Cougar & Probe - Ford's Aussie Orphans?

[beaphy]

so, am i the 7th cougar owner here?

and for reference (www.newcougar.org)... good info and decent crew there too

[Dshibi]

hey beaphy,

yeah this is the 'other' place we all hang out! haha... glad to hear you're happy with the lowering. Let it settle a bit and you'll be happier!

my car's off to the workshop for the next couple of days, a remote issue with the central locking... hopefully its nothing too serious tho the Ford guys are telling me it was good I took out the extended warranty when I did...

not sure if you're #7 beaphy, but i'd dare say you're probably the 4th or 5th most active Cougar poster which I think counts for a bit more

Dan

[XR5-Boy]

Originally Posted by Abraxas

hey beaphy,

yeah this is the 'other' place we all hang out! haha... glad to hear you're happy with the lowering. Let it settle a bit and you'll be happier!

my car's off to the workshop for the next couple of days, a remote issue with the central locking... hopefully its nothing too serious tho the Ford guys are telling me it was good I took out the extended warranty when I did...

not sure if you're #7 beaphy, but i'd dare say you're probably the 4th or 5th most active Cougar poster which I think counts for a bit more

Dan

Dan, what exactly is the issue with the remote? Also, do u find that when u lock the car from the inside using the doorlock under the handle, does it deadlock the driver's side door?

Cheers
George

P.S also, Does anyone have the workshop manual for the Cougar? I had one for the Magna and it was really helpful for all the little niggling issues. Not that the Cougar has any :P

[Dshibi]

Ok, the remote worked fine the other day, and then, that same day, suddenly stopped. Doors wouldn't unlock, boot wouldn't unlock. I could manually open the lock with the actual key, and start the car. immobiliser light stays on the entire time. The boot release from inside the car doesn't work... i think there's something wrong electrically or something? Ford are going to diagnose it tomorrow.

(It's not the remote battery, we checked that.)

I've noticed sometimes when locking the drivers door from the inside, when i go to pull the handle to open the drivers door it jams up, then i have to unlock the doors from the inside using the passenger door (lock, then unlock).

As for Cougar manuals, there were some up for sale on ebay a couple months back that were genuine... and I see a lot of those CD ones you can get. I don't have any tho no...

Dan

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by Abraxas

Ok, the remote worked fine the other day, and then, that same day, suddenly stopped. Doors wouldn't unlock, boot wouldn't unlock. I could manually open the lock with the actual key, and start the car. immobiliser light stays on the entire time. The boot release from inside the car doesn't work... i think there's something wrong electrically or something? Ford are going to diagnose it tomorrow.

(It's not the remote battery, we checked that.)

I've noticed sometimes when locking the drivers door from the inside, when i go to pull the handle to open the drivers door it jams up, then i have to unlock the doors from the inside using the passenger door (lock, then unlock).

As for Cougar manuals, there were some up for sale on ebay a couple months back that were genuine... and I see a lot of those CD ones you can get. I don't have any tho no...

Dan

I use alldata. A subscription for a year is I think something like $usd25 or something like that.

For most things I find the neco forum over in NA is invaluable for finding out info on the engine (I have the same engine as you do) or anything else. They are a great informative bunch over there.

Glad to hear there is someone else on the board with a cougar.

Maybe one day I will get a matching pair (cougar for me, MPV for the family
:voldar02: )

[professorsabre]

Originally Posted by Cougar-Boy

P.S also, Does anyone have the workshop manual for the Cougar? I had one for the Magna and it was really helpful for all the little niggling issues. Not that the Cougar has any :P

pm me your email if you still want it...

