Supposedly, if you advance your ignition timing by 2 degrees, by turning your distributor, it is suppose to give more power, and better gas mileage. However, I asked a mechanic about this, and he said I'd be hard-pressed to find an easier way to f*ck up my engine. Have any of you guys advanced the ignition timing on your tegs ? What were the results ? Did you find the car to be less reliable ?

 

At least you now know not to take your car to that guy.

Unless you're running FI or something that drastically increases the chances of detonation, increasing the ignition timing will not do any harm whatsoever.

 

Ive also heard that you cant do this to cars with OBD2? like you cant use a timing gun on them cause there arent any markings? or that even if you do advance it, your engine will just retard it anyways? Or is it that it will retard it if you go too far and it knocks? Im confused on the whole issue. can someone clarify it all up?

 

2 degrees will not harm your engine if its basically stock....thats what most performance chips do, they advance your timing. I guess if you went to the extreme you would start to run lean and detonate

 

I have also heard that you cannot advance the timing on an OBD2 integra...the only way to advance the timing would be to use an OBD2-OBD1 harness. I believe one of the moderators can clarify this.


Shingo

 

BUt I mean, if this "timing advance" really increases gas mileage and power, but has NO negative effects, dont you guys think the cars would have come stock with their timing adavnced ?

 

it may have a lot to do with the fact that you have to run higher octance gas to avoid pinging when you advance your timing.

 

Its probably detuned slightly for a few reasons:

the power gains are very minimal

gas quality cannot always be ensured

people do not maintain their cars as well as they should and honda knows that


The integra wasn't supposed to be a race car, its a daily driver with a tuned engine. It has a warrenty, good gas mileage...all that stuff so that people that don't take care of their vehicles don't blow them up 2 years out. Real sports cars need all kinds of maintenence all the damn time, the wilder the tune, the more down time basically. Honda had to make a compromise with the B18 SOMEWHERE =)

 

good points

 

OK that makes sense