I'm getting conflicting info here... I have heard that the car will still start, and I have also heard that it will not. I'm at a loss here, and I'm about to have to pay someone to get my car running....

Also, I've been told that my timing plate could be on backwards.... if it were, would I get ANY spark? I am getting spark on both coils.


Anyone want to come fix my car for me?

 

I have never run any tests to determine just how far off the timing has to be before the engine fails to run...but I would venture to say that timing that far off won't allow the engine to start.

By the way there are two kinds of timing on a 4 cycle ignition spark engine:

1- Ignition timing
2- Cam timing (and then you have two cams... either of those could be independently off causing a problem.

 

it doesn't matter how crappy your timing is, if all the components are connected you'll get spark. it just won't be at the right time :P

I don't see how timing can be anything but pretty straight forward. the crank pulley has a notch on it, there's a timing guide on the block, and you line the E's and I's up on the head and boom goes the dynamite.

that said, the first time I messed with my cam timing I set my intake cam about 8 teeth off. the car would start if i would floor it, rev to 2000, then die every time. I doubt you'd get any signs of life if it was farther off than that.

 

I've had my timing at least 50* off and it still ran, barley.

 

If the timing is 180° off at the crank, then the engine will not start or run at all. (The plug will be firing at roughly BDC, just as the exhaust valve is opening.)

The only way to achieve this would be to install the plug wires onto the coils incorrectly. I'm pretty sure the CAS does not have sufficient adjustment range to get that far out and still have the locking bolt in.

 

This was my first thought...and probably easy to do with a wasted spark setup.

 

I forgot to mention that I recently changed the timing belt.

 

It runs now!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm an idiot! the Trigger wheel for the CAS was flipped... car started on the first try once I flipped it back correctly!