Cougar Info and FAQ's

[XR5-Boy]

Just thought i'd open up a thread for Info and FAQ's. Whack in your fuel economy and any other stats in here. Sticky please

[pcperfection]

Well after a reset on the fuel read out I am now on 11.3L/100 down from 12.1l, getting into the habit of doing a reset on each refill for the next few months to monitor the changes.

Cheers
Mark

[Dshibi]

11.3 sounds more like it Mark, that's what I was doing up until recently. Now on 11.2, so we're more 'aligned' with our fuel consumption it seems.

Dan

[pcperfection]

Well being one of the few here that has a Cougar with 100,000K plus on the clock this is one of the things that you can all look forward to at some stage, as the Yanks call it "MOOSING" it only happens to Duratec engines and usually over the 100,000K, it's caused by the IACV (Idol Air Control Valve ) not closing properly when you take your foot off the gas, instead of shutting completely it leaves a small gap around the valve allowing air to be sucked in causing a very loud noise (moosing) or using a sound more relative to us Aussies something like blowing across the top of a beer bottle but 50 times louder, the best diagnostics is to flip the cover off the air filter, once it's off you will soon know weather it's the IACV by the sound (gets 10 x louder). I opted for the remove/clean/re fit (cleaned with carby cleaner)of the IACV and so far it's not only fixed the Moosing sound but my fuel read out has gone from 11.8 (pre cleaning) to 10.3. Just a note to anyone looking through any of the U.S forums for a fix for this issue, they seem to use a different IACV than us, there's has a longer shaft with a spring on it, it's the actual shaft that gets build up on it and stops the valve from shutting, so just incase you refer to a pic of a yank IACV and it looks different (like there's bits missing) don't panic (like I did) that's how it's suppose to be.
This is a easy fix, 20min - remove the 2 x 10mm bolts - 1 x 2 pin plug, once removed clean well with carby cleaner several times, re fit once dried out

Cheers
Mark

[XR5-Boy]

cool, thnx for that info Mark! I'm about to click over 100k soon so i'll keep an ear out for something that resembles livestock humping. Moosing...these yanks...LOL

[cpapashley]

Great DIY Mark.

I had someone asking over on the MPV forum if it could be cleaned, I guessed yes, but your DIY confirms it. Thanks again.

[Ridin-High]

Question guys, might even be a member on here....that im talking about.

Well first of all i have no idea about courgars and maybe you guys can give me a briefing.


I saw one today, a light blue colour Western Suburbs (Blacktown), 2Door coupe, V6 Badges and thought thats unusal.

Is it an american model? if so what market does it aim at?

It had all these RICER stickers on it, didn't get to see if it had a fart can

[Dshibi]

It's an American design, but all of ours are Euro. I've seen the Cougar you described many times, and it's not the best example unfortunately he has taken the path of the ricer by installing a huge Skyline cannon on it, and a whole bunch of stickers. Yet the car is stock apart from those.

The original concept for the Cougar in America was firstly to steer away from the normal (hence its standout design) and it was actually marketed towards young women... or so I've read.

The US is where most of the modified Cougars are found, and no surprise thats where most of the parts are found for these mods... so, thats probably why some people here take the cheap ricer option... I think those who put the effort in are far better rewarded

Dan

[Ridin-High]

Yeah it does look pretty good and it's different to the norm. It reminds me of a toyota celica, not the new new celica, but around the yr2000 models.... must be the shape.

have you guys modified your ones? Whats some of the common mods for the enthuist (not the ricer) does to a cougar.


Should shoe-horn one of the mustang 4.6L V8's in their power to weight

[Dshibi]

So far, there's a number of different paths the different Cougar owners have taken. Common mods so far are suspension and rims. Anything else and you start having to deal with some sort of customisation because of the sort of car we're dealing with. Audio would probably be next, a few of us have kits, with pieces being sourced from the US.

Not many with engine or exhaust mods, these either have to be shipped as kits from the US or custom made. Rims are fussy with their stud pattern. Not sure how viable shoe-horning a Mustang V8 would be, there's not a lot of room in the engine bay... and FWD V8? hahaha!

