Can't get the car in time... when i retard the dist. all the way it still won't line up with the red mark on the flywheel. i have already tore the side of the engine apart to check the timing belt, everything is still lining up.

The engine was in time like a week ago, but then in had some ignition/spark trouble. So i swaped out the internal coil that came with the JDM H22 and wired in the factory external coil and doing this made the car start. Would this affect the timing?

Does anyone know what else may be causing this...

The ecu is throwing code 21 which is the Vtec Solenoid, this wouldn't cause a timing problem would it?

Are you jumping the service connector as you adjust? If not the CPU will not read the adjustments your making. Also you may want to make sure you didn't install the dizzy 180 off. And did you just do a timing belt change? Why would your timing be off in the first place?

the only way the dizzy could be 180 out is if you disassembled the shaft then put the rotor on wrong.....

you dont want to retard it the whole way, just slowly move it as you let the timing light flash, do it in the dark if possible its easier

if you cant see it still get out a peice of yellow/bright chalk and (i have a long, flexy grabber tool, but you could needle nose it in there) and chalk the flywheel the whole way around, that will make the mark more obvious....

seeing the mark is not a problem. i can not get the timing mark on the flywheel to line up with the pointer, period. i can see the mark but the dist. is at max adjustment... and the timing belt is definately good everything is lining up, flywheel, crank, camshafts, oil pump.

Could a bad rotor possible cause this problem?

As i stated in my original post the only thing that i changed is the coil. Instead of the internal coil i am now using the external...