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Mercury Cougar Repair Questions and Answers

Answer:    Your problem may be in the adjustment of the linkage from the ignition lock to the switch.

Question:  1990 Mercury Cougar mileage: 127,000.  I have noted a vibration in the steering column when I apply the brakes.  The greater the speed, the bigger the vibration.  I have had the brakes checked, tires rotated & balanced and my alignment is good.  Any ideas what to check next?

Answer:  Check for worn front-end components, lower ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.

Answer: Yes, the rear end assemblies are interchangeable.  Most public libraries have these books or the 2Carpros Bookstore is a good source if you want to buy your own book.

Question:  1994 Mercury Cougar mileage:  My 1994 Cougar has 40,000 miles...when I am traveling along the engine will race and the RPM needle shoots upward.  It is doing this more often of late...it will do this 3-4 times and I can visibly feel a sort of clunking sound and it will be OK...it could repeat this three or four times before it's ok again.  I have had to pull off the road a few times because when I step on the gas, it doesn't react.  There is no particular speed I am doing when this occurs...no uphill/downhill incidents, etc.  I go the same way to work every day and I can tell exactly when it will start to act up.  There are other times when it doesn't occur at all but this is become more rare.  My mechanic thought that maybe it needed a new transmission and advised me to call Ford Motor Company because transmissions don't become a problem at 40,000 miles.  I called Ford and they checked to see if other Cougars had the same problem and there haven't been any complaints.  Is there something else it could be besides the transmission?  It just had a fuel injection cleaning, tune up.  Please help!

Answer:   From what you describe, it sounds like transmission problems.   You should first check the fluid level.   If okay, try replacing the transmission filter and fluid.  If after several days of driving the problem is still there, a transmission overhaul may be next. 

Question:  1990 Mercury Cougar  mileage: 98,400.  I was driving home, had the speed control set, went up a small hill then I felt the car speed up to adjust the speed I heard a small pop the my speed control quit working.   The engine sounds fine no missing and I don’t hear any air sucking so I don’t think it’s a vacuum hose but what else could it be?

Answer: Check the fuse box for a blown fuse. If the fuses are okay, next thing to check would be the cruise control module.   

Question:  1982 Mercury Cougar  mileage: 75,000.  Will not start unless I pour gas down carburetor on cold start.  If engine is warm car will start ok till it cools back down (about 1/2 hour) then I need to prime carburetor again. Fuel filter is ok, no leaks in lines or carburetor body or mounting spacer, mounting bolts are all torqued per spec.  Would aftermarket electric fuel pump be worth trying?

Answer: Test fuel pump pressure and delivery volume.  Check for proper choke operation.  Trying an aftermarket fuel pump may not fix your problem if the stock pump is not faulty. 

Question:  1991 Mercury Cougar mileage: 95,0000.  I just replaced the battery on my cougar and now it stalls on turns and the idle speed varies.  A ford technician told me that the computer on my car needs to be relearned.  If this is true what is the procedure on doing this? 

Answer:     Yes, the Ford technician is correct.  To “relearn” just drive your car normally.  Five cycles of starting and driving should do it.

Question:  1993 Mercury Cougar mileage: 100,000+. I would appreciate if you could give me the torque spec on the head bolts. Also the sequence if possible – a picture? I had all my tools etc stolen and am borrowing tools to do this head gasket job. If there is anything that I should know please feel free to explain.

Answer: Sorry to hear about your tools. A Mitchell or Chilton auto repair manual will have diagrams showing the torque specifications and sequence. The manuals also give step-by-step instructions. Click here to find out more

Question:  1989 Mercury Cougar  mileage: 135,000. Our son Tyler owns an 89 Cougar and we have had it to repair shops with no satisfaction. When you come away from a stop sign or slow down to make a turn it will sometimes die when you begin to accelerate. It acts as if you have shut the key off, no warning or sputtering. We have replaced the ignition module and throttle control sensor. It does not do it all the time so they are not able to get the car to act up when they put it on their computer system. The mechanic said only thing left to do is start-replacing parts, which could become very expensive. Do you have any ideas or answers? Thank you for your time.

Answer: If a major tune-up has not been done recently, this could be the cause of your problem. Replace the spark plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filters, etc. Also, replace the oxygen sensor. In addition, service the fuel injection system. Clean the carbon deposits from the throttle bore and idle passages.

Question:  1988 Mercury Cougar  mileage: 100,000. The speedometer & odometer do not work.  It is a digital unit and it lights up and shows the mileage, but does not register anything. The transmission was changed before I bought it. I can see 2 senders on the tail of the transmission, but only 1 has a plug attached to it. Could there be a plug missing?

Answer: Yes, your car requires two senders from the transmission, one for the computer system and the other for the speedometer.

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