Advance ignition timing?

**volvo-tom** · Monday 23rd May 2011, 15:42

has anyone ever advanced the ignition timing on their car? if how do you do it and what advantages can gained from it? thanks.....tom

**Dangerous Dave** · Monday 23rd May 2011, 15:51

Advancing the ignition timing means that you start the burn process earlier, this is so that when the piston reaches TDC the maximum energy from the combustion can be obtained. But, advancing the ignition too far can start the process too early and cause problems.

Adjusting the ignition timing is done by changing settings in the ecu, which is usually what a remap does.

**jardon** · Monday 23rd May 2011, 18:02

Originally Posted by volvo-tom

has anyone ever advanced the ignition timing on their car? if how do you do it and what advantages can gained from it? thanks.....tom

Yes.

MTE custom map.

More power provided you are within the knock limit of your engine. The reason we run lower AFR's, fit bigger intercoolers and water/methanol injection is to reduce the tendency for knock - allowing more ignition advance and/or more boost. Too much advance will result in significant and unnecessary load on the engine at best and engine failure at worst so this needs to be altered by somebody who knows what they are doing.

**volvo-tom** · Tuesday 24th May 2011, 17:18

cheers for the info, ive heard on cars with dizzy's it can b adjusted manually by turning the rotor arm a certain amount of degrees, has anyone heard of/done this before? or is it worth leaving to the experts and oneday just getting a remap

**p fandango** · Tuesday 24th May 2011, 17:35

turbo tuner ECU will let you do it

**jardon** · Wednesday 25th May 2011, 09:17

Originally Posted by volvo-tom

cheers for the info, ive heard on cars with dizzy's it can b adjusted manually by turning the rotor arm a certain amount of degrees, has anyone heard of/done this before? or is it worth leaving to the experts and oneday just getting a remap

Yes on old cars but not on any year of T5 - ecu controls advance.

**woz** · Friday 3rd June 2011, 21:30

Originally Posted by volvo-tom

cheers for the info, ive heard on cars with dizzy's it can b adjusted manually by turning the rotor arm a certain amount of degrees, has anyone heard of/done this before? or is it worth leaving to the experts and oneday just getting a remap

..which reminds me i have an old Ford 105E awaiting restoration in the garage. Had it for ages. In the old days it seemd so simple - you just fiddled around with the dizzy a bit filing weights, replacing springs and hey presto it felt faster.

Now its harder (mmmm ?!) ---I sent it (the T5) to Hamish, gave him a wad and it really is faster with all the sttings stored in the ecu an deasily changed - tweaked and changed back if necessary.

WAF (big tongue in cheek and no offence intended).