Cheers

[CarTooner:-)]

G’day Cougar Fans,
As you can see, I’m new to this forum (Starter Motor;-)… have been perusing a few of the threads over the last couple of days and thought I’d let you know there is another Black Cat in Melbourne. I’ve seen a few actually but like me, I suspect they don’t or didn’t know about this forum either!
I discovered this forum whilst searching the net for advice on Cougar ABS… for which my Cougar has a problem… I’ve not yet found the answers to my dilemma. If you Folks can point me in the direction of some Technical info on the subject, I’d sure appreciate it… used:
P.S. And if beaphy is No.7, I guess this makes me Aussie Cougar No.8 :
Regards, CarTooner:-)

[pcperfection]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

G’day Cougar Fans,
As you can see, I’m new to this forum (Starter Motor;-)… have been perusing a few of the threads over the last couple of days and thought I’d let you know there is another Black Cat in Melbourne. I’ve seen a few actually but like me, I suspect they don’t or didn’t know about this forum either!
I discovered this forum whilst searching the net for advice on Cougar ABS… for which my Cougar has a problem… I’ve not yet found the answers to my dilemma. If you Folks can point me in the direction of some Technical info on the subject, I’d sure appreciate it… used:
P.S. And if beaphy is No.7, I guess this makes me Aussie Cougar No.8 :
Regards, CarTooner:-)

Welcome CarTooner, the most info you will get on the Cougars is from our brothers in the U.S at NECO www.newcougar.org do a search in the "problems" section, also heaps of good info & pic's at www.cougardb.com , you could even try searching the Mondeo threads for your ABS issues as they are the same car. hope this helps


Cheers
Mark

[CarTooner:-)]

Thanks pcperfection, I'll check them out.
Cheers, CarTooner:-)

[Dshibi]

Welcome Cartooner!

definitely the Cougar numbers are going up - we have a list around here somewhere of who's who.. I'll update it when I find it

As pcperfection has already pointed out, our American brothers have a lot of info, and I"ve found that if we (Aussies) get a problem with our cars, generally they've already experienced it, so they can be of a huge help.

Hope you're loving the car. Black is the way to go

Dan (Abraxas)

[CarTooner:-)]

Thanks Dan, looks like I need to do a bit of work on my Cougar, compared to some here, especially yours and professorsabre's. Awesome! Yeah, I like the black too!
Who was it that said; "You can have any color you like as long as it's black!"? ;-)
(Although I have to say others here look good too! :-)
I have had my Black cat for ~ 4 years... haven't done anything to it, except wash it occasionally, put some petrol in it and the obligatory servicing. Drives well and has been very reliable up until recently! First the brake warning light came on... changed the pads & front rotors... the light went out... then a while later came back on again... changed the back pads... light out... while later back on again! Just recently the yellow ABS warning light has come on as well!! The owner manual just says take it to Ford Servicing! :
There doesn't appear to be any leaks anywhere, fluid level is fine. Do any of you know what else I can do/check before I have to bite the bullet and take it to the Wallet cleaners?
Cheers, CarTooner:-) [another Mark :-]

[XR5-Boy]

Welcome to the club Mark! Where abouts in Melbourne are you? I can't say i can help you on the brakes. I've had mine for a month LOL! Have u tested out the ABS at all? Does is still work? 'Spose the only way to test it, other than going to Ford, is to give em a go :(If she locks up, u've got a prob! (And some flat spots to worry about!) Bit of a pain if u ask me

[pcperfection]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

Do any of you know what else I can do/check before I have to bite the bullet and take it to the Wallet cleaners?
Cheers, CarTooner:-) [another Mark :-]

Hi Mark, try resetting the computer, not sure if ABS is controlled by ECU but it's worth a try, there are 2 methods for doing this, one is in the owners manual and is done by holding down a couple of buttons and switching the ignition on, the other is disconnect your battery for 10-15min, not sure on option 1, but with option 2 the computer will need to learn all engine management again, I have been told and used with success this method.

After reconnecting your battery start and idol for 2-3min or until idol steadies at 700rpm > turn engine off & wait a few minutes.
2) Start and wait for idol to steady, now turn on Aircon then rear demist all head lights & anything else you have that draws high currant, let it idol like this for 5 minutes then shut it down & wait a few minutes.
3) start > check idol is ok (700rpm+/-), go for a spin but at granny’s pace at first do this for a couple of K's then start to cane it on the way home.
Other than that, if you know anyone with a OBDII scanner try that.

