My car runs like crap. Complete and utter crap. I thought maybe I'd gain some power by advancing the timing according to the howto. I get ready, got the timing light and everything....As I mark the timing position it hits me: The cam sensor is already as far advanced as it physically goes. What gives with that? Is it possible that when the previous owner had some unknowledgeable (and clumsy) mechanics try to fix the VTC's they hosed the cam timing too and advanced the timing to make up for it?

umm, "heat soak" for the sake of future searches.

 

u know...that may b part of the reason your car runs awful...try moving it back a little at a time and see how the car runs...

 

i just bumped my timing up about .5-.75 cm without any timing gun and throttle response is a little improved

 

I was hoping that.
I tried moving it the other way thinking I misread the instruction. It got worse. sigh.

 

what kind of maintance have you done to the max.. are you running 93 octane? When i increased my timing on my vg and used cheap gas it ran like shiet. then i had to retard the timing back. Then after using 93 octane i increased the timing just by listening to hear if i hear ticking.. no ticking and my max is fast to respond. i always use 93 octane unless i dont have money for it. Do regular oil changes and make certain that you clean the throttle body, heck it worked for me, and also try to use fuel injector cleaner from chevron with techtron. try that for about 3-4 tanks and your mpg and throttle response and car feeling will improve.

 

Since I got it, I've replaced the driver's side wheel bearings, the passenger side axle, changed the oil with synthetic blend, disabled the VTC's, cleaned the throttle body (disgusting), and replaced the water pump.

I always get 92 octane cause that's what they sell here and I've run a couple tanks of the techron fuel system cleaner. Still didn't do anything.

What makes me suspicious is the fact that the timing is already advanced as far as it goes. I bought some contact cleaner tonight and I'll try cleaning all my connectors this weekend to try to take care of the idle problem I have too. I'm considering trying the knock sensor resistor trick to see if it's the problem. I called the dealer today and they told me to reset my ECU by disconnecting the battery, jumping positive cable to negative, and grounding the pair. If that doesn't do it I'm thinking that I'll spend the 78 bucks for an hour on the consult and see what that has to say.

 

alot of people have dyno their maximas with the vtc grounded and have lost 12 hp on average. that could be you problem. So you engine is the only thing that is bugging you? how is the tranny?

 

The tranny seems solid, although the clutch shudders like crazy when released slowly in 1st. All other gears are smooth. I know there's something(s)up with my engine because it kicks *** when its cold and runs like a dog once warm. I checked on parts today and at my parts cost the KS job will run me $230.78. I'm near positive that's the problem. I've got the contact cleaner to try to take care of my idle but most of all it sucks to have a slow car after the first 5 miles.

there's somethings? lol

 

what does it mean when people get their cars dyno-ed with "the vtc grounded"?

 

Does anyone know if advancing your timing to much can give you an knock sensor alarm on your ECU. I'm getting the knock sensor code, and now that I think about it, I thought of advancing my timing and it looked like it was pretty far advanced, compared to Craigs How-to. What do you guys think???? And yes, my car runs like crap also. And I use 93 octane, but I've only had it since Dec 13th.

 

the best timing is around 20 degrees too far will make the max run like crap because of denation. too little and the car will run sluggishly. try to set the timing to just where you see like a cresent moon shape like this ( ()) when you loosen the bolt.. try to move it alittle to the right(turning it then tighten the bolt.. and run 93 octane or 91 if you have that..

 

You can get the KS from carparts.com for around $110. have you checked the resistance of the KS to determine if its bad? There is an old post where I mentioned how to check the resistance at the subharness and what readings to expect. Also, It is'nt the KS that usally is bad, its the conntacts corroding due to the dissimilar metals used in the subharness. So you can get the updated harness and do a good job cleaning the contacts on the KS (checking that its resistance is within spec) The updated sub harness only costs around $25. But the expensive part is the lower intake manifold gaskets, I forget how much they are but they are aound $40 each!!.

Currently you should properly check your timming using a gun.

 

Thanks.
I'll check for your post and test the sensor this weekend. I'm assuming without reading the post that it can be done without removing anything big.

 

If you have a volt tester, test to see if any electricity is coming from the ECU. Mine wasnt getting any current what so ever, so i shook the wiring harness, the current came back, and the KS problem was solved. Just something to check before you spend $$$ on a new sensor.

 

Thats interesting. I dont think the computer applies any current to the KS. The KS itself is the source of the signal. When the engine knocks, that shock produced enters the KS and then it releases a small charge (Do a Web search on the piezoelectric effect) our cars use ceramic based sensors. Maybe the signal you were reading is a something that the computer uses to detect the KS (to check whether its malfunctioning or not connected) or maybe not.

 

Ah, it is interesting. It was just a strange occurance that when i shook my wiring harness where it enters the firewall that my low end kicked back in (KS). And i know that it was the KS because when i unplugged it, the low end loss was back again. But i was under the impression that the ECU does send a signal and operates the timing based upon the signal that the KS sends back. Since the KS wasnt sending a signal back, i thought maybe there was a bad connection and the timing was being retarded as much as possible. THanks for the info though.