Cougar Support Group - General Maintenance

paladin7 · August 2002

This question pertains to my 1989 Merc Cougar that I bought new. Has anyone had to remove the radio or climate controls to replace the illuminators? The manual says I need a Ford removal tool, part number T87P-19061-A. Or I could use a coat hangar shaped into a " U ". This method did not work too well. Has anyone else had this problem? I need lights in the radio for the clock and stations. There are some kind of spring clips inside small holes in the faceplates.I have already had the bevel removed to replace some switches, but I could not figure how to get at the bulbs I must have to light up the heater and A/c controls.
Thanks

stageleft · September 2002

Paladin7:

I purchased a Ford radio removal tool at JK auto parts in VA. If they're around, you may be able to find them again. Otherwise, their not too expensive, and you may be able to find them through Crutchfield (www.crutchfield.com).

Good Luck.

paladin7 · September 2002

Thanks Stageleft,
I found the removal tool from a snap-on salesman. I was able to fix the radio and the other bulbs in the a/c and heating contols.

Thanks for the note.

aatraveler · September 2002

We bought our daughter a 99 4 cylinder Cougar after we leased it for 2 years. She moved from Michigan to Colorado, elevation 7500 ft. The car struggles out there! We just visited and drove it for 2 weeks - with the overdrive OFF. Going up passes, if the rpms go over 3000, the transmission tries to shift and it feels like you've been kicked in the rear - almost shoved forward. We have extended warranty, the dealer cannot replicate the problem. What to do? Any ideas?

harbachj · September 2002

You have a rare beast. Mercury decided at the beginning of the 99 year to not offer an auto with the 4 cylinder because of its poor performance. I believe the only ones made were sold to Ford employees. Having driven in the Colorado mountains, I can imagine what you describe. I suspect there's nothing wrong - just the transmision trying to overcome the lack of power and torque from the too small engine for the car.

Jim H.

spartan93 · October 2002

aatraveler --

Your daughter's issue is more likely related to the calibration. The vehicle was purchased in MI (low elevation) but is now being driven in CO (high elevation). The air is much thinner at higher altitudes.

The 4 cylinder/ATX combo doesn't help, either.

dgemini · October 2002

My Cougar's clutch is slipping, and my remote control no longer works. My car has almost 70,000 miles by the way.

I changed the batteries in the remote...didn't change a thing.

Anyone else have these problems...

coolchick · October 2002

dgemini - did you clean the contacts for the battery in the remote? That may help.

vocus · October 2002

My friend has a 1994 Cougar XR7 V6 with about 61.5K miles on it, that he bought new. He had some bad tranny problems with it in the first 2 years, but that's all fixed now (hopefully).

Anyway, he had new rotors put on it about a month ago. About a week after the rear rotors were put on, this loud CLUNK comes from the right rear suspension. We took it to Miekene and had it checked. The guy said the struts were fine, the brakes were fine, the exhaust pipe isn't loose.

This is driving both of us NUTS!

So anyone have this problem thus far? I think the strut is bad, but the mechanic said they "balanced" the struts and with no problems. My friend doesn't drive that far, and doesn't really wanna take the car to the stealership for this problem.

Any advice? Thanks a bunch!

dgemini · October 2002

I went to a Ford Dealer, he told me the remote was working, that it was something one the vehicle keeping the remote from working. Said he would have to hook it up to a machine and it would cost 45.00 just to hook it up.

gustafsc · November 2002

Heard a little grinding noise from the rear while easily braking.

Took it to the local brake shop for inspection.

The rear pads AND ROTORS are shot. $356.56 to replace. OUCH!!!!!!!

The silly thing is, there are wear sensors built into the pads and should give you a dash light indicating brake problem. Never happened!!!!!

The moral of this story is: KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON BRAKE WEAR. The rears appear to wear pretty quick compared to the front.

