Finally going thru the car wash
05-19-2011, 07:27 AM
#21
I only had one issue with an opti. After I washed the engine bay of one of my old LT1's with a hose it acted up for a few miles. After a few miles of driving, the problem went away. I never washed the engine bay like that again, but I never got the impression that they are as milky toast as some people claim.
05-19-2011, 07:30 AM
#22
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They aren't. If wet it doesn't mean they are ruined. The amount of optis thrown away from that very thing is baffling without any confirmation the opti sensor is indeed bad. The distributors of old would too get wet, car would act up, pop the cap, dry it off and the engine would run w/out missing a beat. Same concept except it's far more inconvenient and time consuming having to take an opti apart to dry it off.
05-19-2011, 07:48 AM
#23
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To add to the great stories...I was forced to go through a puddle yesterday in my Z and lo and behold came a short stutter afterwards. Parked my car outside my friends, dried out, and drove it home without a problem! 
05-19-2011, 08:00 AM
#24
They aren't. If wet it doesn't mean they are ruined. The amount of optis thrown away from that very thing is baffling without any confirmation the opti sensor is indeed bad. The distributors of old would too get wet, car would act up, pop the cap, dry it off and the engine would run w/out missing a beat. Same concept except it's far more inconvenient and time consuming having to take an opti apart to dry it off.
05-19-2011, 11:39 AM
#25
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I am for to haeving opti in lt's , it was nice big car show so clean'em up and out for dirty engine. Oh and wasn't very good to have stalled because otpi got wet no, trottle senser had no snorkel or sealed good when new and towed.. Put down from truck and bust rite off. Opit is beast.
05-19-2011, 12:17 PM
#27
When I daily drove my LT1, car washes and thunder storms were never an issue, I drove that car in the rain and took it through car washes all the time and never had problems with it. I even had to drive through a flood street once and it didn't miss a beat.
05-19-2011, 01:28 PM
#28
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One time I came to a bridge that was washed away by a recent flood, instead of turning around I put'r in 1st and crawled accross that river, the water was up to the t-tops (which didn't even leak 
) came out the otherside and my good ol' opti didn't miss a beat, kept on going on down the road like it was nuthin....
) came out the otherside and my good ol' opti didn't miss a beat, kept on going on down the road like it was nuthin....
05-19-2011, 02:05 PM
#30
One time I came to a bridge that was washed away by a recent flood, instead of turning around I put'r in 1st and crawled accross that river, the water was up to the t-tops (which didn't even leak ) came out the otherside and my good ol' opti didn't miss a beat, kept on going on down the road like it was nuthin....
) came out the otherside and my good ol' opti didn't miss a beat, kept on going on down the road like it was nuthin....
wtf 
05-19-2011, 04:10 PM
#32
05-19-2011, 11:08 PM
#34
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Huh? I am for to haeving opti in lt's , it was nice big car show so clean'em up and out for dirty engine. Oh and wasn't very good to have stalled because otpi got wet no, trottle senser had no snorkel or sealed good when new and towed.. Put down from truck and bust rite off. Opit is beast.
Welcome to LTxComedytech.com
OH BTW , ... Killagt, didn't you say "ble ble ble that's all folks?"
05-20-2011, 03:42 AM
#35
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The only problem Ive had out of my opti wasnt from going through a car wash. I ran through a rather large puddle on the road to my house, the car stalled but started right back. It done this 3 times and it was fine on a 50 mile commute and no problems since. Optis are like babies, everybody thinks theyre fragile but theyre really not. Just take care of them.
05-20-2011, 06:36 AM
#36
Okay I will post one serious comment to this hilarious thread.
IMO the GM opti is very well sealed around the housing and will not allow water to get inside through said seals from going through the car wash or hitting puddles. I have seen aftermarket optis and cheap Chinese **** optis where the seals are junk and dont seal well so water might get in through them.
Also IMO the most common place for water to get into the opti is at the sensor on top when one washes the motor off. The oval rubber seal on the connection end does wear and loses it ability to keep water out. I recently washed my motor and yes I got water down through the sensor hole and got some sputtering but the vacuum line cleared it out in about 10 miles. I even took the opti apart for cleaning and found traces of moisture and promptly replaced the rubber sear on the connection end.
Further IMO, I believe that the majority of folks who complain about ignition issues after encountering water are really suffering from wet plug wires arcing to ground. This would include worn out wires or junk quality wires. I have encountered this as well and it had nothing to do with the opti. The genuine GM opti gets a bad rap and if one addresses the small things before they become problems (like the mentioned seal), they will mostly last a good while. Avoid aftermarket optis like AIDS.
Oh and opti is beast.
IMO the GM opti is very well sealed around the housing and will not allow water to get inside through said seals from going through the car wash or hitting puddles. I have seen aftermarket optis and cheap Chinese **** optis where the seals are junk and dont seal well so water might get in through them.
Also IMO the most common place for water to get into the opti is at the sensor on top when one washes the motor off. The oval rubber seal on the connection end does wear and loses it ability to keep water out. I recently washed my motor and yes I got water down through the sensor hole and got some sputtering but the vacuum line cleared it out in about 10 miles. I even took the opti apart for cleaning and found traces of moisture and promptly replaced the rubber sear on the connection end.
Further IMO, I believe that the majority of folks who complain about ignition issues after encountering water are really suffering from wet plug wires arcing to ground. This would include worn out wires or junk quality wires. I have encountered this as well and it had nothing to do with the opti. The genuine GM opti gets a bad rap and if one addresses the small things before they become problems (like the mentioned seal), they will mostly last a good while. Avoid aftermarket optis like AIDS.
Oh and opti is beast.
05-20-2011, 10:45 AM
#38
Like someone said, this is a funny thread in a way. I will say that when I had my LT1, water was the kiss of death - but only once did it occur during a rain storm. Once I had a knuckleheaded mechanic douse the thing with a water hose trying rinse off anti-freeze when he was trying to diagnose what was later found to be a blown head gasket. The second time was when I stupidly took it through a drive through car wash. All was well until the guy at the end took the pressure washer and shot it straight at the front end. 
After that, I was worried about driving in the winter because I'd have to take it to a drive through rather than hand washing like I normally do.
The only time it went bad during rain was when I was driving through a huge rainstorm. It stumble and the SES came on, but after it dried it, it was okay. But that was the final straw for me.
When I got my LS1, one of the first things I wanted to do was take it to a car wash, LOL.
After that, I was worried about driving in the winter because I'd have to take it to a drive through rather than hand washing like I normally do.The only time it went bad during rain was when I was driving through a huge rainstorm. It stumble and the SES came on, but after it dried it, it was okay. But that was the final straw for me.
When I got my LS1, one of the first things I wanted to do was take it to a car wash, LOL.
05-20-2011, 11:58 AM
#39
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Haha...that sums it up.
I am replacing my opti harness in an attempt to eliminate some low to mild rpm hesitation (my research concluded that the connector is a common piece to fail). I have not messed mith my opti or hanress yet, so I'm glad you pointed out the connector seal; I will remember that for the future.
Btw..I came across your true dual thread yesterday..wow dude!
I am replacing my opti harness in an attempt to eliminate some low to mild rpm hesitation (my research concluded that the connector is a common piece to fail). I have not messed mith my opti or hanress yet, so I'm glad you pointed out the connector seal; I will remember that for the future.
Btw..I came across your true dual thread yesterday..wow dude!