How can I be sure that the crank is TDC? I don't have that plastic timing belt cover with the pointers on it, and every manual I've read just says to check the crank against that freakin' cover. I can eyeball the little white groove, but that's hardly precise.
By the way, it's a DOHC 1.6L ZC.

 

Pop the #1 spark plug and look down the hole.

 

I'll try that one next time...

I just kept my ratchet on the crank and lined up the ratchet with the white mark. Car hasn't blown up yet....

 

If you remove the crank pulley, on the crank sprocket, there is a mark to line up tdc.

Up to you if you want to do all that work.

 

or take out the #1 or 4 spark plug and stick a piece of wood or something to rest on the piston and stick above the valve cover and turn the crank by hand with a socket and watch the wood or whatever your using and wait till it hits as high up as it can go.. you have TDC..