can someone help me?

My caprice has been sitting in the driveway for a week due to a tire blowout and waiting for the order to come in.

So I started it, and I can hear this electronic "tick tick" sound (like when high voltage shorts). I see no sparks or anything, but when trying to get the car to move forward a little, it felt bad...

I think it's got something to do with the optispark, but it's brand new...

My caprice has been sitting in the driveway for a week due to a tire blowout and waiting for the order to come in.

So I started it, and I can hear this electronic "tick tick" sound (like when high voltage shorts). I see no sparks or anything, but when trying to get the car to move forward a little, it felt bad...

I think it's got something to do with the optispark, but it's brand new...


replacing the opti is very difficult ....and it is possible if you were not carefull that it got contaminated with antifreeze or other stuff....also if the plug wires were not ohmed out or not placed correctly that they are now arcing to metal like hot exhaust componets etc....

I'm desperate at this point. My Caprice can't even be driven to the tire place to get the new tires I ordered for it, due to the ticking sound.

I checked under the hood and saw no flashes, at night. It's not a leak or exaust, it's an electric shorting sound (high voltage too) as I do electronics work.

I can't even sell it due to the economy, no one wants it, or ends up parting it (which I refuse to allow).

Is there any one here that lives in Florida that can help? I'm willing to pay for the services.

Like I said, I'm desperate. I just want my car working. It's always a up, and down situation, and now it's WAY down, like when I first bought the car back in 05.

If the plug wires still have the original aluminum heat shields at the plug ends, remove those and repeat the dark/nighttime inspection of the ignition system. Beyond that, you can remove and inspect the plug wires, test the resistance of the Opti cap between terminals, and inspect the ignition coil (front of left head) for arcing.

What if the sound, "sounds" like it's coming from the cap and rotor? (but not the plugs themselves)

I spent $130 on that optispark, i couldn't believe it already failed.

What if the sound, "sounds" like it's coming from the cap and rotor? (but not the plugs themselves)

I spent $130 on that optispark, i couldn't believe it already failed.


spending 130.oo for opti maybe the problem as opti's go for 400.oo.....is their a warrantee with the supplier ?....also failure could be the result of the opti purge system that removes arc gases that are created...within the cap/rotor contacts....

I spent only $140 on my '94 Opti and it's been working fine for over five years. I only replaced the cap and rotor ($140) and cleaned up the optical array, seals, etc.

I spent only $140 on my '94 Opti and it's been working fine for over five years. I only replaced the cap and rotor ($140) and cleaned up the optical array, seals, etc.


lately there have been chinese copies of this part and some have had problems....

mine was japanese..

:bananasmi :ylsuper: It's turning Japanese, I think it's turning Japanese, I really think so ...:ylsuper: :bananasmi