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Cougar Support Group - Bigger & Better

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Comments

  • krnchkrnch Member Posts: 127
    Well, as I suspected, the dealer couldn't explain the "crickets" in my wheel (which I hear daily, Stageleft). They tried to pass it off as "normal" for these brakes. Why then have I not noticed it during the first 35,000 km?

    The trip to the dealer wasn't a total loss because they did fix my creaking clutch pedal and they lubed the cable for the parking brake (feels better now).

    Thanks for the suggestion about the lug nuts, Blane. I'll be sure to make sure they're on tight.

    Happy motoring all.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    Have a GREAT and safe weekend!! Happy Cougaring!
  • jimcal1jimcal1 Member Posts: 11
    Just returned from a modest (550 mile) trip from the SF Bay area to Lake Tahoe, with a side trip to Virginia City. Some of the driving was stop-and-go on city streets, most at 55 to 85 mph on the highway (US50 up and I80 back), elevation change from sea-level to about 7300 ft. Mileage averaged out at 27.0 mpg--which seemed very good to me, for the V6 ATX (2000 with the Sport Group).

    Incidentally, the air conditioner worked well through the Central Valley (Sacramento etc.), where the temperature was in the very high 90's. It was a bit noisy, set at re-circulate and fan at 4, but it more than did the job.

    The huge cargo space also helped. Plenty of room for luggage for two.

    The only negative was that the Cougar was a bit sluggish above 5000 ft., frequently downshifting at moderate acceleration. But, what the heck! All in all, a great car.

    When I got home I found some mail from Mercury, with ads for everything but the Cougar. What's with these people?
  • jayhawk5jayhawk5 Member Posts: 70
    Thanks for the info. Glad to know it doesn't affect braking at all.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    This was the weekend from hell. Allow me to recap:

    Saturday Kate and I were supposed to get an early start and trek down to my parents house for a family party. We wanted to leave early so we would beat all the crazy summer traffic traveling down to the beach. Well I forgot to set my clock, so we didn't leave the house until 11:15am. Since we left late we got stuck sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. While rolling at around 25mph in the center lane (three lane highway) I went to throttle up and nothing happened. I looked at my instrument panel and realized that the car had stalled. I had figured that I had stalled the car while shifting is slow traffic, so I tried to restart it, but nothing happened. At this point we were rolling down hill at around 20mph. I tried poping the clutch, but the only thing that did was slow us down, which was bad because I didn't want to get stuck in the middle of the highway. Kate had to hang out of her window and flag the car next to us to allow us to pull over to the right and off to the shoulder. If we were not on a hill, we would have been dead in the middle of the highway. I tried to restart the car well over 25 times, but nothing happened. I called FMC roadside assistance, but they told me they were not authorized to tow on the Parkway, so I would have to call someone else. I called AAA and they sent a truck. Since were were in the middle of nowhere, I had the car towed (on a flatbed) to Woodbridge LMC where my friends Father is the service manager. The tow cost me $143.00, but I plan to have Ford reimburse me in full. Mr. Broadly (my friend's Dad) just happened to be at work and he said he would look at it first thing this morning. He has done a ton of work on my sister's Cougar, and I completely trust him, so thats not an issue. The issue is the fact that my car has slightly over 34,000 miles on it and the warranty will be up soon. I don't need to battle with a problem that could cost me a ton of money in the future, or worse my life. Thats all I need is to be going 75mph and have my car die for no reason what-so-ever. That would be nice, no power steering, no power brakes, no nothing.

    This isn't good.
  • coolchickcoolchick Member Posts: 174
    Scary stuff, badulah. Had something similar happen to my last car when it was about 8 months old. Just rolling down the road and everything stopped....I was going through a residential neighborhood and was able to roll onto a side street. Turned out to be the onboard computer...my car was brain dead. After that was replaced, no more problems.