For some of what I've done with my Cougar... http://www.cougardb.com/car.php?id=Abraxas

Dan

[XR5-Boy]

yeh, Mod's for the cats are i rare supply locally. Most stuff suited for ours are from the UK. And even then, some of the stuff is crap coz ppl are ricers in the UK ;). Personally, only things i'm gonna do is a bit of engine work and audio. keepin' it stock outside for "sleeper" purposes might whack some rims on but thats it.

[Ridin-High]

Originally Posted by Abraxas

So far, there's a number of different paths the different Cougar owners have taken. Common mods so far are suspension and rims. Anything else and you start having to deal with some sort of customisation because of the sort of car we're dealing with. Audio would probably be next, a few of us have kits, with pieces being sourced from the US.

Not many with engine or exhaust mods, these either have to be shipped as kits from the US or custom made. Rims are fussy with their stud pattern. Not sure how viable shoe-horning a Mustang V8 would be, there's not a lot of room in the engine bay... and FWD V8? hahaha!

For some of what I've done with my Cougar... http://www.cougardb.com/car.php?id=Abraxas

Dan

Man that is a really nice car, i appriceate how you have kept it so clean.
Some of the side views make it look like a lexus soarer.

i sapose performance wise, if their isn't much avaliable, using a high performance sythetic oil could help, I would recomend Royal Purple, www.royalpurple.com.au for more info.

It's abit to expensive retail you are looking $85 for 5L, their is a online reseller www.performancelub.com who i have dealt with before his listed price is the best he can do $10.70 per quart (Litre) so works out to be around $54 + postage, so i would say best to buy more (Stock up) or get some with a group of mates so you save with the postage.

Me and my dad will be going halfs in 50L's (shared over 3 cars) he can do a discount for over 50 quarts.


Do you guys have 0-60mph (100kms) times and stocker 1/4 Mile times?

[XR5-Boy]

Yeh, a lot of us here are clean freaks so u'll very rarely find a dirty car, or one with un-repaired damage. In terms of 1/4 mile time and 0-100km/h, stock cats will hit 100 in about 9 secs with 125kw and 220Nm torque. These figures can be improved highly with some of your favourite engine mods. One of the blokes on NECO (www.newcougar.org) has a supercharged cat runnign about 325bhp (242kw) which is very sexy :sm_headba

[Dshibi]

Only have stock times and figures - not sure if anyone's run theirs down a quarter mile yet...

Car Magazine May 1998: 0-60mph - 8.2sec

Autocar Magazine August 1998: 0-60mph - 8.3sec
- Standing Quarter Mile: 16.6sec/86mph

What Car? Magazine July 1998: 0-60mph - 7.5sec

New Car Buyer Magazine No. 23: 0-100km - 8.1sec
- Standing Quarter Mile: 15.8

Wheels Magazine November 1999: 0-100km - 8.7sec
- Standing Quarter Mile: 16.2sec/139.7km

Motor Mag October 1999: 0-100km - 10.26sec
- Standing Quarter Mile: 17.07sec/136km (wet track in less than ideal conditions)

Interesting range of results there...

Dan

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by Cougar-Boy

Yeh, a lot of us here are clean freaks so u'll very rarely find a dirty car, or one with un-repaired damage. In terms of 1/4 mile time and 0-100km/h, stock cats will hit 100 in about 9 secs with 125kw and 220Nm torque. These figures can be improved highly with some of your favourite engine mods. One of the blokes on NECO (www.newcougar.org) has a supercharged cat runnign about 325bhp (242kw) which is very sexy :sm_headba

I think they have dialled a 2.5l up to 400hp with a turbo from memory.

Just one amazing engine.

As for those 1/4 mile times, once I get my exhaust system finished, which could be a while away. I want to go to Willowbank (queensland) and try the MPV out. They have test and tune every wednesday and saturday (apart from the competition nights). It is only $36 I think for the car,driver and passenger, basically you can have as many runs as you like. just dependant on the number of other cars there on that particular night.

http://www.willowbank-raceway.com.au/

It would be great to organise a "duratec" meet out there at the drags sometime. If there is anyone in the brisbane area with a cat would be great to have a race _2:

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by Ridin-High

Man that is a really nice car, i appriceate how you have kept it so clean.
Some of the side views make it look like a lexus soarer.

i sapose performance wise, if their isn't much avaliable, using a high performance sythetic oil could help, I would recomend Royal Purple, www.royalpurple.com.au for more info.

