HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!!
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Little Rock AR
HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!!
Here's the history:
95 w/42K on her. Driven daily.
8/01 Water pump leaking. Under GMPP - shop replaces.
11/01 Car dead in driveway. Towed in. Optispark replaced, 2 plug wires replaced. Glad I have that GMPP.
12/01 Car dead in parking lot. Towed in. Optispark dead AGAIN!. Optispark replaced. Wiring harness for unit replaced. No cost, MAJOR HASSLE!!
3/14/02 Car dead in garage AGAIN! GMPP EXPIRED!! Towed into dealer shop that did work on 12/01. Optispark dead AGAIN. Wiring harness "Melted" Shop replaces Optispark and harness AGAIN. They covered this under repair warranty. Still no $$ out of pocket.
Last weekend - Car back, life is good. Drove it 50+ miles to check systems.
Yesterday 3/18 - Drove home from work. OK. Dropped passenger off in parking lot. Started leaving car idling very rough, poor acceleration. Sounds like cr#$! I limped it into the shop.
What the hell is going on????
Anyone seen this happen before EVER????
I am ready to drive this thing into a lake!
95 w/42K on her. Driven daily.
8/01 Water pump leaking. Under GMPP - shop replaces.
11/01 Car dead in driveway. Towed in. Optispark replaced, 2 plug wires replaced. Glad I have that GMPP.
12/01 Car dead in parking lot. Towed in. Optispark dead AGAIN!. Optispark replaced. Wiring harness for unit replaced. No cost, MAJOR HASSLE!!
3/14/02 Car dead in garage AGAIN! GMPP EXPIRED!! Towed into dealer shop that did work on 12/01. Optispark dead AGAIN. Wiring harness "Melted" Shop replaces Optispark and harness AGAIN. They covered this under repair warranty. Still no $$ out of pocket.
Last weekend - Car back, life is good. Drove it 50+ miles to check systems.
Yesterday 3/18 - Drove home from work. OK. Dropped passenger off in parking lot. Started leaving car idling very rough, poor acceleration. Sounds like cr#$! I limped it into the shop.
What the hell is going on????
Anyone seen this happen before EVER????
I am ready to drive this thing into a lake!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 12,832
Likes: 210
From: Canton GA
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St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'10-'11-'12
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (krs003)
I REALLY don't want to sound skeptical, but are you sure the OPTI was replaced? They could have saved a few hundred bucks just cleaning it out and charging the GMPP for a new one. My first worry was when you said they only replaced two plug wires :eek: Are they trying to cut corners?? Heck, if they had the front of the engine torn apart, they should have replaced ALL of the wires then--- and plugs!! What about the coil wire? Heck, what about the coil itself? Bad opti's can drag a few things down with them.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Little Rock AR
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (92Shawnster)
I have thought about them cutting corners. This is a large Chevy shop in town which has a good reputation. I don't think they'd go through all this trouble and not fix it, especially since they are eating the costs.
After the replacement they tell me that everything tests out OK.
After the replacement they tell me that everything tests out OK.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 12,832
Likes: 210
From: Canton GA
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In VI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'10-'11-'12
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (krs003)
I used to do warrantee repair work on electronics... and trust me, that is where corners are cut! The shop is paid an exact ammount for the repair... regardless of what is done. If we could clean a tape head instead of replacing it, more money went to the shop (and us!). We only had to guarentee the work for 30 days. I hate to say it, but that is the way some things work. Did you actually see the bad optispark?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Little Rock AR
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (92Shawnster)
I didn't see the bad Optispark or wiring harness - something I regret not asking to do. The car did run though. With the bad opti it would not start at all, just crank and crank.
This is a dealer shop. They give a 1yr parts warranty, which is what paid for the problems I had last week. Since I didn't have to pay, and it was Friday afternoon, I didn't question the service manager as much as I should have.
This is a dealer shop. They give a 1yr parts warranty, which is what paid for the problems I had last week. Since I didn't have to pay, and it was Friday afternoon, I didn't question the service manager as much as I should have.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 790
Likes: 2
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (krs003)
I'm thinking the same way as the others. They cleaned it up enough to make it work again (they'll work even when in really bad shape...I've got one on the bench to prove that). The replacing of two spark plugs wires bugs me....and something MUST be arcing inside the opti to melt the wiring harness.
I'd insist on a brand new opti...as a matter of fact, I might even go buy one from Jim Pace and have them install it. That way you'd be sure...and buy em 6 more wires!
I'd insist on a brand new opti...as a matter of fact, I might even go buy one from Jim Pace and have them install it. That way you'd be sure...and buy em 6 more wires!
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Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
From: Dunmore, Pennsylvania
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (krs003)
Sounds strange to me. I would be putting some kind of mark on the parts to be replaced so you can see if the marked parts are
still on the car when you get it back. If they are still there :mad :smash: the dealer.
still on the car when you get it back. If they are still there :mad :smash: the dealer.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Little Rock AR
Re: HELP!!! I Think I am Cursed!! (jeepie91)
Thanks for everybody's input so for..
Here's the update:
PT 1: The dealer that has the car said they feel it is bad spark plug wires. They want to replace. OK, I can see this could be involved. I might have them replace the plugs at the same time. From readings on the forum it seems they tend to go around 60 anyway. What bothers me is why the Opti keept going out (and if its days are numbered now).
PT 2: I called another shop that has a really good rep. for Vette wrenches. I talked to the tech and he told me about a similar problem he had - 95 that kept killing optisparks. There is a vent tube on the cap of the optispark. This tube goes through a one-way check valve and then into the vacuum system. He has seen this go bad and kill optisparks. He told me to make sure they check this, 'cause most shops won't.
I am waiting to call the 1st shop to see how much they are going to squeeze me for.
Just wanted to send out the update and see what you guys thought....
Thanks Again!
Here's the update:
PT 1: The dealer that has the car said they feel it is bad spark plug wires. They want to replace. OK, I can see this could be involved. I might have them replace the plugs at the same time. From readings on the forum it seems they tend to go around 60 anyway. What bothers me is why the Opti keept going out (and if its days are numbered now).
PT 2: I called another shop that has a really good rep. for Vette wrenches. I talked to the tech and he told me about a similar problem he had - 95 that kept killing optisparks. There is a vent tube on the cap of the optispark. This tube goes through a one-way check valve and then into the vacuum system. He has seen this go bad and kill optisparks. He told me to make sure they check this, 'cause most shops won't.
I am waiting to call the 1st shop to see how much they are going to squeeze me for.
Just wanted to send out the update and see what you guys thought....
Thanks Again!
