2001 LS V8 Issues

M

MichBiz2001LSV8

Registered
Hello fellow Lincoln owners!

So, I bought a 2001 Lincoln LS to keep the miles off of my lease vehicle... good idea... maybe not.

I purchased my Lincoln LS with just over 78k miles notice a knocking sound before I purchased and thought for the price it was probably something simple like a strut or something... well big mistake! $1,000 later I was told it was the sway bar bushing... UGH! So, it has all new parts in the front suspension I guess that is good now that it has about 100k on it now.

Recently, and maybe someone can help me diagnose the problem before I take it to the dealership to get ripped off, the car has a very hard time starting and fill up with gas fumes. I also am having a problem with a strange sputtering when I am accelerating and usually going up hills. I only put 91+ octaine in the car. I am also having an issue where the battery dies very quickly, I am replacing the battery tomorrow but was also told that there is a battery saver that is bad...

Any help or feedback would be great!

Michael
 
Umm sounds like you have several issues at hand.

1. Don't take the car to the STEALER. You WILL get ripped off.
2. $1000 for a swaybar bushing?! You have got to be kidding me... is it made out of diamonds?! Or are you ommiting other parts that were also replaced?
3. Do you have a check engine light?!
4. The 3.9 V8 is NOTORIOUS for having ignition coil and leaking valve cover problems... both of which could be causing the condition you're describing.
 
1. I am trying not to but it seems I have no choice.
2. I did omit everything else they replaced... such as the ball joints (which are $250 a piece because it includes the arm), Tie Rod Ends, Shocks and a few other parts... P.S. the bushing isn't sold seperatly by Ford, you have to by the sway bar too!
3. Yes, after the battery died it came on.
4. I heard about the coil pack problems, I guess what the CE light says will determine what I need to do.

But, I don't know why the battery dies with in 10 minutes of the headlights being on... isn't there some sort of battery saver or is my battery just bad and its dead before the battery saver thing turns the lights off.
 
You need to get famliar with sites like www.rockauto.com and get in touch with one of the ford vendors on the site they provide significant discounts over buying from the stealer.

Get the CE light read asap to determine next steps.

Also sounds like you got a really bad ground somewhere... you would have to start checking with a voltmeter.. very tedious job.
 
i have the same knocking issue as you and thats why im on this site. when i drive the car it sounds like something is loose. can someone please tell me what these knocks are. my steering is still tight and the alignment is perfect.

as for the coils i need to replace mine. does anyone have a suggestion on were i can get a set and not have to sell a kideny? thanks
 
The knocking could be the front strut mounts or struts themselves. If you hear the noise only when going over bumps (small and large) it could very likely be the front struts.

As far as the coils go, you don't need to replace them all, you could have just one bad one. Scan the codes and see if you have any before doing any engine work.
 
Be aware that the ball joints are now available on EBay. You will need to remove the front suspension arm and have a shop press the old one off and install the new one. The ball joints are about $60 new each.

Have you changed the fuel filter? It's located behind the drivers front wheel plastic shield. Fuel pumps can and do get weak with age. Remember the LS has two fuel pumps. One is a transfer or jet pump that keeps the two sides of the fuel tank even. The main pump provides the fuel to the engine. They are not hard to change. Lincoln did us a favor by putting a hatch under the rear seat. So you can change the fuel pumps with out getting under the car!

Probably NOT front struts. Change the sway bar bushing first. A very common problem and pretty cheap to fix if you stay away from the dealer!

Check for oil in the spark plug wells. I recommend changing both valve cover gaskets, 8 new plugs and 8 new coils. Coils are on EBay for about $160 a set. They are factory parts and work fine. Have been installed in many cars! The LS does NOT have coil packs! Individual COP for all 8 cylinders.
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Oh....see, this guy already paid the dealer $1k to change the bushings (and sway bar)! Yep, individual coils, so no need to buy EIGHT! :)

"Don't fix it if it isn't broken!"
 
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