School me on the LS

[Joe5.0]

First off I have used the search function, so dont blast me for posting a newb question.

I am looking to buy a Lincoln LS for my fiance in the next month or so, and need to know all the little details and options to look for. I know for a fact I am getting the LS8, Gen 2. I will be getting the car from her in a couple years, as my Acura already has 80k miles on it, and when we have kids she will want an SUV.

I guess it is hard to find LSE's, because there is only one around me, and its white (blah).

A couple things that come to mind that I cant find answers for:

Were HID's standard on any years, or just optional? Are they significantly better than the halogens?

Any common problems that people experience?

How's your LS in the winter? (applicable to nortern people, please)

Any extra suggestions or tips are greatly appreciated.

 

[chriswells78]

Mine doesn't do bad in the snow as long as it's not more than 2-3" More than that it plows it in the intersections because the front lip is very low. The advancetrac has done really well for me so far. My wife pimarily drives the car and she has no trouble with it at all.

The premium gas requirement is a kicker for some. Paying extra for gas all the time kind of sucks but you get used to it.

 

[steagle]

but the positive side to that is you treat your fuel system and ultimately engine better by giving it premium fuel and the price difference really isn't all that bad. let's say it's 3.80 a gallon for premium instead of 3.60 for regular and you fill it all the way up, 18 gallons. that's $68.40 for premium and $64.80 for regular. less than a $4 difference. i know in some cities the gap is wider, like 30 cents between premium & regular, but we're still talking only a $5 difference. for the long term benefits on your engine i think that is a small price to pay. if you put in low quality gas you will require more frequent maintenance on fuel system and engine parts. the higher quality gas pays for itself after extended use.

 

[steagle]

oh and joe to answer some of your questions. i believe HIDs came stock on the LSE model only but i am not positive. i have never seen them stock on base LS models. as for problems, well the LS has a handful that's for sure, but mostly the Gen1's. i see the common issues being ball joints, lug nuts stripping way too early, window regulators dying way too early, thermostat & cooling system inadequacies (i know people that have been through 4 thermostats, others who have been through 3 coolant reservoirs, without heavy duty miles) and of course the misfire issue though that was mostly cleared up in the Gen2.

it's a great car if you are attentive to it and fix problems before they get worse. it will cost you though, i don't feel that it was designed as meticulously as other cars in its class. i am very suspect of certain Ford parts and while this car drives better than any Ford i've driven, it still comes down to craftsmanship and some of it is lacking in the parts department. on the other hand, it's never a problem finding a Ford part. and there are tons of LS enthusiasts out there trading and selling custom parts so it should keep you busy for awhile

 

[chriswells78]

Yeah, $4 per fill up, 1.5 fillups a week = $24 per month. Like I said, you have to run it and it sucks. He wanted opinions on the car, not a thesis on why you run premium fuel.

 

[EmpireSix]

Fuel consumption is still part of the car isn't it ?

 

[joegr]

I have HIDs (stock) on my 2006, and normal headlights on the 2004. I really don't see much difference between them. Both are considerably better than some of the other cars I have had (in terms of lighting up signs and the road).

BTW the only difference between 93/91 octane (premium) gas and 87 (regular) is the octane. The LS engines need the high octane, but don't be fooled into thinking that premium gas is "premium" or better in any other way.

 

[steagle]

I have HIDs (stock) on my 2006

i stand corrected!

BTW the only difference between 93/91 octane (premium) gas and 87 (regular) is the octane. The LS engines need the high octane, but don't be fooled into thinking that premium gas is "premium" or better in any other way.

absolutely. gas octane is dependent on the engine's compression needs, not for any performance gain.

 

[chocolat1701]

Were HID's standard on any years, or just optional? Are they significantly better than the halogens?.

they are only options on 2003 t0 2005 and standard on 2006, there is a big difference in lighting performance, i live in NYC and i travel to rhode isaland all the time and at night the HID light up the i95 extremely well alot bettter than my wifes car that has holegens and i even upgraded the holegens with PIAA ultra white lights and HID is still crisper and it doesnt make my eyes hurt for driving alot. so def get some HID's but if it dont come with it they are cheap now so just buy some on ebay or our good friend LSKONCEPT

Any common problems that people experience?

the regulators and the coils are still a big issue but not as bad as the pre 03 ones.

How's your LS in the winter? (applicable to nortern people, please)?

make sure you get advance track it really is a life saver, if the snow is thick dont stop or your stuck and avoid hills at all cost. keep some salt in your trunk to take it out of parking just put some on the rear wheels front and back and then punch it it will get unstuck in no time.

Any extra suggestions or tips are greatly appreciated.

if you can get a 2006 go for it these cars are really cheap right now and since you seem to be going for the LSE 2006 are all LSE other than that try to avoid 03 cuz of the coils issue of the +03 models these are the most prone to coil failure but ford now warrenty's the coils for 03 model year only to 100k miles so if your going to get 03 that issue is covered once you drive it hard your going to trade your fiance for your acura this car can really move.

 

[Johnny Cash]

Joe5.0, it looks like you now have a good feel for the good, bad and ugly when it comes to the LS. As with everything in life; How much are you looking to spend for this future purchase? I have an '04 LS8/ultimate for sale. I will be moving back to Michigan in two weeks. I've lived in FLorida the last three years....the car does not know what 'snow' is...yet. Sorry I do not have pics but you can search for 04, LS, black within 25 miles of 27519 on Autotrader and you'll find my car. Good Luck in your LS Quest.

