How can I test to see if the optispark is working without taking it off the engine.

 

I don't know of any test you can perform, I'm sure there is one, but what you can do is narrow it down. Check your coil and your wires and those are good then your next step is to check your plugs for the gap and see if the are fouled. They may be anyway because if your opti took a ****e then you mayhave to replace them. I would check the coil and wires first. Hope this helped.

 

LT1RUNNER is correct, my question is why do you think your optispark is bad ?

 

I am just testing options because I have got a "random/multiple cylinder misfire" and cant seem to figure out why. I think it may be the optispark because I had a leaking water pump which leaked all over it. That was about 4 months ago, about then I also changed the plugs.

 

try changing the wires,usually when the opti dies your car dies, or it will be hard to start and then when it gets warm the car will randomly die, so i say change the wires and go from there, you wont lose

 

I was planning to change the wires anyhow so I will start there.
Yesterday just driving around the SES light went out on its own and it seems to run fine, but that is the second time this has happened. I will see what happens.

 

get the computer scanned, that is the best bet.

 

I scaned the computer it sais "random/multiple cylinder misfire".
The car was running fine for a while and then yesterday I was driving down the thruway and it started to misfire like crazy for about a minute then it went back to running fine, and the light went out again.