Hi gals and guys! I'm a chick and I OWN a Citrus Gold Cougar born 3/7/00 from carOrder.com. It glows like a lamp in the sun and doesn't show dirt. I have a unique color on a unique car which fits my artistic nature perfectly and I went from a 1990 Olds Calais to THIS!!! . . . Sheesh! What a difference!
I like the part where the expensive luxury cars drivers lift their sunglasses to see What The Heck I'm Driving and this may sound really vain, but when I pull into rest stops in the Smoky Mtns I sit about 20 feet away and watch peoples' reactions to the car . . . is this sick? And all of a sudden, all the guys at work are especially attentive and friendly. Wow! I kinda like this
I'm checking out the Cougar College Rebate site just to hear the hypnotic, technie-frenzied, jungle beats you play on the site. Man, I love it. Maybe you can send me or sell me the CD where you got these beats. I would love to play them in my Cougar while cruising in NYC, even though I might be a bit old for this. The beauty about this car is that it brings out the crazy kid in you.
Pantha: Welcome aboard. I don't think I've seen you post before. I know exactly what you mean--I went from a '92 Dodge Colt (aka "piece of s$#$") to a '00 Cat. What a dream!!!
At first, it felt weird getting all this attention. People looking at you all the time. But now if I notice someone walk by and not look at the Cat, I'm thinking "what's wrong with him/her!?!" Is that sick???
9Cougar9: Is the Ashgold and the Citrus Gold the same color?
Get used to it. I have been driving my Cougar for 10 months now and I still get stares. That is one advantage to Mercury's lousy marketing of the car.
I am glad that other than a few people who have reported problems that the car has been quite reliable. Even the Car and Driver (C&D) article had to admit that.
C & D is a bad word around here based on a recent comparo that placed it last out of seven competitors. Just to be honest some of C&D's comments I understand. Some of them are just plain ridiculous.
Ok not funny, I got another Lug Wrench in the mail today... Also I have a package at UPS from FORD any ideas what it might be? I can't get it till Monday, Does Ford Ship Whole cars via UPS Maybe I won a prize Not sure for what.
hello all. it has been ages since i last posted a message. also, i have not had time to keep up with the volume of postings. i need your ears. my situation: when i open my driver's side door, i sometimes hear a noise. i am not able to describe the sound adequately. i get the sense that something wants to break. i also sense that the window rattles. is it the door? is it the window? when i drive over rough pavement, i hear the window noise but not the door noise. when i raise the window to the close position, i hear the noise. otherwise, my silver 99 i4 5 speed cougar is a pure delight. thank you in advance for your insight.
Cookie: Get your door adjusted by the dealership. Mine used to have the same problems like yours did. All they did was adjust the latch and now the door closes flush with the body of the car. No more creaks, rattles, and most importantly, NO LEAKS.
Its ok I just got another Replacement Lugwrench, and Apparently a Mystery Package from FORD awaits me at UPS... hummmm trying to figure it out, how much did your FOCUS package wiegh?
I just got back from my vacation from Florida. Unfortuantely, all was not well with my Cat. All was fine until the ride home this afternoon. I was stuck in stop and go traffic (in Alabama no less) and I noticed my AC was not really working that well. I turned off the radio and heard the AC making a really bad racket. Along with the terrible noise, I also noticed that there was not much cold air coming out of the vents. Back in Sept, this exact same thing happened and they ended up replacing leaking O-Ring(whatever that means). I can't believe this happened again. The air coming out of the vents was cold but not much air was coming out. Back to the dealer on Monday morning :-(. So, I get home and am obviously real pissed at my Cat and what do I see in my Living room. A big package from Mercury. They sent me a present. It was a couple of folding chairs with a embroidered "Mercury Cougar". Pretty Cool!!!! When my Wife saw the package, the first words out of her mouth were "what did you buy now for your car now"?.
As far as the trip goes: I averaged about 25mpg. current mileage is 10,600.
