Retarded car runs smooth, but no power. Set the cams properly car has rough idle and runs great above that but Has a Check engine with a ECU #9 error now. I touched nothing. Reset ECU still pulling code seconds after startup. Here is my Question. Why is this ZC running so good with NO codes with the cams retarded (by accident) but set correctly I get an error and it idles a little rough? I knew the fact that I got no codes at first seemed a little too go to believe. Found out the timing jumped when I put the impact wrrench on the crank pulley to tighten it up. Big mistake. Didn't know till I got car on the road and power was WAY down from what it should have been. Ideas anyone. I have a chiltons manual but it doesn't explain why it ran good earlier. I timed it with TDC indicator on crank pulley, and a straight edge across the lines on the ZC cam pulleys.

 

If the belt jumped teeth when you impacted the crank pulley- the belt is too loose- be sure you are not off at the crank- 1 tooth off at the crank= 1/2 tooth off at the cams. I would triple check the tbelt timing at the cams and the crank. Are you really sure the cams are retarded?

 

Some d16s use different timing marks on the cam gear. I can't say for sure which one your motor uses, but it is usually the either the straight line version like you mentioned or the 4:30 single line version. I am sure yours is the straight one since it is a ZC. Also, to be absolutely sure you're at TDC on the crank, place a very long screwdriver down the #1 sparkplug hole (with the sparkplug removed, of course) and be sure the piston is at its highest point. Hell, you could have the wrong dist in there. I'd be sure that the cams and crank are timed properly...HTH

 

I'm going to pull the timing cover off the motor and check against the crank timing pully and block timing mark. I am real certain it matches with the TDC mark on the crank pulley and timing cover. Mine uses the straight line method. Each Cam gear has two lines on it all above the center line of the bolts. lined up they coresponded with the crank pulley showing TDC. WIll check these all again just to be double certain. I rechecked to make sure connectors are tight and none worked loose.

 

Went back and rechecked everything, found it had jumped time yet again. Pulled crank pulley and timing cover to find why it wasn't properly tensioning the belt. Found the tensioner bolt had its head rounded off, and it wasn't real tight. I.E. it never really tightened down. and it had jumped time again this time advanced. Realigned timing belt with a new bolt in place. Ran motor to make sure it didn't loosen back up and when I was satisfied then I put the cover back on. Now it runs right without any error codes. Double checking your work and making NO assumptions has a lot to be said for it. I should do that more often.