Reccomended Opti change?
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On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Wisconsin
Reccomended Opti change? When is the most ideal time to replace the opti? My car has just under 90k and I was going to install headers as well as change the plugs and wires. many people say not to replace, wait until it goes. Others say to replace it now
does your car run fine? are you changing the waterpump? if yes to running fine and no to changing the waterpump i would wait no sense in buying parts you dont need until you need them.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 137
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From: Wisconsin
Exactly the situation. But changing the plugs and wires and leaving the opti is like changing your oil but leaving the same filter on, correct?
not really, as long as the optical sensor isnt giving you problems then you are ok. usually you would treat it like a rear mounted distributor where you change the cap and rotor during a tune up, but the placement of it keeps alot of people away because of the waterpump removal.
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My opti is at 147K and gives me zero problems. I changed the water-pump around 120k and wires about 4-5 months ago. Do not fear the opti, its not THAT bad, especially if you have a vented one.
At that milage I would consider a cap and rotor change. As said it just gets neglected because of reduced accessibility and cost. I think a lot of the "dead optis" are caused by letting the cap and rotor completely fail. If it gets too hard for the spark to jump where it is supposed too it can try and find another way and back through the optical sensor would be a BAD path for it to take. I bet more optis have been replaced due to bad cap and rotor than because of a bad sensor, most guys just buy into all the opti hate online and never take the time to understand anything.
If you pull the pump to replace the cap and rotor I would be prepared to replace the pump, at 96K miles I replaced the whole opti because I was young and dumb and bought into all the opti hate, it was NOT the problem and I reused the WP which began weeping a few thousand miles later so I had to pul that all apart again. Did not hurt the new opti though either. A little dielectric grease like on sparkplug wire boots put on the seal of the electrical connector for the opti goes a long ways towards keeping it water tight.
If you pull the pump to replace the cap and rotor I would be prepared to replace the pump, at 96K miles I replaced the whole opti because I was young and dumb and bought into all the opti hate, it was NOT the problem and I reused the WP which began weeping a few thousand miles later so I had to pul that all apart again. Did not hurt the new opti though either. A little dielectric grease like on sparkplug wire boots put on the seal of the electrical connector for the opti goes a long ways towards keeping it water tight.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
At that milage I would consider a cap and rotor change. As said it just gets neglected because of reduced accessibility and cost. I think a lot of the "dead optis" are caused by letting the cap and rotor completely fail. If it gets too hard for the spark to jump where it is supposed too it can try and find another way and back through the optical sensor would be a BAD path for it to take. I bet more optis have been replaced due to bad cap and rotor than because of a bad sensor, most guys just buy into all the opti hate online and never take the time to understand anything.
If you pull the pump to replace the cap and rotor I would be prepared to replace the pump, at 96K miles I replaced the whole opti because I was young and dumb and bought into all the opti hate, it was NOT the problem and I reused the WP which began weeping a few thousand miles later so I had to pul that all apart again. Did not hurt the new opti though either. A little dielectric grease like on sparkplug wire boots put on the seal of the electrical connector for the opti goes a long ways towards keeping it water tight.
If you pull the pump to replace the cap and rotor I would be prepared to replace the pump, at 96K miles I replaced the whole opti because I was young and dumb and bought into all the opti hate, it was NOT the problem and I reused the WP which began weeping a few thousand miles later so I had to pul that all apart again. Did not hurt the new opti though either. A little dielectric grease like on sparkplug wire boots put on the seal of the electrical connector for the opti goes a long ways towards keeping it water tight.