[trucknut99]

Hello all,

This is my first post. I'm a new Cougar owner, actually by accident...I just returned from Iraq and purchased a new home for the family, I also needed a new car to get to work but with the mortgage in process of closing I couldn’t touch the credit so I went out and bought what I could afford with cash...turned out to be a 1999 Cougar V6.

The car looked good but was scary to drive over 40mph...2000 dollars later and new outer tie rods/struts/rotors/calipers/pads/spark plugs/air filter/cabin filter/fuel filter/oil change/new tires (215/35r18)/new 18" rims/alignment...(takes deep breath)...now the car drives like new! I did all the work myself minus the alignment and tire mounting (rest in peace to two socket wrenches who died dislodging the strut pinch bolts :banghead. Just a few more problems to fix.

Problem #1: A/C tested mechanically sound but was not receiving any electrical signal to turn on.

Problem #2: The vent control always goes to defrost. But if you start the dial on defrost and slowly work it around to forward vent it will blow air out the front vents...that is until it decides to go back to defrost or if you turn off the car, on restart its back to defrost again. Sounds like a vacuum issue to be.

Problem #3: Rear hatch will only open if you assist it while unlocking it. The struts will hold the weight of the hatch up but the lock mech seems to not be strong enough to push the hatch up and out of the lock. The two springs on the hatch seem okay.

Problem #4: I also have that rev problem that some have talked about where when you go into neutral after driving in a gear for a while the engine will rev to 3000-4000 rpms for a second or two then come down. Some post suggest this is normal and others think it’s a vacuum or IAVC issue. I'm not sure myself.

Problem #5: The lights in the overhead console do not function. I'm not sure yet either they where intentionally disconnected by the prior owner or faulty. I haven’t even investigated this issue yet.

Problem #6: The headlights are greenish yellow inside in the lens. Is there any good ways to clean and polish the insides so that they are clear again or in replacement the best option?

Problem #7: The car needs lots of paint touch ups and the ground affects have seen a few too many curbs-the fiberglass needs crack repairs. The paint code NE seems to be difficult to matchup. AutoZone only shows the NE code as being for vehicle years 1995-1997, the code disappears for later models.

Problem #8: Horsepower, honestly who couldn’t stand to have just a little more?

:bowdown: Thanks for any input and suggestions. Any other cougar owners from the Washington state area?

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WTB: 1999-2002 center console, 1999-2001 headlights, clear side markers, dash board (the center piece that starts at the driver side and surrounds the heating/cooling knobs).

WTS: (2) 18" rims 4x108 universal, (2) factory 16" rims 4x108 with tires 10-20% tread left

 

[LinkMan]

Just a couple off the top of my head...

Problem 5: Not hard to pop the console out and give it the once over. Do you mean the warning lights, or the courtesy lamps?

Problem 6: You sure it's on the inside? Lots of people have had good luck polishing the yellow discoloration on the outside of the lens with Plastic-X, or a lens polishing kit, or even a wet sand & polish for the worst. You can clean inside the housing, but I'm not sure you'd be able to polish it unless you completely disassembled the lens from the housing.

Problem 7: NE is Tourmaline Green, according to our info in the Exterior Cosmetics forum.
Exterior Paint Codes

 

[trucknut99]

Just a couple off the top of my head...

Problem 5: Not hard to pop the console out and give it the once over. Do you mean the warning lights, or the courtesy lamps?

Problem 6: You sure it's on the inside? Lots of people have had good luck polishing the yellow discoloration on the outside of the lens with Plastic-X, or a lens polishing kit, or even a wet sand & polish for the worst. You can clean inside the housing, but I'm not sure you'd be able to polish it unless you completely disassembled the lens from the housing.

Problem 7: NE is Tourmaline Green, according to our info in the Exterior Cosmetics forum.
Exterior Paint Codes

Problem #5 the courtesy lights work just the little circle indicator lights don't. I will take a look inside it today.

Problem #6 I might be wrong but it appears to me to be the inside of the lens. I was thinking of opening them up and painting the plastic when I try to polish the lens.

Another problem I forgot to mention was the over active radaitor sensor light. And my antenna mount bolt is broken. I decided to with dual internal antennas, one hidden powered and one window mount with a Y adapter into the reciever head. In a couple days I'll be installing my HD radio with iPhone controller. It will be really nice to get some good tunes in this thing.

Thanks,
Trucknut99

(Posted via my iPhone)

 

[trucknut99]

I'm working on the A/C and ventilation problems right now. The vacuum hoses behind the control knub on the dash were all cut and spliced together. Some had electrical tape on them like the problem has existed for a while. I did my best to correct the splices and make them mire air tight but it's not enough. It's still difficult to get the vent to change from defrost to floor or forward.

Also while checking the fuses for the A/C I notice that the blue A/C wide open throttle relay was there but the yellow A/C clutch relay is messing, actually the relay and the wire harness it plugs into are both missing. There's an empty hole in the engine fuse box where the should be.

Any ideas?

Also the roof console indicator lights where simply disconnected. The wretch light and pads sensor light are on. While doing the brakes last weekend I repaired the driver front pad sensor wires which were cut by the tire throwing up something. The passenger front sensor harness (engine side) was entact but from that plug to the strut were the pads connect is missing. I'll have find a junk yard for that part if the wire. Hopefully that will solve the pad sensor light. For the wretch light I'll have go get the codes pulled I guess.

(Posted via iPhone)

 

[trucknut99]

####Update#####

Problem #1: no solution yet, the yellow a/c relay that shows up in the manual is non-existent even the wiring harness is missing too, just an empty hole in the engine fuse box....should it be there?

Problem #2: fixed (I think)

Problem #3: no solution yet

Problem #4: no solution yet

Problem #5: lights fixed, getting error code P0430 and pad sensor light due to some damaged wiring for the passenger front sensor wire.

Problem #6: Plastic-X removed the bad coloration leaving just the deeper scratches. Bought a 3M lens kit that attaches to a power drill for buffing out the scratches (thanks LinkMan).

Problem #7: on-hold, moving in a couple weeks.

Problem #8: before replacing the spark plugs my fuel economy was 21.5mph, after replacing spark plugs its now 23mph. (mostly freeway miles). I'm thinking my error code P0430 might have something to do with clogged CATs, bad O2 sensors, or IMRCs problems. I can visually see that the IMRC is moving the valves at just over 4000rpms so maybe its okay. It would be nice to see the fuel economy go up a bit though.