[octo1212]

1999 Mercury Cougar 2.5L V6 Manual, 81k miles...

ok...there are a few lights on...

i went to autozone and had a diagnostic computer run on it...not the real nice snap-on scanners but a simpler one...it gave me two of the same errors: "P1131 Lack of HO2S Switch - Sensor Indicates Lean"...don't know what it means...hopefully you guys do...

one is the check engine light...i had to fill the oil after i purchased the car because it was low...i put in 2qt and brought it into reasonable range...it runs fine and the oil never went down after 1000+ miles of additional driving...however there is grime on the bottom of the car on what looks like the oil pan...kinda worries me...but the car runs fine...

another light that comes on haphazardly is the radiator light...i check the fluid, it's at the max level and looks green...it comes on sometimes and shuts off sometimes...i took a little tool from autozone and filled it with the coolant from the overfill tank and it said the freezing point was -18 C...and on the tool itself it said 50/50 mixture was ideal and it would yield a -34 C freezing point...also, the temperature guage in the car never went above the halfway point (never overheated)...which makes this a mystery...any ideas?

above the rearview mirror are another series of lights...

one is a little wrench...i think it might be a maintenance check, but i don't know...if it is, should i take it to get it looked at or just turn it off?...if i should turn it off, how?

another is what looks like a rotor and brake caliper with an exclamation point in the center...the previous owner had the brakes all worked on a few months ago, so they should be fine...she said the light has been on since she bought the car >1 year ago and is still on...i just think it needs resetting...any ideas how?

one final light that came on once was what looked like a little bulb with an exclamation point in it...it was on the far right of the 7 light panel...i don't know what this could mean...everything light wise is functioning properly from what i see...

let me know what you guys think and whatever additional information would be helpful...

 

[Lukydogg]

Allrighty then.....even though search is a good function, im into helping you out a bit.

It seems your red coolant was changed out with green. Sometimes it happens, but IIRC its not the correct coolant, but some differ in saying green is better, and then red is better.... The level in the tank is reading low because its a common fault, nothing to worry about as long as its always filled to the very top.

The overhead console lights are as follow-

Exclamation point with brake pads---

The pad wear indicators were probabaly not installed on new pads, therefore the wire harness' are just hanging out of the brake assemblies which trips the system into thinking the pads are worn.

Wrench Light--

Hold the select and units but in with the key in the on position for 5 seconds to rid of wrench light. Its a tune up reminder.

Exclamation point all by itself--

Actually I cant remember that one.....I ripped my indicators out a while back. It could be the light bulb out indicator, check all bulbs in tail lights and headlights...and everywhere there is a bulb.

 

[99CouGSweetRide]

the exclamation one is the exterior bulb failure light. Somewhere on your car a bulb is out. Check all your parking lights, headlights, interior lights...etc. My light is on, but only because some wires under the battery snapped off when my tranny was dropped, and I don't know what those wires control.

Mike

 

[octo1212]

and what do you think about the CEL?

also, should i change out the coolant to the red stuff? Could green coolant have any damaging effects?

 

[3DB]

Originally posted by: 99CouGSweetRide
the exclamation one is the exterior bulb failure light. Somewhere on your car a bulb is out. Check all your parking lights, headlights, interior lights...etc. My light is on, but only because some wires under the battery snapped off when my tranny was dropped, and I don't know what those wires control.

Mike

Just a quick note as well, this light should remain illuminated until the brake pedal is pressed. Once it's pressed, if everything is fine, it will go out.