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Cougar Support Group - General Maintenance

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Comments

  • gustafscgustafsc Member Posts: 361
    I agree as to the 1/2 shift point. 1/2 ratios are pretty close, and taking it to 7K puts you over the top of the torque curve. Shifting at about 5-5.5Krpm drops it to about 4K which is right in the fat part of the curve. At least that's what my calibrated accelerometer tells me (seat of the pants).

    Try it, I think that you'll feel the difference.

    Skip G.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Dasaint1:
    The Duratec can actually be revved up to 8500rpms, but it stops producing HP at 8,000rpms. Stock you can rev it up to around 6,800, but with the chip the limiter is pushed up to 7,500rpms.

    Skip:
    I'll give it a shot sometime this weekend. My friend from England will be visiting me for two weeks starting next Friday. We plan to attend an auto cross or two, so i'm sure we will experiment with shifting at different rpms.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    Dasaint1:

    We switched to metric in 1976.

    Badulah:

    I am talking distance not speed (e.g. 1/4 mile). If you hit 7K rpm in 1st (even 5K for that matter) when you shift to 2nd the instant you release the clutch you will get the same effect as down shifting because you will have gone beyond the range of the gear. You may hit 60mph first but while you are recovering from the drop to 50mph I'll be waving by-by.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    So what you're saying is that I'm doing okay in the first-second shift by getting the secondaries open and busting the 5K for maximum torque build-up for the 2-3 hammer drop? Cool.

    And just so you know, that puts me at about 53-57 mph (depending on the launch) but unlike Badulah, can't get the Cat to hit 60 in 2nd without having the chip. That's mostly better for line racing.

    And to defend myself, I don't just go around "racing" anyone. We all know that the Cat is a great handler at high and low speeds. But we all know that the boy-racers (and girl-racers too: been seeing more and more) only really care about that 0-60 trap, so I believe the mentality is that if they can beat you off the line, they can claim superiority, but can't necessarily keep up around a 50mph 90 degree. I love to drive. :^)

    But Monday I'm going to have the dealer check out the light thing once again, I have some theories that I'm going to explain so maybe they'll have some direction as to where to look for the problem. Odd, isn't it? How a service shop sometimes needs some help if the problem isn't obvious like a sparking wire or something. I'll let you know.
  • lizzyc37lizzyc37 Member Posts: 1
    Hi fellow Cougar owners. I'm a senior in high school and I was accepted to a college on full scholarship. My parents said that if I decided to go to this college, they would be able to afford a new car for me. That's how I just got my Cougar V6. I got it with 7k miles on it. Understanding the cicumstances of them buying the car for me because I went to college on scholarship, instead of going to others that I was accepted to that they would have to pay 20k-25k a year on...does that mean I'm spoiled? NO! It's not fair to make it sound like any kid whose parents buy them a car is a spoiled brat.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    The questions are what kind of car would you have bought if you had to pay for it yourself and which college would you have chosen. For me the car was a 74 Nova hatchback with no engine bought at a junk yard for $200.00. Add $300.00 for the engine bought at the same junk yard, and another $200.00 for labour and you can imagine my first car. And I went to the university of my choice.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Camelard:
    You wouldn't happen to be going on the LP trip, would you?
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    I wish I could make LP but unfortunately I have a conflict (drat those summer weddings).
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    So a wedding is more important than the CSG?

    Where are your priorities?
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    If you come to our LP gathering, we will set up a Dragon Boat race in your honor right in Lake Placid.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Enjoy your new Cat. Treat her well. And most of all, wash and wax her by hand. Only then will we drop the "spoiled brat" label.

    Congratulations and good luck!!!
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    That is soooooooooooo sweet of you. Unfortunately I am in the wedding party so can't really blow it off. Having picked up the dress recently I suspect I am going to look a lot like that purple Kia Badulah is still trying to recover from. Purple is one thing but purple satin with crinolines, in JULY?!?!
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Madness, I tell ya ... madness. I say that summer bride's maid dresses should fit with the weather conditions so that everyone is more comfortable at the ceremony. After all, it IS the bride's day, so she should be the one completely covered in cloth on the hundred degree days. Oh well, we'd love to have had you there.

