Cougar Support Group - Bigger & Better

stageleft

I saw the same one. Must just be a generic DC-area Mercury ad. At least the Cat's in there!

xandra

I've read some entries from people stating they were having problems with the engine light being on and jerking...I bought my little baby last August, she's been in the shop 136 days and counting...I've had the fuel system replaced twice, and two different mechanics just tell me they have no idea...It jerked so bad once when I was out of town, I had to have her towed to a local dealership, they had the car 48 days! Has anyone else had the jerking problem, if so what happened?

gustafsc

WOW!! Sounds like it's time for L/M to cough up a replacement under the Lemon law.

Xandra, get pissed, get hardassed, and get even. They owe you big time.

Skip G.

stageleft

I agree with Skip, contact your local lemon law representative immediately! And make sure you have the paperwork that proves it's been in the shop that many times and for that long.

badulah

Yeah, don't wait any longer. This is CRAZY!! You should get a new Cat with no problems as long as you have the paperwork to prove this.

daexpert

Yes, I agree with them. Go to your dealer, be strong and very affirmitive. Tell them that this car is no good for you any longer and that you are fed up with it. Tell them that you deserve a new car beceause of all the problems you've gone through with it. It's tough trying to get the dealer/Ford to cough up a new car but they'll do it. I know what it's like to go through all that hassle, I learned from personal experience.

malibu

Knowledge is definately an asset..do as much research as possible re: lemon laws in your state and go in prepared and stand your ground, there is no reason you shouldn't come out with a new car. Good luck and keep us posted.

mws0520

Fredly - re: Cougarfest
Only 70 people? We hope there will be a lot more there. The brand team will be there as well so you can meet yours truly. We would not open up are facilities if we did not support this. Be sure to check out the website for more info
www.cougarfest2000.com

Xandra - I would be interested in knowing the history behind all of your problems (I'm the Cougar Brand Manager in case you did not know). Please send me an e-mail. You can click on my alias above to get my address. Be sure to include your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

Hope all is going well for everyone!

stageleft

Thanks for checking up on us MWS. It's always good to hear from you!

According to the latest email I received from the Cougarfest folks, only 78 or so Cougars are signed up to attend. I'm having trouble getting on the site today though, so I can't verify by counting the list.

badulah

Plus the Mum brother will be there, along with a few Cats FMC will have on display.

fish8

Within the next month I am going to get the 15,000 service done on my Cat. I called the dealer and asked how much it would cost and what was going to be done. They said they would replace my air filter element but not the pollen filter. I thought that was odd so I looked in the maintenance guide and it said the opposite. It said to replace the cabin filter at 15k and the engine filter at 30k. I told the service rep this and he was short with me and said "if their dirty we'll replace them". When have you all replaced your Pollen filters? I have already replaced my engine air filter, so that does not need to be done.

sherwinc

My Cougar is actually in the shop right now for its 15K service. That includes oil and filter, rotate tires, and the cabin POLLEN FILTER. They have not touched my air filter, nor suggested they will do so (I have that air filter checked at every oil change and it has been fine).

It was my understanding the pollen filter should be changed at 15K. Fish8 or others, should we be changing the stock filter before 30K?

camelard

That would make us practically neighbours. I am in Arlington Woods West of Greenbank and North of Hunt Club (behind Greenbank Mall). My Cougar is Silver Frost with black interior. Silver Frost and the two reds (sounds like a 50's band name)seem to be the most popular colours in Ottawa.

chicky43

Camelard and Malibu: Thanks to both of you for your advice. I'll check again on the rebates, and Camelard, I'll remember to bend at the knees!

camelard

Your welcome and good luck. I am sure you will love the Cougar as much as we do. I know I haven't enjoyed driving this much in years.

spartan93

You are correct regarding replacement intervals of the engine and cabin air filters. What is more surprising than the "service" department being wrong is their unwillingness to do the work at your request (you are paying, aren't you?).

I replaced the cabin filter when I had the Contour. It was about $30 for the filter, they gave me the exploded view of the housing, filter, etc...and it only took about an hour (and I'm no wrench-head, not that there's anything wrong with that) to replace with few tools. I don't know how much different it is for the Cougar, though. Something you may want to consider.

duewa

Hi everyone-
The first cougar I saw was a convertible. Awesome. I inquired and was told that they no longer make them. Sigh! I've tossed around the Honda, Toyota, but I still remember the glee when I spotted the Cat.