I too was expecting a replacement lug wrench. I just got home from vacation to find a large heavy package from Mercury awaiting me. It was a very pleasant surprise with Cougar logos...totally unexpected. I'm still waiting for the lug wrench.
I visited four cities in Italy over about 1½ weeks. Plenty of small interesting cars, about 15% Ford products. Didn't see any Cougars, but I saw a couple of cute little Ford Pumas which looked like unSanforized Cougars.
It looks as though I got on the Focus mailing list by mistake. All I got was a VERY nice Casio digital watch, but I would much rather have the Cougar folding chairs.
I won't look a gift horse in the mouth....thank you, Ford!
And Fish, sorry to hear about your tough luck. With my Probe, it was the windshield wipers--a diode kept frying in the motor and the whole thing had to be replaced-twice.
Car & Driver's recent articles were way off the mark in most areas, except (I may be in a minority here) that I also am not thrilled with the lower back support with my Sports package power seats. Perhaps they were designed for people much taller than myself at 5'-7".
At least the May 2000 C&D article came across as an almost-apoligy even though they didn't say so in so many words.
Yea, your right about it still being under warranty. The only thing I don't look forward to is trying toget the dealer to give me a loaner(since this problem was not fixed correctly to begin with back in Oct). Eventhough they have always given me a car in the past. I hope they can fix this once and for all.
It's nice to see all the new faces in here since last Friday. I had a friend in from out of town and we were out cruisin in my kitty all weekend. She loves the car, too....of course
Finally got a legitimate chance to really stomp on the accelerator while merging into traffic and could finally feel the power of that 2nd to 3rd gear range. Oooh, baby!!!
Oh, MWS, if L/M is sending around folding chairs, I sure wouldn't mind getting some Maybe in sapphire to match my kitty?
Wow, hey everyone! As Badulah mentioned, the TH was down yesterday and he wasn't the only one with withdrawl. It's good to see your text once again, and I hope everyone has a great day!
I figure the buyer's promotions started late in the 99's manufacturing schedule. I missed out on these chairs, the touch-up paint (I guess my dealer's cheap. Good, but cheap).
Oh well, maybe someone will let me at least sit in one at the next Gathering ...
All: We have updated the CSG home page! We have added a new section to our main menu. When you get a chance check it out! http://home.att.net/~cougarsupportgroup
The CSG Needs Your Input! We are currently developing a new section for the page that features small owner praises. We would like to continuely update this section on a weekly basis by adding new ones. We need all of you to send us your praises via email. They need to be short and to the point, only a few lines. Please send us your words of praise ASAP! We would like to start this section sometime next week.
Thanks! Rob Joe AKA "Badulah" & AKA "StageLeft" CSG Caretakers
I just picked up my car from the dealer. I had them look into some occasional pinging I hear coming from the engine as well as the AC problem. They told me they readjusted the computer to allow more leniancy for gas qualities. They also said that the K&N drop in filter I have can possibly VOID the Manufacturers warranty and was possibly causing the pinging. They said the oils on the filter can hurt the air sensors in the air box. They recommended that I go back to the stock airfilter before I do damage. What do you think?
What new feature on CSG? I went and looked for it but didn't find anything new & different. I even checked under the cushions and in the corners. Any more hints?
When you click the "Follow me in" link, the table on the page is updated to include the new archives section entitled "Cat-acombs". Is that enough of a hint? ;^)
Fish8:
I was never told that the oils in the filter can cause damage or other misreadings by the computer or the sensor, but the first time I took my Cat to the dealer with the KKM installed, they told me that it voided my warrantee, and that it was the culprit of my problems (way back with the check engine light thing). I had to "prove" it to them that the filter was not the problem by removing it and reinstalling the stock airbox. When the same problems occurred, they believed me (finally) and fixed the problem the way only they could. I suggest that you replace the filter and listen for the ping, if it still occurs, take it back and tell them that it was not the aftermarket filter that caused the problems and don't let them tell you that it was "too late because the K&N filter already did the damage". That's bunk. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to prove things we know are true to people who are just skeptics, or those that follow the letter of the law. Keep us informed on what happens, I know it sucks, but I hope you kept your original filter. If not, buy a new one and stick it in there to show them it's not the problem.
dasaint1: I haven't seen the Citrus Gold, but from what I hear they aren't. The Ashgold has more brown in it. I like it because it isn't a "gaudy" gold....just classy.
