Key Programming: Mercury Cougar 1999-2002
Mercury Cougar 1999-2002 Key Programming Procedure
The following are the key programming procedures for Mercury Cougar for the year 1999 to 2002.
Except Lincoln LS before 2002 (must use OEM Programmer or aftermarket programming tool)
To reprogram the remote entry transmitters:
1. Ensure the vehicle is electronically unlocked.
2. Put the key in the ignition.
3. Turn the key from the LOCK position to RUN.
4. Cycle eight times rapidly (within 10 seconds) between the LOCK position and RUN. NOTE: The eighth turn must end in the RUN position.
5. The doors will lock, then unlock, to confirm that the programming mode has been activated.
6. Within 20 seconds press any button on the remote entry transmitter. NOTE: If more than 20 seconds have passed you will need to start the procedure over again.
7. The doors will lock, then unlock, to confirm that this remote entry transmitter has been programmed.
8. Repeat Step 6 to program each additional remote entry transmitter.
9. Turn the ignition to the LOCK position after you have finished programming all of the remote entry transmitters.
10. The doors will lock, then unlock, to confirm that the programming mode has been exited.
Focus 2000-2007 Close doors, buckle seat belts, off to on 4x, tone, then depress remote button
About Mercury Cougar
The visual dream of an automobile, like the painful awakenings that frequently follow love at first sight, does not always mesh with the concrete realities of living with it. Our long-term Mercury Cougar V-6 is a prime example. We were fascinated by its “distinctive elegance” the first time we saw it as the MC2 concept (C/D, September 1997), and we readily admitted it. And, despite spending an unusually long period with us (18 months), we never grew bored of its bold beautiful looks. Passers-by, for that matter, did not. Although the Cougar was no longer a novelty when the odometer reached 40,000 miles, the logbook was filled with entries reporting covetous stares, particularly from young women. Darrell Behmer’s avant-garde design is holding up well. This is perhaps the coolest ride to wear Mercury badges since the division’s inception in 1938, and its CDW27 underpinnings (the Ford Mondeo and Contour, as well as the Mercury Mystique) assist to give it a level of agility that matches its aggressive good looks.
125 mph is quite quick. It’s fast enough that many little cars feel like they’re fighting for control, especially when navigating a tight radiused curve.
However, the steep banking on Ford’s Lommel test track in Belgium, combined with the extremely rock-solid chassis of the 1999 Mercury Cougar hatchback coupe, made such autobahn-style speeds feel like our 70-mph morning drive. We could be said to be chugging along.
Later, while inspecting the new Cougar’s undercarriage on a trackside lift, we were surprised and impressed to discover that the car’s excellent structure and crisp dynamic feel had not been compromised in any way by the light, shallowly drawn stamped-steel pressings that serve as its suspension control arms.
The Cougar appears to be a victory of extremely skillful engineering over somewhat mundane materials and careful cost control. And this is critical if Ford Motor Company is to deliver a reasonably priced sporty two-door hatchback with performance capability comparable to some of Europe’s price-premium sport coupes to American and European (right- and left-hand drive) customers.
The newest cat has emerged from Mercury’s development bag. It also pays absolutely little engineering respect to the slew of V-8-powered rear-drive Cougars that came before it. In fact, the Ford (CDW27) Contour, Mercury Mystique, and Ford of Europe’s Mondeo front-drive sedans are its closest platform family members. This new Cougar, developed in England and Germany by Ford’s Small-Car Vehicle Center, comes by its nimble, European demeanor pretty naturally.
