Mercury Cougar

Certain passenger vehicles. The rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector. The damage could, over time, cause increased resistance in the connector and, due to subsequent terminal relaxation, result in an open circuit condition. The heater blower resistor may overheat causing the attached electrical connector to melt, creating the potential for a fire.  Correction: Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness.

On certain vehicles, a misrouted battery cable to the alternator could contact the metal tubing that is part of the power steering line. This could eventually wear the insulation and result in an electrical short. An electrical short could potentially result in a fire, or in a no-start or stall.  Correction:  Dealers will inspect vehicles and the battery cable will rerouted or replaced as required.

On certain vehicles, the brass terminals in the stop lamp extension harness connector at the brake lamp switch are inadequate to handle the current required by the two stop lamp filaments on each side of the vehicle.  Either a short or an open circuit may develop, which could result in either a lack of stop lamp function or in the stop lamps being continuously illuminated.  Correction:  Stop lamp switch will be replaced, in addition, the stop lamp extension harness will be replaced with a harness containing bronze terminals at the stop lamp switch connector.

On certain vehicles, the pressure conscious reducing valve (PCRV) in each of the rear brakes may be subject to malfunction due to corrosion when operated in areas of high road salt use.  If both PCRVs malfunction, vehicle handling may be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, which could potentially result in a vehicle crash.  Correction:  Dealers will install improved PCRVs in the rear brake system.

On certain vehicles, the high electrical current flowing through the headlamp switch during simultaneous operation of the headlamps and fog lamps may cause the switches internal bimetal circuit breaker to open due to overheating.  Should this occur, the vehicle's headlights may go out for brief intervals (flickering or blinking).  Extended cycling of the circuit breaker due to continued overheating can result in longer duration outages.  Correction:  Dealers will install a headlamp switch which incorporates a circuit breaker of revised design, and a wiring harness connector, if needed.