how to check ignition timing?

Hey guys, been searching for a while, cannot find info, went through the on-line service manual, but cannot find a procedure for how to check the timing.

I have checked and adjusted timing on many cars, but only ones that had spark plug leads. My timing light is an inductive type, Ie, you put the sensor over the lead for no. 1 cylinder.

As the VG30 has no leads, how can I trigger the light????????????????????????????????

thanks all
Ben

 

just put it around the wires going to the first coil pack. 'the plug

ontop of the spark plug'

 

thanks Method, I thought of that, but never thought it would work as I

assumed the inductive pickup needed a high voltage spike to trigger, such as the output of the coil, not the input.

cheers, I will give it a go now.

 

Do I have a problem??? or am I doing this incorrectly???

I hooked up the inductive pickup to what I read was cylinder no. 1 from the workshop manual. Incidentally, I thought on most engines you can tell which cylinder is no. 1 by the inlet manifold, as typically the most forward inlet running will be going to cylinder 1. Is this the case on the zed?

Anyway, I was getting erratic light output when using the wires going to coil 1, so I found the article below, which says to use the black cable that loops out of the PTU.

http://www.twinturbo.net/ttnetfaq/FAQpages/timing.html

I hooked up to both cables, and got different results, but if I connected to the lower cable that connects to the PTU, I got a reading of 17.5-18 degrees of advance at idle, which increased as soon as the Throttle was openned, and went right out to 40degrees or so when I revved it. Does this sound right?

If I connected to the upper PTU cable, I got an idle reading of around 25 degrees, whereas if using the black cable running to coil 1, I was getting 35 degrees (when it was working), but it was all over the place.

Have other people had trouble with using the wires going to coil 1 as the trigger?

 

I had the same problem when using the >

little black wire coming out of the PTU. I was getting getting readings of about 30 degrees:wacko:
So I went and bought a spark plug lead and attached it from the coil pack to the spark plug, and used this lead to hook the inductive pick-up on. Works a treat:thumbsup:

Cheers,
Troy

 

Great Idea Troy, thanks for the tip, I will have spare leads lying around

so I will give that a go.

Ben