1997 Mercury Cougar Owner's Manual - Page 24

With ignition switch OFF, the fuel gauge indicator may drift from the ignition switch ON position. Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge This gauge indicates the temperature of the engine coolant, not the coolant level. If the coolant is not at its proper level or mixture, the gauge indication will not be accurate. The pointer moves from the C (cold) mark into the normal band as your engine coolant warms up. Under normal driving conditions, the pointer should stay in the normal band. It is acceptable for the pointer to fluctuate within the noprmal band under normal driving conditions, and under certain driving conditions such as, heavy stop and go traffic, or driving up hills in hot weather, for the pointer to indicate at the top of the normal band. If, under any circumstances, the pointer moves above the normal band, the engine is overheating and continued operation may cause engine damage. The engine coolant temperature gauge 21