850GLE tail lights and A/C

[Wayne]

Have a '97 850GLE with about 77,000 miles on it. Have two nagging problems:

1. Periodically, on either left or right side, either (occassionally both) the brake light or turn signal light will stop working. Have tried WD40, contact cleaner, and wire drier sprays on it, as well as a silicon grease. Any of these things helps in that the problem goes away for 2-3 weeks.

Then tried contact cleaner, and an application of silicon grease - good for 4-5 weeks. Last thing I did was wedge a small copper wire beside the buld base and the socket. Thas was good for 7-8 weeks.

In all instances a good slap on the side of the back fender with the offending light bulb will make it work for a little while (1-10 days).

Any one with any ideas, please, on how to fix this?

2. At about 70k miles the A/C started whistling when the car is moving. Can't make it whistle at idle, can stop it (briefly) by taking foot off accelerator pedal or shutting off the A/C.

Ant ideas? And will continue to run it this way hurt anything?

Thanks.

[Richard Baumann]

no help for the A/C, but for the tail lights you are looking for a loose or corroded ground wire. All of hte lights are on plastic frame with a stamped metal arrangment for the power. You will need to pull the trunk liner and search carefully, trust me it will be difficult to find. The clue of slapping the side of the rear fender helps as in my 850 the grounds are on the inside of the rear fenders hidden by the carpet.