timing help?

[toket14]

i just changed the wires on my 88' festiva lx, now the timing seams to be off. can you help me figure out how to fix this problem? just don't want to mess it up more.....


thanks sooo much

Joshua Hudson, MA

[gdawgs]

Did you actually adjust the timing, or just change wires. If you didn't mess with the timing, then it shouldn't have changed and something else is the problem. I'd guess that you maybe hooked up a couple wires to the wrong cylinders.

It's also possible that you got a bad wire. Happened to me before.

Try this - start up the engine and let it idle. Then pull off one wire and see how the engine reacts. If it starts running worse, then that cylinder is firing. If the engine sounds the same after removing the wire, then that cylinder isn't firing. Try each cylinder one at a time to test.

[mattswabb]

did you change 1 wire at a time so not to get the mixed up or did you pull them all off and possibly mixed them up? This is important to for us to know before diagnosing.

[toket14]

I did take off all the wires at once but then got the correct order off the 'net (supposedly). Current firing order now is 1-3-4-2 clockwise on the cap and left to right on the engine.

It's backfiring through the carburetor.

Didn't touch the timing.

??

[mattswabb]

You got them going the correct direction on the distributor? Does it start? If so them while its running pull 1 wire off a plug and see if there is any change. Replace it then do another. If no change then you know that that one is in the wrong position. If the car dies or sputters then that one is in the correct position. Wear gloves, you may get shocked.

[festivaWES]

[img][/img]

[toket14]

Looks like 2 of the wires are bad. I can pull them both off with no change at all. We're putting the old ones back on and returning this set.

[mattswabb]

Is #1 cylinder closest to the crank or to the distributor? It's been a while since I did this.

Someone check his drawing to make sure he's right. I can't remember.


So by now I'm sure you've learned to change 1 wire at a time

[Guest]

1342 ccw on disty... there should be a 1 on the cap

looking directly at the disty 1 is on the left side closest to the plug

Edit: festivaWES's diagram looks correct..

[toket14]

the car runs, but barely. it seams like the #2, 3 cylinders aren't firing. i take off the wires and see there is a spark between the wire and the plug. so i am going to buy some new plugs. i just changed the plugs though. would any of what i have been doing foul the plugs? i wouldn't think so, but we will find out.

[mattswabb]

Here's a pic of my BPT, look at the wires and follow them and see if yours are the same, you can see a few clearly. They will have the same firing order. Just because you have spark doesn't mean that they are in the right place. If the car was running before then I'd say that the order on the cap is the problem.

[toket14]

[img][/img]

Okay, I just want to clarify this --- the cylinders run 4-3-2-1 from left to right??

[mattswabb]

look at this thread

http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19825&highlight=firing+order

As you can tell I'm bored at work today

[Guest]

that's what I was looking for in my book.. I didn't see the festivaWes's cylinder box..

But this is the way it's supposed to be..

[toket14]

thankyou everybody for helping me. the car is running great now! i had the # 2&3 cylinder wires in the wrong place. thanks again, if you ever need help, i will be here!

thanks again,
Joshua Hudson, MA.