GM training video for the Optispark (ABITS) distributor system used on the LT1 and L99 engines.
Buick Know How: LT1 Optispark (ABITS) Distributor Operation and Diagnostics
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ABITS, Buick, Diagnostics., Distributor, Know, Operation, Optispark
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My opti had 111k on it when I replaced it, it still worked too. So yeah, it exceeded 100k, lol.
At 20:10 is that Tony Romo LOL
I would love to here this guy say ” And if that happens your Fucked”
Sooo if I have a 93 LT1, is there some sort of conversion kit to get the better ventilated opti? Mine just took a shit btw…
Thanks for the info, I needed it as I am only a rookie at repairs. I have most of it back together ,hope to try to start it soon, will let you know how it goes, Thanks again
Ps.. Yes, had to do mine twice, the first time I had it entirely assembled, full of coolant, and superchager and intercooler all installed only to find a DOA MSD billet junk distributor.
Stupid me for trusting supposed quality of a 550.00 MSD unit.
The second time (with the Petris.com distributor) we tested it FIRST with just the distributor and mass air hooked up enough to run it to be sure it was OK and didn’t do the same thing. The Petris ran fine. MSD was garbage.
Sad.
I sent my MSD back for a refund and went with the Petris. No problems so far. You could put yours on with just barely enough stuff needed to start the car (without water pump, etc), and run it for several seconds, if it idles, and also will rev and run smoothly without missing above 2000 RPM and not set the check engine light, then it should be OK.
My MSD would start missing and backfiring badly over 1800 RPM and then set code 36, “no high resolution signal” = bad distributor.
I have yet to start it up,Hope mines a good one,did you have to do yours twice? What were your symptoms to lead you to it as bad?I do not ever want to do this job again but would like to hear what to look out 4
You put the MSD in yours? When? How many miles ago and have you had any trouble? I put a brand new one in mine, and it was bad out of the box. Had to send it back, and I went with the one from Petris.
fords junk.
I spent 90 some odd dollars on my opti off ebay. I went ahead and put on a new water pump while I was in there, It had an oil leak coming from the water pump drive anyway. So far so good. The real bitch is when you try to replace the plug wires. A garage wanted to charge me 500 bucks for that alone. Now I know why.
OK, lets put the water pump behind the timing belt like Chrysler. They all are designing cars to be soo expensive to maintain in hopes you will say F…. it! And buy a new one.
I have decided to go with an older one, You cannot tell me this is more reliable then the first HEI in 1975…$300 for some junk plastic made in Mexico????
Bad thing this junk will leave you, your wife, kids, dog, on the side of the road in the cold, middle of the night, to get run over!
251,000 miles on 94 Caprice w/abits,still strong but changed it my self msd, it took some time but it is doable
i think Charlie is a robot.
Yea its like a SCHOOL car. We had brand new cars of all makes and models with about 10 miles on them. They sat in the sun mostly and were rarely used for work.
that thing was probaly never driven and was taken apart and put back together for videos like this so many times it ain’t funny.
my college used old junk cars that were repaired. the 04 GTO i worked on, you could see were they straightened the frame back. would of loved to of had the school’s LT1 6-speed t-top camaro or the LS1 SS t-top 6-speed. made me evnyous cause i had a 94 V6 auto, but i’ve had my 93 Z28 auto hardtop for nearly 4 years and i love it. my school also had a origanal 426 Hemi they used to teach distributor spark advance on.
Too many whiners, it’s a very durable and reliable ignition system. As a gearhead, it gave me an excuse to upgrade to an msd unit, and upgraded water pump.
where can i get one of those check-charts? I have a 97 Z28.
