Cougar Support Group - Chats On...

dgemini · May 2003

Wow, I don't post for about a week and there has been only one post!

I remember when this was one of the most popular boards on Edmunds!

Sigh!

Thanks for the well wishing. I can't wait to be home to. I heard that 75 Spanish troopers lost their lives returning home from Afghanistan.

I guess you can't stop praying until you step foot in your home....

maui2k3 · June 2003

Back in January 1999 I spotted the Cougar in Motor Trend and I knew I wanted one. 9 months later and two months of painful delays, I had one of the first ones in my area of North Carolina. So almost 5 years later and nearly 82k miles, I think I am ready to retire the Cougar.

I have a loaded Laser Red V6 with all the bells and whistles. However, the car has started to show some age. The engine still runs very good, but it does have some noise (squeaks) when going over speed bumps in the rear end (bushings???). Also, my check engine light is on and I think it relates to a new oxygen sensor I need (CD changer is on the blink as well). The seats have held up well with the Leather, but they have never been the most comfortable in the world on long trips (although what car is really comfortable for 10 hours straight).

One major disappointment was in 2001 when I backed into a mail truck. Damage was minimal but in order to sell my car for top dollar, I will need to replace the rear bumper.

The problem I have today if I fix the few things that keep the car from like new condition is what to get next? I like BMW, but I do not like their price. I like the Mazda 6 sort of... The Acura TSX has a great interior but the exterior will put you to sleep. The G35 coupe is sweet, but it still sells for 35k and that is about 5k above my budget.

Anyone have good suggestions for a new car? Trade in is not an option - the Acura dealer wanted to offer me $4000 - what an insult. I know I can sell it for 8-10k based on the going price for this car used.

barhender · June 2003

Well folks, I haven't been in touch for quite some time, but I wanted to let you all know that it's been a pleasure reading and contributing to the CSG.

Yesterday, I sold the Cat to someone who I hope will enjoy it as much as I have.

My new car? I picked up the elusive Accord 6-speed coupe. I hope it's as much fun as the Cat.

seeya~

mjr_c2 · June 2003

Hello everybody. I have a 2001 blue C2 Coupe which I love, but I drive about 86 miles a day and have developed a major pain in my right leg from driving it. I'm wondering if anyone else has had a problem like this? The seat edges meant to hold you in are very hard (I find the whole seat pretty hard), and I think this is causing my discomfort. It has caused me to think of changing cars already even though I've barely had the car 2 years (though it already has 44,000 miles on it). I have had no other problems with the car.

ksuwildcat001 · June 2003

I have an 01 C2 Cougar and I haven't noticed any problems with my seats. I've done a 12 hour road trip several times in my car and been prefectly fine afterwards. Do you have the cloth or leather C2 seats? Mine are the cloth seats.

mjr_c2 · June 2003

Thanks for replying. Mine are the leather seats with electronic adjustments which I believe are different. I didn't realize they made some C2's without them.

burnsmr4 · June 2003

I still check in here every few weeks. I barely ever visit Edmunds.com, though, because my '02 Subaru Forester S has been so reliable. You know the old saying -- never hear anything from anyone until there's something to complain about.

I was glad to get rid of my '99 Cougar V-6 back in 2002. It was nothing but headaches for me. I think I got one that the janitorial staff put together up in Michigan. Like they all got together one night after cleaning toilets and decided, "Hey, guys. Let's see if we can put one together!"

My Subaru has been ultra-reliable, with only one minor initial hiccup and a single recall after 1.5 years and 24K miles. With my Mercury in the shop so much for window leaks, I only made it to about 10K in the first year. I barely hit 36K in three years of ownership, and I love road trips. :-\

Anyhow -- hope everyone is OK. Sounds like folks are all moving on. Keep posting every so often here. Kind of neat to see who's buying/driving what.

