NOTE: I am going to write down the whole story of how this problem came about so that if you see any clues I missed you can point them out to me. I know some people prefer to get down to the point but I feel that the whole story needs to be included. Thanks in advance.

The car ran great (somewhat) until yesterday. I knew there was something wrong with the car for the last few months but I could not pinpoint it. It was like a mysteriously random miss that was heavier on the high load/low rpm range but was basically at all times, hot or cold, low or high throttle. After getting my Delteq, the problem was still there which really surprised me because I have a lot of experience with 4'th gens and I would have bet money that the opti rotor was burnt. So to make a long story short I went over the car with a fine tooth comb and didn't find anything that would affect the car like that...

Fast forward to yesterday. I am cleaning the TB and lubricating the IAC pintle rod. I put the car back together and almost instantly the car threw a code in my face (keep in mind the PCM is an OBDI). At first I thought it had something to do with the IAC (which is weird because the computer doesn't get feedback from the IAC) but when I went over everything and the code persisted, I pulled out my laptop and scanned it. I got a code 41 EST (electronic spark timing) Open. So I checked all the wires for the opti and delteq to make sure the connectors were seated right, made sure that none of the wires were eaten by the blower belt because I am using the fan mounted coil pack. I then put it all back together and cleared the code. It stayed away for about 2 minutes so I hopped in and took off and brushed that incident off. When I got down the street from my house I started feeling a random fairly violent miss that was never there. Every few seconds the car would sputter hard. Then about a minute later it felt like a gremlin under my hood pulled two of my plug wires off. I gurgled my way home, scanned it again, and this time got 2 codes, EST Open and EST Grounded, codes 41 and 42 respectively.

So what does all this mean? I'm assuming it is the optical section of the optispark but I have no way of knowing for sure. I came to that conclusion by logical reasoning... the igntion system is confined to a few components w/ the delteq: all of the wiring harnesses, the coil pack, the delteq box, the PCM, and the optispark. I know that code 16 and code 36 are for the high/low res pulse but I never got those, just EST open and EST grounded. The light on my Delteq never blinked, it was solid the whole time.

Anybody have this problem??? Anybody know if it's the optical section of the opti?

 

I opened the optispark and one of the two screws holding the rotor down was floatin' around in there. I think that may be the cause of the problem, however I don't know if the optical section is still good. I think that a screw floating around could definitely cause an intermittent miss...

Anybody???

 

The EST signal is generated inside the ECM/PCM.
The ECM uses the Opti-Spark signals, knock signal, etc. to generate the EST signal.
With a stock ignition system, the EST signal goes to the ignitiion control module (ICM) to fire the coil.
With the Delteq, the EST signal goes through the Delteq box to the NorthStar coil pak to fire the individual coils.

It seems unlikely that a screw inside the Opti-Spark would set an EST code. I can see that screw setting codes related to the low-res and high-res pulses, but not a shorted or open EST signal.
I would check the electrical harness going to connector B of the Delteq box. Plus, I would **carefully and thoroughly** check the entire length of the cable that goes from connector C of the Delteq box to the Northstar coil pak -- in particular, the white wire in that harness.

Tom Piper

 

I'll take a stab at this if it's ok. The screw in the rotor section of the opti will have only a mechanical impact. Nothing electrical. In that I mean it could only wedge in preventing it from turning (which I doubt it could do anyway). You're only using the optical portion of the opti which is in the back section of the opti. The output to the plugs is coming from the Delteq.

The 2 codes you got, 41 & 42 are the output signal from the PCM to the ICM and is the white wire. Those 2 codes only monitor the condition of the circuit NOT the timing of the spark. But I don't know what happens to that signal wire when the ignition system is modified with a Delteq system. So you need to find out where the white goes on that system that was once going from the PCM to the ICM (remember the white wire).So the first thing to do is buzz the white wire from the PCM to where ever it ended up now. Code 41 tells the PCM that the signal wire was held high for too long. Usually from a broken connection. Code 42 tells it that the signal was held low as in shorted to ground. Seems probable that the white wire has a broken spot that is just about ready to break for good.

I see it as 3 possible problems. Wiring which is most likely. The ICM(or what ever is in place of it now) which is less likely or last. The PCM which is highly unlikely.

If you can tell us what is in place of the ICM now, if anything, that may help us figure out your problem.

Good luck
Dave

PS sorry I took so long to type this that I didn't realize someone else already posted the same thing.

 

Thanks for the responses guys... When I saw that screw floating around in there I automatically assumed that was my problem. I mean couldn't the screw form a bridge between the the points and the rotor and screw things up or something like that????

As for the EST signal, I checked all the wiring before I pulled the opti spark out. None of it was touched in any way. I even tried to reseat the connectors. The only possible issue I can think of would be the repair I did to the knock sensor connector. I had an issue with the passenger side header touching the main wiring harness and in the process of rerouting the harness I pulled the wire out of the connector for the knock sensor. I repaired it by taking apart the connector, replacing the crimped piece inside with a new one from an electronics store, and reseated it. When I scanned the car nothing came up funky dealing w/ knock or knock counts.

The ICM is replaced by the Delteq box. I talked to JC from Delteq and from your guys' opinions and from his it seems like I do in fact have a wiring issue. The only thing is I never checked the ICM harness coming from the PCM I just checked the ones that were close to moving parts and the belts and stuff. I am going to trace the white wire from that harness all the way to the PCM and see if I can find anything...

Does that wire run in the harness that always seems to touch the passenger side long tube headear? The main wiring harness that runs parallel to the ABS harness...

 

FIXED!!!!!

When I got my alarm installed 3 years ago, the dumbass used the wrong size wire tap and cut into the copper. I am presuming that it was barely hanging on and when I cleaned my throttle body I must have moved the harness and caused the wire to separate. Basically, screw 99% of stereo shops out there, if it was today I would have put the alarm in myself.

So for those that ever have this problem and search before they ask questions it is either one of two things:
-Bad ICM
-The white wire on the ICM harness is grounded or open