It's abit to expensive retail you are looking $85 for 5L, their is a online reseller www.performancelub.com who i have dealt with before his listed price is the best he can do $10.70 per quart (Litre) so works out to be around $54 + postage, so i would say best to buy more (Stock up) or get some with a group of mates so you save with the postage.

Me and my dad will be going halfs in 50L's (shared over 3 cars) he can do a discount for over 50 quarts.


Do you guys have 0-60mph (100kms) times and stocker 1/4 Mile times?

I have had the royal purple recommended to me by many in america. Can I ask what the postage was for 5l, also I didn't realise you could send oil through the post.??

[Ridin-High]

yeah it is in a 1L Bottles are put into a box, i think it was around the 15-20 dollar mark, so if u was going to order online... do more then 5L it will work out cheaper.

So say if you put 4L in when you do an oil change, do an oil change once every 4 months, buy 12-15L for one year, if got some mates who into cars do a group purchase.

they do sell other high end motor oils on their so check it out, he also deals on ebay just type royal purple into the search engine.


Whats the MPV cpapashley?

Also their is abit of variation in those 1/4 times, maybe some are auto and others manual

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by Ridin-High

yeah it is in a 1L Bottles are put into a box, i think it was around the 15-20 dollar mark, so if u was going to order online... do more then 5L it will work out cheaper.

So say if you put 4L in when you do an oil change, do an oil change once every 4 months, buy 12-15L for one year, if got some mates who into cars do a group purchase.

they do sell other high end motor oils on their so check it out, he also deals on ebay just type royal purple into the search engine.


Whats the MPV cpapashley?

Also their is abit of variation in those 1/4 times, maybe some are auto and others manual

Yep found his ebay store, I can see how it would be much cheaper in bulk, so will ask my brother in law if he want to go halves.

Now as for what is an MPV, it is a mazda that has the same drivetrain as an ATX cougar. So yes it is a people mover, i have a large family (4 children) so very necessary. But as I have said to many, it is a fun project to build a sleeper. :hihi:

[Ridin-High]

mazda performance vechile?

post up a pic of ur ride dude

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by Ridin-High

mazda performance vechile?

post up a pic of ur ride dude

Made a change to my signature with some details of the "Mazda Performance Vehicle" (I like that)

hmmm.....seems the signature is not working on these posts. I have the option ticked but oh well.

I am pretty active over on the neco boards, and on the mpv club.

Lots of pictures over there :Reverend:, next project is the Greddy emanage to gain some control over tuning, and then onto the rest of the exhaust and some fine tuning in the intake area. Plenty of mods that can be done in the future, if you have time to look around the neco forums are full of possible mods for the cougar.

Anyway enough rambling from me.:eclipsee_

[XR5-Boy]

I'd like to thank Rikenbomb on NECO for this. This is a quick FAQ for any probs with the cats. Anyone with that coolant light prob where it turns on if it's cold or you are on an incline, then this should put ur mind at ease

Problems:
Alternators - Battery Light Flashing/Coming On- So far this issue has mainly been on 99-00 cougars but there have been people with 01’s that have had alternators burn out or that are faulty. The symptoms are usually a flashing battery light during high rpms and or constant dead batteries. What you can do if you get the flashing battery light is either get another alternator for about 245 dollars or get the one you have rebuilt from 60 + dollars. Not to mention you can usually get the alternator spun to crank out more amps and is less costly.

Sunroofs- Getting Stuck/Won't Open or Close- This has been a very common problem among the 99-00 cars with plastic tracks. This problem is not covered by warranty and is very costly. There is a post in this forum that has a lot of background and a online petition trying to get ford to cover this defect. There have been people who have fixed it on their own and saved 1200 bucks. Ford has given out estimates from 800-1600 to fix it. Most common symptoms are cracking sounds, and the moonroof not closing. Most likely the plastic tracks are the cause of the problem. The fix is done most likely replacing the plastic tracks with the metal tracks from the 01-02 cougars.