Badulah: Thanks for clearing that up. You guys have lost me before....so I thought I'd better ask.
I found the Cat-acombs, but should warn you that Netscape gave me an error message that said it couldn't find /E:/CSG Online/catacomb.htm when I clicked on the underlined phrase, but it worked fine when I clicked on the picture on the left.
Thought you might want to check it out for yourselves.
I am probably going to take my kitty to the dealer for it's 20'000 mile service, and to get them to re-charge the AC.
In will definetely remove the KKM so that they cannot blame any future "problems" on it. I cannot believe how lazy mechanics love to blame stuff on the owners, or to say it's nothing just ignore it.
Well, after a couple screwups by the dealer I got my Cougar ordered and acknowledged. V6 MTX, sport & conv. groups, ABS, traction control, stereo w/CD and tape, Spruce Green. I don't have an ETA yet, the dealer said 6 weeks but that sounds too good to be true. Soon I'll be able to swap stories with the rest of you fanatics.
All: Thanks for the info on the web page. The Cat-acomb files are in pdf format. If you down load the file to hard drive, you can open it with Adobe Acrobat. I will try and correct the problem so Adobe launches automatically. I will also fix the link Coolchick is referring to. Thanks again for the info!
I've been out of pocket for the last week. We have been working on a special edition package that we will begin building next month (very limited production). It will be in Zinc Yellow. It is very, very cool - very similar color to the yellow on the Porsche 911 Turbo which sells for $111,000.
HALO_1 - I will try to find out who produced the music on our www.mercurycougarcollege.com website and let you know.
Dasaint1 - Ash Gold was from '99. Citrus gold is 2000. We will have Sunburst Gold for 2001.
Chairs - We may have some chairs at the Drive Home which is scheduled for August. Hopefully you have all signed up.
Some random thoughts for all of you KKM fans. Since I've got some years on you, I remember when all cars used oil bath air filters. What a messy pain in the butt. It was a pleasure when all of the manufacturers changed to accordian pleated paper filters about 30 years ago. The major advantage, other than not having to wash, re-oil, clean up the mess on your hands and other surfaces, etc., was that the paper filters out much smaller dust particles, therefore protecting moving engine parts much more effectively. Why would I want to go back to the mess, cost, greater time consumption, higher engine wear and shorter engine life for a barely perceptible power gain?
By the way, that was a good idea puting all of the past CSG and other related posts on the website. It's a nice convenient place to go reminice (SP?) or research past discussions.
HI!!! Man, I was having serious problems while the server was down, and I have to go out of town on a business trip this weekend so no CSG for me ...
I'm thinkin I need to get on the ball here and find out how come I didn't get any folding chairs cause those would be perfect for my tailgate parties at the ballpark in my new kitty...too bad all you won't be there 'cause you're too wussy to come visit me from the east coast. (j/k) )
Gee, I'd like some free Cougar stuff. All I've gotten is a replacement lug wrench. My dealer hasn't even gotten me touch-up paint yet, saying its backordered....after 1 year?
Anyone else notice the lack of Cougar-themed merchandise on FMC's online store? Lots of Mustang stuff, but no Cougars. I just want one of those stainless travel mugs with the kitty logo on it.
Hi all. Haven't been here for a long, long time. Too busy worrying about the markets I guess! Anyway, I thought I'd take a look at what's been happening here and wow, things sure have changed! I'm really happy to see that the forum continues to grow.
