Help,..Standed after washing off engine.

[1994Roadster]

New to Corvettes. 1994 LT1 Roadster. Washed off engine with water while detailing and later was standed a half-mile from my house. Engine would not start. Had to call a flatbed to get it home. After it sat for the afternoon, it started and ran perfectly. What would cause failure if wet? How do I prevent in future? Sealing components? Dielectric grease on electrical connections? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.;help

 

[ErnieN85]

Do not wash down the engine! The Opti(crap) spark doesn't like water (behind the waterpump) and it's prone to this usually this will cost big bucks to fix! let it dry good and count your lucky stars

 

[1994Roadster]

Thanks for information.

Thanks for your reply. I'll be extremely careful. Anything else I can do to reduce potential for Optispark failure?

Thanks,

Larry Kalina
Houston, Texas

 

[Jeffvette]

Major

 

[Vettelt193]

Re: Thanks for information.

Thanks for your reply. I'll be extremely careful. Anything else I can do to reduce potential for Optispark failure?

Thanks,

Larry Kalina
Houston, Texas

the main thing is to not get it wet, the other thing is to periodically check the water pump's weep hole (bottom of the pump) to make sure it isn't leaking... the waterpump is above the opti-spark, and if it starts to leak, it can get the opti wet and also leave you stranded.

 

[sumoboy]

:nono Bad owner Bad owner

 

[78SilvAnniv]

:nono Bad owner Bad owner

Ah, come on now, go easy on him and give him a break. He said he was new to Corvettes...and with a learning experience like this one you can bet Roadster won't be doing THAT again!
Heidi :L

 

[ZAL81]

The guy I bought my 94 convertible from back in Oct decided that he was going to do me a favor and detail the engine before I picked up the car. So armed with a garden hose and a bottle of Simple Green he proceeds to detail..... Needless to say, on the evening I was to pick up the car, he calls my cell phone and tells me "don't bother ... the car won't start" One week and 650.00 later, I got to pick up my car. His expense - My new Opti!! He tells me that he will never offer to detail another engine again!!??


Moral of the story... Never use water on the engine, Opti's don't like water!

Zane

 

[sumoboy]

Ah, come on now, go easy on him and give him a break. He said he was new to Corvettes...and with a learning experience like this one you can bet Roadster won't be doing THAT again!
Heidi :L

:eyerole Ok I'll give him a break....I was forewarned
I'm sure he'll be a regular CAC member from now on.

 

[78SilvAnniv]

I hope so!

I'm sure he'll be a regular CAC member from now on.

I like seeing new people join the site and then participate within the forums. I especially like seeing members engage in friendly interaction, it makes me feel good to see strangers coming together and helping each other. (teasing each other, too! )
Heidi

 

[Bob Yates]

As far as that weep hole in the water pump, has anybody tried to put a hose in it to drain leaky water pumps away from the opti spark. Seems it would be simple with the pump off or if your replacing it any way. Hmmm . Just a thought. It could save some opti sparks maybe.......Bob

 

[1994Roadster]

Wet Optispark

Thanks for the friendly advice from everyone. This is by far the best automotive forum I have ever experienced. I really appreciate the feedback. Bear with me, I'm a gearhead but never owned a C4 with LT1. I'm a little puzzled by the whole Optispark design. Are there any high-reliability alternatives out there? I have used crank triggers and other race ignition parts on other car projects and never worried about the engine getting wet. Everything else about the 94 roadster I purchased has been positive. I look forward to driving it every day. Any other ideas to help prevent Optispark failure?

Thanks,

Larry Kalina
Houston, Texas

 

[Black Ice]

WEll I washed my engine last summer and wrecked my Mass airflow sensor. This caused the car to keep stalling. A flat bed tow and $450 later ad I was back on the road.

 

[Corvette-Pilot]

Re: Wet Optispark

Bear with me, I'm a gearhead but never owned a C4 with LT1. I'm a little puzzled by the whole Optispark design. Thanks,

Larry Kalina
Houston, Texas

Don't feel bad.
I finally was able to buy my first Vette last Sept and never heard of this thing.
I would read this forum with all the warnings about this (after I washed off my engine) and wonder what everyone was talking about.
Finally looked into it and went out to my car to finally realize there wasn't the usual HEI that I expected to see :duh

I have seen articles about modifying the Opti with a vacuum line to keep it dry inside.

I can't see why GM would put a water sensitive devide on the lower front of an engine??
Maybe they are Corvette fanatics that never drive in rain so it never gets wet????

 

[sumoboy]

Re: Re: Wet Optispark

I can't see why GM would put a water sensitive devide on the lower front of an engine??
Maybe they are Corvette fanatics that never drive in rain so it never gets wet????

They are the ones that built the 83'vette.:crazy

 

[compyelc4]

Another thing to check..........

If '95 or later pull that little L-shaped plastic doojie from the hole in the driver's side of the black intake hose. That is the source of fresh, filtered air that is sucked through the Opticrap and then into the intake manifold. You should have a little vacuum there. If you do not, and your water pump begins leaking, there is about a 100% chance your Opti will go South! Other than checking your water pump weep hole and output shaft for leakage consistently, that is THE BEST INSURANCE to help drive moisture from the Opti.

I know....I've gone through 3 in its first 20,000 miles, and i DO baby my '95. I had a combination of leaking water pump (ever so little) and a crimped vacuum hose going to the Opti from the intake manifold. GM, bless their hearts, found neither defect on each Opti replacement. I replaced the last Opti (and water pump) myself. I got tired of paying $800 for them to replace that monster.

My vow is to sell my beloved '95 real fast the next time the Opti goes out. C5, here I come.

 

[froggy47]

There is a kind of "water proofing kit " that MAD sells for opti's. But I think you have to pull everything all apart to install it.

 

[sothpaw]

compyel4,

Can you describe where this weep hole is? I don't even know
where the water pump is, but I can look it up in the Service manual.

Does the old '92-'94 design have this vacuum thing too? I should
check both.

 

[Vettelt193]

sothpaw,

92-93 have the old style opti, without the vacuum lines, making them even more sensitive to water pump leaks, and water in general.

The water pump is silver, on the front of the engine... above the crank (main) pulley, and below the throttle body. It has a somewhat round shaped front, with horizontal lines running accross it. all you have to do is feel around the bottom of it... there is a small hole down there. If it feels wet anywhere down there, it is going bad.