Now that I think of it, I'm surprised you passed smog with your timing off, since that's normally one of the things they check.

 

97 spark timing is controlled by a sensor down at the crankshaft, also all F23 engines are like that too. (Actually, not sure about JDM F23?) In that case twisting the distributor won't change the spark timing. But since it's an F23 in a 97 car, who knows?

Got a timing light? Use it to see if the spark timing DOES change when you spin the distributor.

Now I'm gonna back-track a bit, just so I don't take anything for granted. You said you checked the wiring. Which wires? How exactly did you check them? Actual continuity test from ECU out to the sensor or solenoid? Check for continuity to ground?

And usually with an OBD-2 car, I think they hook up a scanner & make sure there's no pending codes and all the "readyness codes" are good. They don't take the time to actually measure the spark timing.

 

The shop checked the timing for me, and they checked it before I spun the dizzy and they said it was alright. I don't have a timing light of my own.
I checked the wiring by just making sure the solenoid and pressure switch went to the correct pinouts. I don't have a multimeter to test.

 

$5 at Harbor Freight.

 

I'm going to respectfully disagree, Jim.

To set base ignition timing you need to short the service connector and use a timing gun to set ignition timing. While on my car the marks are on the bell housing, on his they should be on the crank. The crank sensor simply tells the ecu where the crank is in relation to ignition timing.


ignition timing 97 Accord

1996 Honda Accord Engine Problem Timing, Check Change . Timing Right On 'S

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/rep...00c15280039fca

If the distributor was turned all the way to one side then it's either too far retarded or too far advanced.

 

Nice find holmes! I guess I'll have to retry this again but while shorting the connector under the dash. I still don't have a timing gun so hopefully I can find one to borrow.

 

OK, so then they must have a TDC sensor in the distributor housing too? That's interesting...

I had a 98 (F23A1) and if I unbolted the distributor and twisted it, the spark timing would not change. I had assumed that started with OBD-2 in 1996.

 

On any distributor based ignition system, you need to set "base" ignition timing. The ecu will advance oe retard timing based on that original setting. The only reason that the timing will not change when setting base timing is if you didn't jump the service connector to disable the ecu from fighting against you while you are setting the base timing.

 

Just for informational purposes; turning the distributor on a stock 96 or 97 Accord won't affect (i.e, advance or retard) ignition timing. See attached pic. from a Honda Service News article excerpt.

 

Never seen that before. Where exactly is that from ?