Adjust base timing while using timing control
I am currently using timing control. My base timing is set at 15 btdc. I would like to increase the base timing to 18-20 btdc. Obviously I need to advance my distributor to do this. My question is this. How can you adjust base timing with the timing jumping around due to timing control. Is there a setting somewhere to lock out timing control temporarily while I adjust the distributor position and check with a timing light?
At idle - your FITech timing control won't be activated. You should be able to advance timing & use a timing light to confirm. Once distributor is locked down - you can rev the engine & you'll see what your new total timing is.
APR1968 I too am a bit confused on this!
But in all the Fitech videos I have watched and read for setting the timing of TBI units the default locked timing is set to 30 degrees in the menus… you then with a dial back timing light set the timing to 30 and lock down the distributor. Then key off to save the settings this also returns to normal timing control mode.
I believe what Fitech calls Base Timing is the minimum timing the timing control will allow and is the cranking timing during startup… after start the timing control will take over and adjust as needed to maintain the desired idle RPM using your settings in the Spark Map.
So you don’t check the idle timing like you would for a standard distributor setup. Raising the Base Timing setting in the menus would increases the cranking startup timing and the minimum allowed at idle.
You would also want to make sure you’re not increasing the Base Timing above the “Idle Timing” set in the “Spark Map”. Ideally you would need a few degrees of separation from the Base Setting and the Spark Map Idle setting. Example Base = 18 and Spark Map Idle Timing = 22
It would be great if Fitech would comment on this very issue and do a video detailing these settings in much greater detail, as many have asked and would like better clarification.
For anybody that is interested, set your base timing as you normally would, timing light ,twist distributor, lock it down, in the the handheld settings under under base timing enter your new timing setting ie 18, this number does not otherwise get changed, it will bounce around due to what the ecu is seeing and adjusting to keep it as near as possible to your setting (18) when you do a slight adjustment on your handheld to get the timing number in the handheld to match your timing number (18) there is a setting in the handheld under initial setup, ignition timing, timing control, lock timing, set this to on (later go back and make sure it is set back to off) this setting will stabilize the idle timing so the ecu doesnt add timing during idle timing setup as it would normally. Also you can rev and hold at 2000rpm and make sure the numbers match the timing light and handheld, this method dont lock the timing (feature) in the handheld,remember though, adding timing here will take timing off your top max timing as the fitech is only capable of adding 20 degrees, if you want that full 20 on the top end you need to physically pull the distributor and reinstall with the crank at 18 degrees, then your fitech has the full 20 degrees of retard, confused? I know I was too, reinstalling the distributor at 18 degrees applies if you are using an external cdi box, if only using a 2 wire locked out distributor then you would install the distributor at tdc 0 degrees (do more research on install without a cdi box as I'm not 1005% sure, I havnt used the system with out an external spark box, also in the forums Hugger1 has some really good writeups on timing.