It depends which engine you have 4yl zetec or the 6 duratec i have done it on the v6 a couple of times its averages me about 4.5 hours on the ground and the car jack. here is the online manual on how to do it on 4 cyl or a 6 cyl. All you need is a ratchet set, flat head screw driver, breaker bar to remove wheel nut. its pretty straight forward if you have the patience. be careful tightening bolts and nuts. i broke the tie rods as i was tightening the bolt was pretty brittle.
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1b/c3/18/0900823d801bc318/repairInfoPages.htm#hd1-1-2
Good Luck
I can tell you that on a 2000 mercury cougar it is a fuse on the positive cable between the battery and the alternator
It should be the same as for a 2002 Mercury Cougar which is answered in WikiAnswer under the Question; " How to remove alternator from a 2002 Mercury Cougar 2.5L V6." The 2000 Cougar may be different by having an upper alternator BOLT. If it does, and you can't lift the bolt out (after fully loosening the bolt), lower the alternator and you can, then, lift the bolt out. When you begin to install the alternator (attach the power wire, and the wire connector) place the BOLT in the upper hole in the alternator, and THEN, raise the alternator to install.
The charging system is the alternator which is on and functioning anytime the engine is running. If not, then you have a problem with the alternator.
wires, connecters, terminals
where is the anti theft located on a 2000 mercury cougar
On a 2000 Mercury Cougar : No , only the automatic transaxle ( transmission ) has a dipstick
aerodnamics are such that there isn't much airflow past the alternator and high loads cause them to overheat
For a 2000 Mercury Cougar : The tank holds ( 15.4 US. gallons )
On a 2000 Mercury Cougar : The brake fluid reservoir is also the clutch fluid reservoir
go to autozone .com they give free tech help that can be down loaded
Of Course
According to the 2000 Mercury Cougar owners manual ( 5W-30 ) for the four cylinder and V6 engines