Did anyone ever find out what happened to badulah?

burnsmr4

ksuwildcat001 · June 2003

The seats are identical other than mine are cloth covered. Same design and everything. Full power controls and everything. I even have the side airbags. I just didn't want black leather seats with the hot and humid summers we have, so I opted for the cloth. I actually am glad now I did. They liven up the interior since the entire center section is french blue. Only the bolstering, headrest, and backs of the seats are black.

mjr_c2 · June 2003

Actually, the leather hasn't bothered me. It holds up very nicely, and doesn't get as hot as other interiors I've seen. I also put a sunshield on to help. I am looking at Subarus (Impreza, WRX) which are cool but have a few missing features for me (fold down seats in the sedan and moonroof in the wagon). I am also looking at the Mazda 6 for more comfort. The Nissan Altima looks great, but there are a million on the road.

fish8 · June 2003

I also wonder what happened to badulah......I hope he is ok.

fish8 · June 2003

who was badulah's side kick? Was it lefty? where is he?

gustafsc · June 2003

Hi Gang!

Thought I'd drop by and tell the latest adventure.

Started hearing a groaning noise from the front end when leaning to the left on the wheel when making lane changes or bucking the road crown. Thought it might be something simple like a steering portioning valve.

So, I took it in to the dealer's service dept. After they lost my keys and I had to deliver a second set the next morning (they eventually found them), the analysis was done and the tab was estimated at $940.00 for wheel bearings, spindles, and tie rod ends.

Needless to say, I said, "WHEEL BEARINGS AND SPINDLES?? THEY'RE SEALED UNITS AND SHOULD LAST NEARLY THE LIFE OF THE CAR!!!!" Well, the service manager agreed with me, especially as I've only got 43K miles on the car. He said that he's see what he could do to make things right.

The final outcome was an after warranty adjustment by Mercury, the dealer, and me. $200.00 out the door, they ate the rest.

An unususal problem with an even more unusual outcome

The Cat now rides and steers like new, so with a little luck, should be good for a long time.

Now, if I can just keep from being clobbered by the idiots out there......(3 hits so far)

Skip G.

lmigliore · June 2003

My '99 Cougar is sitting in the driveway. Been there since June 10. Gonna stay there till August or so. See, I was riding my bicycle and some unknown event flipped it and I broke my left hip. Hard to use clutch when I can't put any weight on my left leg. As it is, I just got upstairs to the computer tonight.

Anyway, as far as I remember, the cat runs great and the Michelin Pilots are a major step up from the factory tires. Someday, I'll drive it again.

Karen_S · June 2003

OUCH! :-(

Sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you heal quickly.

gustafsc · June 2003

Just goes to show "Exercise is hazardous to your health!!!! ;-b

Get well soon!!

Skip G.

P.S. At least have somebody exercise the car once a week to keep the juices flowing. That's what I did when I broke my leg last year. My son made me nervous as hell behind the wheel, but we both survived.

radracer · July 2003

Anyone know when they last built the S version?

ksuwildcat001 · July 2003

They NEVER built the Cougar S. Mercury killed the S before it ever hit the market.

lmigliore · July 2003

Well, they're still making the Cougar S but it's called the Jaguar X and costs $30K. Aside from some interior upgrades, the main difference between the Cougar and the Jaguar is that they advertise the Jag.

dgemini · July 2003

Hello All,

Just got back from Afghanistan! Drove the kitty and it is driving great!

It is so good to be back in the states on a high speed internet connection!

maui2k3: Where are you in NC? I am in Fayetteveille. My kitty also has over 82,000 miles. I plan on driving it until it falls apart!

Later All!

Karen_S · July 2003

Welcome home! :-)

lmigliore · July 2003

My left leg is healing and the doctor allowed me to put some weight on it, so I tried moving my car after 6 weeks. Fortunately, the cat started right up. I was able to get around the block and shift a few times before the leg started to complain. Everything in its time, I guess.

The cat is spectacularly dirty since it's been out for 6 weeks; I think I need to take it to a car wash so I can see out the windshield. There's nothing better looking than a clean black Cougar, but a dirty black Cougar with pine needles all over is a horrendous sight. Good thing there's wax between the paint and the crud.

gustafsc · July 2003

Welcome home, and "Well Done"!!

