brownfinger
10+ Year Contributor
- 1,957
- 11
- Aug 26, 2008
-
Normal,
Illinois
Alright, this has nothing to do with my TPS. I must have meant CTS. Which is also a cadillac. Too many acronyms, I guess.
This seems like good stuff for the newbie forum. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by asking too many questions at once, but here goes:
Timing strobe... I have a 93 Eclipse GS 2.0, NT. When I do the timing light thing, there seems to be two distinct angles from which I can see the timing pointer at the pulley. Which is more accurate; through the hole in the front crossmember, behind the headlight, or from above, looking down past the P/S pump? It seems it could make a difference between a few degrees, and I haven't tried it with the wheel and fender liner removed.
Furthermore...
I'm having a minor cold-start/idle problem, I've been passively dealing with it for about a year or two. It's minor and goes away as the car warms up, so I'm not attacking it full-bore. I know a data-logger would probably nail it right away, but my car is unmodified, so I haven't needed one yet. Right about a year ago I bought the timing light. Much cheaper than a data logger, and I should have one anyway. At the time, my car showed 8*BTDC, one * out of spec. I fudged around with it a little, and ended up putting it back where I found it (see question part 1).
This leads me to two more questions: Would an advance to the ignition make the car run better or worse when dead, stone cold?
And: Does the CAS physically wear in a way that would advance or retard by a degree or two? And then, when you move the CAS, does that cause a break in the RTV seal making the valve cover leak? The oil leak question doesn't matter too much, but my CAS has 200k miles on it. If the drive dogs on the rotor, or the cam, were to wear by a few mils, wouldn't that advance my timing since the camshafts rotate opposite the engine?
It's all sort-of inter-related the way I see it.
If my timing were 3* over-advanced, then when I set my BISS, it will be a little too shut to match for the open-loop cold-start fuel maps, making the engine rich and over-advanced. If I retarded the timing a little, I'd have to open the BISS a bit for the correct base idle. This would really be a whole different fuel map for the engine then, without even changing any pieces.
I think the CAS and MAF are the only relevant parts I have not arbitrarily replaced with new genuine mitsu. They are more costly than a datalogger IMO. I have a friendly local junkyard that might let me slide on swapping out some parts w/out paying, but I'd rather get my timing set right first! (Re: question part 1)
FINALLY: CTS. Common in the newbie forum; check the wires at the CTS to make sure they are good. Well, there is a split in the insulation of the wires at my (new OE) CTS. The rubber boot on the wiring plug has disintegrated. The local dealership scratched their heads when I asked if I can order a new boot/plug. The conductors within the insulation seem ok. They are copper colored and look continuous and not frayed. Can this still be a probem for the ECU? Also, if I soldered on new wire ends and spade connectors, does it matter which wire goes on which terminal of the CTS? Should I use dielectric grease on the terminals?
As I said...MULTI-QUESTION! (but they're all inter-related)
This seems like good stuff for the newbie forum. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by asking too many questions at once, but here goes:Timing strobe... I have a 93 Eclipse GS 2.0, NT. When I do the timing light thing, there seems to be two distinct angles from which I can see the timing pointer at the pulley. Which is more accurate; through the hole in the front crossmember, behind the headlight, or from above, looking down past the P/S pump? It seems it could make a difference between a few degrees, and I haven't tried it with the wheel and fender liner removed.
Furthermore...
I'm having a minor cold-start/idle problem, I've been passively dealing with it for about a year or two. It's minor and goes away as the car warms up, so I'm not attacking it full-bore. I know a data-logger would probably nail it right away, but my car is unmodified, so I haven't needed one yet. Right about a year ago I bought the timing light. Much cheaper than a data logger, and I should have one anyway. At the time, my car showed 8*BTDC, one * out of spec. I fudged around with it a little, and ended up putting it back where I found it (see question part 1).
This leads me to two more questions: Would an advance to the ignition make the car run better or worse when dead, stone cold?
And: Does the CAS physically wear in a way that would advance or retard by a degree or two? And then, when you move the CAS, does that cause a break in the RTV seal making the valve cover leak? The oil leak question doesn't matter too much, but my CAS has 200k miles on it. If the drive dogs on the rotor, or the cam, were to wear by a few mils, wouldn't that advance my timing since the camshafts rotate opposite the engine?
It's all sort-of inter-related the way I see it.
If my timing were 3* over-advanced, then when I set my BISS, it will be a little too shut to match for the open-loop cold-start fuel maps, making the engine rich and over-advanced. If I retarded the timing a little, I'd have to open the BISS a bit for the correct base idle. This would really be a whole different fuel map for the engine then, without even changing any pieces.
I think the CAS and MAF are the only relevant parts I have not arbitrarily replaced with new genuine mitsu. They are more costly than a datalogger IMO. I have a friendly local junkyard that might let me slide on swapping out some parts w/out paying, but I'd rather get my timing set right first! (Re: question part 1)
FINALLY: CTS. Common in the newbie forum; check the wires at the CTS to make sure they are good. Well, there is a split in the insulation of the wires at my (new OE) CTS. The rubber boot on the wiring plug has disintegrated. The local dealership scratched their heads when I asked if I can order a new boot/plug. The conductors within the insulation seem ok. They are copper colored and look continuous and not frayed. Can this still be a probem for the ECU? Also, if I soldered on new wire ends and spade connectors, does it matter which wire goes on which terminal of the CTS? Should I use dielectric grease on the terminals?
As I said...MULTI-QUESTION! (but they're all inter-related)
