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California98Civic · 06-10-2011, 12:12 AM

Using the shop manual and some fairly useful youtube videos I adjusted the ignition timing, advancing two degrees from the stock 12 to 14 degrees BTDC. I jumped the ECU so it wouldn't automatically undo what I had just done. I noticed that my Ultra Gauge seemed to freeze at 12 degrees when I jumped the ECU. Adjusting the timing was a pain because this generation Civic seems to have an engine mount in about the worst possible place for reading the markers on the pulley. After I set the advance, I shut the motor off, reconnected the ECU, and started it again. At first it read 16 on the UG timing advance indicator. Then it returned to 12 and idled there. I then tightened the distributor again and let it idle. It sat at 12/11.5/12.5. Has the UG been fooled and it now thinks 16 is 12? Or has the ECU figured it out and undone my adjustment?

06-10-2011, 12:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
California98Civic Cyborg ECU Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Coastal Southern California Posts: 6,299 Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe Team Honda 90 day: 66.42 mpg (US) Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike 90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US) Thanks: 2,373 Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts	Adjusting ignition timing on a 1998 Civic Using the shop manual and some fairly useful youtube videos I adjusted the ignition timing, advancing two degrees from the stock 12 to 14 degrees BTDC. I jumped the ECU so it wouldn't automatically undo what I had just done. I noticed that my Ultra Gauge seemed to freeze at 12 degrees when I jumped the ECU. Adjusting the timing was a pain because this generation Civic seems to have an engine mount in about the worst possible place for reading the markers on the pulley. After I set the advance, I shut the motor off, reconnected the ECU, and started it again. At first it read 16 on the UG timing advance indicator. Then it returned to 12 and idled there. I then tightened the distributor again and let it idle. It sat at 12/11.5/12.5. Has the UG been fooled and it now thinks 16 is 12? Or has the ECU figured it out and undone my adjustment? __________________ See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.