Idle timing at +40 degrees!, WTF? and its not pinging!

[Sydneykid]

Several things I have noticed since doing the cambelt on the Stagea (refer to the Stagea section for pictures and workshop manual diagrams).

1. The automatic ECU has 20 degrees as the base timing, not 15 degrees like a manual.

2. There is a lot of parralax error on the timing marks, the marker on the cambelt cover is a long way up and back from the marking on the crankshaft pulley. Take a look at the workshop manual drawing in my previous post and you can see the potential for parralax error.

3. Because of #2 above, you have to have the timing light and your eyes aligned and over to the right (looking at the engine). If you look straight down from the centre of the radiator, you get a 5 degree error (ie; 15 degrees looks like 20 degrees).

4. Using the loop wire on the ignitor circuit means the timing light flashes for each cylinder firing (all 6), I was used to only #1 cylinder triggering the timing light. So you get lots of flashes very close together, even at idle.

Hope that is of some help:cheers:

[BenA31]

cheers sydneykid. i too noticed alot of what u said and took that into account when checking the timing. that timing notch on the cam cover played with my mind at first but yeah figured out that i had to look on angle from the right.

i'm just glad that the problem was found with the first thing i checked. was planning on swapping CAS next....

[l6a6w6s6]

Dunno if you have solved the problem yet but from some recent reading up on the TPS maybe that is the problem. Apparently if the TPS is not set correctly the ecu will think the throttle is open for take off when it is closed and add some timing expecting load. Therefore until it knows the throttle is shut you will always see advanced timing at idle but the car will drive ok otherwise.

[SlowGTS-t]

Update:

I think I've nailed it.  CAS nub was worn on the edges causing the timing to shift quite a bit.  For the first couple minutes after starting the car it ran like a demon, then the ecu would pull the timing out and ran like garbage.  Replaced the CAS and the idle changed, egt's changed, and fuel curve is out of whack now but the car still feels stronger.  I need to retune. 

I'm pretty damned happy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With a cheap timing light, I get 30+ deg BTDC off the loop wire. If I double loop it and much around with the pickup, I can get 15deg which is about right.

The best way I've been told is to put a HT lead between the coil pack and No 1 spark plug and take the signal off there. Tried that and it got exactyl the same result as the double looped wire.

[Cubes]

hrmm.. nice tip.

So double looping it is the trick. To get a true reading.