I smogged my 96vtec today and it passed the Visual, and passed Emissions, but it did not pass the Ignition Timing. The printout say's my timing is at 20 degrees, and it's supposed to be at 15 degrees. How do I adjust the timing back 5 degrees. I have a 96 so I can't just turn the distributer, can I??? A performance shop said they would adjust it for $40, this sounds high to me. What do I do, I'm soo
I replaced my So2 a month ago, could that have changed my timing?
you can adjust the timing with the distributor... loosen the adjusting bolt and turn it either up or down... its best to do it with 2 people... one to move the distributor and the other to verify the spot of the timing...
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I'll give it a shot tommorow. Everyone seems to think ob2 cars can't adjust timing through the distributer but Chilton Manual says you can after jumping the service connector.
I just don't understand how the timing could have changed in the first place unless something is wrong with my engine, like a old o2 sensor.
No, you have a '96 which is OBD-II. You will not be able to adjust the timing by rotating the distributor. I am nto 100% sure how to fix the timing on that car.
Yep, I can't adjust it, we tried rotating the distributer housing with no luck, it's stuck at 20 degrees BTDC. What do I do I'm totally stuck, how do pass smog now? Buy a new ECU? I don't have any CEL so what could be wrong???
You can set the base timing only, on OBD2. There are exact documented steps in a chiltons or helms. You need a timing gun and will go through a stepped procedure which will require unplugging connectors and resetting the ecu as well...
You can set the base timing only, on OBD2. There are exact documented steps in a chiltons or helms. You need a timing gun and will go through a stepped procedure which will require unplugging connectors and resetting the ecu as well...
I took it to a shop today and they checked it with a timing gun, the timing is 20 degrees BTDC. The tech loosened the distributer nuts and tried to rotate the dizzy, but there was little or no room for it to rotate. However it did rotate slightly so he tried that while checking the timing with a timing light, the timing would not adjust. There was only about 1/8 inch play in the dizzy, if that. The only thing he did not do during the process was jump the service connector. But I assume the timing would still manually adjust for the time being until later on when the ecu would recognize a change, right?
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Last edited by modmic2000; 12-02-2004 at 05:28 PM.
The reason you can adjust the timing on OBD-I by rotating the dizzy is because there are sensors in it that detect where the crank is. On OBD-II these sensors have been relocated down near the crank pulley/harmonic balancer. I do not belive that are adjustable even if you could easily get to them. It is possible one of them has a bum mount or something in which case you would need to replace the sensor.
It sounds like you may be fuxored. Try brining it in to a Honda dealership and have them diagnose it. It will cost you $75 but you will know exactly what sets are required to fix the problem.
In Washington there is a waiver you can get to pass emissions that says if you spent so much money trying to fix the problem and couldn't, they will let you get off. Is there anything like that is Cali.
Failing all of this your best bet would be to find a crooked state certifier or whatever and have him pass you.
Yes, turning the distributor will do nothing for you. On OBDII you shouldn't even be able to adjust the timing unless you have a programmable ecu so I agree with Jason - take it to honda to get diagnosed. Something is messed up.
In Washington there is a waiver you can get to pass emissions that says if you spent so much money trying to fix the problem and couldn't, they will let you get off. Is there anything like that is Cali.
there's nothing like that here in Cali....
wow.... i can't believe you can't adjust the timing by moving the distributor....
the next best this is to just base time it....
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Ok so I went down to honda and talked to a few tech's. They said, the timing can be adjusted by the dizzy. They also said maybe the timing belt was installed wrong and it's off by a tooth. They also said the service connector doesn't have to be jumped. So I don't think they know 100% what they are talking about.
So I called my perfermance tech back and told him what they said. He said he already did loosen all screws to the dizzy and tried turning it(I was there) and nothing happened. He said he could take a look and see if the belt is on there correctly= $70. And if it's not on there correctly fixing it= $140.
I can take a look at the belt myself I know how to take a valve cover off. But I'm not certain how to know if the belt is on perfect or not.
I can garentee you the belt is on there fine. You car would not be running right at all, to say nothing about passing emissions if it was. Make sure the Honda Tech you talked to knows it is a '96. It is the only 4th gen that had OBD-II so he may be used to working on the OBD-I 4th gens. If he still thinks you can adjust it at the dizzy find another dealer and never go back there again, they obviously don't know anything about their cars.
I can garentee you the belt is on there fine. You car would not be running right at all, to say nothing about passing emissions if it was. Make sure the Honda Tech you talked to knows it is a '96. It is the only 4th gen that had OBD-II so he may be used to working on the OBD-I 4th gens. If he still thinks you can adjust it at the dizzy find another dealer and never go back there again, they obviously don't know anything about their cars.
JEEZ MAN, do you know how many people keep telling me different things. There was 5 technicians at the honda dealership and they ALL said that my 96 obd2 prelude can be adjusted via the dizzy(I made sure they knew it was OBD2). One of the tech's even walked out to my car and made me pop my hood to show me how to adjust it. I told him we already tried turning the dizzy and it doesn't work, he said we must not have loosened all the nuts. He said it should adjust +/- 2 degrees, WELL IF THATS SO then it still wouldn't help me because my timing is at 20, and retarding it 2 degrees still wouldn't put me in spec. They also said it could be the timing belt off a tooth. I said well if it's off a tooth then wouldn't it run funny, wouldn't I be able to tell, they said no it's possible to be off a tooth and still run fine.
Saturday morning I'm going to check the belt and make sure it's correct.
Also I'm going to try adjusting the dizzy again.
actually i think there is something like that in CA regarding a cap on spending money to pass...but i think its really expensive, like over 300 bux or something, freaking CARB
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JEEZ MAN, do you know how many people keep telling me different things. There was 5 technicians at the honda dealership and they ALL said that my 96 obd2 prelude can be adjusted via the dizzy(I made sure they knew it was OBD2). One of the tech's even walked out to my car and made me pop my hood to show me how to adjust it. I told him we already tried turning the dizzy and it doesn't work, he said we must not have loosened all the nuts. He said it should adjust +/- 2 degrees, WELL IF THATS SO then it still wouldn't help me because my timing is at 20, and retarding it 2 degrees still wouldn't put me in spec. They also said it could be the timing belt off a tooth. I said well if it's off a tooth then wouldn't it run funny, wouldn't I be able to tell, they said no it's possible to be off a tooth and still run fine.
Saturday morning I'm going to check the belt and make sure it's correct.
Also I'm going to try adjusting the dizzy again.
Other than that?? I'm...
I don't know, If you know how, check the belt to make double sure.
As for the distributor, I'm not sure what to tell you. Try it again and see if you have any luck. Be sure to jump the service connector so you get a decent reading from the light. If you want to test the techs ask them how to adjust the timing on a 5th gen. If they say you can tun the dizzy on those too, you know they are dumb. Personnally, I think it would be worth the $75 just to bring it in to them and prove them wrong. Then when they come back and tell you what is actually wrong with it you can be like "I thought you said you could just turn the distributor to adjust the timing."
Has anyone here who actually owns an obd2 prelude adjusted the timing with the distributer- Themselves. I want first hand experience to prove it's possible. I tried the dizzy again and it does not adjust. It only wiggles back and forth. Please prove me wrong and say youv'e actually seen it done in person.
I checked the timing belt by lining up the cams at TDC(#1 cylinder) and looking at the white X on the flywheel, it looks like it lines up. If it is off, it's off by a hair, I doubt it could be 5 degrees off. Also both cams line up perfect so if the belt is off by a tooth both cams are off.
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