#Advance timing light series

If this is your first time to purchase a timing light, then you may also want to look at the cover material. With some timing lights, you can also easily check your vehicle’s RPM, Dwell, battery voltage, and more. Some even come with a microprocessor to control the timing light. These are the more contemporary models which are very easy to use. Most of the products available have a gun shape, and they come with a trigger. They are, however, more suitable for DIYers who want to avoid getting themselves electrocuted. However, they don’t have a very good design. Inline timing lights are significantly cheaper than inductive ones. For the latter, you unplug the spark plug first before connecting it. The former comes with a built-in sensor which you would clip around your vehicle’s spark plug. The main difference between these types is in the connection. There are two major types of timing lights namely inductive and inline. This, in turn, may help you get better at fine-tuning and fixing minor issues. Also, a timing light which comes with added functionalities can help you learn a lot more about your car. These additional features can be very helpful for you. But if you’re a mechanic or a DIY enthusiast who prefers versatile tools, then you may have to choose a product with some added features. Such products work fine if that’s your sole purpose for getting a timing light for yourself. It’s easy to purchase a cheap product which will only tell you if your engine’s timing is right or if it’s off. What should you look out for in a timing light? Your purpose for the timing light What important factors should you consider when buying timing lights?įeatures to Consider in Good Timing Lights.Flaming River FR1001 Single Wire Timing Light Performance Tool W80587 Digital Advance Timing Light Performance Tool W80578 Self-Powered Timing Light Features to Consider in Good Timing Lights.

Some older timing lights require the removal of the spark plug boot in order to attach a direct pickup between the wire's terminal and the centre conductor of the spark plug. Power for the strobe comes directly from the vehicle's battery. Self-contained units used to time automotive engines have an inductive pickup that clamps around the proper spark plug wire and serves as the trigger for the strobe. Timing lights using xenon strobe lamps electronically triggered by the spark provide brighter light, allowing use of the timing lamp under normal shop lighting or daylight conditions.Ī timing light may be a self-contained instrument, but is sometimes combined with a voltmeter, RPM meter, and a dwell angle meter, or may be incorporated into a more comprehensive instrument such as an engine analyser. Simple timing lights may just contain a neon lamp operated by the energy provided by the ignition circuit.

#Advance timing light series

In few cases an engine is timed off another cylinder, such as the International Harvester V8 engines, which use #8, and the Isuzu 4Z series four-cylinder, which is timed off the #4 cylinder, or the 3 cylinder Saab two-stroke engine which is timed on the middle (#2) cylinder. On most automotive engines, the timing is set based on the #1 cylinder. The distributor can be rotated slightly until the reference pointer aligns with the specified point on the timing scale.įuel-injected engines, or engines with microprocessor controls may require special procedures to allow basic spark timing to be observed without control effects from the engine computer. A reference pointer is attached to the flywheel housing or other fixed point, and an engraved scale gives the offset between the spark time and the top dead centre position of the piston in the cylinder. The apparent position of the marks, frozen by the stroboscopic effect, indicates the current timing of the spark in relation to piston position. The timing light is connected to the ignition circuit and used to illuminate the timing marks on the engine's crankshaft pulley or flywheel, with the engine running. Modern electronically controlled passenger vehicle engines require use of a scan tool to display ignition timing. The black clamp connects to the battery -, the red clamp to +, the green one to the breaker side of the coil (for RPM), the big black clamp in the foreground is an inductive pick-up that clamps around a spark plug wire.Ī timing light is a stroboscope used to dynamically set the ignition timing of an Otto cycle or similar internal combustion engine equipped with a distributor. Timing light, combination instrument with RPM, volt meter and dwell angle meter.