    Hope your kitty can be fixed easily.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    I just got off the phone with Mr. Broadly. He said that Mahwah Ford did NOT reprogram my computer but actually replaced the entire processor. Nice of them to tell me about that. He also said that the car is now running, but they don't know why this happened and they are going to continue to work on it until they determine the problem. If this was any other dealership, i'm sure they would have gotten it started and handed it back to me. It's good to know she is in good hands, but its bad to know they have no idea what is wrong with it. He said it wasn't getting a spark and they didn't know why.
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    Well I write this with much sadness. I left on vacation on August 10th. Locked my kitty in the garage, left the windows down a bit because of the heat. Hooked up the boat and headed to Lake Powell. On Friday the 18th we headed back to the truck to load up and go to Vegas, there was a note on the windshield to call my father in law. Called and was told our house had burned down, completely lost. After the initial screaming and crying I asked about my car, was told it was pretty bad. After a 16 hr drive home I had in my mind that I would just wash her, clean the inside and all would be okay, do a little painting and cleaning and move back in...it's funny how the mind won't let you accept certain things. Upon arriving home it was a reality shock. The car is totaled, everything in the attic collapsed on her and the house a complete loss. All my daughters pets are gone. (cat, turtle, hamster, iguana) But in all the disaster we were not there, noone was hurt and we have family close by. Sometimes thats all you need. The insurance has decided to total Max, which is good. I went to the dealer and put a deposit on a laser red 2000. I can't wait to order another one, theres just too much going on. We will rebuild the house, they are going to bulldoze in a week or so. I should have my car in about 3 weeks. there putting a moonroof in it and the special edition kit on it for me. I'll keep you posted on the particulars.
  • benisembenisem Member Posts: 30
    Malibu- All I can say is thank goodness you or your family were not in the house. I was heartbroken when I read your post and I will say a little prayer for you and hope all turns out well.
    Good Luck!
    -Denise
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Malibu:
    My deepest sympathys go out to you and your family. Although I have never personally experienced something like this, I have responded to numerous house fires over the years working with the Police Department, so I have seen the devastation to the property as well as to the family.

    I truly feel for you and your family. I can't imagine your loss, but I can tell you that all of you are very lucky to have not been home during the incident. I'm saddened by your loss, but i'm happy your still here to tell us about it.

    Rob
    AKA "Badulah"
    CSG Caretaker

    PS - After reading your post, I feel bad for wining about the problem with my Cat. Its funny how things like that put life in to perspective.
  • krnchkrnch Member Posts: 127
    All the best in getting things in order again. I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

    I'm glad to hear you and your family are okay!

    Sincerely,

    Andy.
  • coolchickcoolchick Member Posts: 174
    malibu:

    I'm so sorry to hear about your house, Max, and your daughter's pets. It is indeed fortunate that you were out of town at the time and your family wasn't endangered. You and yours will be in my prayers.

    I know it's going to be awfully rough for you emotionally for a while even so, so take advantage of your friends and family and lean on them when things seem overwhelming.

    Any idea how it started? If there's anything I can do to prevent it from happening to anyone else in here, I'd like to know.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I know this has already been said but I am really sorry to hear about your loss. At least your family is safe. I know you and your family will be fine and will go on with life. At least you will be getting a new Cat and house. If there is anything we all can do for you(I'm sure there's not, but.......)please let us know. Again, sorry for your daughters pets.