 

[Joe5.0]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

I dont really care about the use of premium, because my Acura & Cobra take premium, and it really is a marginal price difference for better performance.

I did not know the 06's were HID stock, thats a big deal to me.

Actually the reason I like the 06 alot better is the exterior. I like the LSE style bumpers alot more. Plus they are all V8's, so if I find one I know it should be pretty loaded.

Is this a decent deal? I know I could get them down a little too (all used cars have at least 10% that can be negotiated).
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...ional&paId=254173470&recnum=0&leadExists=true

I like that its silver with black interior, and its hella low mileage. I like black better, but I have dark blue and my cobra is black, and it gets so tiresome trying to keep 3 dark cars clean all the time.

 

[02V8Sport]

Good Deal Joe, go get it, love the black interior!

 

[GWL]

oh and joe to answer some of your questions. i believe HIDs came stock on the LSE model only but i am not positive. i have never seen them stock on base LS models. as for problems, well the LS has a handful that's for sure, but mostly the Gen1's. i see the common issues being ball joints, lug nuts stripping way too early, window regulators dying way too early, thermostat & cooling system inadequacies (i know people that have been through 4 thermostats, others who have been through 3 coolant reservoirs, without heavy duty miles) and of course the misfire issue though that was mostly cleared up in the Gen2.

it's a great car if you are attentive to it and fix problems before they get worse. it will cost you though, i don't feel that it was designed as meticulously as other cars in its class. i am very suspect of certain Ford parts and while this car drives better than any Ford i've driven, it still comes down to craftsmanship and some of it is lacking in the parts department. on the other hand, it's never a problem finding a Ford part. and there are tons of LS enthusiasts out there trading and selling custom parts so it should keep you busy for awhile

HID headlights were an option that was not available on the LSE models. I had to order mine and install after delivery of my new 04 LSE. I know they were an option on the Ultimate model but am not sure about others except the LSE.

 

[SoonerLS]

they are only options on 2003 t0 2005 and standard on 2006, there is a big difference in lighting performance

There is a big difference between HIDs and the standard halogens, but HIDs were not standard equipment on the LS in any year. They were a part of the Elite package in '06 (and they were probably included in other packages in previous years), but they were not standard equipment.

If you find a car with everything you want except HIDs, you can buy the Xetronic digital HIDs from Ken at LSKoncepts. I have them in my '06 (which came with the standard halogens), and there is an incredible difference between them and the OEM halogens.

 

[LS4me]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

I dont really care about the use of premium, because my Acura & Cobra take premium, and it really is a marginal price difference for better performance.

I did not know the 06's were HID stock, thats a big deal to me.

Actually the reason I like the 06 alot better is the exterior. I like the LSE style bumpers alot more. Plus they are all V8's, so if I find one I know it should be pretty loaded.

Is this a decent deal? I know I could get them down a little too (all used cars have at least 10% that can be negotiated).
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...ional&paId=254173470&recnum=0&leadExists=true

I like that its silver with black interior, and its hella low mileage. I like black better, but I have dark blue and my cobra is black, and it gets so tiresome trying to keep 3 dark cars clean all the time.

KBB trade-in value is ~$15-18K, depending on condition. I would use those numbers as a baseline for an offer. Retail is ~$24K.....

 

[Joe5.0]

Went and drove an 05 LS8 and a MKZ today. I wasreally surprised how much better the LS handled, especially the steering felt sooooo much tighter. Of course its faster, but I was really dissapointed in the transmission in the MKZ. It was downright lazy compared to the snappy quick ratio shifts of the LS.

On another note, regarding the HID's; If I cant find them stock and were to retrofit HID's into the halogen housing, how is the beam pattern? I know with some manufacturers the housing/reflector is different between HID/halogen, and I dont want to cause alot of glare by putting in HID's.

Also, it seems REALLY hard to find the premium & elite package. I'm assuming not too many cars were ordered with it?

 

[SoonerLS]

On another note, regarding the HID's; If I cant find them stock and were to retrofit HID's into the halogen housing, how is the beam pattern? I know with some manufacturers the housing/reflector is different between HID/halogen, and I dont want to cause alot of glare by putting in HID's.

I don't know for sure about the reflectors, but the halogens and HIDs use the same sealed housing. If you look at the bottom side of a standard 2nd Gen LS halogen headlamp housing, you'll see the indentation where the HID ballasts mount.

 

[tank386]

HID headlights were an option that was not available on the LSE models. I had to order mine and install after delivery of my new 04 LSE. I know they were an option on the Ultimate model but am not sure about others except the LSE.

HID's were an option on LSE's in 04 and 05.....seen a few V6 LSE's around here too, one with HID's......i live in canada....that might make a difference

 

[GWL]

I don't know for sure about the reflectors, but the halogens and HIDs use the same sealed housing. If you look at the bottom side of a standard 2nd Gen LS halogen headlamp housing, you'll see the indentation where the HID ballasts mount.

If you use aftermarket HID instead of the factory HID you will be in the same position that many after market add ons create. HID bulbs in standard reflector housings are technically not approved for "highway use" and are advertised in fine print as off road only. Many on the board have installed them without problems, but it is a fact that the reflectors designed for HID bulbs are focused differently than halogen reflectors. This "technically not authorized" status also applies to E-code halogen headlights that many, including me, have installed on older European cars imported to NA.

BTW, I stand corrected on the issue of HIDs being optional in 04. When I ordered my car, that is what I was told at the time, but I recently found an old 2004 sales brochure that does indeed list them as optional in the LSE models.