my personal spark nightmare...

[sothpaw]

...just thought I would rant here while I wait once again for the mechanic to tell me what is going on with my car.

As part of a heads/cam/timing chain upgrade, I had changed the optispark to a 1995/6 version and changed to a new water pump.

After a month, the car wouldn't run when warm, at 190 oil.

Mechanic took 2 weeks to diagnose and then said Optispark.

Got it back Friday, and Saturday night it won't start at all. It cranks, but it doesn't catch. Now I have to Flat bed it.

Parts place says 2 bad optis brand new is unheard of. It should be. So, I guess I'll wait and see if a bad coil or something is discovered.

 

[RedRagTop]

Be wary of unknown mechanics...
Sounds like you are dumping serious cash. Do you trust this guy? Two weeks to diagnose? Then you PAY for 2 Opti's?

 

[sothpaw]

Service has always been slow, but lately it's worse.

I am finally seeing the light of owning a new/newer car so I can keep it out of the shop.

And if it ain't broke, leave it alone.

 

[rrubel]

Sothpaw, is this Paul that's giving you grief??

Check for something simple like a loose wire to the Optispark... I've had plug wires be falling off after a DEALER has worked on them, so you can't even trust them completely.

Sometime I'll share my latest Outback near-nightmare (caused by NTW).

[RICHR]

 

[sothpaw]

Rich,
Yes, where else? I will have to swing by and drop off those gages. Everything with fuel/air was clean.

Missed you at Carslile. Hope you got to hear Dave Hill and ask him a question or 2. I had a nice long conversation with Harlan Charles of the C5 team.


Sorry to rant guys, just blowing off steam.

 

[rrubel]

Were you there Saturday or Sunday? Mad-mic and I spent most of Saturday wandering around, but I spent about two hours working in the NCM tent - which is where the tech talks were, so I got to hear most of Dave Hill's presentation. Didn't get to talk to him, though.

Nothing, though, was as cool as last year's MR suspension demo.
[RICHR]

 

[sothpaw]

Sunday.

They had the cyringe back and a carbon fiber hood also.

 

[rrubel]

I got to play with the CF hood at the NCM during the 50th weekend. Amazingly light - you can pick it up easily with one hand. Wouldn't want to pay to fix it after a collision, though... OR those MR shocks. A 50th AE owner told me they're $3 grand EACH to buy from GM.
[RICHR]