Wow.. and Chevy guys try to bash Fords…. ?
i want that clear opti so i can see when mine is filling up with oil
i dumped my 96 Z28 and went back to my 300,000 mile 88 monte carlo SS. you did notice he didnt remove it from the camaro. wanna know why? lol 4 times as hard to work on, no room, you have to remove battery alternater and starter just to replace the plugs, it the worst car i have ever owned, but the camaro looks great, lol sitting, new tires, paint, and alot more parts, 4grand and wont move.lol
The mad man who came up with this shit should be shot in the face. You would agree too if you had to change out one of these bastards. Behind the water pump? Really?
Or… a failed PCM.
Is the the system where if the water pump leaks, it leaks onto the ABITS?
This video is abits old. Ha. I WANT THAT Z28.
I’ve got 187,000 miles original opti no problems 200 for cap 100 for wires u got hosed.
i ran outta room ha ha ha, i drove my Cadillac thru a flooded street water up to me bumper ) had no trouble but my distributor is the vacuum vented gen 2
my 96 fleetwood still going strong we did the cap and rotor at 110k mi and even then the ware was minimal [ im at [184k now ] the maintenance is expensive the cap and rotor was 200$ {plugs were $12X8 wires wer100$ } i remember doing that tuneup and you definitely need some experience my only grievance with this set up are the to extra oil leaks that com with age the water pump drive shaft, distributor drive one other useless thing i read on a comment water and car wash trouble >>>
YO THANKS ,OVER MY HEAD BUT VERY INTERESTING
You guys should get a repair manual and learn to replace the opti yourselves :), it’s time consuming but not as hard as you may think if done carefully
Look at the disc wobble at 5:06. Junk. Had my 95 Firebird for 10 years now. Had a blown optical sensor in one opti, a crack in the epoxy once and an opti that warped and didn’t seal anymore. My vent system works. Checked it every time. Now on my 4th opti, it must be grounding to the fastening screw on the rotor because it runs for 2 km’s and quits. Wait for 5 mins and it goes another 2km. Got a new MSD pro billet and wires to go on this time.
Went to the car wash and the chassis bath hosed my Optispark. Engine stalled with 3 other cars behind me and the guy immediately behind me just spent 9 dollars for his wash. We pushed the car into the car wash and after the wash the engine started up again. Optispark is a good system but the water factor makes it bad.
i have 203k miles on my LT1 dumbass, optis are only good when taken care of!
200 dollars? I payed a shop 1,200 for the whole install haha
100,000 miles my ass LOL fuckin optis
Don’t get it wet. I cleaned under the hood of my camaro 2 days ago and damn thing still won’t start. I just hope it’s not F’d and this doesn’t end up being a $200 car wash.
These guys makes it look easy…
Glad you found it useful.
Thanks for posting this..great info
100,000 miles my ass
The optispark system gets a lot of negative comments. I have had a different experience. I bought my 96 Impala SS new and it now has 253,000 miles. The optispark system is factory original – including the spark plug wires. I’ve never had to do anything to it. I’ve changed the spark plugs once.
I’ve heard so many bad things about optispark, several years ago I bought a brand new GM optispark and wires. I’ll install them when the original finally quits. 😎
I agree, this system had to be one of the worst things GM ever put into a car. Supposedly they switched to this system due to lack of room for a regular HEI system in the Corvette. I still wonder why GM didn’t just go with the coil pack system that most of their other engines had been using for years such as on the 3.8 and northstar.
HEI is far more reliable and cheaper to maintain than this ABITS garbage. Hell a typical shop charges around $1000 to tune-up these LT1 and L99 cars. Whereas a quality HEI dirstributor cap and rotor can be had for $30 and can be changed with 20 minutes and a screwdriver.
Nice thank u for the info
Thanks for the upload man. My Camaro still almost looks as new as the one in the vid! hahaha.
what a great vid and a awesome engine!
@moldymac
It would really be worth to buy such a car new. I would baby it and store it inside (like I do with all of my cars) and I would probably never have to buy a new car ever again =)
Every American full-size car of the 90’s was built to last. Those V8’s will last forever.
^ ^^ oops. I posted in the wrong vid.