Cheers
Mark

[XR5-Boy]

Originally Posted by Abraxas

ProfessorSabre (SA) SX, Ebony Black
Abraxas (NSW) SX, Ebony Black
thearrow (NSW) SW Eibach, Gunmetal/Spruce Green?
pcperfection (NSW) SX, Silver Frost
Cougar-Boy (VIC) SW, Silver Frost?
beaphy (QLD?) SW, Silver Frost?
majapi69 (NSW) SW, Silver Frost
cougs-cougar (NSW) SW Eibach, Gunmetal/Spruce Green?
**CGR200 (NSW) SW Eibach, Rio Red
*jaxboy18 (QLD) SX, Rio Red/Ebony Black?

Mark (CarTooner:-) ) thats the list at the moment.

[Dshibi]

Got my baby back today... the dealer didn't keep her clean though :( Suppose I was expecting too much from them, but at least my key/remote works again. Turned out to be the actuator was blowing the fuse and therefore cutting out the whole system. Thank God I had the extended warranty from Ford when I had the chance as it's just about paid for itself with this repair job.

Only thing, and it's minor, is that now I have the car back by odometer, fuel usage etc display is reading in Miles, and MPG etc... so I think I need to hit the books, or the NECO Forum to find out how to change it back over to km's...

It was so good getting back in the Cougar though after driving a brand new Fiesta courtesy car around for a week!

Cougar-Boy, thanks for updating the list...

Dan

[XR5-Boy]

Dan, press the "units" button on your Trip Computer :P That will convert it all back to normal units

[professorsabre]

Dan glad everything worked out. As i mentioned before I had my doubts you needed a new key and without going into specifics the actuator was messing with the whole system.

Now as Cougar-Boy said PRESS UNITS and enjoy you Cougar again.

Cheers

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

Thanks Dan, looks like I need to do a bit of work on my Cougar, compared to some here, especially yours and professorsabre's. Awesome! Yeah, I like the black too!
Who was it that said; "You can have any color you like as long as it's black!"? ;-)
(Although I have to say others here look good too! :-)
I have had my Black cat for ~ 4 years... haven't done anything to it, except wash it occasionally, put some petrol in it and the obligatory servicing. Drives well and has been very reliable up until recently! First the brake warning light came on... changed the pads & front rotors... the light went out... then a while later came back on again... changed the back pads... light out... while later back on again! Just recently the yellow ABS warning light has come on as well!! The owner manual just says take it to Ford Servicing! :
There doesn't appear to be any leaks anywhere, fluid level is fine. Do any of you know what else I can do/check before I have to bite the bullet and take it to the Wallet cleaners?
Cheers, CarTooner:-) [another Mark :-]

Hi Cartooner,

So good to see more coming on this board.

Just wondering when the abs light comes on. Is it while you are driving, from start up??

How about when you just switch the ingnition to the "on" position do both the brake light and abs stay on for more than 4 sec??

There is a great diagnosis sheet in alldata which can pinpoint what is wrong. If you want to step through it I am happy to go through it with you, or if you want to get access to the alldata, I am sure it will provide pretty good info for most of the aspects of the aussie spec cougar. I have gotten access for my MPV and while it does not have everything identical, at $30 for the year it is invaluable.

[photn]

Cartooner and Couger Boy and also ALL YOU MELBOURNEites, if you are free this sunday and have $10 then make sure you join us at

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...0&page=1&pp=25

It would be ReallySweet if you guys could join us. not to mention meet new people and see other cars. BTW im driving down From NSW to meet the VIC gang. would love to meet/see you guys there.

[XR5-Boy]

Yeh, i'm prob gonna head down there! I'll see if Danny and his Fez are going

[photn]

Danny isnt going as he stated unfortunately. But i am lol.... Come on We know you want to Come.

[XR5-Boy]

nah nothing's stopping me from heading down :P Only thing is, what time is the meet???

EDIT - Don't worry, all good lol.

