How can you tell if your opti is going bad?


Hard Start? Rough Idle?


How do you know if its the complete opti & not just the cap & rotor?



95 LT1 75,0000

 

Those may or may not be symptoms.If it is the cap&rotor it will missfire and generally run like crap and not just at start up.If it is the sensor inside you will get codes and a SES light on.

 

Ihave only seen a handfull of bad optisparks. Usually the biggest problem is moisture gets inside and causes the same conditions. Make sure the waterpump Bearing/seal is not leaking on the distributor.

 

The opti has multiple failure modes, and they each show up in different ways. The most common failure mode is carbon tracking on the cap, and it seems to show up first as a miss at high rpms.

You know if it's just the cap and rotor by taking it apart and discovering that the bearing and optical sensor are fine. But most people consider the job of getting it off the car to be enough of a PITA that they will just replace the whole thing.

If what you meant to ask was "I have hard starting and rough idle, what should I check" then the answer is to check all the usual ignition and fuel components first because they are easier to get to and cheaper.

[edit]
I see you had another thread on the hard starting and did replace a lot of the basic stuff. Did you do everything that people suggested in that thread? Any codes? Have you tested or replaced the coil? Were the problems the same before your plug and wire change?

If it's not the coil then based on what you've done so far I'd be inclined to blame the opti. If the opti is original it's past time for a new cap and rotor anyway.
[/edit]

 

Yes I did everything that was suggested except by a manual. I've been watching the manuals on ebay to get a good deal.

I don't have a rough idle just the hard starting. The funny thing I just nitived is evertime I unhook the battery & reconnect it the car seems to start great the first time.

Just thought I might tear into the font end this week end & look things over & wanted an idea of what to look for while I'm in there.

Thanks

 

I sure as hell wouldn't tear into the front end of it based upon what you've shared with us so far.

If the Opti is failing, it'll be a failure on either the high voltage side (distributor section; i.e. cap & rotor), or the low voltage side (optical pickups).

If it's a failure on the high-voltage side, it'll definitely exhibit stumbling/missing, with a high probability of backfiring into the intake (unless the rotor has broken completely, in which case you'll just have a no-start/no-run condition).

If it's a failure on the low-voltage side, it'll throw codes. If the low-resolution sensor is failing, you'll get a code 16, and a no-start/no-run condition. If the high-res sensor is failing, you'll get a code 36, but the car will still start and run pretty much normally (just not optimally). The ECM can run the car with the high-res pulses absent, but not with the low-res pulses absent.

If you're experiencing a hard-start condition, but the car runs fine once started, and no codes are set, I highly doubt the Opti is contributing to the problem. Look elsewhere.

And definitely stop waiting for a bargain on the Factory Service Manual. If you end up buying any parts that you don't need, it'll cost you more than what you might save on the manual, and your time is also worth more than the few bucks you'll save by waiting for a used manual. Buy the manual now, and save yourself time and money solving this problem (and future problems).

Be well,

SJW

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to get the service manual. I'll let the opti alone until I get a better idea.

 

Hard starting can also be caused by a bad fuel pressure regulator or a bad check valve in the fuel pump. FWIW...

 

If you really wont to know whats going on inside of your engine go to the Pro Scan 3.1 website and check out their product. They have a special right now and for 99.00 you get a complete diagnostic that will check every sensor and test you have on the vehicle. this little baby plugs directly into your diagnostic port and is the best i've seen. No I dont work for them or know anyone with the company but can tell you this little tool will amaze you. Comes with everything you need and for 99.00 bucks how can you go wrong.? I've used it on many vettes and can tell you it is the goods....good luck...

 

I had a code 36 on mine and it got where it would not start if it got hot for about 5 minutes. I replaced the opti and plugs/wires on it. It still has a skip problem that i have to find now.

 

think i will check out the pro thingy.

 

Yeah, if the only problem you have is hard starting, that doesn't sound like an opti problem.

 

Anyone have the website for the Pro Scan 3.1?