After taking me way too long to do, I finally get done with my OVC wire install and my car runs like CRAP. It sounds like it's missing, like it kind of pulses instead of running smoothly and the exhaust smells really rich. I've triple checked my firing order connections to the opti and they seem fine. I also had a look in the dark to see if there was any arcing, and did find one spot where there was so I took care of it and that did not help.

I'm pretty sure the problem is on the passenger side because I did the driver's side first and tested it while the passenger side still had the old wires- but now that they are both done it runs like crap.

Can you think of anything I am missing? I had a burnt wire on the pass. side previously, could it be ECU related(ie the ECU is still compensating for it somehow)?

This really sucks, any help would be appreciated.

-107

 

Could the silicon spray I used to put the opti boots on be affecting the connection somehow?

 

If the car ran fine before you changed the wires then it obviously a problem with the wire installation. Are you sure all the boots (both the opti side and the spark plug side) are fully seated? You need to feel a "snap" when they seat. Also did you crimp your own terminals or were they pre-crimped? It's also possible you got a bad wire from the supplier.

Did you change plugs at the same time, if so which brand of plugs? When my engine was stock, I tried a set of Bosch Platinums...car ran like ****!

 

You might want to also make sure all wires are plugged into the right spot on the optispark.

I did the OVC wires and crossed wired one of the wires and when I started the car is was missing like crazy. Rechecked the wires and sure enough found a crossed wire. Corrected it and everything is fine now.

Jody J.

 

I had the same problem with those wires. My problem was when I made the wires to length I didnt take my time and didnt make all the connections good so it wasnt getting the full spark...If I were you I would take urs wires off 1 by 1 and check to see if all you crimoing/connections are good and tight. Hope this helps.

matt

 

Save yourself all the trouble of checking every wire, and go buy an infrared temp gun, or borrow one from a friend. Find the COLD cylinder by temping the header/manifold pipe for each cylinder. One will be way off. That's your bad/misfiring cylinder. Sure makes finding the problem a lot easier

 

Thanks for all the help guys, I did a temp scan and the two middle cylinders on the driver's side were practically room temp while the others were warming to 150+. Turns out I had crossed two of the wires, even though I had triple checked and even ran the car while the other side was unchanged and thought it sounded fine... I just unplugged all the opti connections on that side and reconnected from scratch and now it runs like a champ.


Turns out I am an idiot, but at least it wasn't a bigger problem. And now I own a cool craftsman multimeter+IR temp gun+temp probe tool!

 

The IR temp gun has saved me more time with car problems then you'd believe. Glad to help