    Adam
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    Thank you to everyone for the kind words. They help alot! The preliminary report is that a wall socket that the turtles heat lamp was plugged into shorted out and it started in the wall of her room. Thank god that she wasn't in there becuase I don't know if she could have gotten out in time. We are all doing fine, lots of tears and hugs but thats what brings a family together. I would advise anyone leaving home for vacation, or even just a couple days, let the neighbors know where you are going, and UNPLUG everything! Also read your insurance policy very carefully. I was lucky and my homeowners insurance will cover 150% of my structure and 100,000. of personal belongings. The Auto insurance is supposed to cover replacement cost of the cougar...I'm arguing with them on the final cost, they want to give me 20,450. and I paid 23,650. I got the invoices from my salesman and faxed them to the insurance adjuster on Friday, haven't heard from him yet today though. I haven't signed the title of Max over yet, I'm waiting to hear from the insurance. I pulled the plates off and my husband pulled the cougar emblem off the hood as a keepsake. Thanks again to everyone!
  • mouse409mouse409 Member Posts: 34
    So sorry to hear of your loss. You and your family are in our prayers. Glad that you and your family is OK. I hope your insurance is mild on you, and that everything comes out OK. Best of luck to you and yours.
  • fastback2fastback2 Member Posts: 55
    Sorry to hear about the loss of your house, car, and pets. Good luck with the insurance adjuster; hopefully the insurance company will (and should) fully cover the cost of a shiny new cougar.
  • esbrockesbrock Member Posts: 88
    Thank God you were away from home when this happened. Emotional ties to property can be great and memories lost is what hurts most, but material things can be replaced. Even though this is a devestating time for you, it may become one of those things that makes your family stronger. I hope your daughter can get past losing her beloved pets. Losing those little members of the family are always the hardest. Take care.
  • gustafscgustafsc Member Posts: 361
    My condolences on your loss.

    As you say, lucky you weren't home at the time.

    Good luck on your rebuilding process.

    Skip G.
  • fastback2fastback2 Member Posts: 55
    That was a rather scary electronic failure on your cougar. I've been known to 'bend' the speed limit a wee bit on some of the twisty roads hereabouts, and having a complete power failure at the wrong time would make for a really bad day for me. I hope the LMC dealership can find the actual cause of the failure. Til then, I'll be backing off the usual pace a bit in the twisties.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    I just ran down to the LMC dealership that is working in my Cat. They havn't found anything that could be causing this problem. I dropped off the face plate to my after-market stereo system so they can play the stereo while monitoring the on board computer. Althought they don't think this is a problem, they just want to check it to be sure.

    Although it's quite a ride to the dealership from here (around 45 miles each way), it's nice to know she is getting the royal treatment.
  • mws0520mws0520 Member Posts: 45
    From all of us here, we send our deepest condolences as well. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

    Badulah - I've sent a note to the team regarding your issue. I'll let you know what they say.
  • fredlyfredly Member Posts: 201
    MWS:
    Questions:
    Any Comment on the "rumored" pushed off date of Cougar S production?
    Will we still see a production S at cougarfest?
    With cougarfest numbers soaring past 100 will we have enough parking? hehe.
    Does Mercury offer anytype of grassroots racing support?(even free logos would be cool)
    And a question regarding the directors chairs that some of us owners recieved:
    How did one come to recieve this gift? Random? early buyer?
    Bush or Gore?

    This should keep you busy :)
    Thanks
  • lmigliorelmigliore Member Posts: 148
    It's a real shock to lose everything in a fire.. good thing no people were hurt, but I'm sorry about the animals.

    At any rate, the same thing happened to me in 1993 (except I got to see my house burn down on television) and the good news is that you get over it.

    It can get tough sometimes, but stay optimistic and rebuild your house and your life better than ever.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    Morning!!!!

    MWS0520:
    Thanks for the help!!!
  • gustafscgustafsc Member Posts: 361
    Roll over and go back to sleep!!!

    5:30AM is too early to be playing with your computer ;-)

    Skip G.
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    I went down last night and signed papers for a new cougar, Laser red, 5-speed, leather and all the other goodies that max had. This one has side airbags and a cd changer that she didn't. The only thing it doesn't have is tractions control and a sunroof, so I'm having one put in and I can live without traction control. I did get the special (5.9 financing for 48 mo. & 1,000 rebate. The salesman is soo nice! he's the same one I bought max through. He is getting me a loaner car for the next week and a half while they put the special edition kit on my car. So a couple weeks and I'll be back on the road. I'm taking one day at a time and they are getting better.
  • joeseniorjoesenior Member Posts: 6
    My daughter and I purchased a ne Cougar in June.
    About 2200 mile later she has had a blinking engine light. According to the manual this is more
    serious that a engine light that stays on. The
    blinking light is due to misfiring in the engine
    and it can cause damage to catalytic convertor and
    may lead to overheating in the floor board and may
    cause fires. The second time it happen the engine
    cut off while going done a hill and she didn't have brakes. this cause an accident with a loading dock and $800.00 damage. the fourth times she lost
    power while traveling 70 MPH. on a freeway. Four
    trips to the Ford dealer has produced nothing
    except that everything is fine and they can't find
    any problems. Have asked Ford for a representative
    to look at it but they have been unable to do that
    until the representative is in the area
    (Columbia/Spartanburg SC ). Has anyone else
    experienced the same problem and the none help from Ford.