Jade: You at one time had mentioned that you would like to see pictures of what a spruce green looks like with the windows done at 35%. I realize that was way, way back and that you have probably seen several by now, but if you are still interested, let me know. I finally got the film developed yesterday and gave the kids a scanner at Christmas, so I should be able to pass them on.
Well, it's been 5 months now since I've had the cat and things seem to be going pretty good. I'm averaging about 1000km per month so I don't have a lot yet. I've experienced the common problems with the trunk release. Had the dealer look at it a couple of days ago. They claim to have fixed it - NOT. They adjusted the springs but that really hasn't helped. Anyone know if there is a fix for this? (Please don't tell me to hit the button twice. I can hit it 100 times and the trunk still won't open).
I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather. I really haven't had an opportunity to "drive" the cat yet.
Well Krnch, it's the Leafs and Senators tonight. Any predictions?
Glad you found us. It's been a loooooong while. I'm happy your Cat is performing well, even if you haven't "put the hammer down" on 'er yet. :^)
That trunk spring thing is definately a pain. I think they solved that problem on the 2000's, at least Coolchick's opened right. What's funny is that on my early 99 model, there are no springs, but I've never had a single problem with the hatch not popping (knock on wood), even weighed down by a foot of snow.
Good luck with that, and if you're having any dealer problems be sure to post about them in the CSG's Dealer topic in the Clubs conference (click the topic list button at the top of this page).
All:
I've got to say it again, I love this car! The acceleration on the highway is just tremendous, and the Borla adds just the right tone to intimidate those who try to get me down :^)
I have a '00 cat and the trunk latch works fine. Every once in awhile it won't open, but if I hit the button again it pops right up, so I think it's just me. I think most of the problems with the 99's were worked out in the 2000 model (grinding brakes, door seals, trunk release, and dash noise) which is good.
Sorry about the length of time it took to respond to your question about a dyno being run on a Cat with the chip, the Borla, and the KKM. I've thought about getting a dyno run, especially when I put the Borla on, but at the time it was too much money to come up with. I have the KKM and Borla, but no chip, so I guess that wouldn't have answered your question. I'm thinking about the chip, but with gas prices being where they are, it won't be any time soon.
I thought your question needed addressing, though, as does every question asked here.
Comments
Rob
I like the part where the expensive luxury cars drivers lift their sunglasses to see What The Heck I'm Driving and this may sound really vain, but when I pull into rest stops in the Smoky Mtns I sit about 20 feet away and watch peoples' reactions to the car . . . is this sick? And all of a sudden, all the guys at work are especially attentive and friendly. Wow! I kinda like this
I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!
Mindy
Have a great weekend...
HALO_1
stageleft: What is this new site you are speaking of? Is it up yet?
dasaint1: I have a '99 Ashgold cat and love it. It changes colors, depending on the weather, just like my moods.
Margie
Welcome aboard. I don't think I've seen you post before. I know exactly what you mean--I went from a '92 Dodge Colt (aka "piece of s$#$") to a '00 Cat. What a dream!!!
At first, it felt weird getting all this attention. People looking at you all the time. But now if I notice someone walk by and not look at the Cat, I'm thinking "what's wrong with him/her!?!" Is that sick???
9Cougar9:
Is the Ashgold and the Citrus Gold the same color?
I am glad that other than a few people who have reported problems that the car has been quite reliable. Even the Car and Driver (C&D) article had to admit that.
C & D is a bad word around here based on a recent comparo that placed it last out of seven competitors. Just to be honest some of C&D's comments I understand. Some of them are just plain ridiculous.
Not sure for what.
message. also, i have not had time to keep up with
the volume of postings. i need your ears. my
situation: when i open my driver's side door, i
sometimes hear a noise. i am not able to describe
the sound adequately. i get the sense that something wants to break. i also sense that the
window rattles. is it the door? is it the window?
when i drive over rough pavement, i hear the window noise but not the door noise. when i raise the window to the close position,
i hear the noise. otherwise, my silver 99 i4 5 speed cougar is a pure delight.
thank you in advance for your insight.
