I know setting base timing is done by disconnecting the brown wire with black tracer. Then setting the base timing for 6* BTDC. My question is setting total timing? If I wanted to get 36* total timing I'd rev the car to 3000 rpms then being my balancer is marked with a 36* mark adjust the timing to match that mark? Would I have the (EST) connected or disconnected for that? Would the computer effect this adjustment? JUst looking how to do this the correct way. Do I just do the 6* BTDC base time and the computer program figured out the rest?

 

Well the way it works is you set the base timing and the ECM adjusts from there depending on the information it receives from sensors. So in a simplified case for example if the ECM reads the RPM is 4k and according to the stored settings in the ECM at 4K the timing should be 36 degrees the ECM will look up what the base timing is and adjust from there. So if the base timing was 6 degrees and the RPM was 4000 the ECM would advance the timing 30 degrees. Long story short the only way to set the total timing (as well as the timing for all different rpms and loads) you need to change the programmed timing on the PROM chip in the ECM.