Added: Here is a link of all the information pertaining to the sunroof issue. CougarSunroof.com

Fuel Pumps- Bucking/Hesitation- The fuel pumps are a common problem with not only just cougars but Fords all over the country. The problem has been reported on all year cougars. There is a few things that can and do go wrong with the fuel pumps. 1 being they burn themselves out. 2 being they get blocked up. The symptoms include bucking under high rpms, bucking going up hills, Lack of power on acceleration. There are a few reasons the pumps basically cause their own failure. The pump is a in-tank pump so the when the fuel pump gets hot it uses the gasoline to keep the pump cool. So if you drive around with a ¼ tank of gas or less then you run the risk of burning out the pump. The second reason the pumps stop working or burn themselves up is that they get clogged with gunk that sits at the bottom of your tank. The pump to my knowledge is a “k” design. The main inlet to the pump is the bottom angled part of the “k” and since its angled down and is close to the bottom of the tank it can and will get clogged up easily. The top angled part of the “k” works well when you have more than ½ tank and turns into the main source of fuel when the bottom part gets clogged and you will notice this if have a ½ tank or more you will most likely not get the effects of the bad fuel pumps. There is a link to a replacement on top of this forum about the fuel pump. There is also some aftermarket replacements for your fuel pump. I know Walpro makes a replacement and people have had them installed and it takes some modification but I have not heard much more about it.

Added: There has been a recall of certain year Cougars (mostly mid '99 through 2001 model V6) where the fuel pump will be replaced free of charge by any Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealership.

Wheels - If your steering wheel tends to shake at highway speeds (60-70mph), it could be that your wheels need to be balanced. Be sure your wheels have been balanced. It's good to do this preferrably 2 times a year. If balancing your wheels won't solve the issue, try getting a 4 wheel alignment (particularly for those driving with large rims).

Idling- Rough Idle/Moosing Sound - If your engine is idling differently that it normally does, It might be your IACV (Idle Air Control Valve). It's located behind your Upper Intake Manifold. Be sure to get it diagnosed to pinpoint the problem. Also if you experience a "Moosing" sound the IACV is also the culprit.
Location:


Intake Manifold Runner Control - IMRC - Your IMRC (Intake Manifold Runner Control) is no longer working properly. The IMRC unit (underneath the plastic engine cover) opens a second set of butterflies in the Lower Intake manifold, similar to secondaries on a carbuerator. In the Cougar, at around 4000 rpms, this second set opens, thus giving you a "surge" or "kick" in power. Whats happening is that it is no longer working the way it should. There are several problems that have been known to occur with the IMRC and the secondaries. Check the "How To" forum or the "2.5L Performance" section for additional info.

A/C Fan Blower - Your A/C / Heater Fan only blows air on the #4 fan setting. Basically your Blower resistor is blown. It is a simple part to replace. It is located on the firewall behind the dash. You can access it from the passenger side. This part can be purchased from the dealership and is very cheap (around $20 dollars or so).

The yellow “Wrench” light - This little light that pops up around every 4,700 miles. I could be wrong. But its nothing major. It simply reminds you that your due for service. To reset this light hold (on your black circle trip computer) “units” and “select” put your car in the "on" position and hold these buttons for 5 seconds. You should hear a beep and the light will shut off.

Coolant Light on at normal coolant level - There is a known issue with the coolant level sensor. The sensor itself is very sensitive and any changes in driving or parking angle with throw this light on. In cold weather situations, it can come on a s well. Be sure to fill your coolant to MAX. Even a little beyond MAX will not hurt. If this light comes on for any other reasons, get the problem checked out.

Red and Yellow Snowflakes - Don’t worry its nothing bad. When you see either a yellow or red snowflake on your overhead console it simply means that “yellow “ its 40 degrees and the roads could be icy. And “red” its 30 degrees and that to drive safely due to black ice possibility.

Check Engine Light (CEL) - This light appears on your gauge cluster, lower left side. This generally means that there is a malfunction in your emmissions systems or with your engine and transaxle (and related primary equipment). You should get this code pulled as soon as possible. This code can be read free of charge at almost any major auto parts store. Generally dealerships charge for this and troubleshoot to find the specific problem. Get this matter resolved as soon as you can to maintain proper engine efficiency and long term operation.

DTC Codes (Trip Computer) - These codes can be pulled from the Trip Computer. Understand that there is NO relaible information to be had from these codes. They are NOT Check Engine Codes nor should they be confused with them. In My Opinion they are absolutely worthless.

Link to the original post:
[CODE]http://newcougar.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6051[/CODE]

[Dshibi]

Our A/C Fan issues may be a bit different to theirs as we have climate control compared to the US models which only have basic A/C.

