Automaited car wash and the LT1
03-08-2009, 03:52 PM
#1
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (34)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CT
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Automaited car wash and the LT1 Im sure it is safe to take an opti spark car though the car wash, but just dont get the salt remover spray or any other kind of spray underneeth correct?
03-08-2009, 04:19 PM
#4
TECH Resident
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Chicago, northside
Posts: 791
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I once did a touchless carwash, and I think I did the undercarriage spray too.
I obviously had the car running, and I got scared because it you'd see the steam from the hood, and the car started shaking, the idle was out of whack. After awhile it went back to normal. I decided not to run it through that anymore, plus the ttops can't keep up w/ that much water and pressure.
I obviously had the car running, and I got scared because it you'd see the steam from the hood, and the car started shaking, the idle was out of whack. After awhile it went back to normal. I decided not to run it through that anymore, plus the ttops can't keep up w/ that much water and pressure.
03-08-2009, 04:50 PM
#6
Gone through touchless with undercairrage spray countless times. If a little water makes it run that bad the wires are bad or the opti not sealed, both are mechanical issues not opti flaws.
Don't buy into the internet hype about how bad the opti is, if YOU are competent it works wonderfully, if you are NOT competent you can make even the best designed parts behave like crap. The later is what happens a LOT.
Don't buy into the internet hype about how bad the opti is, if YOU are competent it works wonderfully, if you are NOT competent you can make even the best designed parts behave like crap. The later is what happens a LOT.
03-08-2009, 04:51 PM
#7
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2006
Location: somewhere that doesn't get snow
Posts: 3,455
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
i did mine a few weeks ago through an auto wash w/ no problem. i specifically ran it through for the underbody because i took it out the day before on what i thought were clean roads and some salt dust got on the rockers, even though i washed them off by handi wanted to make sure i got everything.
last summer i had a car wash place clean my engine (something they had done before w/ no problem) and they apparantly had trouble with their rinser and didn't rinse all the degreaser off and some of it got into the opti spark. about 5 mins after i left the car wash the car started misfiring and as i pulled off into a gas station it died and wouldnt start. i cranked it a couple times w/ no luck and let it sit for 10 mins and then it fired up, still msifiring a bit but i drove it another 5 mi twords my house and it seemed like it was running ok but the CEL was still on. i pulled into a church parking lot, shut the car off and restarted it and it was fine with no CEL and never had a problem after that. thank goodness for vented optis, lol.
last summer i had a car wash place clean my engine (something they had done before w/ no problem) and they apparantly had trouble with their rinser and didn't rinse all the degreaser off and some of it got into the opti spark. about 5 mins after i left the car wash the car started misfiring and as i pulled off into a gas station it died and wouldnt start. i cranked it a couple times w/ no luck and let it sit for 10 mins and then it fired up, still msifiring a bit but i drove it another 5 mi twords my house and it seemed like it was running ok but the CEL was still on. i pulled into a church parking lot, shut the car off and restarted it and it was fine with no CEL and never had a problem after that. thank goodness for vented optis, lol.
Trending Topics
03-08-2009, 06:17 PM
#10
im actually more worried about the mirrors than the opti when i use an auto wash. my g/f had hers knocked off her 98 grand am gt. the brushes spinning and the big thing dragging just looks to be a lot.
03-08-2009, 06:28 PM
#12
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (34)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CT
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know my opti was changed 20k miles ago at a dealer and gives me no problems so I think I am more confortable with taking it through since some of you have no problems. I have been driving it and I know there is some sand and salt underneeth so why not, as long as it stays running.
) and about 101k miles and have ran it through the auto carwash about 10 times 
03-09-2009, 12:55 AM
#15
TECH Fanatic
I've taken my car through countless touchless washes. My original opti lasted for over 6 years and over 100K miles. It would have probably made it longer if I hadn't put my car into extended storage.
03-09-2009, 03:09 AM
#16
When I DD my car I would sometimes use the touchless with the under car wash. I had no idea the opti's were bad about getting wet untill only about 2 years ago! I had more of a problem with getting sprayed in the head from the high pressure spraying the t-top/window seal! As said before I think it's more of an issue of bad/worn parts and the water makes them show themselves. As with any electrical part I wouldn't want to spray the opti directly with water though!
03-09-2009, 10:50 AM
#18
You are wrong.
IF the opti gets wet inside it is just like any other distributor and the engine can run bad or shut down. Thing is once it dries it will run fine again.
I wonder how many hundreds of optis have been replaced by ignorant fools who failed to comprehend this simple fact.
When I was into 4X4 trucks I managed to drown a few by getting the top rear mounted distributor wet, give it 10 minutes to drain and they were fine.
The opti gets bashed because it is DIFFERENT. Like I said competent wrenches have few problems with it, it is the incompetent that can't make it work. The reasoning skills of a elementary school student can figure out that that is a problem with the wrench not the part.
03-09-2009, 12:04 PM
#20
TECH Addict
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You are wrong.
IF the opti gets wet inside it is just like any other distributor and the engine can run bad or shut down. Thing is once it dries it will run fine again.
I wonder how many hundreds of optis have been replaced by ignorant fools who failed to comprehend this simple fact.
When I was into 4X4 trucks I managed to drown a few by getting the top rear mounted distributor wet, give it 10 minutes to drain and they were fine.
The opti gets bashed because it is DIFFERENT. Like I said competent wrenches have few problems with it, it is the incompetent that can't make it work. The reasoning skills of a elementary school student can figure out that that is a problem with the wrench not the part.
IF the opti gets wet inside it is just like any other distributor and the engine can run bad or shut down. Thing is once it dries it will run fine again.
I wonder how many hundreds of optis have been replaced by ignorant fools who failed to comprehend this simple fact.
When I was into 4X4 trucks I managed to drown a few by getting the top rear mounted distributor wet, give it 10 minutes to drain and they were fine.
The opti gets bashed because it is DIFFERENT. Like I said competent wrenches have few problems with it, it is the incompetent that can't make it work. The reasoning skills of a elementary school student can figure out that that is a problem with the wrench not the part.