What should ignition timing be at idle?

It really depends. But anything between 15–30 degrees is pretty normal. Advancing the ignition timing TOO MUCH at any speed will result in less power, and may result in damage to the engine.

Can the ignition timing be adjusted?

The car’s timing refers to the ignition and the process by which the spark plugs fire, creating a spark in the car’s combustion chamber. You can adjust your car’s timing with a timing light and a set of wrenches, tools available at any auto parts store.

How do you adjust the ignition timing without a timing light?

to set your base timing without a light, you just turn the motor over in it’s normal direction of rotation until the mark lines up with where you want it.. loosen up the distributor and hook up a spare spark plug to the #1 plug wire.. turn the distributor until it sparks..

What causes ignition timing to be off?

Overheating: If the air and fuel mixture is ignited too soon in the combustion process, the heat generated will increase. This can damage different parts of the engine. Low Power: Ignition timing that is retarded too far can result in the spark plug igniting the mixture too late.

What happens if ignition timing is too advanced?

Advancing the timing means the plug fires earlier in the compression stroke (farther from TDC). Advance is required because the air/fuel mixture does not burn instantly. It takes time for the flame to ignite the all the mixture. However, if the timing is advanced too far, it will cause an Engine Knock.

How do I know if my ignition timing is too advanced?

Symptoms of incorrect ignition timing are poor fuel economy, sluggish acceleration, hard starting, backfiring, or “pinging” or “spark knock”. Too little spark advance will cause low power, bad gas mileage, backfiring, and poor performance. Too much advance will cause hard starting and pre-ignition.

What problems can occur if the ignition timing is too early?

How do you know if your timing is too advanced? Symptoms of incorrect ignition timing are poor fuel economy, sluggish acceleration, hard starting, backfiring, or “pinging” or “spark knock”. Too little spark advance will cause low power, bad gas mileage, backfiring, and poor performance.

How do you check ignition timing?

Ignition Timing Symptoms

1. Pinging/Knocking. Pinging or knocking indicates that pre-ignition is taking place.
2. Hard Starting. In order for an engine to start, the fuel and air mixture must be ignited within the cylinders at the proper time.
3. Overheating.
4. Low Power.
5. Increased Fuel Consumption.

What happens if timing is too far advanced?

If ignition timing is too far advanced, it will cause the fuel-and-air mixture to ignite too early in the combustion cycle. This can cause the amount of heat generated by the combustion process to increase and lead to overheating of the engine.

What happens if your ignition timing is off?

What’s the best way to adjust cylinder timing?

Community Answer. Set the first cylinder to top dead center on the compression stroke. Set the distributor to fire at the top (this is considered 0 degrees advance/retarded). If you want to advance/retard timing, turn the crank an angle amount equal to what you want, or place a timing tape and use a timing light.

How do you find the timing number on a harmonic balancer?

Shine the light directly onto the harmonic balancer and find the number. Though the wheel is turning, the light should seem to “freeze” it at a particular number. This is the timing number. Note the number of degrees to the right or left of zero. As the RPMs increase, the point at which the spark plug is firing should also increase somewhat.

When do you change ignition base idle timing?

Typically, when your car comes from the manufacturer, ignition base idle timing is set to a manufacture specification before top dead center. The timing advances as the engine’s speed accelerates, however, resulting in a variable that will need to be periodically adjusted using a timing light.

How is the ignition timing of a car determined?

Using an engine idling at 900 rpm further illustration, the piston is moving upward at a speed that the fuel, given the time it takes to burn completely, is ignited 1/16-inch from the top. This would equate to 10 degrees of crankshaft rotation before reaching top dead center to give the fuel sufficient time for a complete burn.