and running like crap after I wash my car. Recently had a mechanic friend install a MSD cap and rotor on it. Runs fine otherwise... And it had never done this with the factory vented setup.


So what could he have screwed up to allow things to get wet?

 

If you paid him for the install I would not worry about the problems. Just take it back to him to resolve.

 

I just can't seem to understand why people go through the trouble of changing the cap and rotor and not the whole opti.

 

I didn't change the whole opti because it didn't need to be replaced. It's not that old. I only had him put on this cap and opti for the hell of it since he was doing plugs and wires.
The thing is I don't know if he'll make it work the 2nd time. That's why I'm wondering how he could have screwed it up.

 

Mine does it too only after it rains. IT get so bad the car won't even start. I'm piggybacking this one.

Im curious as to what will fix it as well.

 

He pulled the opti because he was changing the plugs and wires? You have to do quite a bit more work to get the opti off (pull the water pump). Maybe he just replaced the coil? Regardless, you should not have trouble. I would never power spray the engine bay, but just washing the car with the hood closed would be hard to connect to the opti getting wet, IMO.

Ryan

 

Ive preasure washed my engine bay several times and drove through big puddles and never had a problem. Still going on the stock 110k opti.

Are you supposed to seal it with silicone or anything when reassembling?

 

James: You've had success, but I wouldn't take my chances many more times!

I've always applied some kind of RTV when replacing the cap and rotor. I think it is around ~150 for a cap and rotor (lifetime warranty) from Autozon, else it is ~200 from Dal for an AC delco complete replacement.

Ryan

 

Do you have a MSD or stock or Autozone replacement?

 

It's got a replacement one on there from the guy I bought it. I believe it's an AC Delco. The first time it happened, I freaked out thinking it was jumping time and then I was going to have to reset the timing, blah blah blah.

Then i jumped on here and saw it was an Opti. Then looked at how much it was, called a tow truck, set up an appointment, then went out two days later 15 min before the truck got there and tried to start it...VOILA! It started.

Now, when it rains sometimes, it still does it. Any way to fix this and not screw up the Opti. I have no beef working on my car and am mechanically inclined, just never done it before.


Sorry...didn't mean to steal the thread.

 

Its perfectly ok to wash your engine bay, you just have to do it correctly and not focus on the opti area. I've done it many times and so has my buddy, you people are to **** about the opti. Me and my buddy probably have close to 100k on our cars combined and the only opti failure we've had was when his exploded when his rotor came apart. I hope he did seal the cap with some silicone or something. If i was you i'd just give it some time to dry out and hopefully it'll be fine.

 

Nah Ryan it actually was the cap and rotor. He replaced the cap and rotor with the MSD cap/rotor I bought. Didn't actually change the coil although I plan on doing that soon also. And it was just for the hell of it that I decided to do the cap and rotor because we had so much of the car apart already, putting the headers, y-pipe and everything else on... Had the fans and radiator off at one point, etc.

http://www.porteighty.biz/uploads/DSCF1663.JPG

I just figured what the hell, and it was only $150. Even though you never see it until you've pulled the water pump and intake off it looks pretty. LOL

But yeah, the annoying thing is that it REALLY IS getting wet from a simple wash of the car. It freaked me out, I took it through a Lazerwash (automated car wash) bay a few weeks back because I needed a quick cleanup on my way to a meet, and the car suddenly started stumbling hesitating and running rough while I was idling in the bay. I pulled out and it took about 3 or 4 miles for it to start running right (after I got pissed and started flogging it a bit).

Then yesterday I sprayed it down and hand washed it, started the car and it was running rough and stumbling a bit, doing the exact same thing. Car has never done it except for these two occasions, both involving a car wash. I know it's pretty difficult to get the opti wet with the hood closed and a simple car wash... That's why I'm wondering WTF he could have done wrong in order to allow it to be so easily affected???? Did he not use RTV? I was there most of the time he was working on the car (I helped him step by step with the headers) but I didn't think to be double checking what he did with the opti. At this rate I better hope I don't ever get caught in a freak rainstorm, or I'll really be in trouble --if it can't take 30 seconds worth of water spray.

 

Hmmm...not sure what to say, Nate. If you have a free weekend maybe you could pull it off and inspect?

Ryan

 

Optis are a sealed unit. if you don't seal it, there will be leakage and misfire's.. Running a bead around the outside edge where the half's meet up will prevent the majority of this.. either way i do not encourage washing your opti/engine.. simple wipe down's w/ wet towels' do just fine.. toothbrushes work well too..