Third question is how much does the cold air intake and tunes help the car?

I have been a big fan of the LS for years and getting rid of my 2003 F250 Powerstroke to get something alittle more family friendly. I say family friendly cause the truck was 450hp and 900lbs tq so little more power then what the wife needed to drive when I let her use it.

Also so far I have had no luck finding who is the best on tuning these cars I swear I saw the name Torre (SP) or something a few times.
 
I see 20 mpg calculated at each fill up. V8's are usually 1 mpg behind.
Tune? If you plan to build it up, bring your visa card!

Common issues? Read the real owners manual sticky in this forum.
Trouble shooting=
1. it's the coils
2. degas bottle
3. heater valve
4. plastic coolant piping
5. it's not possessed, it's the battery/alternator
 
It seems like money spent on the cars around here is prioritized by:
Whatever broke and needs fixed now, then wheels and then lights.

These cars are nowhere near as easy to get aftermarket parts for as Mustangs are.
 
it should be noted, that while a tune can really make the car feel a whole lot more responsive, mots of the magic is in the trans adjustment, there is not a lot of power to be freed up, nothing like the difference in power a tuner will make on a powerstroke!


yes, the 2nd gen is way better than the 1st gen, with the exception that the !st gens are easier to put a limited slip in and there is the rare unicorn of the manual trans. the only people who say that 1st gens are better, has never owned a 2nd. at least ive never seen any of the people who have owned both say so. of course a nice 1st gen will probably be better than a 2nd gen in rough shape, but that is to be expected.

as far as mpg, my V8 usually get anywhere between 17-21 depending on how i drive it. however, this summer, Ive only been taking it out when I'm hot rodding around town on short (and fast!) trips. I was a little surprised when i checked it earlier this week and it said 12.9:eek:

as far as the "lie-o-meter", when i fist got the car, i tested it for an average over five full tanks of fuel, and it was within five or six tenths of real math. its got my trust.

and my V6 usually did average only about 2 mpg more, two at the most. not worth the noticeable difference in power for an already heavy for the amount of power car. also not a fan of how the V6 intake mani (which does look pretty sweet) covers half of the motor, creating a lot of headaches down the road.
 
I don't plan to build it just wondering if it helps with mpg. Eventually down the road the car will go to wife once the reg cab shortbed powerstroke is done. For you that work on them yourself how is it underhood? I have torn into a few diesels and there nightmares as packed as they are. What is the life range on motor and tranny before they fail? I understand depends on driving but say a car that's been driven normal. Any headgasket issues or major motor issues?
 
Hand calculated, my daily commute with a bunch of annoying lights (80% hwy, 20% city) yields me 25MPG easily. Two fillups ago I pulled 26.2MPG. Around town (80% city), I see 18-19MPG. Winter driving is a different story though..
 
To me the question of which gen is better is relative at this point. Gen 1's are getting old, so to find a "well kept" gen 1 will be more difficult. If the difference is between a 2002 and 2003 well then I would have to say look at both because they are all used now and determine which you like better, better condition and price. I have a 2002 and cant say I have had an overabundance of needed repairs, I have done coils, a couple of window regulators, alternator, valve cover gaskets, maintenance. I consider so far to be a good car. Had it 5 and a half years now and put 75000 miles on it.

Now if looking to buy one and can afford to go 2006, that is deffinetly the best option if that price range is good for you. Newest of model, most reliable, best style.

That's just my .02 from my perspective.
 
1LoudLS said:
it should be noted, that while a tune can really make the car feel a whole lot more responsive, mots of the magic is in the trans adjustment, there is not a lot of power to be freed up, nothing like the difference in power a tuner will make on a powerstroke!
Click to expand...

This. Shift schedule will make a big difference in how the car drives. Most newer cars are tuned from the factory to meet CAFE numbers and upshift to early and do not like to downshift easily.

I had the K&N kit and it made a nice grown if you gave it some throttle but was pretty quite if you babied it. It would walk my buddy's 05 where we were dead even before the CAI.
 
Trip from Wisconsin to Texas I averaged 24.4 by my calculations. No mods, doing 65-75 the whole way.
 
I have had both generations. I find the GEN II to be better in many aspects. The only thing that I miss is the auto wipers. I know, I know I am the only person on the planet that liked them... Thats just an 06 thing I think. My GEN I V8 got 23.5mpg stock, and averaged 25mpg tuned with a cai. That is hand calculated average for about 100K miles. My Gen II is still stock, and it gets about 24.5MPG.

Here is a link to a thread that I posted about my expenses owning my Gen I.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=84275
 
scjmc said:
I have had both generations. I find the GEN II to be better in many aspects. The only thing that I miss is the auto wipers. I know, I know I am the only person on the planet that liked them... Thats just an 06 thing I think. My GEN I V8 got 23.5mpg stock, and averaged 25mpg tuned with a cai. That is hand calculated average for about 100K miles. My Gen II is still stock, and it gets about 24.5MPG.

Here is a link to a thread that I posted about my expenses owning my Gen I.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=84275
Click to expand...

2003 gen II and some 2004 gen II had auto wipers.
 
I have an 04, I have em... The only issue I have with em (dont know if this is normal or not) is that sometimes when not set on auto, it will still be auto... dunno if that makes sense lol.
 
jjcool00 said:
I have an 04, I have em... The only issue I have with em (dont know if this is normal or not) is that sometimes when not set on auto, it will still be auto... dunno if that makes sense lol.
Click to expand...

not normal.
 
scjmc said:
I have had both generations. I find the GEN II to be better in many aspects. The only thing that I miss is the auto wipers. I know, I know I am the only person on the planet that liked them... Thats just an 06 thing I think. My GEN I V8 got 23.5mpg stock, and averaged 25mpg tuned with a cai. That is hand calculated average for about 100K miles. My Gen II is still stock, and it gets about 24.5MPG.

Here is a link to a thread that I posted about my expenses owning my Gen I.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=84275
Click to expand...

I missed the auto-wipers so much I installed a Rain Tracker unit. It even has adjustable sensitivity!
 
Where is a good place to buy wheels for the LS and what kind of offset is needed. I am thinking if I get one im going 20s and will lower it down the road.
 
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