Get your door adjusted by the dealership. Mine used to have the same problems like yours did. All they did was adjust the latch and now the door closes flush with the body of the car. No more creaks, rattles, and most importantly, NO LEAKS.
give that a try
...tailor
No, not Cougar, "Ford Focus!" Hunh? Address is right (and NOBODY mails stuff to this street by mistake!)
I won't tell you what is in it...have fun! It's clear to me that Ford's computer has gone quite bonkers. :-)
Rick
(who has a Light Saphhire Blue Cougar, and LOVES the color!)
FORD awaits me at UPS... hummmm trying to figure it out, how much did your FOCUS package wiegh?
As far as the trip goes: I averaged about 25mpg. current mileage is 10,600.
rickel:
I too was expecting a replacement lug wrench. I just got home from vacation to find a large heavy package from Mercury awaiting me. It was a very pleasant surprise with Cougar logos...totally unexpected. I'm still waiting for the lug wrench.
I visited four cities in Italy over about 1½ weeks. Plenty of small interesting cars, about 15% Ford products. Didn't see any Cougars, but I saw a couple of cute little Ford Pumas which looked like unSanforized Cougars.
I won't look a gift horse in the mouth....thank you, Ford!
And Fish, sorry to hear about your tough luck. With my Probe, it was the windshield wipers--a diode kept frying in the motor and the whole thing had to be replaced-twice.
At least you are still under warranty.
Rick
At least the May 2000 C&D article came across as an almost-apoligy even though they didn't say so in so many words.
I sure would like to get Cougar folding chairs. It'll come in handy during the CSG get together.
Finally got a legitimate chance to really stomp on the accelerator while merging into traffic and could finally feel the power of that 2nd to 3rd gear range. Oooh, baby!!!
Oh, MWS, if L/M is sending around folding chairs, I sure wouldn't mind getting some
Those folding chairs sound cool!
Please MWS, I promise to be good, can I get a folding chair, please...
Oh well, maybe someone will let me at least sit in one at the next Gathering ...
I wonder how L/M decides who gets the free stuff.
I'm still waiting to get my car back. I'm going to call them right now.
We have updated the CSG home page! We have added a new section to our main menu. When you get a chance check it out!
http://home.att.net/~cougarsupportgroup
The CSG Needs Your Input!
We are currently developing a new section for the page that features small owner praises. We would like to continuely update this section on a weekly basis by adding new ones. We need all of you to send us your praises via email. They need to be short and to the point, only a few lines. Please send us your words of praise ASAP! We would like to start this section sometime next week.
Thanks!
Rob Joe
AKA "Badulah" & AKA "StageLeft"
CSG Caretakers
When you click the "Follow me in" link, the table on the page is updated to include the new archives section entitled "Cat-acombs". Is that enough of a hint? ;^)
Fish8:
I was never told that the oils in the filter can cause damage or other misreadings by the computer or the sensor, but the first time I took my Cat to the dealer with the KKM installed, they told me that it voided my warrantee, and that it was the culprit of my problems (way back with the check engine light thing). I had to "prove" it to them that the filter was not the problem by removing it and reinstalling the stock airbox. When the same problems occurred, they believed me (finally) and fixed the problem the way only they could. I suggest that you replace the filter and listen for the ping, if it still occurs, take it back and tell them that it was not the aftermarket filter that caused the problems and don't let them tell you that it was "too late because the K&N filter already did the damage". That's bunk. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to prove things we know are true to people who are just skeptics, or those that follow the letter of the law. Keep us informed on what happens, I know it sucks, but I hope you kept your original filter. If not, buy a new one and stick it in there to show them it's not the problem.
