Problem Reports
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1997 Mercury Cougar
Battery Light Due to Damaged Alternator Connector
The battery light may illuminate on the instrument panel because the alternator wire harness connector is damaged. A new connector kit is available and should be installed to correct this concern.
Coolant Loss, Engine Overheating, White Smoke From Exhaust
White smoke coming from the exhaust could indicate that a head gasket has blown or there is a cracked cylinder head. Our technicians tell us that removal and inspection of the cylinder heads will be required to confirm a crack is present.
Plastic Intake Manifold May Crack Causing Coolant Leak
The composite (plastic) intake manifold may crack near the thermostat housing and cause a coolant leak. Ford released an updated manifold that was reinforced to prevent a recurrence. No recall was issued for this problem but Ford did extend the warranty to seven years on some models from the date of purchase.
Engine problem
When engine gets hot and you start it it misfires for about 1 minute and then smooths out. Cold start ups run smooth. I need a fix for this problem!