Has anyone worn out an 850 engine yet?

It sounds like your car may have been in a flood. Did you ever do a
trace on it? Even some cars sold as new cars have been in floods or
other disasters and reconditioned. When you see an abnormal failure
rate and abnormal failures, bells should start ringing.

 

This is an extremely high failure rate of components. Do you know
what the history of your car was before you purchased it. One of
problems in particular, "trunk misalignment" suggests structural issues.
Was the car in an accident?

So far, on our 850 GLT (also a '96, 85K miles), we've had a few
things replaced, besides routing maintenance.
a) RHS headlight wiper motor
b) fuel-cap door release mechanism
c) one new rotor

 

On the motor mounts, I believed the dealer's mechanic when he told me
they needed replacing. Not all at the same time, though. I have to
confess that a few years ago I was driving back to the L.A. area from
Las Vegas and took a dirt road to bypass a section of closed highway.
It was the worst washboard surface I have ever been on and it was no
surprise when I found out the motor mounts and front end bushings
needed attention.

The dealer is convinced the whistling sound is some sort of mechanical
thing. It comes and goes. For a month, it will happen at least once
every time I drive the car. Then it will go away for, say, two
months. The usual scenario is that I take it into the dealer for
routine servicing and I will try to get it to perform. Sometimes it
does sometimes it doesn't. If it does, they work on something
completely unrelated (like replacing the bushings), drive it around
the block and not hearing the noise, figure they fixed it.

I do like the way the car drives. It has just the right combination
of size, comfort, and nimbleness that works for me. I'm sure an 850R
would be even better.

Norm

 

One new rotor? Shouldn't those get replaced in pairs?

 

Should be...