96 850 turbo burns oil

Hi everyone,

I'm extremely interested in buying a 1996 850 Turbo Platinum Edition
wagon. The car is 158k and extremely well maintained.

There is one problem - it burns oil. The vehicle burns about a quart of
oil between every oil change. The vehicle burns more oil on highway than
in city driving; burns more with lightweight 5w-30 Mobil 1 than with
heavier 20w50. Putting in a brand new turbo reduced the oil burn, but
did not completely eliminate the problem.

Does anyone know if this is a common problem, or just something
particular to this vehicle? I want something that can be driven to
grocery store once a week without needing to worry about anything else.
Are there any common problem that surfaces with this car around this
mileage?

Thanks a lot,
Mo

 

You say it "burns" oil: do you see smoke, or does it simply "use" oil?

My '96 Turbo used oil from a leaky rear main seal.

 

It burns oil - in that the exhaust area has a very thin film of oil, and
the exhaust smells like burnt engine oil.

 

My 93 940 turbo uses a qt between oil changes...always has....no big deal

 

A quart of oil between oil changes of 5,000 miles is not unreasonable
for a car with milage well over 100,000. Given the description you
provided I wonder if it does not use a lot more.

If you see unburnt or partially burnt oil in the area surrounding the
exhaust tailpipe then the car is indeed burning a lot of oil. Chances
are that you will also see smoke coming out the tailpipe as the car is
moving. Does the car pass emissions tests? If it does and you are
otherwise interested in the car then consider it to be a well worn car
that could provide transportation. And price it accordingly.

 

My 740t burns more 10w30w than my wifes 740t 5w50w but its worth it .As I
tend to drive quietly then push it where as my wife drive quickly but never
pushes it .She get the tickets unfortunately .