Lincoln MKC Spied In Final Form

Click Here to see the spy shots of this new vehicle and to read the article about it.

Source: autoblog.com

Lincoln To Resurrect Old Nameplates For China?

Judging by the success that many luxury automakers are currently experiencing in China, it's no surprise that Lincoln plans to take advantage of the situation by peddling its wares across the Pacific. Lincoln will open its first Chinese dealership next year, but potential buyers there won't be mucking through the same alphabet soup of car names found in American showrooms. USA Today reports that Ford's luxury car division could revert back to legacy names (like Continental and Zephyr) in China while keeping the MK_ names here in North America.

In speaking to Ford exec Jim Farley during the LA Auto Show, USA Today says that Lincoln could switch its naming structure as models are refreshed. Farley didn't confirm that the naming revamp would be a China-only decision, but article leaves little hope that American buyers will get to see the return of classic names anytime soon.

Why would Ford rehash old Lincoln names for China only? Buyers there seem to have a better historical associations with the nameplates than in the US. Chinese also still hold Lincoln in high regard, associating the marque with use by prominent government officials.

Source: USA Today

Most Extravagant Options On Luxury Cars

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Here's a test to determine if you're ultra-wealthy or just a regular old Joe. What do you do if, on a sunny but cold day, you really want to drive your convertible?

A. Realize you can't bend the world to your desires, and drive the convertible, but with the roof up.
B. Wear a hat and gloves, and turn the heat up full blast.
C. Make sure you're driving a Mercedes-Benz E350 convertible with a $3,000 option that will keep your ears warm.

The truly rich will go for C. The rest of us might have to go for another option that's not even listed here, driving the one and only car that's working today.

Rich people have good lives, and carmakers want to make sure they're never, ever inconvenienced. So they offer lots of pricey options to make sure rich people have back massagers, scented air and even foot rests as they speed down the road.

Cars.com looked through high end car makers spec sheets to find the most extravagant car options on the market today. Click through to see what how the other half lives.

Mercedes-Benz Airscarf -- Mercedes-Benz E350 Convertible, $3,270

Sticker Price: $59,070
Invoice Price: $54,935
Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway

The idea is so simple and elegant it had to come from a German carmaker. The Airscarf is exactly what it sounds like: vents on the tops of the seats in the convertible direct warm air around the head and necks of driver and passenger, creating a cozy sensation even on chilly days. The Airscarf is controlled by computer to calculate the ideal air temperature for your speed. No need to wait for the heater to warm up, the vents use energized ceramic particles to heat the air around you quickly.

Reclining Rear Executive Seats -- Lexus LS 460 L, $16,400

Sticker Price: $72,140 - $81,925
Invoice Price: $66,368-$75,371
Fuel Economy: 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway

The back seat was once where younger siblings, children or fair-weather friends were banished. That criteria gets flipped on its head in the Lexus LS. The LS feels more like a mini limo in the back, with DVD players and swivel tables. Engage the retractable ottoman and lean back in the reclining seats and it feels like home. Hit the massage button for the full executive treatment. Now that haughty front seat crew are more like your chauffeurs.

Massaging Seats -- Audi A8, $4,000

Sticker Price: $75,100 - $135,900
Invoice Price: $68,844-$126,388
Fuel Economy: 18 mpg city, 28 mpg highway

Not only does the Audi A8 provide massages, but has three settings to achieve the exact amount of relaxation required during a long stay in traffic. Audis are known for their smart and sleek interiors, but it's under the hood where the A8 pops. The Audi A8 is an impressive blend of performance, technology and luxury. It has a 372-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine that is capable of propelling this big sedan from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.7 seconds.

Magic Sky Control -- Mercedes-Benz SLK350, $2,500

Sticker Price: $55,400
Invoice Price: $53,681-$57,540
Fuel Economy: 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway

The Mercedes-Benz SLK350 features the world's first electrochromatic roof. The Magic Sky Control can transition from opaque to transparent and anywhere in between in a matter of seconds by sending specific currents through the light-blocking crystals sandwiched in the glass. A clear roof gives the driver the feel of having the convertible top down, without all the troublesome wind noise.