    THANK yOU
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    gustafsc:
    Actually this is set to California time, so I posted at 8:30am EST.

    MWS0520:
    Can you help out joesenior and his daughter?
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I was just watching the news and there was a story about Ford vehicles stalling while being driven. The report said that Ford was hiding this problem or never addressed the problem and fines were possibly being set. They never said which vehicles were involved. But, they did say it had to do with the ignition. Just a thought!!!!

    Malibu - Hope all is fine and good luck with Max Jr.
  • shengzshengz Member Posts: 4
    After three weeks searching for a spruce green or sapphire blue Cougar with MTX, I gave up and bought a 2000 black one about one month ago. The car runs well now but one small problem. It was very quite when it’s in idle status. But one week ago, I began to hear some buzz sound when it is idling. I think the sound comes form engine and is not loud. But it makes me feel uncomfortable. From the outside, the engine hears ok and no such sound. Has anyone here met such problem before? Although I know it’s just a minor problem, I still hope I can get it fixed since it’s a brand new car. Thanks in advance.
    By the way, I found my car is littler different form other 2000 models because it was produced later in the year. It was just released from factory when I bought it. For example, the cup holder in my car is different from old 2000 ones. And my cd changer is in dash instead on in the trunk.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I would bring your car to the dealer and have them look at the problem. It's all covered under warranty.

    badulah: I heard thismorning that the ignition problem was for Ford model years up till '95. Oh well!!!
  • burnsmr4burnsmr4 Member Posts: 318
    Jeepers...sounds as though FMC has more than it can handle right now. Firestone. Bad ingnitions. No explanations for blinking lights.

    Bottom line -- when's ol' Jaques Nasser going to come on in the middle of CBS and Survivor (or Big Brother, now) and reassure me that I can get free replacements for the Fire"rocks" that adorn my Cougar's wheels?

    You would think that FMC would try and bite the bullet in light of considerable customer concern about Firestone's product quality and safety. Offer us 33% off on a new set of tires that don't fall under the recall. I'm not real happy about having several thousand more miles left on my Firestones, considering where some of the SUV accidents put people.

    Does anyone feel the same? Would you accept an offer from FMC for 33% discount on any new set of tires from a dealership in order to replace OEM Firestone tires? I know I would. They drive like ca-ca. Did I mention that I've seen small pieces (nickel-sized) of rubber seemingly "shaved" off the sidewalls of the tire? Just in normal wear and tear?

    Come on, Jaques -- make EVERY customer feel safer!

    Just my thoughts,
    burnsmr4
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    "They drive like ca-ca"......LOL!
    Although the above statement is funny, it's also true. I detest my OEM Firestones with an undying passion. I would be very happy if FMC offered me a 33% discount on new tires. Two of my tires are really shot, but I plan to replace all 4 sometime in the late fall.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    It would be nice, but very doubtful!!
  • lmigliorelmigliore Member Posts: 148
    It would be nice if Ford replaced the Firestones on Cougars; the comments in this forum have been uniformly negative, but the ones they put on Cougars apparently don't violently decompose, they just handle poorly.

    Even if the tires shredded, I don't think a Cougar would flip like an SUV. People think they're safer in a big heavy truck but they're actually at the mercy of the laws of physics. The things can't stop, they can't steer and they flip over if they get out of shape. The only thing they're good at is ramming smaller cars.

    Hey, I put the cat in company truck mode today. Put in a 6 foot ladder and a bunch of construction tools and went to do some repair work on a house. The Cougar's versatility amazes me. This is a sport coupe but it holds tons of cargo. Of course, the car's cornering ability was reduced because I didn't want to get hit in the head with a toolbox.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Geez, I've been gone almost a week, and so much excitement has enveloped us I'm having a hard time soaking it all in.

