4th Apr 2010, 23:54

OK, I own a 2000 Cougar.

I have had the same problem with it stalling and cutting off in cold months. Here is how to fix; fill up your tank with 93 octane and put a bottle of rubbing alcohol in it, and for the alternator problem, I have had the car since 2001, and have not knock on wood had to replace anything on it, but I have put a new timing belt and water pump on it, since it has 200000 miles on it.

I saw where some one was asking about the rotors on the car. For one it is a little heavy for a small car, and it needs to stop pretty quick, and they do tend to get trash in the pads that will cause grooves. Also not changing brake pads will do it.

And for the guy that has had troubles starting his car, do what I did, put a keyless start on it, it works fine and no problem.

I also have a question; does anybody know how I could put a 289 motor in it and turn it into a rear wheel drive?

10th May 2010, 09:34

I recently bought my 2000 Cougar from a used dealership, and have had nothing but problems since. The battery and alternator went bad within the 1st 2 weeks.. the used dealer took 2 weeks to fix the alternator, then I replaced the battery.. After 3 weeks of driving with no problems, last night the battery light came back on, and even after charging, it has not gone off..

Now my MAJOR issues are the facts that now my steering wheel is locking up, so I have to use both hands to turn my wheel.. my A/C mysteriously stopped working, I have a loud humming noise, which I think is a sensor, but I'm a 22 year old female, so what the hell do I know..

It stopped on the highway, and 15 minutes later started up fine and continued like there was no problem.. I'm taking a trip from Mass to Florida in 3 weeks and I NEED to take my car (no other option). If anyone knows any info that can help or if you are a good mechanic, please let me know what to do!! This is all I have, and working part time I have not a lot of $$ to put into this car.. Please email me at scanei88@ymail.com. Thanks.

1st Jun 2010, 04:48

Hi all.

I own a Silver Frost May 2000 Ford Cougar. I've not had the car long and discovered when idling at traffic lights or stationary in traffic my lights seem to dim, get brighter, dim again, much like a yo-yo.

I was wondering if someone could email me a way to get this fixed or how to fix it myself, because it really is starting to worry me, Already been pulled over twice for it. My Email address is Vhailey@googlemail.com

Any help would be great, I just want to get this sorted.

Regards.

Vince.

9th Jun 2010, 22:53

I own a 2000 Mercury Cougar and have had problems with the security alarm system. A couple of years ago, my security alarm would randomly go on and off while my car was locked. Then, it began to get worse and started to go off while I was driving - flashers flashing and horn blowing. I took it into a mechanic, and all they did was disconnect the horn from blowing while my security alarm goes off. Now, my flashers will randomly go on and off. This has been so frustrating! Any suggestions?

13th Apr 2011, 23:23

I have the same problem with my 2000 Mercury Cougar. It will not crank, but all of the lights and radio still play. I was told that it is my key. Due to it having a chip in it, I have to take it to the dealer for them to program another key.

Good luck to you all.

16th May 2011, 08:06

Don't be shocked if all TSB are done and correctly. New alternator, battery, all circuits tested and good, but still have strobe lights throughout the car < what a piece of crap. I'm a master tech, and have been trying to find a way to correct Ford's mistakes with these lights. Lucky my customer is very cool about the whole thing. Any support from true auto techs would be extremely helpful to everyone; would like to find out why and repair (techshoprepair@aol.com)

25th Jun 2011, 08:37

I just bought my 2000 Mercury Cougar a month ago with 62Ks. It works like brand new, but noticed a humming sound under the hood, and some kind of a dragging noise at the first 20 ft drive, and the hatch back squeaks sometimes. I've checked the hatchback by pressing it on both sides, and the noise is there. I need advice please.

27th Jun 2011, 17:28

I once had a minivan with a squeaking hatch. There were some rubber stops, and after putting a bit of lotion on them, the squeak was gone. That's how a real guy uses lotion!

The humming sound could be the famous "moosing". Go to Contour Enthusiast Group and "Mad Moles" for excellent coverage of common issues with these cars (same platform).

1st Aug 2011, 11:05

I have a 2000 Cougar also, and it is doing exactly the same thing as yours. Did you ever get it figured out?

Please, any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ger.

19th Sep 2011, 02:40

I have a 2000 Cougar. When I turn the key, all the lights and radio come on, but the motor doesn't start. Any ideas???

27th Sep 2011, 07:32

Just wrote off my 2000 Cougar, 237,005 kilometers! Best handling, coolest looking car I ever owned! No problems ever, just needed basic maintenance!

27th Sep 2011, 12:44

I have bought my 2000 Cougar 3 months ago with clean history, 1 owner, and it has 62ks. It runs great overall, but the only thing unsatisfactory is the steering is somewhat tight, although it has power steering and seems to be in good condition. Please let me know your ideas. Thank you.

27th Sep 2011, 14:57

When you say the steering is tight, do you mean it takes too much muscle effort to turn? That is stiff steering. In racing jargon, tight steering means under-steer, and loose steering means over-steer.

Possible causes of stiff steering:

Low power steering fluid.

Slipping drive belt.

Bad power steering pump or bad power steering fluid.

Low tire pressure in the front tires.

Something increasing friction in the rack and pinion.

I injected grease into the tie rod ends and the lower ball joints. They don't have grease nipples, so you need to get an injector kit, i.e. a needle that fits on a grease gun. The grease made the steering significantly easier. Also the wheel is easier to turn when the car rolls.

The Cougar/Contour/Mystique cars steer a bit stiff by design compared to many other cars. It take more than a finger to turn the wheel, but you shouldn't break a sweat in the parking lot.