[CarTooner:-)]

Hey Gents, thanks for the welcome and I appreciate the advice left here for me but I’ve been too busy to try anything over the last couple of days. So the Coug’s been having a spell in the Cougar-Cave… thankfully, I’ve had the lady’s wheels to get me around. : ... Hopefully I’ll get to put some forum-advice and NECO readings to the test over the weekend.
Photn, not sure if I’ll make it to Bundoora for the SFS on Sunday but thanks for the invite J …
Cougar-Boy, I’m in the SE-Burbs… Yaself?… My last service and front rotor change was done at J-Ford, Mentone; that might be the root of the prob! it: Can you recommend any good trustworthy Cougar-mechanics in Melb?
Pcperfection, I looked up on “resetting the computer” in the owner’s manual and I could only find “Resetting the service interval warning light” (which is 'ON' btw! … Yes, my Coug’s also due for the 105k service)… To reset this it says (p19) to “Hold down the SELECT and UNITS buttons on the trip comp for 5 secs”… so if I get desperate, I’ll give that a go… or if I get more desperate, I might give your Option 2 a go.
What’s an OBDII-Wan Kenobi?!! I assume some sort of Data-logger-info-extractor-thingy?! … Nope, don’t know anybody with one. Are they easy to come-by? … If I reset the Cougar Computer and still need to take it to Ford-Service, will resetting wipe the computer memory and therefore inhibit Ford-Service’s ability to diagnose the problem?
Abraxas, don’t ya just love electrical-electronics-controls!?!! :
Cpapashley, originally, it was the red (!) dash light coming on intermittently (but not very often)… owners-manual says it indicates “low brake fluid level” but the level is fine… then the yellow (ABS) light began to come on… after ~ 30 mins of driving (as if something heating up or losing pressure might be causing the prob) but the brake pressure was fine and the brakes worked ok (mind you I didn’t try to flat-spot my tyres though! ;-) But now… as you query; the (ABS) & (!) are both on as soon as I turn the key and they now “stay on”. My Spanner (for service) light is also on… it’s starting to look like a freakin’ Christmas tree!! :ticking:
Cheers all, CarTooner:-)
P.S. If my Brakes-problem looks like turning into a saga, should I “break” it out into another thread?

[pcperfection]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

Hey Gents, thanks for the welcome and I appreciate the advice left here for me but I’ve been too busy to try anything over the last couple of days. So the Coug’s been having a spell in the Cougar-Cave… thankfully, I’ve had the lady’s wheels to get me around. : ... Hopefully I’ll get to put some forum-advice and NECO readings to the test over the weekend.
Photn, not sure if I’ll make it to Bundoora for the SFS on Sunday but thanks for the invite J …
Cougar-Boy, I’m in the SE-Burbs… Yaself?… My last service and front rotor change was done at J-Ford, Mentone; that might be the root of the prob! it: Can you recommend any good trustworthy Cougar-mechanics in Melb?
Pcperfection, I looked up on “resetting the computer” in the owner’s manual and I could only find “Resetting the service interval warning light” (which is 'ON' btw! … Yes, my Coug’s also due for the 105k service)… To reset this it says (p19) to “Hold down the SELECT and UNITS buttons on the trip comp for 5 secs”… so if I get desperate, I’ll give that a go… or if I get more desperate, I might give your Option 2 a go.
What’s an OBDII-Wan Kenobi?!! I assume some sort of Data-logger-info-extractor-thingy?! … Nope, don’t know anybody with one. Are they easy to come-by? … If I reset the Cougar Computer and still need to take it to Ford-Service, will resetting wipe the computer memory and therefore inhibit Ford-Service’s ability to diagnose the problem?
Abraxas, don’t ya just love electrical-electronics-controls!?!! :
Cpapashley, originally, it was the red (!) dash light coming on intermittently (but not very often)… owners-manual says it indicates “low brake fluid level” but the level is fine… then the yellow (ABS) light began to come on… after ~ 30 mins of driving (as if something heating up or losing pressure might be causing the prob) but the brake pressure was fine and the brakes worked ok (mind you I didn’t try to flat-spot my tyres though! ;-) But now… as you query; the (ABS) & (!) are both on as soon as I turn the key and they now “stay on”. My Spanner (for service) light is also on… it’s starting to look like a freakin’ Christmas tree!! :ticking:
Cheers all, CarTooner:-)
P.S. If my Brakes-problem looks like turning into a saga, should I “break” it out into another thread?

