Key Programming: Mercury Cougar 2000-2002

Mercury Cougar 2000-2002 Key Programming Procedure
The following are the key programming procedures for Mercury Cougar for the year 2000 and 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 name had already been passed down through the family. When the ultimate winner, Mustang, was chosen for Ford’s ponycar a few years ago, it was one of the finalists. The name “Cougar” conveys a strong sense of elegant design and smooth gliding, but the powers that be chose a different path for Mustang in 1964, opting for a speed through the prairie atmosphere.
In retrospect, this provided a perfect fit for the next time a name was required. The decision to create an automobile in the Mercury product line provided the inventors with an opportunity to improve on a tried-and-true concept. Mustangs were purchased in unprecedented quantities by the general people. Now, the business was eager to boost the ante with a similar-sized (in terms of image) automobile that placed a greater emphasis on elegance and comfort. In addition, many more than projected were sold as a result of the final product.
In actuality, the Cougar predated the Mustang. The initiative to construct this car, known as “T-7,” lingered until Ford’s Pony blasted out of the gate. Engineers returned to work on T-7 with newfound zeal. Because no one else was utilizing the Cougar name, it was assigned to this project. The Cougar design, like the Mustang, was the result of numerous teams working independently to come up with the proposal.
In early 1965, the design was finished as a “man’s car that a Mustang owner could step up to.” Ford believed that a step between the Mustang and the Thunderbird was required. That bit about it being a “man’s automobile” will come up later.
In early 1966, the cat was let out of the bag. Before the first model was offered for purchase, public relations efforts began informing the world about Mercury’s plans and the name of the car. The buildup to the showroom debut in late 1966 was a multi-pronged effort to pique the interest of the smaller-car buyer.
After media previews in California and the Bahamas, the world finally got to see the automobile. From the initial transaction in late 1966, the buying frenzy had begun with significant sales. Cougar sales were expected to reach 85,000 units, according to optimistic forecasts. It was nowhere like the Mustang launch figures, but putting up that kind of quantity on an initial offering was still a daunting task. When the answer began to take shape, manufacturing facilities realized that this figure was far too low. By the end of the first model year, the car had sold over 150,000 units, putting it in a respectable place among new businesses.
The Cougar’s main selling point was its appearance. The Mustang had been on the market for a few years and had done well. Because the Mustang was thought to be the inspiration for the Cougar, there was a lot of Mustang beneath the Cougar, but customers were looking from the outside in. Motor Trend (Aug. 1966) called the new Cougar “certainly one of the prettier automobiles of the next year” in its preview. “And while it shares a great deal with the enormously successful Mustang, the Cougar has its own aura and personality, so it isn’t just a replica of the car that sparked the whole craze,” Motor Trend said in its buyers’ guide later that year (November). For good cause, that same publication named the Cougar “Car of the Year” in 1967.