I am just starting to do serious research. Can any of you seasoned owners ("all" input welcomed) tell me the pros and cons, cost, etc. about the car. I've only owed foreign vehicles, with the exception of GM models, so I'm a little nervous.

Thanks in advance for your help.

daexpert

What do you guys think? My friend in his 2000 Honda Accord V6 says that his car will easily overtake my MXT V6 kitty, what do you guys think? I know the Accords have a lot of pep to them but they are also heavier, I want to show him what the kitties are capable of, what do you guys think? = ) I don't want to race and lose to an Accord, yikes!

coolchick

duewa:

Hi and welcome to Cougarland

What I love about my kitty (not necessarily in order of preference):

*Looks of car and looks I get driving kitty
*Quick handling and really sticks to the road
*Braking ability
*Traction control option
*Can haul a ton of stuff even odd sizes & shapes
*Incredible amount of car for the $$$$


Cons? A very few:
*Bigger than expected "blind spots"
*Headrests don't go quite high enough to suit me
*Moonroof opening could be larger
*People pull up too close on my bumper to get a better look at the car

coolchick

I forgot another pro to the Cougar: Cheap to insure! checked it against several other cars I test drove, and it came in $25 to $130 cheaper per policy term than the others (Celica, Solara, Honda Accord, Accord VTEC, Alero, Passat, and others)

krnch

Daexpert: My dad drives a V6 Accord. I haven't raced him, but having driven both cars, I'd say it would be close, however I think the Cougar would be faster. I think the V6 Accord 0-60 time is around 8.0 seconds flat versus the MTX Cougar's 7.7-7.8 seconds (stock). If the Accord V6 was available in MTX it might be a different story.

Camelard: I also see a lot of Spruce Green cats around Ottawa.

stageleft

Daexpert:

With a light clutch, a quick release and a whole lot of gasfoot, you can blow that Accord away. I do it all the time. In fact (I know some of you will probably not believe me 100%), but I beat up on Acuras all the time (not the Integra though, mostly the CL and TL's). Try it out. I know it's hard when you get beaten, ego-wise, but you'll know what you need to do to beat them next time (although I don't condone road racing - yeah, right ...) ;^)

Duewa:

Go for a test drive at your local L/M dealer. That's the best way for you to see if you like the car or not. Since we all own them, I'm sure you noticed that we're a biased bunch, and will recommend the Cougar anytime anyone asks. We can spout off all day about what we love about the Cat, but until you test drive one, you'll have a hard time understanding the joy it brings each of us CSGers when we get behind the wheel.

Two years and counting, and I've not had any *major* problems. I've been back to the dealership for small things, and the car is holding up rather well (as long as I can keep people for dinging it). I don't have any rattles or squeaks, and the build-quality of mine is excellent. I even like the seats!

That may be of no concern to you though, since you'll probably be looking at a 2001 model (they are just right around the corner from being released), and from what we all understand it looks like they're changing a few things, and refining a few others.

If you're looking for FAST, then wait until the Cougar-S comes out - they should hit dealerships in September, but we hear you're able to start ordering them now.

Good luck, and let us know. If you have any specific questions, post them here, we're good at answering questions. :^)

All:

Just wanted to say hi - "Hi!"

badulah

The Accord V6 would be much better off with an MTX, but since they only come in ATX, an MTX Kitty will take them down. I have done this several times without a huge problem.

Last night I read the Eliminator article in SCC. They really liked it and had a lot of really good things to say about it. This is a major accomplishment since SCC usually only says good things about Hondas. It's to bad FMC won't produce a Cat like that. I know I would save up all my pennys to get one of those.

duewa:
You saw a convertible Cougar? Where? They NEVER produced a rag top New Edge Cat. I would be interested in seeing this in person.

krnch

For those of you that have read the SCC article, did you notice the label on the cross-bracing in the trunk says "Cougar S"? I wonder if this is a preview of something to be seen in the new Cougar S when in comes out.

xandra

I'm going to send in my Arbitration Paperwork Monday, hopefully I'll hear something in the next 60 days...Ford doesn't make it easy for this process to work in the consumers favor. The sour taste in my mouth has definitely given a new meaning to "Lemon".

jayhawk5

For whatever it's worth, here are the numbers from Motortrend:
Accord V6- 0-60 in 7.4 seconds
Cougar V6- 0-60 in 7.7 seconds
So, you can see it's going to be a close race. Probably whoever is the better driver is going to win. Let us know how it turns out.

gustafsc

Thanks for jumping in on xandra's problem.