Hey CarTooner, have a look here http://www.newcougar.org/forums/show...ight=ABS+Light
a few possible scenarios, hope it is just your brake fluid level for the wallets sake

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

What’s an OBDII-Wan Kenobi?!! I assume some sort of Data-logger-info-extractor-thingy?! … Nope, don’t know anybody with one. Are they easy to come-by? … If I reset the Cougar Computer and still need to take it to Ford-Service, will resetting wipe the computer memory and therefore inhibit Ford-Service’s ability to diagnose the problem?

That that is a good way to describe it. Basically if you have a laptop with a little help from a connector you can find out everything you wanted to know about the car.

Resetting the computer is not such a great idea unless you have to, better to use the obdii-wan-kenobi device to do that.

Finding a good mechanic is not easy, hopefully someone will chime in from down in melbourne. In looking for a good mechanic I know we had good service from a group up I think it was sarton road at clayton (cannot remember well enough and forget their name) when I used to work for dulux there. But that might be a little far from you.

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

Cpapashley, originally, it was the red (!) dash light coming on intermittently (but not very often)… owners-manual says it indicates “low brake fluid level” but the level is fine… then the yellow (ABS) light began to come on… after ~ 30 mins of driving (as if something heating up or losing pressure might be causing the prob) but the brake pressure was fine and the brakes worked ok (mind you I didn’t try to flat-spot my tyres though! ;-) But now… as you query; the (ABS) & (!) are both on as soon as I turn the key and they now “stay on”. My Spanner (for service) light is also on… it’s starting to look like a freakin’ Christmas tree!! :ticking:
Cheers all, CarTooner:-)
P.S. If my Brakes-problem looks like turning into a saga, should I “break” it out into another thread?

Might be good to start a new post, the alldata site appears to be down at the moment (first time since I got access six months ago). Hopefully by then I can post something meaningful. That other thread pcperfection posted covers a couple of issues with the abs breaks. Certainly worth following those up.

Are you DIY at all? If you are I can thoroughly recommend getting a code reader. Will pay off if you intend to keep the car. The cel light can come on for many reasons and sometimes they are issues that are easily fixed at half the price of stealerships.

[CarTooner:-)]

Thanks again Pcperfection; I had a look at the newcougar ABS forum and there seems like a few extra DIY checks I could do (tomorrow hopefully)… and I hope it’s not the ABS pump! Don’t like the look of Richk’s forkout of 1200 British-pounds!!

And thanks again, Cpapashley; I have a Laptop and I’m sure I could get the required plugs/cable to connect with Cougar’s Obdii-Wan-Kenobi port but what about software? Is that downloadable from somewhere? Is that what you mean by “code reader”?
Re the DIY, I don’t mind havin’ a crack if it’ll save me some significant dollars. I have a fair amount of tools but the lack of decent garage space, a hoist and play-time puts a dampener on my enthusiasm… Nevertheless, I’d like to try something and get a rough idea of the possibilities before I submit to the Wallet-Cleaners or as you say Cpa, “Stealerships”! : That’s funnnnny, but sadly typical! :
Do you also know where I can download any relevant Cougar Mech/Elec schematic diagrams?
As for how long I’ll keep the Cougar; I was actually contemplating trading-in sometime this year but after reading some of the threads here and seeing how keen some people are on the Cougs, I’m reconsidering my options… Heavy-duty maintenance costs are a worry though.
Cheers, CarTooner:-)

[pcperfection]

Originally Posted by CarTooner:-)

Thanks again Pcperfection; I had a look at the newcougar ABS forum and there seems like a few extra DIY checks I could do (tomorrow hopefully)… and I hope it’s not the ABS pump! Don’t like the look of Richk’s forkout of 1200 British-pounds!!