Skip G.

lmigliore · November 2002

Yeah, I was surprised too. I had my brakes checked at 30,000 miles and the front and rear pads were worn; what's going on back there? My last car never wore out the rear pads.

At least my rotors were OK.

cfbarbee · November 2002

Something I've noticed on these posts is that few people put the model or type of Cougar they are driving/having problems with, and that makes all the difference in the world. "Moosing" might be a problem on an 00 car, but perhaps is not a problem on an 02. So, it would be most helpful if posters would give the model year they are talking about, type of transmission, etc.

I am looking to get my 19 year old daughter a new (02 now that 03's are coming out to save a little money) car. I really want to get her a Mustang, but she likes the Cougars.

So, can any of you '02 owners (basic coupe with auto transmission) tell me about any problems you've had? And, if you had both a Cougar and Mustang (V6 auto), which would you go with and why? Thanks so much!

aussy · November 2002

in response to cfbarbee:......i have owned my '02 cougar xr since 2 hours after it rolled of the truck......i love the car......i have 19,500 miles on it...i have had 3 problems with it in the last year. 1. limit switch on the rear windshield wiper went out and had to be replaced....2.the bolt on faux scoup vibrated the paint of the hood along the outline of the scoup and the hood had to be repainted(covered under warranty)3. I took the car in for its 3000 mile oil change at 15,000 miles. when i got the car back there was a ticking noise coming from the engine. The engine had to be replaced(also under warranty and took about 2 weeks).
despite these three problems i love my cougar.

vocus · December 2002

I asked a question several posts back about my friend's 94 Cougar that's knocking in the rear suspension. I was wondering if anyone had an idea? Thanks.

coledj · December 2002

i have a cougar 1997 and all of a sudden the overdrive quit working when i push the button nothing happens no light on dash and trans. never shifts into o/d wondered if anyone could offer imfo. on that maybe i could fix myself thank you

paladin7 · September 2003

my windows are starting to slightly fog up. I wonder if anyone has replaced a heater core in these older cougars. It appears that the dash has to be removed to get at the heater box and core. If this is the process, it will be very labor intensive to have it done at a shop. Anyone have any tips? Thanks

vocus · September 2003

I know the older Ford products are known for transmission troubles. A friend has a 1994 Cougar V6 that had its transmission rebuilt 2 times within its first 30K miles. Right now, the car has about 70K miles on it (he doesn't drive alot), and the tranny still shifts very sloppily and bulks at going into reverse.

You might do well to take the car to a Mercury dealership and let them take a look at it. But it seems tranny problems are par for the course in these cars.

vidtech · September 2003

i just got rid of my 86 and luckily never had a problem w/the heater core.the bad news is the dash has to be pulled back to access the heat box.there are some tricks the dealer technicians use to cut down on the work.i watched a former ford tech change mine in my 82 t bird.he did it in one hour and accessed it thru the glove box opening,removing certain dash bolts,loosening the evaporator case and using a right angle air driven rachet to take the top of the heat box off.unfornately ford builds these cars AROUND the heater core.good luck

vidtech · November 2003

can anyone tell me where the TFI ignition module is on a 91 cougar with the 3.8 V6?i looked on the usual spot on the distributor but it is not there.there appears to be a mounting surface but no module.

sscheermo · January 2004

I have a 2001 ZN Coupe that has 3,000 miles. The mileage per gallon is about 14 - 16 mpg. Is there anything I can do to improve it?

ksuwildcat001 · January 2004

That sounds pretty low. Is that city mpg, highway, or combined? Also, auto or manual?

