what gets grounded for the timing light

[1Gina2G]

For a 2G, what has to get grounded on the car to let the ECU know it's hooked uo to the timing light? I only saw the explanations for 1G's, is it just any grounding connection next to the battery?

I'm slightly confused on what to adjust the gun to, its an advance light and the turning knob numbers from 0-70

 

[arcuri21]

i can only answer the first part, you ground the timing light to the battery and the other end on the spark plug wires.

 

[4g63tc]

What type, Style of timing gun do you have?

But, i'll provide you with a General answer.

Set up


1. Red goes to Positive post on battery

2. Black goes to an "engine ground",pretty much any exposed metal tab on the engine.

3. The Clamp to the #1 spark plug wire.

The knob gives an accurate measurement of the Timing buy reading whether it's advanced/retarded, and by how much.


How to use the Knob.


1. Look at the timing marks, turn the knob til it lines up at 0 on the marks on the Timing cover. TDC)

2. Look at the gun, write down the number the knob is pointed at.

that's where your timing is currently at.

for example, light shows 0, but knob shows 3. your timing is set@ 3 degrees.


The Ecu can compensate timing, so when attempting to adjust your timing some cars require pins to be jumped, or an engine connector disconnected in order to do it correctly.

Since this is a general answer see your cars' repair manual for instructions on how to do this.

 

[snowborder714]

On a '95, you'll have a brown plug. You want to remove the cap and ground it.

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[1Gina2G]

What type, Style of timing gun do you have

It's an Actron CP7528 advanced timing light. Actron®

The Ecu can compensate timing, so when attempting to adjust your timing some cars require pins to be jumped, or an engine connector disconnected in order to do it correctly.

Since this is a general answer see your cars' repair manual for instructions on how to do this.

This is what I was mostly trying to figure out. I have the haynes & chiltons manuals but I can't identify aything in the black & white pics, I did notice it said to insert a paperclip into one of the open connectors on the firewall, but there's actually quite a few open connectors, it's to vague for me.

I'm also assuming if this connectors not grounded when the timing lights setup, you can't adjust the timing with the CAS on the head either, correct?

 

[snowborder714]

See my post above you for what to do. Yes, if that is not grounded, adjusting timing won't be carried out properly.

 

[MY1GDSM]

Op for reference since you have an adjustable timing light...

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/312350-how-set-base-timing-without-using-lower-timing-cover.html

Also if you Really can't find the wire to ground the timing you can do it at the ECU with pin 52

See here

 

[1Gina2G]

sorry guys, the pic didn't load for me the first time when I refreshed the page so I completely missed the posted pics. Much appreciated, I'll have to compare tomorow in the day, but I honestly don't remember that brown connector or even that blue one anywhere in my engine bay, but I reconize the black one, there was a cupple of the black ones and a white one that all looked really similar, I'll have to post pics tomorow.

But if they were cut out for some reason, I can ground the pin in the ECU? does that mean pin 52 is empty without a fuse? or do you just take the fuse out and insert a paperclip?

 

[MY1GDSM]

Fuse?

You would just ground the wire(or the pin it self if for some reason it's not there) from pin 52 at the ecu to ground... .