New owner - A few questions regarding the car..

adamellisuk

Well-known user
Sep 20, 2010
134
4
Sheffield
Hi guys, My name is Adam, its nice to be apart of the forum..

I have just purchased a Cougar (1999 T) and have a few questions.


I have the owners manual but it seems to be a manual for the auto cougar. I cant find a manual for a manual cougar on the net anywhere...


Where is the cruise control on the manual cougar and how is it activated ?

Should the parking sensor work automatically when the car is put in reverse? When i put it in reverse i dont hear any noise at all.

Should the lights flash when the car is opened via the RML? No lights flash when the car is opened..

Apparently there is an alarm but how is it activated ?


Sorry for all the questions but the guy i bought it off was selling the car for a friend and does not know much about the car.. Any advice is much appreciated.


Thank you

Adam
 
OK, from the top...

Manual Cougars don't have cruise control. It is possible to retrofit it by taking the required parts from an auto car, several club members have successfully done so, but it was never factory fitted to manual cars.

Not sure on the parking sensors, but cars I've been in with it fitted (admittedly not Cougars) don't make a noise until you get close to an object. Are parking sensors definitely fitted? They should be fairly obvious if they are, usually either two or four round sensors set into the back bumper or two either side of the rear number plate. I only ask this because if the guy who sold you the car told you it had cruise, he may have 'been mistaken' about the parking sensors.

No lights are supposed to flash when you unlock the car with the remote key. When locking it, if you press the lock button twice, the indicators should flash twice. This signifies you have activated...

...the alarm. It will go off if the doors, boot or bonnet are opened once armed, sounding the car horn rather than a dedicated siren and also flashing the indicators. The alarm can also be armed by locking the driver's door using the key in the lock, turned anticlockwise to lock, returned to 12 o'clock then turned anti clockwise again and held until the indicators flash. It is disarmed simply by unlocking the car, either remotely or with the key in the lock.

Welcome to the club, by the way!
 
Cheers mate.....

I LOVE IT. Just need to sort a few things on it. Handbrake is nearly unusable (on a hil anyway) Brakes could be better and the key fob is a bit battered, the lock function does not seem to work.

:)
 
hi and welcome to ukcougar.com
sounds like minor faults and easy to fix yourself so worth thinking about subscribing and find all the answers you will need to sort your car out and save you money
 
Hello Adam and welcome aboard. Looks like Rich (Relliott6879) has completed all your questions. Re: Your brakes - well, unfortunately, this is just one of the few crappy parts that Ford decided not to do much with. Many of us have upgraded our brakes, I'm personally running Brembo Disc's with Mintex pads with Goodrigde hoses and she now stops brilliantly and didn't cost alot to do either.

Anyway, best of luck sorting the few minor bit's out.

ps. Your Sig Piccy - if the pic is too large it won't show. Try reducing size and editing it back in again.
 
Yeah mate i might subscribe.

Just one more question !!

My mpg consumption seems to stay between 25 and 26 mpg been used. Even on the motor way going 70 for a good while, does this sound unusually high? I read they can do 35 mpg on a long run??

Cheers guys.
 
Sounds about right Adam, mine stays around there. The best I have got from mine on a motorway is about 32mpg. Unless you drive it like an old fart, then the mpg aint gonna be great. However, if you have bought a V6 for mpg then you are fooling yourself lol Just enjoy the smiles per hour and the constant grin factor.
 
TBH i have been searching for a good diesel for a month or so but having seen what a beast of a Cougar you can get for a grand i just had to purchase one. Like i said there are some minor problems but once i have sorted them the car will be lovely. Its a lovely looking car with the alloys i have on them. :)


I really want to make some upgrades after seeing some of the forum members pics. Spraying the dash black and adding a new gearknob is first on my list. Its a shame there are not many lift and reverse gear knobs on offer, i have seen a few out there though so im sure il get it sorted. Id love leather seats too, they are on ebay for like 200 quid, i may replace them and sell the ones currently in my car. I have seen some leather covers but i bet they are tacky..

It took me about a hour to work out and finally get the door panel off today haha, i only wanted to put some new speakers in. I could not find a speaker frame that would fit the Cougar anywhere (without waiting 2 weeks for it to be orders, and im way to inpatient haha) so i bought a Mondeo one and il drill the holes in my self. It does not quite fit.


'Re: Your brakes - well, unfortunately, this is just one of the few crappy parts that Ford decided not to do much with. Many of us have upgraded our brakes'



The brakes are not a major issue at the moment, they just seen quite spoongy, did it cost a lot to upgrade your brakes mate? Its mainly the handbrake. On a hill the car just moves when the handbrake is up full, if pointing down a hilll, need to get that sorted asap haha..

Cheers for the advice guys..
 
Ok - re: Door card - if you ever need to do work on your car - check the "How To" section (paid members) - there is one written by me for dealing with the removal of the door mirrors in which you have to remove the door card - it's complete with step by step photo's.

Re: Brake upgrade - no, wasn't that expensive, £60 for a pair of Brembo Disc's and a set of Mintex pads: http://www.azcarparts.co.uk/# The Goodridge Brake Hoses (full set) were £55 - found those on eBay but come direct from Goodridge themselves.

I find the handbrake on mine only effective on the very last "click" on the ratchet, release it by one click and the car will move. I don't really use the handbrake that often, but it will hold either uphill or downhill..

Hope this helps. Cheers, Tim
 
i really can't recommend highly enough that you subscribe here, especially if you are planning changes, as the good folk of ukcougar.com will no doubt save you a small fortune with their advice and experience.
 
Hi Adam, welcome to ukcougar.com, your in the right place for all things cougar related, as well as some crazy banter. You will also be able to find all the fixes you need in our subscriber sections. Have a browse around the open forums and get a feel for the place. Remember! ukcougar.com is the only workshop manual for the big cat. (y)
 
Alright mate, welcome aboard. If you want any help on spraying the dash then let me know as I have done it, along with lots of help from others. Tere are some pics of my dash on here, makes it look alot more tidy inside (y)

Nice looking cat ya got there