1. The ignition timing should be checked according to the maintenance schedule or in case of replacement of the ignition distributor.
2. Apply the parking brake. Turn on "neutral" (and a mechanical transmission) or "parking" (in automatic transmission).
3. Locate the VECI plate under the hood, which provides the timing information for your engine. If there is no such plate, use the information in your vehicle's Owner's Manual or from Technical data at the beginning of this chapter.
4. Start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature (until the cooling system fan turns on). Turn off the engine.
5. To set the timing advance, you will need some special tools and devices (figure 23.5).
6. Connect the tachometer and stroboscope according to their manufacturers' instructions. Connect the inductive sensor of the stroboscope to the high-voltage wire of spark plug No. 1.
7. Locate the timing angle scale on the timing belt cover near the crankshaft pulley. For better visibility, wash away any dirt from the scale.
8. Make sure that the tachometer and strobe light wires are at a sufficient distance from rotating engine parts.
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9. On all Ford 4-cylinder models and Mazda 4-cylinder automatic transmission models, remove the jumper wire from the SPOUT connector located between the battery and the data link connector.
10. On Mazda models with a 4-cylinder engine and a manual transmission, as well as on models with a V-shaped engine, short-circuit the TEN and GND contacts of the data transmission connector (figure 23.10).
11. Start the engine and check the idle speed (see paragraph 22) If the RPM is not as required, adjust it before adjusting the advance.
12. Aim the stroboscope beam at the crankshaft pulley. If the yellow pointer on the pulley does not coincide with the required division on the angular scale, loosen the distributor clamp bolt and turn the distributor to the required side until the marks coincide.
13. Fix the position of the distributor with a bolt. Check the idle speed and advance again.
14. After completing the adjustments, stop the engine and disconnect the tachometer and stroboscope from it. Remove the jumper from the data connector or insert a jumper into the SPOUT connector.