Agree with all of that . This is either a bad idle air valve, a vacuum leak, or both. As far as the plugs go, this era Ford ignition systems can be finicky and its best to replace wires and plugs at the same time. Coil too if you can justify it, just to be sure. Coils tend to show degradation first ...

Try jumping from the known good battery directly to the starter, bypassing the installed battery cable.
The battery cable can corrode inside the insulation to the point of not passing enough current, and this is about the right age to start seeing that.

My primary interest is in the added strength and corrosion resistance. Ive lost a wheel before and if I can lessen the likelihood of doing it again, I'm for it. If I were to do any significant power-adders I would appreciate the added insurance, especially given our 4 small lugs design. I would thin...

I'm checking interest for a Titanium lugs group buy here. Please see my post on the Cougar forum. https://www.newcougar.org/threads/titanium-lugs.198380/ I believe Cougar and Puma share the same lugs. For confirmation, this is the spec I'm having them built to: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.p...

If the pump isn't starting, the next step is to confirm if its getting voltage or not. Use a voltmeter at the connector closest to the pump to check for 12v when the key is on.

More precise information would help. Does it turn over? If it turns over, does it "cough" or otherwise sound act like its trying to fire? If it tries to fire, have you tried giving it a little throttle? Can you hear the fuel pump start? Dummy check: does it have gas in the tank? Do you have a CEL an...

Here's an example of the type of list I'm thinking of. Right now, my knowledge is very high for 99-02 Cougars. So if someone asked me to list wear and tear items for Cougars, I would say something like this: Front suspension: -Ball joints -Tie rod ends inner and outer -CV axles -Struts -Strut mounts...

Which state in USA? Puma won't last long in NY, MA etc because of their salty winters. Arizona on the other hand would be perfect! :lol: you are correct. The Northeast US is very hard on steel. I move quite frequently so I cant really predict where I will be when I bring one over. If I actually do ...

If you were going to purchase a Puma (assume 1.7l) and replace every wear-and-tear item on the car such that it was in like-new condition, what parts would you replace? When I import one to the US, I'm going to need to bring parts over too because we have no equivalents on our continent. Feel free t...

I would not be worried about those bolts

Sounds like a weak spring or dirty linkages.
Spray your favorite aerosol cleaner/lubricant into all the latch linkages and really clean it out well, then cycle it by hand a few times to find the problem. If the linkages are behaving properly, its probably a weak spring.

Start with cleaning, inspecting, and testing the IACV and the hose supplying the IACV.

Not a fan of the blades

It may be easier to get a universal kit intended for custom builds and hot rods. They have everything in one box so you dont have to try to make the existing wiring work, you just add new extra wiring.

First, always make sure the cars engineered drain-ways are clear. The first suspect in that regard would be the area under the windscreen. It wouldn't hurt to open that up and clean out all the debris that's in there if you haven't done so in the last couple of years. If that doesn't uncover any pro...

FWIW, I blasted and powdercoated an old subframe once and the powder just didnt hold up like I had hoped. In the future, I will use POR-15, Herculiner, or some other super-durable coating.

If you dont expect a lot of road salt exposure than it may not matter.

The level one idea for the underside of the car is to present as little obstruction as possible. Modern cars are typically as smooth as possible down there. Look under any VW and you will see massive plastic trays to keep everything smooth. Level two is to shape your undercarriage to actively create...

oh, sorry, I jumped to a conclusion without reading closely enough. I've sort of stopped suspecting the solenoids in the last few years because I dont hear much about them failing anymore.

I recommend that you unplug the starter wiring harness black plastic connector going to the starter, (which can be a bit fiddly). If you then connect a working test lamp to the unplugged small wire on the harness. ground /earth the testers other wire to the engine or body. Get someone to turn the k...

Are the accessories powering up?
If yes - Suspect a bad battery cable-Try jumping directly to your starter, bypassing the battery cable to prove it.
If no-suspect a bad battery cable to your fuse box if your SURE the battery is good. Check the continuity of the supply cable to the fuse box.

Fuel pumps are a normal wear and tear item for any car. No surprise at this age, its probably going on its third or fourth by now.

If your just replacing the fluid pump with an electric alternative you haven't actually changed anything that provides the mechanic feedback. You do get the benefit of less load on the engine as mmc757 says. I wouldn't go for a replacement column or rack though because then you will loose that feed...

I think there might be a translation problem here.
Can you post a photo of what the problem is?

You could convert PS to electric. Either by installing an electric pump, https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=electric+power+steering+pump&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 or replacing the hydraulics altogether with a steering column motor. https://www.hotrod.com/articles/150-electric-power-steering-junkyard-prius-delivers...