I have a 2001 C2 with the V6 and automatic and I average 25 in city driving and 34 to 35 on the highway. Oh I have 34,xxx miles on my C2.

rogertc1 · January 2004

I just picked up a 1979 Cougar XR-7 in show shape with 57000 miles and I get 20 MPG. Neat car.

jd27 · April 2005

I am looking for a web site or store in maryland, where I can buy parts for the brackets on the sun roof, the brackets that retract the sunroof have broken. Is this a problem I could fix at home. removal seems quiet extensive.
I am also getting a sensor alert for the exhust i believe it is the cataletic converter, any suggestion on where to go for the best deal. thanks

cougar_lover · July 2005

I have a 2001 Cougar and the last time i had knocking in either the front or rear suspension is was the bushings. They tent to go quite a bit. I'd upgrade to aftermarket if you can find some.

cougar_lover · July 2005

Does anyone know where I can purchase a lightened flywheel and stage 4 clutch for a 2001 Cougar? I've looked everywhere but no one makes them for that year. Please let me know a.s.a.p.

Thanks!

ronfre · July 2005

Hello did you have luck with your search on brackets to repair sunroof . I have same problem. thanks

baaddawg · August 2005

Hi All....
My first post... Great and informative forum! Keep up all the great work!
I just purchased a 1999 Cougar V6 for my 16 year old daughter. New driver... first car. After reading many scary reviews in Edmunds on this car is this car really that bad and unreliable? Any feedback either way would me most welcomed.
I pray I didn't put my daughter in a clunker for her first car! She is sooooo excited.

Thanks!!

lmigliore · August 2005

I found my 1999 Cougar V6 (bought new, driven 52000 miles) to be the least reliable car I have ever owned. After incurring $3000 worth of repairs last month (engine control module, sway bar bushings, shifter linkage and fuel pressure sensor) I sold it and got a car that has a better reputation for running.

The Cougar is not exactly a clunker, it just breaks a lot and then it's expensive to fix. For example, my shifter linkage part was $30 but it cost $700 to put it in because they had to pull the transmission to get to it. The light bulb on my clock went out and I was told that it would cost $500 to replace because they would have to disassemble the dash...

It drives beautifully when it's running. Great handling and brakes.

Oh, the rear visibility is awful. Enormous blind spots. That would concern me for new driver's car.

baaddawg · August 2005

Thank you so much for the quick and honest response! For my daughters sake and the sake of our wallet I hope I don't encounter the many problems so many others have had to endure! I did take out an extended warranty for 48 mo and unlimited miles so hopefully that will ease some of the sting if problems do occur.
Although many of the extended warranties leave alot to be desired! Thanks again for your input.

mwootton · September 2005

I am having a similar problem. I would appreciate any information that you can share. Mark Wootton, instructor, Currituck County High School Barco, NC. :confuse:

lmigliore · September 2005

Similar problem to what? You just got a '99 Cougar? My experience is that you should find a good mechanic.

mwootton · September 2005

I apologize, I should have been more clear. I am a high school auto shop teacher. One of my students recently purchased a '99 Cougar. It has a broken sunroof mechanism. We originally determined the motor gear was destroyed, and replaced it. Then we discoverred the reason, the cable & slide system is TOAST. We are trying to find an economical way to repair this problem. The motor was $350.00, and the only option we have currently found on the track & cable mechanism is over $750.00!

We were hoping for any solution less costly, even an aftermarket 'pop-up' to fill the hole. Granted the factory hatch panel is in perfect shape, the expense is the nagging factor...

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Mark Wootton :sick:

lmigliore · September 2005

Your best bet might be a wrecking yard. If there are any Cougars with sunroofs in there, you may be able to pry out the machinery.

dwayneb5 · October 2005

I have a 91 cougar and the check engine light comes on when it's warm outside, but not when it's a little cooler like at night. could it be a mass air flow sensor or what might it be thanks dwayne.