    Start planning for the Cougar Fest 2000 though, there's enough time between now and September 16th to get ready for it. It's in Flat Rock, Michigan: Birthplace of our Cats!
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Oh, the topic is General Maintenance, sorry. :^)

    I picked up my Cat at the dealership last night, after they successfully diagnosed and solved the mysterious battery light blink. Apparently my alternator went kaput. Don't know why, but it did. I got the revvs up after they fixed it though, and there's no problems at all. I feel much better about that. Also, like someone mentioned before, I had them order a new handbrake boot because mine was getting pinched and torn from all the use.

    Overall, a good dealership experience.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Stageleft:

    I hit 5K on the rpm yesterday on 3rd gear while merging into the highway. I kept an eye out for the idiot light but there was none. Thank goodness!!

    Camelard and Badulah:

    What is up with purple? There's nothing wrong with that color. Actually I like it. I saw this metallic purple (plum) on a custom pick-up truck and man, did it look good. I wish my Cat came in that metallic purple.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Dasaint1:
    There is nothing wrong with purple. I just have a problem with purple Kias, especially if I have to drive one for 9 days.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Dasaint:

    Actually, that's the most common time I hit over 5K is in 3rd gear merging on the highway. Man I love that 3rd gear!
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    Purple is actually my second favourite colour. I just don't want to spend several hours is masses of pouffy purple satin overtop of layers of picky polyester crinolines in 36 degree celsius heat in July. The thing is so huge I couldn't get in the Cat in it if my life depended on it.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    5K in 3rd gear while merging on the highway. Yup, that's about right for me too. I am so glad these cars don't have idiot shift lights.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Me too!

    I remember the first time I ever saw a shift light on something other than a drag-car ... It was a friend's older Escort, and everytime the light on the dash flashed, I screamed, "SHIFT!!!" at him. So he used to drive really slow because he hated me yelling at him. I thought it was funny, though ... :^)
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    StageLeft:
    LOL! That's funny!!

    My '87 Dodge Charger had a shift light. It was useless.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    I have had three cars with the idiot light and in every one it was on constantly. Fuel efficiency is one thing but 4th gear at 50km/30mph come on!!!!!!! I learned to place my hand on the steering wheel just so.......so that it was blocking the blasted light.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    I got a call from my dealership this morning. According to them all the parts to my sunroof are in. I'm taking her in on Monday for the repair and hopefully I will get it back later on that evening.

    Cross your fingers, here we go again.
  • ldolinarldolinar Member Posts: 3
    Help, help help --- my new Cougar wants to quit running at stoplights. It only happens when the car has been sitting outside for eight hours or more. This is very frustrating, esp. since this is my second Cougar in a few months. The dealer took back the first one because it wouldn't start under a lot of different conditions, and I don't think they wanted to put a lot of time into the wiring harness. Anyone else have stalling? Any GOOD ideas from service departments?
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Has anyone replaced their 37.5? or 50? or 55? Watt fog light bulbs with 100 Watt bulbs? I've bought them, but I'm concerned about the additional heat melting the plastic lens housing.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    ldolinar:

    Your stalling condition is not common to 1999 - 2000 Cougars. Has your dealer checked for stored failure codes in the computer?

    Checking here doesn't indicate any commonality with your problem:

    http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/servicemmy1.cfm
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Idolinar:

    I agree with Blane that this is not a problem we've had much talk about here. I'd take a drive to the dealership and have them check out the computer codes, timing, and air/fuel mixture.

    Good luck. I hope things work out for you. Where are you located by the way, because for some reason I want to say your region may have gotten a bad batch of Cats. I'm basing that theory of course on your mention of this being the second Cougar you've had.

    Keep us informed.

    Take care!

    Blane:

    I replied to your bulb post over in the Bigger & Better topic, but my suggestion is that you call Ford directly, they tend to answer questions about thier products.

    Good luck with that, too!
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    ***disclaimer*** author is an electrician apprentice, information given is for general electricity not specific to automotive applications ***disclaimer***

    I'd think twice before going to a bigger bulb. The fog light circuit was designed for the factory bulb's wattage. Installing a bulb with higher wattage isn't adviseable. Watt = power x work. Simply saying, the bulb is going to cause the circuit to draw more amperage (short term=minimal side effects, long term=electrical problems) or more power (which robs other accessories). Not to mention, the bulbs will probably burn out faster.

    just my educated guess...
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Thanks for the inputs guys. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried the 100 Watt route. I'll do some more research.
  • ldolinarldolinar Member Posts: 3
    The Cougar is back from the dealer, and they found nothing in the computer codes. The same thing happened with the first Cougar -- there were never any codes. I guess I'll just have to keep going back to the dealer (I live near Canton/Akron), but I don't have a lot of faith.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    I've still got my fingers crossed for you, Idolinar. Sometimes repetition is better than faith, however, as the mechanics may find something different one time that they hadn't thought to check before. Good luck.