    First off, Malibu:

    It's been said many times before, but my condolences and best wishes for your rebuild, and am glad you decided to replace Max. Thank you for sharing your heartache, I wish there was something I could do. Take care of yourself and your family, it takes a strong person to deal with these tragedies. I'm really glad no one was hurt or killed, and I'm glad you'll be able to get most, if not all, of your stuff replaced. It's the absence of the irreplaceable memories that's hardest to deal with I'm sure. Keep us posted on the status of your new life. And if you couldn't tell, we're here for ya!

    Badulah:

    Dude, your car problems are really scary, and I'm glad you're in process to get them fixed. Just for S&G's, did you happen to check for hairballs? ;^)

    Joesenior:

    I really suggest (always have) that you take that to your dealership and leave it there until they can find the problem. Also, if it persists and they don't know what's wrong, investigate your state's Lemon Law. Good luck.

    All:

    The reason I've been away is because I've finally found and started a new job. I'm really enjoying this first week of work at the new place and it's such a change from what I was doing that I'm actually going through a bit of culture shock. Take care, and I'll check up when I can!

    P.S. The new web site and URL are coming soon, so stay tuned!

    Later!
  • esbrockesbrock Member Posts: 88
    In my opinion, one reason why SUV's are so popuplar in America is the fact that 85% of the people that drive them, don't really know how to drive. If these people had any driving skills they would stay away for these types of vehicles because SUV's are death traps. They were never intended to be driven on the highway. They were intended to be off-road vehicles. The fact that they are bigger gives people a false sense of security and pertetuates the problem of bad drivers. If someone feels they are not going to get hurt in an accident, that is one major deterant in avoiding one that they don't think about. Case in point, when I was 18 I had a tire blowout on my Camaro while I was on the Interstate. I was doing about 85 to 90 mph when it happened. Since my car had a low center of gravity and my father taught me how to control a vehicle with a blown tire, the situation was dealt with.

    Don't get me wrong, SUV's have there place. My wife drives a Jeep primarily so we have a vehicle that we can take the dogs in. But, we never take it on trips because I hate driving it. I feel vulnerable in it. If something happens in front of me, on the road, all you can really do is hang on and pray. Give me my Cougar anyday, I know I can get out of just about any situation with it.
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    Stageleft: Thanks for the kind words, I start to cry everytime I read the nice things people say. Actually I've been crying alot lately..It's a good release.

    I will pick up my loaner car today, not sure what it will be, but it's really nice of them to give it to me. The wreckers just called and they will pick up Max on Tuesday. So I'll go by the house and say goodbye this weekend. The new cougar should be in by the end of next week. I'll keep you all posted.

    I hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!

    Lisa.
  • mws0520mws0520 Member Posts: 45
    I am the brand manager for the Cougar. Could you please send me an e-mail (click on my id and it will take you to my profile) with the following:

    - date(s) of problem
    - dealership you took it to
    - name of service manager
    - dealership telephone number
    - number where you can be reached during the day

    Thanks.
  • scratch3scratch3 Member Posts: 8
    I also encountered a buzzing noise after about 2K. I couldn't tell if this was from the engine compartment or behind the dash. It occurred on standing and during gear changes with my MTX. I took it to the dealer and they identified it as cable from the AC rattling on the body. THey fixed it and no problems since.

    If it makes you feel any better everyone ignored my posts too.

    Lets quit talking about tires please. You have more chance of catching leprosy than getting a replacement from Ford. Unless you want it posthumously that is
  • wantacatwantacat Member Posts: 1
    Hey, i'm 15 and am turning 16 soon. I wanna buy a used 1999 cougar because they rock. I ran it over with my parents and, although they wern't thrilled with my choice, they agreed to let me have it if i can afford it and if i get it with ABS and side air bags. And only if I can get it as the 4 cylinder. I just wanted to make sure that the 4 cylinder was underpowered enough. I wanna make sure it isn't muscular at all with it because my parents will wanna test drive it and I know that if they find it too powerful then there is no way I can get one. Anyone with a I4 Cougar (preferably a 1999) please tell me what the engine is like.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Wantacat:

    Not sure how to respond to your post. We usually modify our Cats to go faster, but you really want an underpowered car. Maybe you should go with a diesel powered New Beetle, but if your heart is set on a Cougar, then there's a couple of things you could do to slow down the car. Before you have your parents in the car, put lots of weights in the trunk and drive with the A/C on. Check with Badulah, maybe he knows of mods that actually slows down the car.

