Is my opti going out?

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Jul 14, 2006 | 10:51 PM

90 Convertible

Thread Starter

Pro

Joined: Feb 2004

Posts: 594

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From: San Antonio Texas

Is my opti going out?

I have had this car for a month and it has been running great. Today on the way to work the car stumbled

on the highway like it was running out of gas for a couple of seconds then ran fine for a about half a mile then did it again then ran fine the rest of the way to work. On the way home I felt it again, so I stayed on the access road and sure enough about the 4th time it did it the car died. Car wouldn't start for about 10 minutes. When it finally started, it ran fine all the way home.

My buddy is coming over tommorrow with a scanner so we can pull any codes. Any codes in particular should I be looking for. It's a 1996 LT4.

thanks

Jul 14, 2006 | 10:58 PM

STL94LT1

Race Director

Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 12,263

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From: O'Fallon Missouri

Might also be your ignition control module (ICM).

Jul 15, 2006 | 01:45 AM

RRT vette

Le Mans Master

Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 8,753

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From: Louisiana

Quote:

Originally Posted by STL94LT1

Might also be your ignition control module (ICM).

could be anything ignition/fuel related. Pull the codes and report back. Pray it's not a code 16.

Jul 15, 2006 | 10:16 PM

Steelman

Heel & Toe

Joined: Oct 2005

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Opti problem

I had a similar problem. It finally died and with only 1000 miles on a new Opti. The car was stored over a long period (autocross car). Unfortunately, sitting around doesn't help. The problem was corrosion at the connector going in to the Opti. After taking everything apart on the front of the engine and getting into the Opti we found the culprit.
Labor was excessive, but parts were minimal. Unfortunately, GM decided that putting the distributor in the front of the block was, in their opinion, a good idea.
That reminds me of the old flat head fords, which worked longer than our Optis. If you can, get in there and clean the contacts and you may be whole again. Otherwise, get an MSD replacement.
Ralph

Jul 15, 2006 | 10:21 PM

aminnich

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jan 2006

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From: Woodstock Georgia

Quote:

Originally Posted by RRT vette

could be anything ignition/fuel related. Pull the codes and report back. Pray it's not a code 16.

Or 36 (hi resolution)

Jul 16, 2006 | 11:55 AM

Fast Eddiz

Instructor

Joined: Apr 2005

Posts: 120

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From: Port Angeles WA

I had just installed a new opti when, with less than a few hundred miles, I started having similiar engine problems to when the opti was bad. Turned out to be a bad coil.

Jul 16, 2006 | 06:43 PM

90 Convertible

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Pro

Joined: Feb 2004

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From: San Antonio Texas

Well my buddy came over yesturday and the only code it would pull is a bad temp sender (keeps showing -40 degrees). Even though we let the car sit and idle for 10 minutes then it stumbled and died, no other codes. Car also wouldn't start back up afterwords because of a lack of spark. However if we let it sit for about 10 minutes it would start back up. Let it idle again for about 10 minutes and it died again, still no codes.

Checked the coil wire and found it was loose so I fully seated it. Then we went and pulled the #1 wire and had it form a arc to a ground to check for spark with the car running, hoping to see if car stalled out it would be from a lack of spark. Car idle for 30 minutes and wouldn't repeat symtoms. Maybe seating the coil wire all the way fixed the problem, but who knows.

I am going to rewire the digital 6 since the previous owner did a hack job with bare wire hanging out of the butt connectors but I have to wait until I can get a new Coil plug for the harness as they didnt leave much room.

I will report back if the problems arn't solved.