Compare the number to manufacturer recommendations. This strobing effect should cause one of the timing numbers to appear steady as the engine runs. When the spark plug fires, the current tells the gun to flash. The timing gun works on a simple principle. Shine the light at the timing numbers on the marks on the crankshaft pulley and you’ll see a number. When everything is attached, start the car and let it idle. Make sure you have the right plug as this will majorly impact your timing readings. A third wire will attach to the number one spark plug wire. You want to attach the corresponding cables to the power and ground terminals of the car’s battery. The gun should have a few plugs or clamps. You can set it up with the engine off to help avoid accidents. How to Use a Timing LightĪt last we’re to the inductive timing light (or gun). Instead, refer to manufacturer websites or listings from professional mechanics. They’re a little different for every model, and you probably won’t find this info in the owner’s manual.

You’ll want to compare the numbers you see to manufacturer recommendations. They’ll be notched in ruler fashion and will be your guide to precise adjustment. You can find these numbers on the engine’s crankshaft pulley or flywheel. You will advance or move back your timing by a few degrees during this process. Timing adjustments are measured in degrees. Understanding Timing Numbersīefore we jump into adjusting the timing, we need to know the standards. This is the reason for timing maintenance. This gives us the most power for each ignition, but over wear and tear can cause the plugs to fire slightly too soon or late. To recap, we check the timing to make sure the spark plug is firing when the fuel mixture is fully compressed. The last step is exhaust where the byproducts of the explosion are ejected to make way to start the process anew. The next stage is power, and it is when the explosion of gasoline forcefully pushes the piston back down to rotate the engine. The air is fully compressed when the piston is as high as possible, and this is called “top dead center.” This is the ideal time for the spark plug to fire. The pressure is necessary to get a nice explosion instead of a slow burn, and this is the key to getting propulsion out of the process. The compression stage is when the piston applies pressure to the air-fuel mixture. Those strokes are called intake, compression, power and exhaust.ĭuring intake, air and fuel are drawn into the cylinder for combustion. To keep an engine running, it undergoes four steps (called strokes) in rapid succession.

If this is a little hazy, it’ll make more sense when we talk about the whole engine cycle. More specifically, we want to fire the plug right before the piston reaches its peak in the up-and-down motion. To ignite the gasoline, we use electric spark plugs, so when we refer to a vehicle’s timing, we’re talking about making sure the spark plug fires at the best possible moment. This is ignoring a lot of other processes that happen at the same time, but it’s the primary function of your engine. That motion spins the engine which in turn rotates the gears and spins the wheels. To put it simply, an engine works by using small explosions of gasoline to make pistons move up and down. What Is Timing?īefore we learn how to set ignition timing, we require a short lesson on how engines work. In those cases, an scan tool would be a better investment. Most manufactured since the early 90s will have an electronic ignition timing and do not require this maintenance. Before you jump in, double check your vehicle. While you can get a mechanic to adjust the timing for you, it’s a fairly easy process with a quality timing light, and you’ll stand to save a lot of money when you learn to do it yourself. When timing is neglected, you can suffer poor gas mileage, less power when you hit the gas and eventually degrading problems that might keep the engine from running. You need to adjust timing on a car for many older models (those which have a distributor) to maintain the best possible performance.

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