4th Apr 2012, 00:10

Hi, I bought my 2000 Mercury Cougar last year, and have had nothing but problems; sensors/fuel filter/pump/battery. Now my car has been sitting in the shop for the last 2 months, a mechanic said he has tried everything he knows to fix it, but he just doesn't know what could be wrong with it. If you floor the pedal, the car will just kinda jerk slightly and make a funny noise, and it won't even go over 50 MPH... What could be the problem? Please help!

18th Jun 2012, 21:52

Try putting it in neutral and turning the key. Mine did the same thing, and it was the neutral switch. It will start in neutral, but not park sometimes.

16th Jul 2012, 08:27

Since I've owned this car, 4 years, I've had problems with stalling and cutting out in extreme hot and cold weather. I've heard this could be the fuel rail pressure sensor. Does this sound right, and where is it located and how much does it cost?

28th Dec 2012, 15:58

Try pushing down on the hood. There is an alarm button under the hood on the passenger headlight. Tape that down. If the hood comes up just a little bit, the alarm will go off. I had the same problem.

19th Mar 2013, 19:03

Hello all. I have a 2000 Mercury Cougar 2.5L V6. I have the headlight fuse blowing problem. Have had 4 different mobile mechanics with a lot of expertise work on it. I replaced the fuse box and put in an HID xenon light system, and recently replaced the whole headlight/dimmer switch panel. Both the fuse box and panel were bought on Ebay used because Ford doesn't sell these new. We did the TSB repair on the alternator. I have never replaced an alternator or battery since I've owned the car; it now has 35K on it (I don't drive much thank goodness).

I bought the car in 2010. It looks great, and everything works except the headlights.

By the way, after most fixes described above, the headlights worked for a period of time, then blew again. The longest period was 2 weeks after the fuse box was installed. Very puzzling, and doesn't make any sense to me. The only thing I haven't done is replace the alternator 3 wire connector part #3U2Z 14S411 SHA, which runs about $35, just put in a search. Ford does have it. Any help would be much appreciated.

akorne@yahoo.com

25th Mar 2013, 10:18

I have a 2000 Cougar with the V6. Same thing - power steering leaked onto the alternator. Check your rear motor mounts; if the engine rocks backwards when throttled up, it will wipe out the line on the + post on the alternator. Luckily it's the return line, not the pressure side.

11th Jun 2013, 16:17

Have your power steering fluid serviced/flushed/exchanged with a BG synthetic fluid. You will be able to steer with your pinky. Cheers.

5th Jul 2013, 06:56

I had the same problem, and all I did was pull the big fuse out right under the blinker handle and bent the prongs out a little, and it fixed it.

2nd Sep 2014, 18:45

I actually just had the same issue with my 99. And I found that the battery terminals were loose and just had to be replaced. For me the fix was around thirty dollars and took about 20 minutes to fix at home. It was just that simple that it got overlooked by three mechanics.

4th Jan 2017, 05:33

I believe the high revving is from a malfunctioning TPS (throttle positioning sensor) or the throttle body and sensor just need to be thoroughly cleaned. I have a 1999 2.0 Mercury Cougar, and since I've bought it, I've had to learn a lot, starting with reprogramming my key; so just study and she is a good car, just finicky.

21st Sep 2023, 04:49

Tensioner pulley. The belt being loose won't turn the pulley enough to charge the battery fully.