aec9283 · January 2006

I bought used . I got it in April 2002 and it had 32,700 miles on it. But I had to replace tires, brakes, air filter and a tune up by the time 2003 came in. Also, he check engine light kept coming on and the shop said that the transmission couldn't keep up with the engine. (likely story-it was under warranty-therefore they said that I was driving too fast) Then it was on again and the battery light was on this time for 2wks before the shop would even acknowledge that it was. This was the altenator. Then there was a fuel pump recall. But now I need a sway bar. Is this normal for this car? Also, over the summer my car seemed to be jerking and snatching. I checked the transmission fluid and it was completely low. I took it to the shop they put some in-then they checked underneath of the car and the bolts were loose. Then a few wks ago my car wouldn't start it would turn over but it just wouldn't start. i hooked it up to cables and then it still wouldn't start. I had to stomp on the gas for 3-4 min straight before it would start and then it was shaky. THEN....I checked the trans fluid again recently and its low again. IS THIS NORMAL??? I got an oil change and it seems to have oil on my engine (I think) And its making a ticking noise (what can that be?) Then when I lifted the hood-directly under the hood (on the inside of the hood) There is a etched in outline of part of the engine and some black stuff toward my left. Can someone help me pls????

lmigliore · January 2006

I used to have a '99 and have shared some of your problems. Mine ate tires (10000 to 15000 miles on a set) and the sway bar bushings went at 40000 miles. Do you need a new sway bar or just the bushings? Costs $700 to change the bushings so you might think you paid for a new sway bar.

All sorts of things broke on mine which is why I got rid of it.

bobw3 · February 2006

I have a '99 Cougar I bought in Nov'98, so one of the first of the new models. I now have 120K miles. I had to replace two alternators (at 68K & 110K miles), and then at about 115K miles the A/C compressor. All total, I've paid about $3,000 in repair costs (for the above plus some minor stuff) in the past 7 years.

Is this about average?

aec9283 · February 2006

The mechanic told me it was the sway bar and links....but as of now there could be more problems with it. I just haven't had the time to have it checked out. (I'm scared to have it checked)It does shake really bad now. Can you tell me what exactly the sway bar does? Isn't it the bar that holds the axles on? Plus, the stupid throttle positioning sensor is messed up and it has been for a while. But when I had the "waranty" they kept telling me there's nothing wrong, mechanically, with this car, its just the way you drive. Now when I bring it in there's always something wrong. *lol* Tune ups are horrible for this car. I didn't think that it was going to be this bad...I bought it used so I don't know if the person before me had any problems. But it had low problems. And I didn't realize it but the place I bought it had it on the lot for about 11 months and I got it in april 2002 and it only had 32,700 miles. I thought it was the "perfect" car. Before it I had an 1989 Ford Probe (my 1st car) I should have sone some research before I bought it but I wasn't sure what kind of car I wanted at the time then I saw the cougar and I fell in love. *lol* Thanks for your reply.

aec9283 · February 2006

Seems like you are doing better than me. But you were the only owner as well. So, maybe you just got lucky. I have had about $5,000 worth of repairs (in 4yrs this April) and it should be more but I don't have the money to get the repairs done. I have more brakes to do (but I'll get someone to do that on the side so it'll be cheaper) I need a tune up, sway bar, throttle positioning sensor, alignment, and my heater fan makes noise. So that is about another $1,100-1,200 more. And for some reason my engine looks black and I don't know what that is. It was clean a few months ago. So.....I'm sure thats something else.

lmigliore · February 2006

Sway bars are devices that tie the left and right wheels together. I assume that the Cougar has front and rear sway bars but I only needed repairs on the rear one. What they do is reduce body lean when cornering. Your wheels won't fall off if your sway bar fails but the car won't corner as well. With Cougars, the rear bushings tend to fail so you get clunking noises from the back as the bar rattles in its bushings. The bushings don't cost much but it's a lot of work to get the old ones off and new ones on.

