Just recently put in a fresh motor and replaced the opti while I was there. (This was about 4 months and about 5,000 miles ago).

The car started to give me problems about a month ago on rainy/moist day’s … One day the car actually shut off on me and did not want to start for almost 20 minutes. Then the car started and ran great for a few weeks with out any problems. This past Saturday while out on a drive all of sudden the car back fired, popped then died.
I was like everyone else and was in denial thinking it was a coil problem (LOL) because I just replaced the opti … after changing the coil etc and a tow home I pulled the opti out thinking is got wet or something etc. Well when I pulled it apart I was shocked to find out the car and rotor and a heavy deposit and when I pulled the plug out of the opti I found that one of the pin connections was completely toasted and there was of greenish deposit all over the pin connections. I am not really sure what happen because the Opti was completely dry inside.

Have any of you come across this type of problems when using after market ignition systems? I have heard of this before but I can’t believe that my msd box took out the opti that fast … could there be any other explanation that would cause this type of problem.

Thanks,

Jim

 

My MSD 6A and opti are doing just fine. I just inspected the opti and could tell no difference in wear and tear after 30k miles.

 

I've heard there were problems with the MSD harness. Is this the one thats burnt? Try a search. this has been discussed before.

 

I would have to agree with the notion that any multispark aftermarket ignition would have some incremental wear on the contacts in the opti. I believe the question is how much and is there a material change in the life expectancy of the opti. When my oem opti died it wasn't due to my aftermarket ignition, but rather due to the poor oem bearing in the opti that failed.

I wouldn't worry about the additional wear, it is probably nominal. Likewise, I tend not to worry about how more mods to my engine reduce the life expectancy of my tires

 

Hmm..."greenish deposit". Sounds like antifreeze to me. Check your waterpump weephole!

 

I am convinced that high output ignitions do significantly shorten Opti life. But in this case, I also wonder about antifreeze with the "greenish deposits".

Rich Krause

 

Greenish deposits on electrical connectors is corrosion, often caused by the interaction of voltage and moisture.