Well, let me begin by wishing you a happy fourth of july. My 1990 Firebird has been in my garage for about 4 months now. I've learned to do a lot of things to it, from the post here, but none of them seem to have helped. I recently bought a timing light and when I check the timing it was at 16. I followed Aarron R.'S Timing Procedure but when I Reconnect the EST Wire, Start the car and recheck the timing it's at 20. I know the first time I tighten the hold donw bolt the distributer moved but I've done it several times now and just before turning car off to reconnect EST wire I've check the timing and It is at 10. But sure enough I reconnect the EST wire, turn car on, the timing jumps to 20. This can't be normal right? I have been searching but can't seeem to find anything. Please help.

So far I've changed the following on my car trying to solve it's bad idle.

o2 sensor
Fuel pressure regulator
Map Sensor

 

This is normal as the car's computer takes over the adjustment of the distributors spark advance when you reconnect the EST wires. Just make sure that you set the base timing at 10 degrees, and you disconnect the battery when you are done to clear the code that normally sets in the computer when you disconnect the EST wire and run the engine

 

Bad idle? I assume you have changed cap, rotor, wires, plugs, since you are setting the timing...
Clean the inside of the throttle body and check all the vacuum hoses.

what exactly is it doing...

 

Thanks Old School. In the procedure I followed it said nothing about disconnecting the battery but I will do it tommorow. I don't know if you guys can imagine how badly I miss driving that car. Girls really don't take you seriously when your driving your mom's 1993 Mazda 323.

Bru...

I'll try my best to explain. Car turns fine but when I step on the gas the engine clunks, sputters and if I leave the gas it backfiresand eventually turns off. When I leave the engine running you can also hear it kinda struggling. Sort of a RRRRRR, rrrrrr, RRRR, rrrrr, RRRRRR sound. I changed the plugs and wires 2,000 miles ago, I was about to change the cap and rotor when car started acting up. I do plan on Cleaning throttle body and checking all vacuum hoses.

If the timing adjustment does not do it. Could the problem be related to a bad Cap and/or Rotor?. Initially I had considered cleaning my fuel injectors as my next step if the timing did not solve the problem. I know for sure that 2 of them are leaking.

 

plugged cat possibly. i had this w/ two cars i owned in the past. have you replaced it?

 

Done plugs or wires? Sounds like a miss.

 

I disconnected the battery a couple seconds ago. Car sounds a bit better but was not able to check timing. Still when I give it gas it struggled and eventually died off. The CAT is next in my list of things to change. Hopefully I can get to it this week. I changed plugs and wires recently. so doubt is a miss problem
Thanks.