I had to wait about a half hour for a haircut appointment, so I went next door and decided to kill some time and get my timing increased- get that extra work out of my car. The guy went on and did it - after the lady at the front desk made me sign a waiver saying that they'll take no blame for doing this if my engine blows.

I got my haircut and the guy was still working on it - and he was like in the passenger seat under my glove compartment doing crap. I thought getting timing advanced was just a little turn of the distributor? I asked him about the passenger seat ordeal and he was all saying he had to bypass my ecu and what not. Should this be done? ..or was he advancing my idle? (or is this the same thing?)

Anyways.. I get my car back and start listening for the "pinging" that is supposed to be bad, eh? I have recently been hearing a slight tuning fork type sound like once every 30 miles. Is this the ping? Should I take it back and set my timing lower? Help a brother out

 

You really shouldnt do things that you have no idea about...you could have a detonating engine and not even know it.

Pinging is definetly audible, and it sounds like a metallic "ping" for a lack of a better word.

Nextly he had to jump the service connector to advance the timing. thats why he was in the passenger seat sear. So he did what he had to do. Question is, how many degrees did he set for you, or did you ask him to. See this is dangerous cause he coulda set it to max advance and you would be non the wiser. Run highest octane you can and see if that sound is still there.


[Modified by Ricehornet, 5:57 PM 10/27/2001]

 

How many deg. did he advance it? Im at +20 right now, and have no probalems at all. Also If the mechaninc had any idea of what he was doing, it would have only took a couple of minutes, not the time it takes to get your hair cut! The first time I did it it only took at tops 5 minutes, and that includes the time it took me to figure out how to use the timing light. Pinging is really bad, I don't know exactlly what it sounds like cause it has never happened to me, but It is detination. Oh, what octain fuel are you using?


[Modified by BLK94RS, 12:32 AM 10/28/2001]

 

sounds like a rattle... my corolla used to ping like a bastard.
5th gear was no go up hills.

then they introduced high octane fuel and all was good

 

I use 93 all the time and he set it to 18 degrees. I just want to know if this "tuning fork" thing I think I hear once every 30 miles is the actual pinging.. and if it is, should I be worried about it since it only happens once every so often?..

 

don't look at how frequently it happens, just look at what conditions it happens under. the engine is more likely to ping under full load conditions (i.e. going uphill in high gear).

 

Pinging sounds absolutely nothing like a tuning fork. As mentioned several times above, it sounds like a bunch of little marbles or pebbles rattling in a tin can. It never happens when your foot is off the gas. Usually only happens during load. Accellerating in a tall gear, etc. Sometimes it'll do it during normal accell depending on how bad it is.

But tuning fork, nah. Good luck though.

 

Welp, I don't hear any rattling. I think the tuning fork sound might have been a rock or something. Who knows? I'm such a dummy. ..but I'm learnin'.

 

I just advanced my timing today with the guide from vtec.net. I didn't have a timing gun.

I ticked off marks spaced 1mm apart on the mounting bracket of the distributor. I ended up marking 6mm worth. I recall reading on this site that 1mm is approx. 1 deg. And so... I advanced the timing (rotate ccw) and drove up a hill with AC etc...

However, I couldn't get the car to ping, after advancing it the full 6mm (roughly thats 22 degrees?????). How audible is the pinging? My exhaust (5zigen fireball) drowns out my engine noise, but I rolled down the window to listen carefully... nothing

I turned it back to 4mm advanced, just to be safe. Any suggestions, other than get a timing gun, or take it to the shop?

Testing conditions:

94 gsr
92 octane gas
intake/exhaust
removed power steering
10 degrees celcius (50F)

Thanks in advance.

 

you should get a timing gun. it's very difficult to estimate timing to the nearest degree. vtec.net does it with trial and error. just advance it 1mm and go uphill in high gear. if it doesn't ping, advance it another mm. when it pings then retard it back 1 mm and there's your setting. personally i think the timing gun would save you a lot of trouble

 

Any other comments or suggestions?

 

Go buy this month's issue of Hot Rod Magazine.

Nice article about octane, and gas variants. The methods they used to test, and the results of their test will help a lot of people see that advancing the timing is not "instant horsepower".

Especially with a 350+ hp engine gaining like at most 8hp on Unleaded race gas with -2 degrees timing.

It's funny how many people are headed to hills trying to make their engines ping.


[Modified by WOTTEG, 9:11 PM 11/5/2001]

 

If it's been dyno proven, and it only takes a brief moment of my day, then why not? Just because it's in a magazine doesn't make it infallible.

I'm sure various cars react differently to timing adjustments. Not to mention, the real life testiments of Integra owners who feel better a response from their car, and what appeals to me, a better response while highway driving.

However, I will take a look at that issue, thanks for your suggestion.

 

Just fyi most people don't run much more than 18 degrees. Advanciing timing more than that and you not only run the risk of detonation but the knock sensor will kick in and actually retard the distributor a couple degrees. In addition too much timing causes a spike in cylinder pressure which in my opinion isn't worth the extra 2-3 hp.The knock sensor will hear the detonation long before you will.

 

yeup

 

I'm running 18 Degrees and I have to say it does make a difference. I will not, by any means, go higher.