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Liam Sutherland

New user
Jan 4, 2013
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Hi there,

Just Googled my way here after some research. I'm looking for a 2nd car and found a 1999 V6 with 100k on the clock, locally.

Is there anything to look for with these cars from your guys experience. I've read that alternators have been a common failure, and that work in the engine bay is limited for access.

Really the information I'm looking for is for symptoms and signs of underlying issues.

Any information would be greatly appreciated and may well aid in gaining another member.

Cheers for now

Liam
 
Alternators on the V6 can be an issue and a pig of a job to change. Front wishbones are the ones to check as they are a Ford only part that were unique to the Cougar / St200 Monedo and will set you back £250 just for the parts and bolts. Also check for rusty rear subframe as these are starting to kill many Cougars these days as well. Front and rear droplinks are another one but these are cheap and easy to fix.
Good luck.
 
Hi Liam,

Peter has covered the basics there. As far as Fords go, they aren't too bad for rust but they do rust and they are starting to fail MOTs on rust particularly under the sills. For the alternator, the usual signs of a weak one are dimming headlights and/or flickering battery lights on the dashboard at high RPM.

If performance feels particularly lethargic at either high or low RPM (but acceptable at the other end of the scale) it's the secondary throttles which either have a dead control box (IMRC) or are stuck open or closed.

Handbrake cables seize and give a heavy & useless handbrake.

Other than that, it's really just the usual old car crap - stuck calipers, worn out dampers etc etc etc to look for.

Most owners don't look after these cars very well and many have years worth of deferred maintenance. Try to get a car with recent history for lots of bits having been changed. One that's advertised as having never needed anything have just been accumulating wear for the next owner to address.
 
I did the same research as you before I got my cat.
Things I didn't find out before but now know are, sunroofs can fail (not got one on mine) and it looks like the seals on panel joins can have small cracks in them causing leaks round the boot, happened on mine.
Also on mine power steering was leaking, ended up getting the rack reconditioned at same time as had wishbones changed.
Check for leaks under the car. Check oil is closer to max than min too, low oil can cause engine problems due to poor oil circulation.

Thing is Cougars are not that expensive to buy but if you get a dud it can easily cost close to the cars value to sort.

Hope you find what you want !
 
Well, i took the plunge. And the mile and a half I've driven in it have been a blast..... till the alternator packed up and zapped the battery. Lucky I had a spare battery so got the car home. Got an Alternator on it's way up, and looks like apart from a bit of access problems around drop link it shouldn't be too bad a job.

Anybody got any pearls of wisdom for me before I undertake it at the roadside? (Got plenty equipment just no roof to work under)

Also looks like am gonna have another "Project Grime" with this one, and a couple of bits inside and out needing replacing or restoration.
Overall though I'm happy to have a running rolling project I can fix bit by bit, I travel pretty much all the time with work so getting back home to finish building my other car is taking way too long.
 
Kully (V6SINGH) tells me the easiest way to do this is to access from the nearside using a good four feet of socket extensions! No doubt he'll be along with some more definitive advice!
 
To do the job quickly and easily you need to jack the car, take both wheels off, both wheel arch liners, on the drivers side you need to undo the 15 i think or 17mm nut and split the track rod arm joint, and tie it out the way, use a 3/8 ratchet and put in the alty belt tensioner and release the belt, remember the way the belt is put on, draw it first if you need, then you should be able to get to the bottom bolt, it's very tight and you need small hands, it's a 13mm socket but i did mine with a ratchet spanner, then you need 2 people, go from the passenger side wheel arch, 48"'s of extension bars joined together, and universal joint and a deep 13mm socket on the end, pass it right through from the passenger side and the second person locate's it on the top bolt, you have to crack that from right through from the passenger arch...
Now on top of the alty is a L shaped bracket and 2 10mm bolts, this was a pig to get to, some people drop the Y pipe off to do this, but i could not undo the nuts on my Y pipe as limited access, so i went from where the flexi pipe on the exhaust is in the recess above it, , bend the heat shield out the way, over the top of the front subframe, using a 3/8 flexi ratchet and extension bar with a 3/8 uni joint and a deep 10mm socket, put the bar made up with the socket and joint on through first, then when in place attach the ratchet, I am warning you it's bloody tight, then crack the nut and take the ratchet off, then undo the bolt by hand if you can, if you don't take the ratchet off you will not get it off after you undo the bolt.. the alty then will need to be prised down and turned round, now from the drivers side arch undo the 3 wire connector and the main cable, 10mm nut again on the back of the alty, then feed it through the drivers side arch, allow yourself plenty of time, and pre spray everything first with plus gas, not WD40 it makes the nuts slippery... replacement is reverse, you don't need to put the 10mm bolts back for the L shaped bracket, as Ford changed this at a later date, it also makes it a lot easier if you need to take it off again.. good luck chap.
 
Liam Sutherland said:
That's a very kind offer. I'm located in Thurso just now, not too many Cougars up these parts nowadays.
Click to expand...


Bloody hell that's a long way up!

side story - I found out exactly where Thurso is the hard way whilst working for my previous employer, I used to arrange technical couriers for installing chip and pin machines in petrol stations...

so I'm on autopilot and left it to the last minute to book two SAMEDAY jobs in Wick and Thurso from our closest site, which at the time was Livingston!

One very displeased customer and a lot of expense later, and I now appreciate just how large an expanse Scotland is!



Hope you get it sorted Liam
 
Aye am sure it'll go alright, my work is based out of Portsmouth and my gf is living in a flat in Peterborough (where i am every weekend when we're not home on leave). So normally I'd be closer to the masses, seem to have a knack of breaking cars up here, which my half stripped subaru is evidence of. As for those of you that know this neck of the woods, you'll understand why even with the mileage i do i stick with cars and bikes that are more.... shall we say enjoyable to drive/ride in a spirited manner.

The road west of here that heads out towards Tongue is probably my favourite, especially on a bike out as far as Bettyhill where it becomes one of only a few single track A roads. Then further down the west coast is a joy to behold with some good fun, if maybe potholed ribbons of road running up and down coastal hills.

Back to the Cat though, once she's running again there are quite a few bits needing tidied up as I mentioned a couple posts ago and I'll no doubt be picking brains with some of it. I've paid the subs already after the quick and warm welcome and advice I've received already. To which I'll apologise to mods for tech talk in the wrong section :oops:.
 
No pearls from me lol. Looks as if its all covered. One thing I will assure you of is that it is not easy. This of course depends on which engine yours has and whether it has the early or late alternator. If its the early one, total PITA!! Later one, fairly straight forward.
 
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