Auto-Closing Sedan Doors -- BMW 740Li, $4,800

Sticker Price: $77,600
Invoice Price: NA
Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway

Gone is the uncouth sound of slamming doors for BMW owners. The 740Li is a big luxury sedan, both inside the passenger compartment and under the hood. The refined, powerful V12 engine kicks out 535 horsepower, enough to turn any driver into jelly. After driving this beast you'll need help standing up, let alone closing the door. Luckily the 740Li does it for you. With just a slight push,the door mechanically locks itself into place.

Illuminated Star -- Mercedes-Benz E350, $550

Sticker Price: $54,400
Invoice Price: $50,592
Fuel Economy: 21 mpg city, 22 mpg highway

When is a Benz not a Benz? When people can't tell if you're driving one. In the dark, why, it might as well be a Lexus. Avoid this embarrassment by adding the Illuminated Star option to your new E350. The famous Mercedes-Benz star on the grill is outlined in a halo of glowing LED's, letting the world know you paid for fine German engineering, day or night.

Custom Interior Parts -- Porsche 911, $165 to $2,570

Sticker Price: $84,300 - $181,100
Invoice Price:  NA
Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway

Porsche has an endless collection of interesting options to choose from in the interior of the popular 911. The fanciest include interior packages which will ad touches of carbon, mahogany, brushed Aluminum or Alcantara - a suede like composite material - to your interior. Everything else is covered in super smooth high grain leather. From adjustable ambient lighting to painted air vent slats, nothing is too good for a Porsche or its owner.

Stryker Red Paint -- SRT Viper, $14,600

Sticker Price: $99,885-$122,385
Invoice Price: $94,434-$115,134
Fuel Economy: 12 mpg city, 19 mpg highway

Each Viper is carefully painted by hand before they're shipped to customers. Stryker Reds don't come down the line very often, but when they do the candy apple red car is mesmerizing. The paint is a striking statement, but then so is the car. And really, what's another $14,000 on top of a $100,000 base model?

Selectable Cabin Fragrance -- Mercedes-Benz S550, $350

Sticker Price: $98,000
Invoice Price: $91,140
Fuel Economy: 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway

Part of the Air Balance Package, Mercedes offers drivers four different signature scents inspired by the world whipping by your car. Nightlife, Sports, Downtown and Freeside were all created by Mercedes-Benz resident futurologist Sabine Englehardt. They call it the first "automotive room scent", and it works kind of like a Glade plug-in air freshener. Except more expensive. The system turns itself on and off at regular intervals, making sure your nose never gets fully acclimatized to the smell.

Active seat bolsters -- Mercedes-Benz E550, $660

Sticker Price: $60,400
Invoice Price: $56,172
Fuel Economy: 16 mpg city, 26 mpg highway

If bracing for the Gs in your 402 horsepower luxury sedans seems passe, you could always go with active seat bolsters. The seats are kept level by computer controlled springs bolted underneath. When the turn is extreme, the seats equalize to keep passengers level. The active seat bolster can be turned off as well, to give drivers the full feel of the car. The E-Class sits in the middle of the Mercedes car line, between the compact and affordable C-Class and the big, flashy S-Class. It's the company's best-selling car worldwide, partly because of the car's slightly more affordable luxury.

Source: aolautos.com


 

Happy Thanksgiving

Older Lincolns

Ford Motor Company acquired the Lincoln Motor Company in 1922. Ford wanted to add a luxurious and prestige Lincoln car to their production. Edsel Ford took the luxury car line under wing, hiring a number of coachbuilders to contribute styling ideas, most notably Ray Dietrich, a founder of LeBaron, who created a special body division of Murphy Body to make Lincolns. By 1929, the Lincoln Town Car was built, and Lincoln was the equal of any of its American car rivals in styling and engineering.

 

1985 Lincoln Continental 

1930 Lincoln Model L

Source: ClassicCars

 

How do you close a stuck open moon roof on a 97 Lincoln town car?

