jameslee

I own a '94 Cougar (which i've mentioned before (Problem: No Oil, Engine Locked?)) and would like some advice regarding electrical and traction problems. I'm told the previous owner was an older woman who didn't drive the car often. I've had the Cougar just over a year and have never changed the tires considering the tread looks fine.

First, under normal driving conditions (i.e. dry weather) the car handles great, but it handles terribly when the roads are wet and slippery (rain & snow). I have the hardest time getting up even small inclines (15-20%) under these conditions and the tires often lose traction and spin just enough to stop the car from sliding back down the incline. I had my worst experience last year in Indiana, where i was returning home from work after it had just rained and lost traction on a bridge which couldn't have been more than a 15% incline.

I just moved into the Denver area and we've got snow in the forecast for this weekend. I've tried placing two sand bags in the trunk to approve traction considering the vehicle is rear wheel drive, but i didn't notice any improvement and have since removed them. Is there anything i can do (like sandbags) to improve the vehicles traction short of replacing all the tires? If i'm have to purchase new tires, what would you recommend considering my description of how the car handles in adverse conditions?

More recently, i've experienced an electrical problem twice about a month apart from each other. Here's a description of what happens:

I try to start the car but nothing happens engine-wise when i turn the key forward. All the electrical systems (e.g. lights, radio) seem fine, with the exception that the battery voltage looks a little low. Considering i had just driven the car earlier that day, i try to start the car a couple more times and still get nothing from the engine. Trying one last time the car starts up fine and seems to be running without any problems. Checking the battery meter while the car is running indicates that the voltage is fine. Just to make sure everything's fine i turn off the car, wait half a minute, and start it again without any problems.

I've been gone for a week visiting back home in Indiana and experienced the same situation as described above upon my return. Any idea what might be causing this problem? Could a new battery be the solution?

SpeedEng

The tires have they even been rotated? check the tires again with the penny trick and make sure they are inflated to the correct amount of PSI. (just wondering what size tires are on them maybe the old granny changed them to some 14in hubs)


about the electrical problem clean your battery post then make sure you have them on nice and tight for a good connection if problems persist goto a auto store and ask for a battery test (usually free)

the reason why the battery is meter is fine after you start the car is cause the alternator is jucing out most of the output to your electrical stuff (lights radio ect)hope this helps

whitak24

not sure if this is the problem or not with the tires, but it may just be what kind of tire you have (tread pattern).

i had a ford probe and i put Dunlop D60/A2 performance tires on it. they were great tires...held great on corners and curves, and provided great traction as long as the road was dry.

but as soon as it rained or we had wet snow, i might as well forget about traction. they were horrible. (they handled dry snow ok, but water was just NOT their thing).

with your car being a cougar, it's entirely possible it's got some kind of performance tires on it, and that may be why you're getting such poor performance in water.

CynJon

Also, unless you really need the space, I'd keep the sandbags during the snowy months. RWD cars tend to be light in the back and any extra weight back there helps...Sand is good to use for weight because if you find yourself in a particularly icy parking lot or driveway or something, you can take the sand and spread it on the ice for traction. Could be the difference between being stuck or not... Look on the sidewall and see if they are mud and snow rated. If they are it should have a "M+S" stamped somewhere. Also, since the previous owner was a "little old lady", it's likely that she bought the current tires based on their mileage rating (i.e. 80,000 mile tires or similar...), which tend to be made from a harder rubber compound. They wear well, but traction, especially on wet or snowy roads, suffers. What has been said already about rotating, tire pressure and amount of wear applies also. I grew up in northern Minnesota, so I've done my share of driving in snow. Good luck!

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Burzhui

dude, i have a 1995 cougar, what you think is electrical might necesarily not be so. I.E. sometimes if shift the car into park it doesn't go all the way in, looks fine, doesn't roll but i guess the handle is a bit off. Try jiggling the shifter handle back and forth a bit, that might fix it, if it's not that, then my guess is that it's a dead cell.

As for tires, what kind of tires are they?

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IF A FAT GIRL FALLS IN THE WOODS
DO THE TREES LAUGH?

jameslee

First, thanks to everyone for all the advice and suggestions.

I haven't had the tires rotated since i purchased the car, but i did check the tread again and it's about half a centimeter over our friend Licoln. Interesting note, although the tread on all the tires is about the same, the sides of the tires on the passenger side are much more worn than those on the driver side. I could barely read the numbers of the tires on the passenger side. Guess i've been hitting the curb too much when i parallel park?

All four tires are FireStone FR575 P215/70R15 97S M+S, Tread Wear 420, Traction A, Temperature B. I tried to lookup these tires on the Firestone website to see if they were performance, but couldn't find a single mention of them. Actually, i only got a few hits from an internet search (via Google for "firestone fr575").

Also, I mentioned the starting/electrical problem to my better half and she reminded me that it also happened a couple time while she was driving the car. I've noticed the 'not completely in park' problem before, and they could very well be related. I can't remember if i tried to adjust the shift before actually getting the car to start; I was too busy freaking out! Just in case, i'll get the battery checked and we'll see what gives.

Again, thanks for all the information thus far.

SpeedEng

Well while your asking someone to check the battery ask them if the tires are installed correctly (I remember some tires for RWD are unidirectional) chek that!!!