What causes ignition timing to be retarded?
What causes ignition timing to be retarded?
Reasons a Late Model Vehicle will Retard the Spark The computer will also retard the spark if the engine is running too hot. Excess heat, coupled with lower octane-rated fuel, will cause the engine to experience spark knock. The spark timing is automatically retarded when knock is detected.
Why is ignition timing important in an engine?
by Don Bowman. Ignition timing refers to the point at which the spark plugs ignite the fuel within an engine’s cylinder. Proper timing is all-important to the thermo-efficiency of the engine. The first thing to keep in mind is that fuel burns at a certain rate in an engine regardless of the rpm.
What are the effects of retarding ignition timing?
The effects of retarding ignition timing include reducing engine detonation, which is combustion inside the cylinders after the spark plug fires. This is also known as engine knocking. When it comes to turbocharged or supercharged engines that are running at higher levels of pressure, retarding the timing of an engine can be more beneficial.
What happens when you change the ignition value?
Changing the timing value up or down changes the engine speed up or down for the optimum ignition timing. The engine speed operating range affects where the timing is the best. Increasing the timing advance raises the high-end power, reducing the low-end. Decreasing the timing advance raises low-end power, reducing the high-end.
Do you have to adjust the timing of your engine?
As you can see, there have been great advances over the years. So, newer engines adjust the timing themselves; so as long as your sensors are all functioning as they should; you won’t have to do any tinkering with timing.
Why is it important to know ignition timing?
As a result, most of the time, power will fall while, fuel consumption and emissions will increase. This is where proper ignition timing comes into play. You start off with fuel, air, compression and spark. But, for all that to work properly, the spark has to fire at the proper time.
What’s the difference between advancing and retarding ignition timing?
Ignition timing is measured in degrees of a crankshaft rotation before top dead center (BDTC). Spark plugs need to fire at the right time, which can be achieved by advancing or retarding the timing of the engine. Ignition timing advancing means that the spark plugs are firing earlier in the compression stroke, farther from TDC.
Changing the timing value up or down changes the engine speed up or down for the optimum ignition timing. The engine speed operating range affects where the timing is the best. Increasing the timing advance raises the high-end power, reducing the low-end. Decreasing the timing advance raises low-end power, reducing the high-end.
What happens when you change the timing on an engine?
An engine with excessively advanced timing will run well, but is prone to ping (harmful abnormal combustion) and produce excessive NOx. Retarded timing reduces engine performance, fuel economy and emissions. Why was your timing readjusted? The California emissions test requires the timing to be checked.
