I've wanted to adjust my timing from 10 up to 12 degrees since I got a light, but recently, after replacing my cap and rotor, I re-checked my timing, and where it told me 10-10.5 degrees advanced, now it says 4 degrees. This has been verified by 2 different lights. With the EST reconnected, the reading is 18-22-ish. I know the computer automatically fiddles with the timing, but is it possible for it to compensate THAT much, considering it now says I'm 6 degrees off from STOCK? I'm thinking I might have accidentally rotated the distributor replacing the cap if the holddown thing wasn't tight.

Second...if I start to knock AT ALL, it will set the knock sensor off...now the computer retards the timing automatically to correct a knock, but will it give me an SES code? I figure since it says 4, I'll try timing it up to 10 and driving it to see if she knocks. I'm debating what to do since it says 4 degrees but I don't believe. If it knocks at 10, I'll try 8, then 6, etc. But if it doesn't at 10, I'm gonna try for 12. Just want to make sure that if the computer knows it's knocking, that it TELLS ME! Because sometimes the knock is too faint to hear.

Thanks guys.

 

You probably won't get an SES light.

A code 43 (ESC) will only set if the Knock Sensor circuit is shorted or open, the PCM/PROM is bad, or the sensor is bad.

The balancer could have slipped or the dist. could be loose.....or the magnet could be loose......

 

Ok...so...is there any way through maybe the ALDL to FIND OUT if it's knocking? Since I don't know if my timing reading is correct because like I said I find 4 degrees hard to believe but the reading was verified with both an inductive and a direct pickup light...I'd like to know if it does knock so I'll know if it's advanced too much! Balancer, I've heard this..from Dale I think. Couldn't say....don't have any way to know. Distributor loose, don't know haven't tried to turn it with force! Lol, and as for the internals..all I can say is when I took my cap and rotor off I almost threw a fit..rust everywhere. Not like thick, caking, rotting, destroying rust, but a hell of a lot of surface rust.

 

I tend to think it's something in the distributor, seeing as BEFORE I replaced the cap and rotor, I hit it with a light and although the engine was on the cold side, it read about 10.5 degrees. After the cap and rotor on a completely warm engine, it read 4. So I'm thinking something must have happened between those 2 days, and I find it hard to believe that the balancer would choose that moment to slip!