While my Co's product isn't quite as high a ticket item as a car, we'd have been in a buy back mode a long time ago.

There's no excuse for that kind of treatment if you want to keep any customer good will in the field.

When I was working for a major merchandising organization, we had a saying;

A happy customer will tell 10 people, an unhappy customer will tell everybody!!!!

By the way, if Howard Revier is still around there, tell Him I said "Hi", and although the long wait was aggrivating, I'm happy with my cat.

Skip G.

badulah

Jayhawk:
Although I think Motor Trend is a good source of info, I wonder if they tested an MTX cat? I have seen 0-60mph times of around 7.1 on the MTX.

jayhawk5

Yes, it was a mtx cat. Everything I've seen on the cougar (car and driver, motortrend, etc....) has said 7.7 or 7.8 for a mtx V6 cat. I believe the automatic is about 8.5-9.0 seconds. The cougar S will probably be down in the 7.0 second range. Anyway, this is just what I've read, who knows whether it's right or not!

daexpert

Wow, 7.1 sec? That's pretty quick, I guess it depends on how high you rev the kitty before you drop the clutch eh? I guess a good takeoff is always good. I'll keep you guys updated on what happens, I have no idea why he wants to race my kitty so bad but he's gonna get a beating!!! Thanks for all the info guys! Geez, I didn't think I would get so many responses, I guess we all want the kitty to come out on top. = )

malibu

I have a dumb question, but since I know your cat is also an MTX I thought I would ask you. When shifting I have always let off the gas, I had to in the 4-runner, I notice in the cat it really jerks so I tried shifting without really letting off and it was much smoother, will this hurt the car? I have driven a mtx for 16 years so I know how it's just getting used to a new car that is sooooo much faster than the toyota is weird. Thanks.
Lisa

stageleft

The jerking is caused by high compression. High compression also assists the engine with forward power, so letting off the gas will have that side effect. When I'm powering off the line, I always get that weight shift when I depress the clutch pedal and release the gas, but it doesn't seem to effect the launch much if I get the revs high enough that the next gear won't drop the RPMs below the powerband.

It takes a little getting used to. I drove probably one of the heaviest clutches on the market before the smooth glassiness of the Cat's pedal: a Ford Ranger with the big, 4.0 V6. That pedal was heavy!

malibu

Thanks...I know what you mean about the Ranger clutch, I drove one for about a month while the 4-runner was having work done on it, I killed it 17 times on my way to work. The clutch on the cougar is unbelievable! I had them check it when they changed the oil because I thought something was wrong, the service tech laughed and said he has had a couple cougar owners say the same thing. It's good to know it's just because of all that power that it surges. Thank you!

stageleft

You're welcome. I *think* I got all that compression explanation stuff right ...

badulah

All:
Well i'm outta here for the weekend!! Have a GREAT and safe weekend!!

See some of you at Lake Placid!!!! Everyone else, pray for nice weather.

Rob
AKA "Badulah"
CSG Caretaker

fastback2

When I first bought my cougar, I noticed that the clutch was a little abrupt when it engaged. However, after 25K miles it has smoothed out nicely. I have come to believe that some clutches have a break-in period all of their own.

I agree with stageleft about the engine compression theory. When I downshift into the lower gears (1st through 3rd), I will sometimes tap the gas lightly as I push in the clutch pedal and downshift. That way, the engine speed more closely matches the speed required for the lower gear, reducing the 'jerk' effect. However, this is a technique which does take some pratice.

stageleft

You're right about the practice part. I do a similar technique. :^)

Sometimes it's good to get the engine speed (RPM) to match the car speed (by feel, of course) before you let the clutch out all the way, especially on a downshift.

dgemini

If I just let off the clutch my kitty will lurch too. I have just learned to ease of the clutch a little slowly and this smooths things out.

However, when I am really trying to accelerate fast I just let it lurch.

daexpert

My car lurches too if I let off the clutch too quickly. Usually what I do is that I try to ease of the clutch and give it a little gas right before I let of the clutch completly. That seems to work, but I don't usually do it right so it still lurches a bit, specially going from 1st to 2nd.

camelard

The way I learned to drive an MTX you depress the gas pedal as you are releasing the clutch. (i.e. two foot driving). Is this not the norm?

microkitty

Hello again guys - it's been a long time since I've been in the CSG, moreover it's been a long waiting period to finally get the Cougar in. But now that it's here (and now that I am lusting over the kitty curves) it's time to practice driving a stick shift (it's my first). It was nice to hear that I'm not the only one who has a lurchy clutch. Anyone have any other little recos that I should be on the look out for?

