New OptiSpark, won't start, help a newbie!

['STANGETR]

O.K., I'm stumped. My husband and I have a '96 T/A, 101K miles, no mods except for exhaust. The past two years we have dealt with 4 water pumps, and are now on our 2nd optispark. Basically, they have been replaced because of the leaking water pumps, the car would always start missing after the new water pump was on. I have no idea why we have been through so many water pumps. Recently, the car started missing again, we changed the plugs, still didn't help, so I took it to the dealer (ahh, the dreaded dealer and their costs). I was told that #7 wasn't firing at all, and we needed a new distributor. Now we have the new optispark on, my husband said it went on smoothly, and go figure the car won't start. The engine turns over, but won't fire up. There is also a pop (backfire?) in the throttle body. We have gone over the firing order 4 times and is correct, and he pulled a plug wire to check for spark and there IS spark. Any suggestions? We have no idea, and never had this problem before. I love my T/A, but what an awful design on GM's part when you have a leaky water pump and your electronics are right there! Any ideas greatly appreciated. -Marlene M

[Injuneer]

As difficult as it may seem, it is very easy to assemble the Opti with the dowel pin in the wrong hole. People will swear up and down they did it right, only to find they messed up. No start..... backfiring.... spark, but at the wrong time because the Opti is indexed incorrectly.

['STANGETR]

Thank you for that info. Yes, my husband says he's certain it's right. He said there are three holes and the middle one is where the dowel pin went. He said it went on smoothly, with no force needed, and that if it was off he would have really needed to bolt it down w/ some force. I am guessing he is going to have to tear the car down again and try it again, but he was definitly trying to avoid that! -Marlene M

[Joe 1320]

here is a proceedure to troubleshoot the ignition system........

Step 1. Connect a spark plug tester to a spark plug wire and
check for spark while an assistant is cranking the engine.
Check each plug independantly. this checks for open
spark plug wires. Spark in one or more than one wire
indicates the problem is in spark plug wires or optispark.
If no spark exists, go to step 2.

Step 2. Check for spark at the coil wire with the spark tester
while cranking the engine. A spark indicates the problem
is in the distributer (optispark). If no spark go to step 3.

Step3. Perform check on ignition coil.
a: Unplug coil electrical connector and check pink wire for
12v. If power go to b.
b. using ohmeter low scale, hook up the leads to the
primary terminals on the ignition coil. Should indicate
very low resistance. If not, replace coil.
c. Using the high scale, hook up one lead to the primary
terminal, the other to the secondary terminal. Should
not read infinite resistance. If it does, replace coil.

Step 4. Disconnect the ignition module connector and with the
key on, check voltage at terminals A and D on the harness
side of the connector. (pink/black and white/black wires)
If under 10 volts check for faulty circuit from the ignition
module to the coil or check for grounded external coil
circuit. If 10 volts or more, change the voltmeter to a/c
scale and measure voltage on terminal B while engine is
cranking. (white wire). If 0 volts, Have ECM checked. If 1-
4 volts, with the key off, disconnect the module
connector. Install a LED type test light on the positive
battery terminal and probe terminal C on the harness side
of the connector (black wire). The light should illuminate.
If not, check ground wire in the harness to the module. If
the test light is on, go to step 5.

Step 5. Remove the coil wire from the coil and ground it to the
frame. Connect LED test light into the optispark harness
connector red wire terminal C. The harness connector that
you will use is located on the passenger side of the
engine up near the fuel rail. You will need to insert a back
probe pin into terminal C. If the test light flashes when an
assistant cranks the engine, the optispark is suspect. If
no flashes, replace the ignition module.

If the above tests results are correct and there is still no
start, it is tough to to tell the difference between a
faulty module or optispark. Module = Cheap$$, optispark
=moderate $$$.


The whole deal with the optispark is that due to the location, is prone to water contamination. There are two designs. The first is a non vented. It is a sealed (supposedly) system. As electrical energy travels though the distrubuter, ozone builds up within the unit causing corrosion. The second design is a vented system that keeps the opti in a low pressure environment so that the ozone cannot build up within the unit itself using vacuum lines attached to the opti and the intake vacuum circuit. The problem is that the location of the unit hasn't changed. I've found that in order to get the most life from the stock opti unit, dielectric grease must be used on all spark plug wire connections to seal out water and a 90º fitting screwed into the weep hole on the water pump. This weep hole allows water to start leaking as the water pump's bearings and seals wear, unfortunately this weep hole is right above the opti! A 90º fitting and a length of vacuum tubing routed around the opti and below it will re-direct the water when it leaks, saving the opti from contamination.

[blackthunder50]

I just finished up replacing a waterpump drive seal and i had the OPti off for the second time. When I put everything back together I ran into your problem. The car turned over perfectly but did not fire. I knew that I installed the opti corret also. It turned out that when I took the wire connector off the Igntion coil i split one of the wires. As soon as I fixed the split wire it started right up.

Go back and make sure all of the connections are tight, in the right spot, and no cut wires. Good luck!

[redws6]

I just finished up replacing a waterpump drive seal and i had the OPti off for the second time. When I put everything back together I ran into your problem. The car turned over perfectly but did not fire. I knew that I installed the opti corret also. It turned out that when I took the wire connector off the Igntion coil i split one of the wires. As soon as I fixed the split wire it started right up.

Go back and make sure all of the connections are tight, in the right spot, and no cut wires. Good luck!

yeh i just replaced my water pump, and when i went to unplug the coil wire from the top of the opti, the wire split from the connector in the opti, thank god i was able to get it out of the opti, but

1. the coil wire are P.O.S as i went through two of them(both times when i changed the water pump)

2. the opti is the worst thing GM has done besides kill off the f-body.

[Firebirdcrazy]

I cant imagine what I am going to go through once any of my individual coils go bad. At least here on top of the engine thank goodness.

[95TransAm]

2. the opti is the worst thing GM has done besides kill off the f-body.

Actually, be happy that you have an opti if you have to have a distributor. An optical distributor is one of the most efficient distributors out there. Now the placement....that's a whole different story all together

Electronic ignition systems....especially coil on plugs...now that's where it's at

[FireFinder20]

I concur with checking the wires at the coil and to the Opti, it could be something as simple as a bad wire...

triple check the plug wires as well...

['STANGETR]

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know there is a happy ending to my problem! My husband tore everything down again, and actually found a few issues going on. The most important, and probably suspect for the reason the car didn't fire is that there was a split wire (actually broke apart) in the wire harness that plugs into the top of the opti. Oh, not fun to replace...dealer only part cost $140, but my husband just wanted to replace it all instead of splicing the wires. We also went ahead and replaced the plug wires, and a few cracked vacuum hoses. *Voila* car started right up when it was put back together, and runs better that it did new. Thanks everyone for your help!--Marlene M

[Joe 1320]

Glad you got the problem fixed.

[95TransAm]

Always gratifying doing the work yourself, and having it fire right up.

When I did my opti, it fired right up on the first time. I don't think I could have had a bigger smile on my face.

[94FF]

Amen to that last post....