Code 36= Bad Opti?
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Code 36= Bad Opti?
The car is a 93 with about 130k miles. Not sure if the opti was ever replaced. For the past few weeks, the car has been very hard to start, I have to slam my foot on the gas while cranking to get it to run. Once it starts, it won't idle unless I keep my foot on the gas for about 2 minutes. After that, it runs and idles fine, no problems at all. This has been going on for about 2 months now but it seems to be getting worse. Last night I was driving and the SES light appeared. I checked the code today and it was a 36. Does this guarantee that it's a bad opti? I was really hoping this wouldn't happen.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 403
Likes: 1
From: Merritt Island Florida
I have a 1994 and these symptoms were very similiar to my situation and my situation was a bad optispark. I too got a code 36.
Honestly though, I didn't completely believe it but went ahead and changed out the optispark. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. My machine jumped to life with the new opti in-place confirming the problem was indeed that part. Mine died at 67K miles.
The optispark is the distributor. I've had nearly 50 cars in my life so far and most had the standard distributor we all know and love or fully electronic ignition with no distributor at all. Never had a single problem with any of them.
GM should have gone ahead and created fully electronic ignition and eliminated this substandard component on the car. ...OR recalled the part.
Billy
Honestly though, I didn't completely believe it but went ahead and changed out the optispark. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. My machine jumped to life with the new opti in-place confirming the problem was indeed that part. Mine died at 67K miles.
The optispark is the distributor. I've had nearly 50 cars in my life so far and most had the standard distributor we all know and love or fully electronic ignition with no distributor at all. Never had a single problem with any of them.
GM should have gone ahead and created fully electronic ignition and eliminated this substandard component on the car. ...OR recalled the part.
Billy
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 680
From: Marlboro country MA
Not necessarily. Twice I've had my opti unit fail on my 92 LT1, and neither time did it throw a code - both times it started stuttering at low RPM with lots of throttle.
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I have a 1994 and these symptoms were very similiar to my situation and my situation was a bad optispark. I too got a code 36.
Honestly though, I didn't completely believe it but went ahead and changed out the optispark. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. My machine jumped to life with the new opti in-place confirming the problem was indeed that part. Mine died at 67K miles.
The optispark is the distributor. I've had nearly 50 cars in my life so far and most had the standard distributor we all know and love or fully electronic ignition with no distributor at all. Never had a single problem with any of them.
GM should have gone ahead and created fully electronic ignition and eliminated this substandard component on the car. ...OR recalled the part.
Billy
Honestly though, I didn't completely believe it but went ahead and changed out the optispark. Wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. My machine jumped to life with the new opti in-place confirming the problem was indeed that part. Mine died at 67K miles.
The optispark is the distributor. I've had nearly 50 cars in my life so far and most had the standard distributor we all know and love or fully electronic ignition with no distributor at all. Never had a single problem with any of them.
GM should have gone ahead and created fully electronic ignition and eliminated this substandard component on the car. ...OR recalled the part.
Billy
What's happening to me is a hard starting condition and poor idle. Also, it has begun to stall when I come to stop signs or stop lights after a drive. However, with my foot on the gas, it runs great. I can run it all the way up to 5k rpm with no problem at all.
Also, how long did it take you to replace it? What was the hardest part about it?
I agree about the opti being a crap system. I don't know why they didn't just go with a distributorless ignition system. Or, like you said, it should have been a recall. It's inexcusable on the part of GM. It puts a black eye on an otherwise excellent motor.
Last edited by sixxvette; Feb 18, 2008 at 03:20 PM.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,334
Likes: 2,260
From: Central Maryland
Code 36 indicates High-Resolution sensor pulse anomalies. Definitely is either Opti itself (very likely) or an open circuit on the high-res line feeding from the Opti to the ECM (very unlikely).
Good luck with it.
Live well,
SJW
Good luck with it.
Live well,
SJW