Want to drive this car to 200,000 miles and using Regular Gas

[RASCARS]

I own a 2005 Lincoln LS Sport with a V8. I purchased the car 18 months ago and have grown to really like it. The car rides well, get reasonable gas mileage for a V8 (about 21 MPG overall on premium fuel) and looks great.

I put about 30,000 miles a year on the car. It currently has 56,000 miles. I know that the transmission needs to be serviced at 30K intervals. I am a stickler for maintenance.

Has anyone had the experience of driving one of these to 150,000 miles? If so, what issues can I expect? Is there anything I should do that is over and above the regular maintenance schedule to assure longevity of my Lincoln? Are there any "Achilles Heels" that I need to be aware of?"
Shocks and Struts, How long can I expect them to last and are they expensive to replace?

And lastly, has anyone had any success running their V8 LS on Regular fuel? My car simply will not perform on middle grade and all but stops running when I have tried a tank of regular. The car sputters and jerks; the transmission slips; it's awful! Maybe one of you has a fix for this?

Thanks for taking time to read this.

I look forward to any and all feedback.

RASCARS

[joegr]

I would stick to the recommended 91 or higher octane. Your mileage will be higher if you do, and it will reduce carbon build up. (More carbon would build up with regular due to the fact that the PCM would have to reduce ignition timing.)
The service manual calls for full transmission fluid exchanges (not just pan drops) every 150K miles. (Go re-read the schedule, there's a foot note at the bottom that says that the 30K interval does not apply to the 55R or 55S transmission.) That said, some like to do it more often. I have it done about every 75K miles. Note that the transmission fluid is synthetic.
Common problems:
COP failure: Expect this every 60 to 120K miles
DCCV failure: More random, but it happens to a lot of LSes.
Plastic cooling system parts, expect them to start cracking by 100K or 6/7 years. When they do, replace the degas bottle too. It will have cracked too, but you may not see it.
Transmission solenoid valve assembly - seems to be more of an 03/04 problem, but it might get you.
Wheel bearings may start going at 100K miles. (so far, only one for me)
Clockspring seems to be a common failure.
The O-ring seals on the VCT solenoids start to seep oil at around 100K.
The position sensors on the driver's seat and the mirrors get dirty after 6/7 years.
I know of a few LSes that are well past 200K and doing well.

[RASCARS]

Thanks for the insight into the "ghosts of Christmas future." I do not have a large technical jargon vocabulary. What are the following:COP, DCCV, VCT solenoids?
I will check with my LM dealer to see what is involved int he complete fluid change of the Transmission wwhen I get to the 75K mark.

I appreciate you taking time to answer my questions. I don't earn a lot of money, so whatever I can budget for in advance really helps.

[joegr]

COP = Coil On Plug - You have one ignition coil for each cylinder. They are $50 to $100 each, depending on where you get them.

DCCV = Dual Coolant Control Valve - This controls the outlet temperatures of the AC on both sides of the dash. When it starts to fail, usually one or both sides will start blowing hot air most or all of the time. It's about $200.

VCT Solenoid - Controls the engine valve timing. They're the round things with connectors that stick out of the top of each valve cover near the front.

Also, sorry but I forgot one. The window regulators are prone to failure due to some plastic parts getting old and brittle and breaking. The regulators are about $80 each.

[RASCARS]

Thanks so much!!

I just replaced the DCCV in January, so that is one item off the list!

The rest of the item look like they will hit as I approach 100K which should be in about 18 months or so. I need to start setting aside some $$$ now in preparation.

One more thought, if you don't mind me troubling you again: I am using mineral oil at each change (at 5K intervals at the LM dealer-they offer a great value for oil/filter changes): would switching to synthetic or to a synthetic blend do anything to assure longevity? I have heard pros and cons. Some say yes it is worth the double the cost and others have told me to save my money.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Many thanks again!

Bob

[joegr]

At one time, then gen II LS required semi-synthetic oil. Maybe that requirement was loosened? Anyway, it is very hard to beat the oil change value offered by the dealer. I do my own oil changes, not to save money (it costs me more than the dealer would charge), but just because I don't want to chance someone messing up the oil plug or something like that.

I use full synthetic, but I don't know if it really will make any kind of difference. It's very rare for a car's life to be ended by internal (oil related) engine failure. Most that I have heard of are timing chain failures and they seem to be related to one or more of the following: 1. Not using 5W20 or 0W20 oil, 2. Not changing the oil at 5/6K intervals, 3. Overstressing the engine by removing the rev limiter, adding NO2, and so on.

I don't know what you've heard about full synthetic, but it's only down side is the expense. I think that most everyone agrees that it is better for your engine, but no one agrees on how much better. Most likely it wouldn't make a measurable difference in life.

I would not use synthetic and extend the change interval. The oil might last longer, but the filter won't and the amount of dirt and acid being added to the oil as the engine runs would stay the same.

[RASCARS]

Thanks again for the info. I am going to double check with the dealer and with Ford to see what they have to say about the type of oil.
I appreciate all the feedback you gave me. I am going to see if I can keep my LS on the road for the next 5 or 6 years.
Again, Many thanks!