Skip G.

ccavsman · July 2003

Recently, the last 3 days, when I start the car,
all my instruments(speedo, tach, etc.) spike.
The car is not spiking itself though. This morning
it wouldn't start right away, felt like a power, or starter problem. Finally after a couple turns of the key it started, and spiked. Runs fine. Any
body have that experience?

lmigliore · August 2003

Bleak, bleak, bleak. Cosmic debris.

heyen · August 2003

I've got a 2000 cat and in the last 2 days, the instrument cluster has spiked. The needles on the tach and speedo go all the way over and then back down. car sounds great and runs fine. Called the dealer, they say it's normal (I'm 98% sure it's never done this before in 3 yrs), but if it keeps it up, bring it in!!!but it's normal;)
this only happens at startup.
anyone have any thoughts on this?
Thanks

blane · August 2003

heyen:

My '99 Cat has never "spiked" the needles in the last 41,000 miles. IT'S NOT NORMAL. Make the dealer do his job correctly with a proper diagnosis.

Gutsy · September 2003

Thought I'd give this post a try before going to the dealer to have them program a new remote for my 99 cougar. My son lost the remote, and I just purchased a new one. The parts manager said to to follow the instructions in the manual to program it. Well.. there are no instructions in the manual.

Does this have to be done by the dealer ... or is there a way for me to do it?

Any help to save me $80 or more fopr the dealer to program the new remote I purchased would be appreciated!

Dave

mouse409 · September 2003

Hi people, have not checked in for a long time. Where's the Badman and Lefty? My cat (99) just turned 22k.

I noticed a couple of old names, and a lot of new ones. Oh-well just checking in.

lmigliore · September 2003

This group has slowed to a crawl, as you can see by checking the dates of previous posts. Your '99 has even fewer miles than mine (34K). Keep it on blocks for the winter?

I guess we drive special non-interest cars now.

mouse409 · September 2003

yes Imigliore its on blocks in the winter. We drive a "Hot" Subaru in the winter. Actually it has been a very good car.

I sure do miss the old group though. Lake Placid and Lime Rock was a blast!!! Ah for the old days can't believe my 99 is 4 years old, and only one small dent (which has been fixed) and a scratched wheel (been replaced) @ $330. But I now have a spare wheel!!!

=^..^=

krnch · September 2003

Nice to hear from you, Mouse. I stop by here every couple of weeks just to see if any of the old group have posted. Havn't seen lefty or badulah post in years. Literally.

gustafsc · October 2003

Well, I guess that you could say, that after 4-5 years, the new enthusiasm wears off and the cat becomes a daily driver. A fun daily driver, but still your normal ride.

I wish I could say that I haven't had much of a problem, but for a while, I though that I had big Bulls Eyes painted on the car. The only original body parts left are, the hood, two front fenders, roof, and passenger door. Everything elese has been replaced. Good thing that my dealer's body shop is good and the car looks just fine and runs straight.

Another problem that could have gotten expensive except for, "A one time warranty adjustment", was the failure of my front wheel bearings. You know, the lifetime sealed bearings that never need greasing. Started getting a low groaning noise with the steering off center or making gentle turns. Thought it might be a problem with the power steering, but NO!! I wound up paying a $200 deductable and FMC took care of the rest.

Took a nice little vacation wandering around in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. Did about 750mi in 9 days and averaged 27.8MPG. Not too bad.

As for socializing, I did make the Y2K Cougarfest @ Flat Rock. Had a good time and enjoyed meeting other owners and enthusiasts.

Later,

Skip G.

gcougar · October 2003

I have a 2002 Cougar that hasn't given me any problems in the 20 months that I have owned it. Two days ago the car stalled at a stop sign. When my mechanic tried to fix it, it appeared to have a totally dead battery and the starter wasn't working. When he replaced both the engine blew thowing a rod threw the oil pan! It appears that engine was locked up and having the new starter did the final damage. I'm 4K miles over the 36K warranty but think that Ford should help bear the cost of fixing this mess. The car has had the oil changed regularly and has had zero problems up to now.

Has any one ever heard of a fairly new Cougar having a blown engine?

