2002 mercury cougar is firing and crANking it will not start

Are you getting fuel(and the proper pressure)? Do you have injector pulse?

ck fuel pressure to start with

test fuel pump. manual check is to turn key and stop before it turns over. should be a sound coming from gas tank. short whirring sound. thats the pump priming the line. should last 2 sec.s than cut out. no sound, than no pump. if sound but lasts longer than 2 sec.s, than pump laboured and failing. check fuel filter for possible clog.

Switch out ur plugs see if it works