The Cougar could have been a "perfect" (or at least really good) car but Ford did not choose to correct its problems or promote its strengths.

balebos · February 2006

I have a 2002 couger with a v6 motor with only 27000 miles on it. Some valve in the oil pan got plugged and the engine could not get oil to the timing chain so it skipped and ate some valves. So of course the warranty ran out 6 months ago and ford wants $6000 to put a new motor in. If anyone has any ideas I would sure appreciate it. Just to let you now the oil had been changed on a regular basis.

tlouly_junk · February 2006

Thx ppl.

mizzoudude1 · April 2006

Hey everyone this forum is a little confusing to me and I had no idea where to post this so here goes nothing. I have a 95 Cougar XR7 with the 4.8 V8. I have changed the fuel filter, spark plugs, air filter, I have added several different fuel additives and I can't even make the back tire's bark a little bit. I don't want to race it but I feel that as a V8 it should have a lot more giddy up and go so to speak. Does anyone else have any ideas on how I can perk her up a little bit. Thanks.

jourednik · June 2006

My 1999 Cougar has three knobs that control the Heating/AC.

-Left Knob is Temperature; works fine, hot to cold.
-Right Knob is Fan Speed; works fine, low to max.
-The Middle Knob; the only positions that work are Off and Defrost. Everyother position on the knob defaults to 'defrost' and nothing comes out anywhere else. If I take it to off, it stops, which makes me believe it isn't the switch.

This happened one day when I started the car up and attempted to put the AC on. Does anyone have any advice where to start? (Please don't say take it to the dealer)

Thanks for the advice, John

angelkist2003 · July 2006

Hey all we just joined this forum. Wasnt sure where to post this but heres my issue. About 3 Weeks ago my GF bought a 93 Mercury Cougar with 108,000 Miles on it. The issues that came up right away she was told by a passing motorist that her headlights blink. Also the radio started to not work right. The 1 thing I thought of was a short or bad ground in the system, but get this the car was low on power steering fluid so I filled it up then the radio started to work fine. Im totally lost on why that is as one should have nothing to do with the other. Last week my gf was accelerating over a hill and started losing power and droped in acceleration, the engine light came on then the car died. I had it taken in to a shop and they replaced the distributor. The car starts and everything now BUT now the battery light is on and the car ran like [non-permissible content removed]. Took it back and they adjusted the distributer off specs(from what there computer says.) until the car ran better they said they checked the battery and alternator and both were fine. The battery light is still on. I also noticed that at a red light when i turn the wheel the volts drop to like 11-12V and the rpms drop some then return to normal. I also have noise coming from the powersteering pump (been like that tho since we had the car). My gf explained to me at one point when driving that the car stop accelerating at 10mph and 40mph and when she pushed the gas a lil more there was no acceration for about 10-15 secs then slowly kick in. Apparently it only happened twice to her, as I have driven the car and not experienced this prob yet. I have no idea if this is an electrical or mechanical issue. Any help would be appreciated.

o2civic21 · July 2006

i am going to replace the tranny in my GF 99 couger the syncronizer has gone out on the stock one. i just need to know if there are any little things i need to have like anything i need besides the tranny (ie. gaskets, pins, seals, grease, etc...) to make this job go smooth :sick:

blue05 · July 2006

I have a 95 that was sluggish until I changed the throttle position sensor and now it feels like a new car .

dyegrl · July 2006

ok,
I have a 99' cougar that I bought about 1 1/2 years ago. Has about 145,000 miles on it (WOW!) but runs good. Any ways I got the A/c rechared and worked great. month later i moved to Florida and the A/c decided to not work on and off half way down. Than it would work on the right two vents and not the left two...than it stopped working all together. Hoping it was just a small leak i took it into tuffy's, they said it was the clutch and they could manually go in and push on it and make it work. They said it would be cheaper to get a whole new compressor b/c cost as much as a clutch plus the compressor would go soon any ways (they say). Just woundering if this is true. Also, if it would be semi-easy to install myself. I know i can buy one for about 150$ verses the 700 they quoted me. (im a college student that just moved here with no money!!! so need some good advice or ill just fry this summer!)

dyegrl · July 2006

well,
I have had the 99 4-cyl automatic for over a year now. The only things I had wrong were old belts and a couple alternaters (90,000/115 ish, and now i think the air compressor. My car has 145,000 miles on it. I dont know what kinda work had been done on it before, but its a nice, stylish car.

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