[Desperado]

Desperado

Desperado

Show Desperado's last posts.

Show general stats for Desperado.

• 
• scd cult
• Posts: 1049
• Dozen Elf Death Punch x2!!!

My car is a 1999 Mercury Cougar, I'll get down to the nitty gritty, the car has a few problems. It has an oil leak (rear engine seal), power steerings going out, power steering line leaks, it tries to over heat for long periods of driving (2 hours) and I keep losing power every now and then (on the verge of breaking down). So should I keep my car or just get rid of it. The repairs will cost about $600.

[Photon440]

Photon440

Photon440

Show Photon440's last posts.

Show general stats for Photon440.

• 
• street musician
• Posts: 287

Whoa...if you can fix that many problems for only $600 then I'd say go ahead and get it done.  Is this for parts alone and you'll do the work?

Of course, you have to decide for yourself if the car is in good enough condition that you'll want it when those problems have been addressed.  Just 11 years old, it should still be pretty nice.

-=Photon=-

[Desperado]

Desperado

Desperado

Show Desperado's last posts.

Show general stats for Desperado.

• 
• scd cult
• Posts: 1049
• Dozen Elf Death Punch x2!!!

The seal I can fix with my friend, but it's the power steering problem that is a drag. The way that the power steering is positioned around the engine, you have to take off the hood in order to reach down in there and take it out, the parts are cheap for what they are it's the labor that's gonna kill me. I only know a little bit about mechanics, just enough to get by, as far as fixing things, I am at a loss. I still do not know why my car is losing power, the engine has been cleaned using carberater cleaner numerous times, the air filter is new and spark plugs are still good. I really hope it's not the fuel injectors because that crap costs more money. Any suggestions?

[Photon440]

Photon440

Photon440

Show Photon440's last posts.

Show general stats for Photon440.

• 
• street musician
• Posts: 287

Being a 1999 model, it should have OBDII.  See if you can find someone to borrow a diagnostics reader to see if your engine is throwing any codes.  There are also some things you can do without a code reader, some tricks with onboard buttons that show up some codes.  I know that when I had my neon, you could turn the key on and off a certain way to get them, but for each manufacturer it's different. You can find out on Cougar forums.  Here are a couple of links to get you started:

http://cougardb.com/info/faq

http://www.scribd.com/doc/27005458/1999-Mercury-Cougar

Losing power can be many things besides what you've mentioned.  The catalytic converters could be getting plugged, your coils or ignition wires might be going out, a fuel pump might not be supplying enough pressure to the injectors.  It could be something simple like an air leak downstream from the mass airflow sensor, or a loose wire on the throttle sensor.  Getting the diagnostic codes could go a long way towards finding out what's hurting your engine's power.

Just for an example, here's a cheap scanner from an ebay link.  You may not want to buy something like that, but the included description may help show what it is capable of:


http://cgi.ebay.ca/OBD-II-OBD2-2-SCANNER-CODE-READER-SCAN-TOOL-OBDII-PRO_W0QQitemZ380221873306QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Automotive_Tools?hash=item5886fd5c9a
Out of curiosity, do you have the 2.5 V-6, or the 2 litre 4 cylinder engine?

-=Photon=-

[Desperado]

Desperado

Desperado

Show Desperado's last posts.

Show general stats for Desperado.

• 
• scd cult
• Posts: 1049
• Dozen Elf Death Punch x2!!!

The last time I got it scanned by a computer, catalytic converter came up, but the mechanic told me it's nothing important. Infact he told me to rip it off! I did have a vacuum leak but that was because of a hose. Found out why my engine kept overheating, my oil filter was extremely loose, about to fall off! Had an oil change and my mechanic tightened that sucker, so far no over heating. Apparently it was the fact that some of the pistons weren't getting enough oil.

[Photon440]

Photon440

Photon440

Show Photon440's last posts.

Show general stats for Photon440.

• 
• street musician
• Posts: 287

The last time I got it scanned by a computer, catalytic converter came up, but the mechanic told me it's nothing important. Infact he told me to rip it off! I did have a vacuum leak but that was because of a hose. Found out why my engine kept overheating, my oil filter was extremely loose, about to fall off! Had an oil change and my mechanic tightened that sucker, so far no over heating. Apparently it was the fact that some of the pistons weren't getting enough oil.

So, the scanner said the catalytic converter has problems...did you remove it like your mechanic suggested?

If that filter was so loose that it was ready to fall off, it's likely that there wasn't any oil left in the engine.  Maybe it's not worth saving after all?

-=Photon=-

[Desperado]

Desperado

Desperado

Show Desperado's last posts.

Show general stats for Desperado.

• 
• scd cult
• Posts: 1049
• Dozen Elf Death Punch x2!!!

Car's fine right now as far as overheating goes, it never actually over heated, got close. No, I did not take off the catalytic converter, it's a fine if I do here. No damage was done to the engine, I had my mechanic check it out, he did that for free. I can get the parts for the powersteering pump/line for cheap at the local O'Reilly's I have a guy that can get me a deal on the parts, so that wont be a problem. I'm trying to figure out now why the engine drags down when the AC is turned on, the AC compressor is fine, brand new and has the special oil it needs. Damn I love Fords (sarcasm).

[Photon440]

Photon440

Photon440

Show Photon440's last posts.

Show general stats for Photon440.

• 
• street musician
• Posts: 287

It's usual for the AC to slow down the engine a bit, after all you're engaging another accessory to drag on the engine.  But if it's a real big drop I would suspect that the system has been overcharged.  Just a guess.

I understand about the legality of removing the converter, but how else will you determine that it is or isn't part of the problem?  A new one can cost under $100, but if it isn't needed you won't want to spend it. 

I'm glad to see that you can take care of the power steering fairly easily, and that some other things are working out.

I guess you're going to keep the car. 

-=Photon=-