Best wishes to you all from a proud new owner.

gustafsc

I think that most of you are experiencing the dreaded "Throttle Lag" that is a characteristic of this engine. The Contour folk have a fix for it.

What happens is, when getting off the gas for an upshift, the engine holds its revs for a moment, thereby causing a jerky feel when releasing the clutch. A little slower clutch release allows a little slip, smoothing things out.

Blipping the throttle for a downshift is called rev matching, and is the proper way to do things. Otherwise, you can get premature clutch wear. It takes practice and experience to do smoothly and without thinking about it. Don't even bother trying to read the tachometer while engaging in this activity. If you've got time to read, you're doing it wrong!!

Other than that, I'm stil getting comments on my cat from people who don't know what it is. Guy visiting my neighbor for a few days told me that it was growing on him. At first, he didn't know what to make of the looks, but, he said that it gets sharper every time he sees it.

Seems to affect a lot of folk that way.

Welcome aboard Microkitty!!

Skip G.

benisem

So, I am sitting at a light this morning. There are two lanes one for going straight and one for turning left or going straight. I go through this light every morning and typically the person in the left hand lane goes straight and tries to get ahead of the car in the right hand lane. So, this morning i am in the right lane and an explorer is in the left lane.. I am looking at the explorer and I realize he is going straight... not only is he going straight but he tries to race the kitten, and he lost!!! It was great!! he kept trying to make up the 5 foot difference i had over him but couldn't do it..
So, I decided that I am going to have too much fun with the kitten and putting men with SUV's in their places! Had to share, it was just to much fun not to share...

By the way, the kitten has been named Bella.

Cheers,
Denise

daexpert

Alright, SUV - 0, Cougar - 1 !!!! When you race, don't have your a/c on, even vans will give you a run for your money. = )

The race between my kitty and teh Accord will take place today after work, I shall update you guys on what happens. I'm thinking of letting the kitty rev up to 2.5K before I drop the cluth on 1st gear, I think that will give me an advantage of the other car, those Accords have lots of torque.

badulah

microkitty:
Congrats on your new purchase!! Learning to drive a stick can be a bit tricky at first, but i'm sure you will catch on quickly!!

daexpert:
Good Luck today!! I hope you put the smack down in that lame ATX Honda!!

All:
Well i'm all ready to go! Cars all packed, i'm showered and shaved, but no StageLeft. Any day now, any day............

PS - Today is StageLeft's Birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

krnch

In my opinion, you'll get a better launch if you rev up to about 4000 RPMs and drop the cluch. This puts you in the meaty part of the torque curve, above the RPMs where the secondary valves open up. You'll get lots of smokey wheelspin, though (looks cool; bad for tires).

dasaint1

Tsk, tsk...

I thought we (Americans) only had to teach you (Canadians) how to spell correctly, but it looks like you need mtx driving lessons as well.

coolchick

Happy Birthday Lefty!

malibu

Happy birthday to you.....!

I let my friend drive Max the other day, we're driving along chatting and POW..she tags a bird on the passenger side of the windshield, by the bottom corner. She screamed, I yelled and then we both just laughed there was no damage to the car thank goodness, but I'm sorry to say the bird didn't fare so well. Max had feathers in her windshield wipers. The sunroof was open and all I could think of is a dead bird landing inside between us-Yuk! Cat-1, bird-0.

gustafsc

DON'T DROP THE CLUTCH AT ANY RPM.

1. It's bad for the drive train.
2. If you're not at a high enough RPM, the engine will bog down, loosing time.
3. If you're high enough, you'll spin the wheels, loosing time and rubber.
4. Did I mention it's bad for the drive train?

The idea is to smoothly engage the clutch while pressing steadily on the gas, hopefully maintaining your acceleration rate at the edge of traction. You should achieve full engagement about 2.5-3K RPM with the car rolling smoothly and a strong push in your back.

#2 will have your head bouncing off the wheel, and #3 will just have you bouncing up and down.
In either case, you loose the race, and it's bad for the drive train (the expensive bits, don't you know?).

Skip G.

P.S. Happy B.D. Lefty