Answer:

 

I actually own a 97 town car signature and had this problem just hours ago, and wanted to share my fix online. My sunroof/moonroof was stuck open, and it pulled the visor/cover with it, so that the visor and the glass were both pulled back under the roof. Usual operation will leave the visor cover accessible, but this time it was jammed back there with the glass so I couldn't get to it. I tried to grab it with needlenose pliers and pull it out to no avail. I tried to pull the glass while hitting the switch, also to no avail. Pressing the rocker type control switch one direction made a faint clicking noise, while the other direction did nothing. So I drove home and looked up a fix for this, but found nothing specific to this year of town car, much less any real answers anywhere for any type of town car.

I did find out which auxillary fuse (it's actually a CB or circuit breaker fuse) powered the moonroof, I found this in the owners manual that I was able to download online. I checked that but don't really know how to test it since it's not a standard fuse that is either visably blown or not. But it also controls the power windows. My windows still work, so I don't think it's the circuit breaker. So eventually I went back out to my car and tried to clean the tracks but they weren't very dirty. I then noticed a blank panel plate in the roof of the car inside over the rear seat. It pops right out with a flathead screwdriver and reveals the moonroof motor.

Remove two screws, slide the motor around back and forth a bit until it drops down. Above, where the motor was, you'll see a round metal stud/peg with teeth on the outside diameter of it. Get a pair of pliers or vice grips and gently clamp down on this toothed wheel/cog stud. Don't strip the teeth on it. Turn it the direction which allows it to move, I think it was counter-clockwise if I remember correctly, just make sure that it's turning and you're not stripping the teeth. Continue a few turns and try to push the now freed up glass back to the front of the vehicle. Push it as far as you can and then turn that toothed cog until it stops turning that direction. That's what I did, and it worked.

I also wondered if it would seal and so I got a bucket of water and poured just a 1/2 gallon or so around the moonroof on top of the car, around the seals, looked inside the car and saw no leaks. Then I poured the whole bucket and still saw no leaks. I'll probably diagnose this further when I get a chance and see if I need to replace the switch or the motor, but for now I at least have a sealed car that I won't have to worry about rain or theft.

I'm still amazed that I was unable to find an answer to my problem online. But it feels good to be the first one to post a fix for this very stressful problem that requires an urgent fix for all those who experience it. I also saw in other places that people called dealerships who wanted $1000 to replace the motor or $200 just to manually close it for a temporary fix. So hopefully my post will save some people some money. It was very easy for anyone halfway mechanically inclined.

Source: Wikianswers

How do you set the key less entry code on the door?

Answer:

Open The rear hatch door, not the glass but the complete rear door. Somewhere on the metal around the bottom you will find a five digit code on white tape. Take this code and enter it into your keyless entry. Immediately hit the 1/2 button on the entry and then put in your own five digit code, and you will hear a light sound. Lock the keyless entry with the last two buttons 7/8, 9/0 buttons. And then repeat the new code that you have entered, it will open the door.

The factory code will always stay in the memory of the keyless entry pad. It is best to remember this code but you can enter ant five digit code you want using the information listed above. However if you put in a code of your own and the battery goes dead or is disconnected the keyless entry will only use the original factory code.

Keyless Entry

1/2 3/4 5/6 7/8 9/0  The buttons look like this on the key pad. Let's say that the factory code is: 12345.
You will touch with one finger the 1/2 twice, the 3/4 twice and the 5/6 once in less than three seconds. This will open the drivers door. Then press the 3/4 button if you want to open the other doors. And if you want to open the trunk press the 5/6 button.

If you have entered a code other than the factory code you will use that number instead. Let's say the number you put in was your birthdate: 08/26/1960, You can use only five numbers and you want to use a number that you can remember easier. So use 82660, and now when you punch in the code you will press these numbers. 7/8, 1/2, 5/6, 5/6, 9/0 and your driver door will unlock. To unlock the passenger door press the 3/4 button or if you want to open the trunk instead press the 5/6 button.

If you can't find the original factory code you can go to the Ford/Lincoln Dealer and they can get the original factory code for you. There will be a charge to you for this service. You can ask the Service Writer what the charge will be before the work is done.