Opti-spark optical sensor

[Fanucman1994]

Had opti-spark ignition replaced on my '94 Roadmaster. Mechanic told me he couldn't replace Mitsubishi-made optical sensor as they are not made anymore. Any ideas as to where to get one ?? Thanks.

 

[HotZ28]

Many people replace the opti with a DELPHI Part # CZ20003. Click Here and wait for a few sec to see the results.

 

[buickwagon]

The Mitsubishi sensor is still available -- but only as part of a Delphi opti. I bought a new Delphi opti this past winter and took it apart to confirm it did have the Mitsubishi sensor. My understanding is that the minimum order is/was in the thousands, so only a major manufacturer like Delphi can/could afford to buy them.

I posted photos here.

 

[Fanucman1994]

Gentlemen,
Got to poking around the site some today. What a great source of information. Thank you to those who replied to my question. Appears I won't be using that particular mechanic anymore, and doing it myself. Once again, thanks guys !!

 

[buickwagon]

I wouldn't be too harsh on the mechanic based solely on the information provided in your first post. In a sense, he was right: you can't buy a Mitsubishi sensor separately. In fact, I don't think you ever could. Even an aftermarket sensor can be hard to track down (I'm only aware of one source right now).

That said, I would never dissuade anyone from doing it themselves if they have the required skills and tools. DIY is the raison d'être for most memberships on these forums. 🙂

 

[Fanucman1994]

Not to mean that he wasn't competent to do the job, but why didn't he already know about this particular situation, or are opti-sparks that scarce? Car runs just like it used to, so it wasn't a matter of him doing a lousy job. I guess maybe he may not have seen a lot of these to know what to look-out for. So if the sensor does come with the Delphi set-up, can't complain there. The ignition is one of the few parts of the car that I wasn't really familiar with, but that's on me. Thanks again for the quick responses guys !!

 

[buickwagon]

The opti-spark was only around for a few years. 92 to 97, IIRC. There were 2 different versions (3 if you count the OBDII revision) before GM gave it up as a bad job. It was only used on the LT1 (and maybe LT4?) engines. So yeah, it could be considered a bit of a rarity, and is certainly a piece of history.