And thanks again, Cpapashley; I have a Laptop and I’m sure I could get the required plugs/cable to connect with Cougar’s Obdii-Wan-Kenobi port but what about software? Is that downloadable from somewhere? Is that what you mean by “code reader”?
Re the DIY, I don’t mind havin’ a crack if it’ll save me some significant dollars. I have a fair amount of tools but the lack of decent garage space, a hoist and play-time puts a dampener on my enthusiasm… Nevertheless, I’d like to try something and get a rough idea of the possibilities before I submit to the Wallet-Cleaners or as you say Cpa, “Stealerships”! : That’s funnnnny, but sadly typical! :
Do you also know where I can download any relevant Cougar Mech/Elec schematic diagrams?
As for how long I’ll keep the Cougar; I was actually contemplating trading-in sometime this year but after reading some of the threads here and seeing how keen some people are on the Cougs, I’m reconsidering my options… Heavy-duty maintenance costs are a worry though.
Cheers, CarTooner:-)

Hi Cartooner, OBD-II scanners are available on FleaBay from AU$40 + shipping and up, just make sure you read all the crap that's in the item description and that it's suitable for the Cougar, next thing to watch is the type of Data cable that it uses to connect to the laptop, heaps of them are the 9 pin serial port and most of the recent laptops don't have one of these but that's not a issue as the serial > USB cables are also on FleaBay for a few $$$, I bought one a few months back and haven't used it as yet but looking at the data port (which is above and to the right of the accelerator peddle) it has a plastic cover on it and looking at that I'm not sure the scanner will fit the pin out, this is only a guess as I haven't even pulled the plastic cover off yet, software for the scanners is freely available on the net.

Cheers
Mark

[cpapashley]

Originally Posted by pcperfection

Hi Cartooner, OBD-II scanners are available on FleaBay from AU$40 + shipping and up, just make sure you read all the crap that's in the item description and that it's suitable for the Cougar, next thing to watch is the type of Data cable that it uses to connect to the laptop, heaps of them are the 9 pin serial port and most of the recent laptops don't have one of these but that's not a issue as the serial > USB cables are also on FleaBay for a few $$$, I bought one a few months back and haven't used it as yet but looking at the data port (which is above and to the right of the accelerator peddle) it has a plastic cover on it and looking at that I'm not sure the scanner will fit the pin out, this is only a guess as I haven't even pulled the plastic cover off yet, software for the scanners is freely available on the net.

Cheers
Mark

The obdii port is generic worldwide, 16pin so shouldn't be any problems with it.

Do you also know where I can download any relevant Cougar Mech/Elec schematic diagrams?

Cartooner, I know that someone mentioned these cougars are the european spec, but I am sure they are pretty similar, considering there are a number of european owners on the neco forum. information seems pretty generic.

I use Alldata.com, I think it is pretty cheap for online access to an up to date workshop manual, with all the TSB's (technical service bulletins) issued for the car.

As far as the engine itself, anything that is capable of having 350hp pumped through a basically standard bottom end, and a top end that is capable of 8,000rpm without exploding means to me that it is a robust engine. There area of weakness that need to be looked at. One is the oil handling of the engine, but there is lots of discussion on the neco forum about this so check there. Just get the upgraded oil pan, if you are going to do anything to the engine and all will be OK. Most of the parts are generic with the ford escape/mazda tribute and there is plenty of them on the road, so knowing your parts helps in keeping costs down.

These cars are rare, bit like the Ford Mondeo st24 which I would love to get (seeing I have a family I need to pretend to have a family car). My MPV has the same engine, and I can tell you with some improvements in the intake/exhaust area it really gets moving. Certainly surprises a few people
:

Anyway will find that info on the ABS stuff over the next couple of days when I get a chance, but I would certainly try some of those easy checks mentioned on neco. Hopefully it is something simple, like a sensor.

Enjoy your ride.

:voldar02:

[cpapashley]

Not too sure what happened to my post, must have gone up for dinner the other night and one of my boys deleted it :

Anyway here is some info.

I think you will need the obdii reader to establish what is wrong.

Sorry it took so long cartooner.

[thearrow]

Hey Guys !!! Haven't been here for a while, been hanging out at the NECO forum. How did the small Ford day go last week. C'mon we expect a full report. How many Cougars and who was there?