Take care all! Drive safely.
Badulah: Thanks for clearing that up. You guys have lost me before....so I thought I'd better ask.
Margie
I found the Cat-acombs, but should warn you that Netscape gave me an error message that said it couldn't find /E:/CSG Online/catacomb.htm when I clicked on the underlined phrase, but it worked fine when I clicked on the picture on the left.
Thought you might want to check it out for yourselves.
In will definetely remove the KKM so that they cannot blame any future "problems" on it. I cannot believe how lazy mechanics love to blame stuff on the owners, or to say it's nothing just ignore it.
Thanks for the info on the web page. The Cat-acomb files are in pdf format. If you down load the file to hard drive, you can open it with Adobe Acrobat. I will try and correct the problem so Adobe launches automatically. I will also fix the link Coolchick is referring to. Thanks again for the info!
HALO_1 - I will try to find out who produced the music on our www.mercurycougarcollege.com website and let you know.
Dasaint1 - Ash Gold was from '99. Citrus gold is 2000. We will have Sunburst Gold for 2001.
Chairs - We may have some chairs at the Drive Home which is scheduled for August. Hopefully you have all signed up.
Keep Cougaring!
The next CSG file seems to be complete though.
Too bad that a lot of those old familiar handles have disappeared over time. Wonder where they went?
Skip G.
Andy.
HI!!! Man, I was having serious problems while the server was down, and I have to go out of town on a business trip this weekend so no CSG for me
I'm thinkin I need to get on the ball here and find out how come I didn't get any folding chairs cause those would be perfect for my tailgate parties at the ballpark in my new kitty...too bad all you won't be there 'cause you're too wussy to come visit me from the east coast. (j/k)
Anyone else notice the lack of Cougar-themed merchandise on FMC's online store? Lots of Mustang stuff, but no Cougars. I just want one of those stainless travel mugs with the kitty logo on it.
Jade: You at one time had mentioned that you would like to see pictures of what a spruce green looks like with the windows done at 35%. I realize that was way, way back and that you have probably seen several by now, but if you are still interested, let me know. I finally got the film developed yesterday and gave the kids a scanner at Christmas, so I should be able to pass them on.
Well, it's been 5 months now since I've had the cat and things seem to be going pretty good. I'm averaging about 1000km per month so I don't have a lot yet. I've experienced the common problems with the trunk release. Had the dealer look at it a couple of days ago. They claim to have fixed it - NOT. They adjusted the springs but that really hasn't helped. Anyone know if there is a fix for this? (Please don't tell me to hit the button twice. I can hit it 100 times and the trunk still won't open).
I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather. I really haven't had an opportunity to "drive" the cat yet.
Well Krnch, it's the Leafs and Senators tonight. Any predictions?
Glad you found us. It's been a loooooong while. I'm happy your Cat is performing well, even if you haven't "put the hammer down" on 'er yet. :^)
That trunk spring thing is definately a pain. I think they solved that problem on the 2000's, at least Coolchick's opened right. What's funny is that on my early 99 model, there are no springs, but I've never had a single problem with the hatch not popping (knock on wood), even weighed down by a foot of snow.
Good luck with that, and if you're having any dealer problems be sure to post about them in the CSG's Dealer topic in the Clubs conference (click the topic list button at the top of this page).
All:
I've got to say it again, I love this car! The acceleration on the highway is just tremendous, and the Borla adds just the right tone to intimidate those who try to get me down :^)
Take care, and happy Cougaring!
Sorry about the length of time it took to respond to your question about a dyno being run on a Cat with the chip, the Borla, and the KKM. I've thought about getting a dyno run, especially when I put the Borla on, but at the time it was too much money to come up with. I have the KKM and Borla, but no chip, so I guess that wouldn't have answered your question. I'm thinking about the chip, but with gas prices being where they are, it won't be any time soon.
I thought your question needed addressing, though, as does every question asked here.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this?