Any one have any ideas on how to get leverage with Ford to warrant the repair?

Looking for some ideas.

gcougar

gustafsc · October 2003

As a suggestion, talk to your service manager at the dealer first and give him the complete story. If you don't get any satisfaction, the next step would be the regional service rep.

With any luck, they'll work out the same kind of "One time adjustment" that I got. It acts like the extended warranty with a $200 deductable.

If you've been working with the dealer from the start, they'll be more likely to take care of you. If they havn't seen you since you took the car off the lot, the chances may change. Having the thing go bad while at another mechanic's shop might not help either.

Good Luck!!!

Skip G.

fish8 · November 2003

I agree with Gustaf. Since it sounds like you had your car worked on by your own mechanic, I would say there is a slim chance Ford/Mercury will pony up money for a repair. I am sure they will try to blame your mechanic for the problems.

advocatus · November 2003

Hello Everyone,

I used this site back in 2000 and chatted with you nice folks, when I was debating if I should get a cougar or something else... i was sold, and have loved my cat ever since. 2001 V6 with 42k on it. Well I finally have a concern, I've been lucky so far. I was wondering if you guys could help me out.

These occurances happened around the same time, however I have no idea if they are related.
1. I fueled up at an out of the way gas station that was priced much lower then the other stations.
2. I noticed a whiff of a smell, like when my mom's old station wagon was burning "Catalytic Converter" it was brief, but enough for me to go... what the...
3. My OBD II system light came on, "On Board Diagnostics System" light. The light came on and has been on since a time around the whiff and during the out of the way fueling.
4. My cat hesitates, and sputters at about 1.5k RPM, regardless of speed. Basically if I am slowly accelerating it will sputter, however if I depress the accelerator harder it's just fine.

The manual says that this light will come when malfunctions occur in the emission system. The manual suggests these as possible explainations: 1. The vehicle has run out of fuel
2. The fuel cap may not have been properly installed and tightened
3. Poor fuel quality or water in the fuel.
So naturally I guess #3. I ran that fuel completely out of my system down to 18 Miles of fuel left, and refueled at my favorite quality station... two weeks later the light is still on. The car hesitates much less.. maybe 1-2 a day and only when I'm driving cold.
Now I'm at my ends and am considering taking somewhere to have the system code checked, but everywhere I see they want 50-60 dollars just to hook it up.

Any suggestions? Is this the oxygen sensor?

krnch · November 2003

Sounds like something that happened to me once. I filled up at a station I don't usually use. They were advertising that their gas "cleaned out your engine" as you drove. Shortly after I filled up my check engine light came on. It turned out to be a blown oxygen sensor. During the repair, the dealership extracted a sample of the gasoline from my tank. It was grey in colour. "Bad gas" according to the dealership. I was still under warranty and they fixed it without any charges to me. Perhaps the Cat's oxygen sensors are sensitive to bad gas.

gustafsc · November 2003

Considering the timing of the problem, and the change in symptoms after nearly running the system dry, bad gas is a fair guess.

If there's water in the system, pouring a couple of bottles of HEET (or equivelant) into the tank to absorb any remnants might help.

If there was dirt in the gas, you may have a problem with the injectors, in which case it could get a little expensive. But, seeing as the sputtering problem is tapering off, you could get lucky and it'll clean itself. Injector cleaner might help.

Another trick to try would be disconnecting the negative battery lead for a while to let the brain blow it's mind, then re-connect and let it idle for a while to re-calibrate.

If none of the above help, you'll probably have to get it analyzed and fixed the hard way.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Fish8/krnch:

Good to see that there's still a few of us monitoring Edmunds and trying to help those in need. ;-)

Skip G.

advocatus · November 2003

Okay so I called Mercury just now and the helpful guy gave me some information...

I had error code P0401 EGR Flow, I had a check engine light...
and my car was sluggish and jerky...

He told me that there is a recall program for that part and named the symptoms...(the light and the jerky acceleration) and that the emission system has a warranty of 5years/60,000 miles for this part (EGR Pressure Sensor)... my car is a 2001 and has 41k miles on it... so I can take it to the dealership and get it fixed, parts and labor for free...