    Other than the stalling, how's the car running?
  • benisembenisem Member Posts: 30
    Ok, I am in need of advice. As far as oil, my previous car I had it changed every 3000 miles and that was fine but I was never picky. So, when I take it in for an oil change, I tell them to use synthetic? I am sorry for this being such a dumb question but dealing with service people I tend to feel a bit intimidated.
    Also, what is the general consensus on gas? Regular (87) Plus (89) or Premium (93)? Obviously, some people with mods must use 93, I do not have any mods... I was thinking Plus but just wanted to get an idea.

    Cheers,
    Denise
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Since you are not running a superchip you should use 87 octane. If at any time you hear any unusual noise, switch to 89. The Cougar is rated to use 87, but I have heard a few cases where 89 was needed.

    I change my oil every 5,000 miles, but I am using synthetic. If I were using basic oil, I would do it every 3,000 miles. I don't know if your service department will use synthetic. You will have to ask the service manager about that.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    When I first got the Cougar I used regular 87 Octane gas. On my last fill up I switched to low sulfur 87 Octane which is a new offering by McEwens here in Ottawa. I did this primarily for environmental reasons but I have noticed that I have been getting better mileage readings on this tank.

    Is there a connection between the lower sulfur and the better mileage or is it just because the car is broken in more now?
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    benisem:

    If you plan to change your oil as often as 3,000 miles (Ford says 5,000) then you would be wasting your hard earned money buying synthetic oil. Normal name-brand high-detergent oil of the proper viscosity will do all that anyone could reasonably ask. Change your oil filter each time too.

    Here's what Ford says about the proper viscosity for your Cougar, whether 1999 or 2000:

    Service Bulletin Number: 99816
    Bulletin Sequence Number: 642
    Date of Bulletin: 9905
    NHTSA Item Number: SB606420
    Make: MERCURY
    Model: COUGAR
    Year: 1999
    Component: ENGINE
    Summary: FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW RECOMMENDS SAE 5W-30 VISCOSITY GRADE FOR SERVICING ANY FORD GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MODEL YEAR. *TT

    Synthetic oil is designed for much higher operating temperatures than you would experience in normal city and highway driving. It might also make sense for those who think that extended mileage oil changes make sense (I don't). If you are going to drain it from your engine after 3,000 or 5,000 miles, the claimed longer life is immaterial. Most of the benefits of synthetic oils are derived from the higher profits to their producers and sellers. That's why there is as much marketing hype as there is.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    I know Ford recommends 5W30 year round for both the Duratec and the Zetec but I still have my doubts. In Ottawa we have an annual average temperature range of 35 Celsius to -40 Celsius ( 95 F to -40 F) and I find it hard to believe that the same viscosity is suitable for both extremes.

    This may be because the zetec in my ZX2 seized at 18K miles on a 95 F day running with 5W30.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Blane:
    Some may say that draining synthetic oil at 5,000 mile intervals is pointless, but I believe that synthetic truly extends the life of an engine. I have always used synthetic, and all of my cars ran well in to the 200,000 mile range. My father has also used synthetic for over 12 years and all of his cars ran for very long periods of time (all of which were American cars).
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    I recommend using regular oil for the first 10K if you're planning on using synthetic later on in the life of the vehicle. The reason is that engines typically like to break in on regular oil, because it does break down, and really works itself into the vital engine components that need it to such as rings, seals, and cylinders. After you feel you've gone long enough on regular oil, when you make the change to synthetic, I recommend a first synth oil change at 3K after you put it in, to sorta clean out the residue from the regular oil, then switch to a cost-reducing 10K miles between oil changes. I've run (not in the Cat) synth oil up to 15K miles, and still had it drain clean (in my 93 Geo Storm), so I can attest to the long life benefits of synth oil.

    That's my recommendation, you'll probably never hear that from a mechanic (I think it's because they want you to spend the money on frequent oil changes more than their claim of engine longevity).

    Take from that what you will, as this is my opinion ...

