Quick ques. I don't have a Helm for a 95 - Honda Prelude Forum

DanBreaksLude · 03-25-2004, 07:06 PM

Quick question for anyone with a post-92 Helm. I gotta 92 Si I just dropped a 95 Vtec in. I was dumb when I got my Helm manual and got one for a 92 instead of a 93' so I have no specs on a vtec motor. Being a 92 Si, the ignition timing sticker on the inside of the hood says 15 degrees BTDC +- 2 degrees. Can anyone tell me what the correct ignition timing is for a 95 H22a Vtec motor?

4thGenReady2Go · 03-25-2004, 08:48 PM

according to my 94 helms it's the same, regardless of engine.

DanBreaksLude · 03-26-2004, 08:23 AM

Thanks, I thought so...just wanted to be sure. Just did the swap and had some old gas in the tank which I think caused some detonation so the knock sensor told the ecu and the ecu retarded the timing to like 2 degrees. I ran some fuel injector cleaner and octane boost in a fresh tank, not a gotta time the car. I think my idle problem is related to that.

ZIG · 04-01-2004, 02:41 PM

jumper your connector where you pull your trouble codes, then get out a timing light, start the car, and let the car warm up. when it's warm, you can time it to the stock setting (i can't remember if the mark is red or white, but i know it's between the two black lines) attach the battery connections to their respective posts and then attach your signal wire (if it's inductive or clamp style clamp it around if it's the other style pull the wire etc.) to the plug wire closest to the distributor. you'll then have to pull the rubber timing cover right below the distributor, right next to your exhaust manifold or header. if you don't have a cover, then there's a hole there, instead. you should see two teeth on the right side of the hole, and if you look further down, you'll see a third tooth. you line these up like a gun site before looking at the timing correctly, that is, move around until that single tooth looks like it's directly between the two closer teeth. when you found the mark, then you can start adjusting. on your distributor, you should see three bolts in slotted holes. loosen these bolts and rotate the distributor until the mark between the two black lines is lined up with the single lower tooth which should appear to be between the two upper teeth. i hope that helps, and if you have questions, let me know. as for advancing, i can't really tell you about that precisely, i just guess and check with that.

DanBreaksLude · 04-02-2004, 07:38 AM

Thanks, yeah I've timed the car before, just when it was an Si so having a different motor in it now I know I can't necessarily go off the sticker on the inside of the hood anymore for specific motor info- I guess in this case it happened to be correct. I don't know what the deal is with this idle problem though. I set the ilde (on the throttle body to 700 RPM (the snap on timing light confirmed this), I set the timing to 15 degrees BTC (white mark), and reset the ECU (clock radio fuse). After the car warms up and comes off the fast idle it idles fine. After I've been driving at highway speeds for a while and come to a stop it's up around 1100 RPM and the ECU keeps kicking it down. So I come to a light and it keeps reving up to about 1100RPM, then dropping to about 600- then back to 1100 and then 600. I've warmed up the car and lowered the idle via the screw on the TB a couple of times, then reset the ecu a couple of times. Any ideas? Anyone?

ZIG · 04-06-2004, 07:58 PM

man, i had that same problem. it kicked my ass for two years! the only thing i saw that stopped it was installing just the power steering underdrive pulley. i had both alternator and ps on and nothing changed. i pulled the alternator underdrive because of fitment issues, and from that day forward never had a problem, which confuses me.

all i can say is that there are quite a few things that can cause this from load controller to thermostat. i wish an unrelatet problem didn't fix it, but i'm glad it's gone. i know this may not help, but just letting you know it sucks to troubleshoot.