    Malibu:

    I know I'm kinda late, but I'm sorry to hear of your losses. My condolances to your daughter's pets. I, too, am a pet lover. I got two dwarf bunnies. Long live Max II.

    Krnch:

    Do u still have the crickets in your rear wheel? If nothing else works, try putting the rear wheel in a cage with an iguana and a chameleon overnight. I guarantee you by morning, your problems will be gone.

    Yeah, you're welcome. Anytime!!
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    The I4, from what I have heard, is a pretty quick car. Since the I4 is lighter and the weight distribution is better than the V6 it makes up for the weaker engine. Good luck with convincing your parents to let you get the Cat. I think you may have some problems finding a I4 with side airbags and ABS. Trying to find just an I4 will be hard enough. Since most Cats that are sold are V6, maybe you can find a '00 I4 for a great price. There are rebates out for the '00 Cougar. Just an idea!!!
  • pattepatte Member Posts: 35
    This is late too cuz our modem crashed ages ago - but my heart goes out to you. The loss of pets and pictures has got to be devastating... Hope that knowing that we're all thinking of you eases your pain a little bit.
    Patte
  • cassyvcassyv Member Posts: 1
    I have been having "squirrelly" thing happen to my 99 Cougar. One day, my temp display had the temp showing it was in the 60's all morning until noon when it was in the 80' and 90's. Well that seems back to normal. But now everytime I shut down my car the clock goes out. I'm pretty sure that before When I's shut off the car...the clock would stay on. But now I've had to reset the time twice today because of it. Anyone know what might be the problem? Could it be a fuse or something???

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated since she is now out of warranty!!

    Thanks!!
    Cassy
  • camelardcamelard Member Posts: 171
    Malibu:

    I hardly know what to say. I got home from my
    holidays, checked my garden and discovered that my
    tomatoes have tomato blight and thought to myself,
    what next.

    Then I came inside and booted up my PC to see what
    has been happening with the CSG gang and suddenly
    felt like an idiot.

    I cannot imagine what you must have felt when you
    arrived home. I can only say that my thoughts are
    with you and your family and will continue to be
    through the re-building.

    If it helps at all, this may be a good time to
    look for opportunity and think of all the little
    nitpicky things you didn't like about your house
    (bathroom's too small, the kitchen could have been
    laid out differently, etc..) and look forward to
    fixing them in the new.

    For your daughter, give her a hug for me. I don't
    know what I'd do if anything happened to Spook.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    My Cat has been reliable for its first 10K miles. Even the rental Mustang convertible I drove in Phoenix (which had 21K miles on it) felt tight, almost like new. It seems to me like Ford makes reliable cars (regardless of the Firestone "life-separation" problems).

    So my question is--why is the warranty only for 36 months/36,000 miles? Hyundai offers 10 years/100,000 miles on their cars. I understand that Hyundai has a poor reliability image that it's trying to overcome. But even Isuzu warranties their trucks for 100,000 miles. I think the Ford's warranty is skimpy and insufficient on an otherwise great car (Cougar).
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Welcome back. And my condolances to your blight (whatever that means) tomatoes.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    It's all a matter of money. Enough people are buying Ford products without offering a better warranty. Why should they offer a more extensive warranty?
  • blackcoug1blackcoug1 Member Posts: 15
    I recently got a 2000 Cougar. It is all I hoped it would be and am very satisfied. Just thought I would join in the conversation. If anyone has some hop-up ideas that won't void the warranty I would appreciate them. I'm thinking of at least putting in a K&N filter...any thoughts?
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