Setting base timing with Elanscan?

[matts1972]

Hi,
First of all: I am aware that you should set base timing with a timing light and that spark advance in Elanscan will not show correct values unless base timing is correct.
However there have been statements made on this forum which suggest that spark advance should alternate around 16 degrees at idle in Elanscan. I also have seen many scans that do and I have seen many other scans that are a few degrees off.

So my question is: are we completely sure that adjusting timing with Elanscan to be 16 degrees at idle will not result in a perfectly set base timing?

This would obviously be much more comfortable than the timing light exercise. I would love to hear your opinions and experiences on that.

Cheers,
Matthias

[dapinky]

Hi Matthius,

whilst i cant answer your exact question on "Why not use elanscan to set base timing" - I can offer some thoughts for making setting it a bit easier......

....First, take the wheel off to get to the bottom pulley, then align the timing marks to the required setting (16 BTDC).

...then, without moving the pulley, use a juniour hacksaw to make a small cut into the inside edge of the pulley, about 120 degrees clockwise - somewhere near the lower front of the engine that you can actually see and shine a timing light onto with the wheel fitted!!!!!

...Use a small (artist type) paintbrush to put a thin white line on the engine casing next to your cut (and paint the cut as wll, if you wish).

Now, it is a simple(er) case of using your new marks to set/check the timing by shining the light from just inside the front of the wheel and looking directly at the new marks.

It saves me a lot of contortion and reduces the chance of parallax distortion.

[Simon_P]

So my question is: are we completely sure that adjusting timing with Elanscan to be 16 degrees at idle will not result in a perfectly set base timing?

Yes!

It took me years to discover this I always wondered what was wrong with my car, because the spark advance in elanscan is so erratic.

As far as I understand the ECU uses the spark timing to keep the revs constant at idle - Otherwise the engine would hunt / oscillate. The IAC valve adjustment is too large / slow and is used when spark timing can't maintain the target idle. If you compare the engine speed trace with the spark timing trace in elanscan you will see that they are approximately opposite. So you never get a constant 16 degrees in elanscan.

You set the base timing in service mode to give the ECU a datum.

[HJ2]

Hi Matthius,

whilst i cant answer your exact question on "Why not use elanscan to set base timing" - I can offer some thoughts for making setting it a bit easier......

....First, take the wheel off to get to the bottom pulley, then align the timing marks to the required setting (16 BTDC).

...then, without moving the pulley, use a juniour hacksaw to make a small cut into the inside edge of the pulley, about 120 degrees clockwise - somewhere near the lower front of the engine that you can actually see and shine a timing light onto with the wheel fitted!!!!!

...Use a small (artist type) paintbrush to put a thin white line on the engine casing next to your cut (and paint the cut as wll, if you wish).

Now, it is a simple(er) case of using your new marks to set/check the timing by shining the light from just inside the front of the wheel and looking directly at the new marks.

It saves me a lot of contortion and reduces the chance of parallax distortion.

Like!

[Enright]

TOP tip Dave - well worth a Wiki!

[matts1972]

Thanks Simon and Dave
Question answered and top tip!
Cheers
Matthias