    Good luck, let us know what you choose.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    stageleft:

    If you go for the 10K oil change interval, you should still change your filter at 5K or 7.5K to keep the solid contaminants under control. As I recall though, one or more of my earlier car manufacturers recommended the opposite. They said to change the filter at every OTHER oil change, but the oil change schedule was probably 5K.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    Here is my understanding. If you use synthetic oil you can go as long as 20K without an oil change but the filter should still be changed every 5K (ie: regardless of what kind of oil you use the filter has a life span of it's own which is approx. 5K)
  • dgeminidgemini Member Posts: 161
    I just took the plunge and had my 25,000 mile oil change with Castrol Syntec. I decided to go to synthetic after reading this article.

    articles.http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/synth_oil.txt

    I also found some smaller articles as well, but this one was the most in depth, and gave some outstanding examples of just how good synthetic oil is for a cars engine.

    Like Badulah said, synthetic reduces wear and tear on the engine, which causes it to last longer.

    It also causes a car to run cooler, and can in some instances lower a car's octane requirement.

    Go to Go.com, enter synthetic motor oil, and read some of the articles you will find, I am sure it will convince you.

    I had the oil change done at Wal-Mart. For only slightly more than an oil change at Jiffy Lube using natural oil I got a synthetic oil change.

    Hope this helps!
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    I popped the question to my service manager when I was taking delivery of my cat, and he said that Ford has accepted a synthetic oil, and any problems caused by it will be covered under warranty. It's the synthetic version of whatever brand they use.....so at about 12K...it'll be synthetic for mine...
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    I tried the regular 87 octane on my last fillup and my mileage performance for city driving dropped. I seem to be getting 11.3litres/100 KM on the regular and 10.7 litres/100 KM on the low sulfur. The FMC rating is 11 litres/100 KM. This suggests that I am getting performance that exceeds FMCs rating on the low sulfur. Has anyone else had this experience?
  • ldolinarldolinar Member Posts: 3
    Other than the stalling problem, the car is great --- I absolutely love it. I just picked up a Penn State Nittany Lion paw print for it.
    And good news for me: the dealer says they are getting other reports of stalling from other owners. While I don't wish this problem on others, maybe it'll get more attention and maybe there will be a solution ultimately.
  • dgeminidgemini Member Posts: 161
    In too have experienced better gas mileage with the lower octane gasolines.

    However, I will also add that I think my car runs better with 89 octane which is why I switched back to it.

    I have noticed that my car runs smoother since I switched to synthetic oil, and it is also a little cooler based on my totally scientific hand to the hood test.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Although i'm no expert on topics like this, I was under the impression that higher octane fuel burned more completely leaving less carbon residue inside the engine thus causing better gas mileage.
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    I am afraid I buggered up the whole low sulfur thing. What I was referring to was a comparison of an 87 Octane to an 87 Octane with lower sulfur content.

    In the province of Ontario the average sulfur content in our Regular Unleaded gas (87 octane) is 500 parts per million (ppm)one of the highest in Canada and among industrialized nations. A local independent has started offering a low sulfur gas which contains only 150ppm. This is available in both 87 and 92 octane. The sole advertised benefit is a significant reduction of toxic emissions (ie: greenhouse gasses)which is why I started using it.

    What surprised me is I now seem to be getting better gas mileage and I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this with lower sulfur fuels.
  • coolchickcoolchick Member Posts: 174
    In these days of high gas prices, I found out a little tip that I never considered before.

    Fill up early in the morning or late at night. In the middle of the day, the gas is warmer and expands, so a gallon by volume actually is lighter in weight -- therefore less product -- than a cooler, unexpanded gallon.

    I have noticed that I don't get the same distance out of a tank filled in the middle of a hot day as I do with a tank filled early morning on a cool day.....like about 40+ miles difference!
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Wow. I'll have to pay attention to that in the future.
  • gustafscgustafsc Member Posts: 361
    PSU, Huh?
    My wife's father was an alumni, and a native of State College, Pa. She's got more cousins in that area than you can shake a stick at.

    As a matter of fact, we were back visiting last year for a week. Stayed at the Autoport out on Atherton. Had a good time, and also had a lot of fun driving up and down the mountains on the twisties. Even got to take in an evening of sprint car racing at the Clinton Co. fairgrounds.

    Hope you aare enjoying your new cat as much as the rest of us.

    Skip G.
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