Another thing to note is that the Door Actuator's seem to be problematic after a few years as well since I had the passenger door actuator go and blowing the fuse for the door locking system. It took Ford a week to fix this up, and only FTE dealers (in Sydney at least) are able to diagnose and properly fix this problem. This does not include current FPV dealers unless they used to be an FTE dealer back in the day.

Also - be warned that this is not a cheap fix unless you have a Ford covered (or some other very good) warranty. My extended Ford warranty covered the $600AUD replacement. Thank God!

Another problem that may arise will be with any button linked up to an electric system. ie, Power Windows, Seat Heater switches etc... they can go bad eventually or intermittent...

Dan

[XR5-Boy]

Thanks for that Dan, i forgot to mention it (US models got jibbed on climate control heheheh) Also, I fixed my issue with the coolant light. It was just on MAX, so I filled it a little more and the issue has stopped That little orange light can get quite annoying!

[pcperfection]

Well the cleaning of the IACV lasted a week or so and it's back again louder than ever, cleaned it again and it was back within the hour, so rang my mechanic for a damage report on a new one, Peter Warren had one @ $144 trade which I thought wasn't too bad as most of the Yank's are quoting $80+USD so I grabbed it, only to be informed it's the last one in Oz and they won't carry any more locally, so anyone wanting one (new from a Ford Dealer) after today will have to wait for one to come from O/S, this won't be much of a drama as the car still runs fine with it in it's busted state, just gets embarrassing when your idling at the lights.

Cheers
Mark

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by pcperfection

Well the cleaning of the IACV lasted a week or so and it's back again louder than ever, cleaned it again and it was back within the hour, so rang my mechanic for a damage report on a new one, Peter Warren had one @ $144 trade which I thought wasn't too bad as most of the Yank's are quoting $80+USD so I grabbed it, only to be informed it's the last one in Oz and they won't carry any more locally, so anyone wanting one (new from a Ford Dealer) after today will have to wait for one to come from O/S, this won't be much of a drama as the car still runs fine with it in it's busted state, just gets embarrassing when your idling at the lights.

Cheers
Mark

Just remember that this part is generic across the duratec range from memory (maybe even in the 3.0l, but someone would have to confirm that for sure as the intake is different on the 3.0l)

So the 2000/2001 Mazda MPV's have this part and as I said if it extends to the 3.0l then it includes the Mazda Tribute (V6 version) as well as the 2002+ Mazda MPV's. But again it needs someone to confirm that one.

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by cpapashley

Just remember that this part is generic across the duratec range from memory (maybe even in the 3.0l, but someone would have to confirm that for sure as the intake is different on the 3.0l)

So the 2000/2001 Mazda MPV's have this part and as I said if it extends to the 3.0l then it includes the Mazda Tribute (V6 version) as well as the 2002+ Mazda MPV's. But again it needs someone to confirm that one.

Well sadly it seems that the only one that is likely to fit is the 2000/01 mazda MPV. Always good to check out wreckers for second hand parts, I know they had a couple around the traps a few months ago when I was trying to chase down a few parts.

[XR5-Boy]

Here's a common prob with the ATX cats. basically, the switch that turns off the brake light can wear out. As a result, the light won't turn off, causing confusion for drivers behind you and cruise control not working. I just had mine replaced (42 bucks so it's cheap). No joke there was an inch difference in length of the shaft that pushes in when the brake is let go! So if anyone's cruise control is cutting out or not working, then check ur lights to make sure they don't stay onafter u have left the brake!

[UIDB0118]

Year: 2000
Colour: JETRED
Engine: 2.5L DURATEC V6
Trans: 5 SPEED MANUAL
Fuel Figures: 9.9 L/100
Km's: 90,000
Usage: 50/50 - Freeway/suburbs
Likes: Colour, response, appearance, drive
Dislikes: Radio, unsupportive seats

[UIDB0118]

Hey, has anyone had the problem with the drivers seatbelt warning light? It doesn't always switch of when you click the belt into the buckle, but after a few minutes of driving it eventually switches off. Any suggestions........

[UIDB0118]

I would like to replace the stereo with a 2din LCD unit, but cannot workout how to remove the centre facia with the controls. Can anyone assist please....