Thanks Everyone for your help. It's nice to see that there is a community of 'us'. Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

gustafsc · November 2003

Congratulations on your good luck in having a problem that's stil under warranty. Hopefully, they won't try to sell you a bunch of other services along the way. (We're not too cynical about Mercury service, are we)

Skip G.

advocatus · November 2003

I didn't have any problems at Fiore Motors (FLM) in Norristown Pa.. suburb of philly. They were professional, polite and quick. I got the part fixed in under an hour. In about a week I'll be sure they didn't screw something up.. as long as everything still works... and why on earth would we be cynical about Mercury... I mean they are still proudly making our cougars to this day. heh

David

gustafsc · November 2003

Who?

Us? (Not much anyway)

Understanding that the Cougar had to change or die along with the basic platform on which it was built doesn't make our orphaning any easier.

What I would like to see is a Cougar badged and bodied version of the Mazda 6. It's got the engine we should have had available in the first place and the sedan versions have been very well received.

Skip G.

Skip

rogertc1 · January 2004

Picked up a Cougar with only 57,000 miles in show room like condition inside and out for $3000. Fantastic shape. I may get the front brakes worked on after I pull her out of storage in the spring. (Don't want to get salt.) Any way I have a Suzuki X-90 4X4 for the winter. I did fail to say one thing about my Cougar XR7 however. My cat is a 1979.

stageleft · January 2004

Wow, what a year. This is the first time I've posted since early last year, I think. It looks like everyone is doing okay, and that's a good thing. Funny how life gets you caught up in all the non-CSG stuff.

Anyway, I did attend CougarFEST this year at VA Beach and it wasn't the show it's been in the past but there was a really good turnout. NECO (New Edge Cougar Owners) is thriving and they're waving the flag for all of us Cougar owners.

I've just cleared 52k on the Cat and it's still a really good vehicle. I paid it off this year and it feels good to be a true owner! I've also made major modifications to the suspension system in regards to preparing it for Auto-X season in the upcoming summer. I still have to add brakes and other possible upgrades to this or that, but on the outside the car has not changed. I still enjoy being a unique entity on the road and there's not much out there turning my eye away from my beautiful Cat.

One of my new year's resolutions this year will be to participate more with the CSG again (I think I said this last year and look where it got me :-), but will really try to keep in touch from now on.

It is really good to hear that everyone is doing okay, barring any problems with the car, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Happy Cougaring!

Stageleft

Karen_S · January 2004

Good to see your typeface again, Stageleft. :-)

krnch · January 2004

Nice to hear from you again. I no longer have my Cougar, but I stop by here from time to time to see if any of the old gang has posted. I traded my Cougar for a 3.5 Altima after my son was born. It has crazy power, but I miss the sexiness and sportier handling of the Cougar. It's cool to hear they're still running Cougarfest even after production halted. Maybe I'll pick up a vintage one some day. I still think it has collector potential. Good luck with your Auto-xing

Cheers!

krnch

gustafsc · January 2004

Good to see you again!! Wondered where you went to. Glad to hear that you're still playing with you cat and have more plans for it. I'm just nearing 50K, and havn't had much in the line of recent problems. The RKE system decided to die while on vacation last Fall by blowing it's fuse. Replace fuse, blow fuse. So, I still haven't bothered to get it fixed. I used a key to get into my cars for 40 years, I can still do it. Maybe this Spring.

Have you heard from or seen Badulah recently? He also seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth.

SkipG

lmigliore · January 2004

I have a '99 V6 manual. Recently, the battery light goes on around 6000 RPM; it goes off when the revs drop below 6000. Is this a sign of trouble?

gustafsc · January 2004

I've read that this may be an indication of alternator or belt problems. How are you revving to 6K when the limiter is programmed for 5600? ;-)

Skip G

lmigliore · January 2004

I get a few more revs than that. Per the manual, the highest continuous RPM is 6700 and the maximum intermittent RPM is 6925. You have to spin these things so they'll get out of their own way.

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