I just bought a timing light with advance and need help using it. Can someone tell me which set of marks I should be looking at and where I should have the advance set? I think I see a set of three marks together and another one towards the firewall all by itself. Is the OEM ignition timing 16 degrees BTDC?

Also, I tried jumping the plug under the yellow cover on the driver's side of the engine bay and didn't notice a difference. Should a check engine light come on? This is an '88 CRX Si with a B16a transplant.

Last question - If I adjust the cam gears, do I have to compensate the timing by moving the dizzy?

These are probably newbie questions but we all have to start somewhere. I really appreciate the education I am about to receive...


[Modified by 7rrivera7, 5:49 PM 3/31/2003]

 

those 3 marks on the crank... 1 is for 2 degrees advance, 1 is for normal timing and 1 is for 2 degrees retard. Twist distributor towards firewall for advance, and away from firewall for retard... once u set it where u want it, tighten it down and shoot the timing again to make sure it didn't move while u did it.

Harry

 

OK so I should concentrate on the middle mark - but where should I set the advance button on my gun? At 0 degrees or at 16 degrees. And is the OEM timing 14, 15 or 16 degrees BTDC?

Thanks!

 

If you set the advance dial on your gun to zero, then you use the 3 marks on the pulley. Middle one is stock, either side is +/- 2 degrees. Those marks are put there for timing guns without the dial feature.

If you use your gun's advance dial, then you want to look at the TDC mark on the pulley, which is off by itself.

 

OK, so I tried setting my timing to 16 degrees using the middle line on the damper and I had to move the dizzy almost all the way forward! I know this can't be right so I check my RPMs and it's stready at 1000. I look at the timing map on my Hondata program and see that at @1000, my timing should be at 21.25 degrees. So I think to myself this is why I had to move the dizzy so far - because the program is advancing the timing.

My question is, how do I force the engine to idle at @600 RPM where the timing sholuld be at 16 degrees so that I can set it properly? Jumping the connector with the yellow cap doesn't change anything.

 

Adjust your idle. With the idle adjustment screw on the throttle body.

 

I have a type r throttle and the only screw I see has some grey 'stuff' on it - like I shouyldn't muck with it. Is this the screw?

 

what is your target idle in the hondata? try setting it lower and lower until it helps. what ecu are you using? I can't remember if you are still obd-0. I don't think the obd-0 ecu's had a connector that you jump to set timing but i know that obd-1's do.

 

One thing you could do; knowing that your timing is supposed to be at 21.25 at 1000rpm... & it sounds like you have a timing gun with an advance dial.

Leave your idle at 1000, set your timing gun for 21.25 advance, then adjust to the TDC mark, which is the single one all by itself.

 

that would work if the ecu used the number directly in the cell that the car is idleing but usually the ecu uses a group of cells around the current one to interpolate a correct value based on how close to the center of that current cell the engine is running.

....thats a lot of cells and whatnot. hope someone understands what i'm saying

 

Risen from the dead.. You use the Middle of the three marks and set the timing light gun to ZERO!!!!!! Not 16 like the OP last said he did. IF YOU SET THE GUN TO 16 degrees then you will be lining up the TDC Mark. The TDC mark is off to the side of the THREE marks.

To simplify gun at zero degrees line up the middle mark of the 3 marks.
Gun set to 16 degrees and your lining up the mark off by itself to the RIGHT of the 3 marks. Hope this helps someone.

You DO NOT set the gun to 16 degrees and then line up the mark in the middle of the 3 marks. Thats dangerous and if you did line it up and drove it hard you could hurt something. Good luck. Oh and if your idle is wrong fix that first and just set the dizzy close to the middle and check to see (gun at zero) that it lines up within the 3 marks.