New Gti 1.6 Owner, Dizzy Advance/retard - Exactly How To?

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Hi all.

 

Been searching for a while through recent & 2006 posts, and trying to find out why my car feels slightly gutless. It's a H-reg 1.6 (H315 WGC) with 118.000 miles and running on 97ron. It pulls reasonably, though unpredictably well (could be difference on cold/hot days) but i think it should be faster. It's my first GTi after owning an 89' 1.4 XS (F960 XLJ, r.i.p. lift-off oversteer have learned my lesson) and haven't had it too long, but i'm gradually learning it's niggles and character. It has knocking from the front in a straight line (i'm thinking top-mounts/drop-links/subframe etc.) and also turning right from the left wheel (C.V. joint or summat).

 

I am having the cambelt changed next weekend so ill see if it has jumped a tooth. This is being carried out by a trusted garage in devon, though i want to have a play with the dizzy advance/retard while im here in brighton. Haven't attempted this before and wondered if you guys could give me some pointers ie. which spanners to use, what to prise off ie. dizzy cover and what to adjust? I'm hoping this will make a difference.. There is something in the service history that mentions the timing being advanced/retarded for 95ron..

 

I imagine theres a central spindle on which the arm spins; is it just a case of prising off the cover, loosening the spindle nut, turning the arm then tighten it down again and refit the cover? A step-by-step explanation would be handy! Then i could just have a tinker armed with the knowledge i need!

 

Thanks Rob

[gti-si 0]

Sorry to state the obvious, but you can't of searched very well! There's plenty of topics describing this in alot of detail..

 

A few pointers. You don't have to take the cap off atall, there two (13mm?) nuts you need to loosen, then the whole dizzy can rotate. Before you loosen the bolts, mark the position of the dizzy with a scriber or similar. Then you want to turn the clockise (looking at the dizzy from the passenger side) in small increments, take it for a spin between and check for pinking. That about does it, if you need more info, like I say, there are alot of topics. Felt it would be easier to give you a few pointers instead of just linking you to the search page...but make the search your friend

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Thanks, gti-si, i'll have a twiddle tomorrow and post back the findings..

 

Is it easy to tell when it's pinking? i've read it sounds like a metallic tinkering sound under heavy load; is this loud and obvious?

 

Rob

[steve@cornwall 100]

Thanks, gti-si, i'll have a twiddle tomorrow and post back the findings..

 

Is it easy to tell when it's pinking? i've read it sounds like a metallic tinkering sound under heavy load; is this loud and obvious?

 

Rob

 

Yes, pinking is obvious - A "hollow metalic knocking" noise. The 2 nuts to loosen are 11mm and roughly at 12 and 6 o'clock on the dizzy base to head. Once loosened just enough to turn the dizzy by hand turn it clockwise with the engine at tick over and the idle speed should increase. Watch how much of the slot by the top screw is visible and when the engine speed peaks, tun it back so that approx 2mm of the gap increases then tighten the top nut to hold the dizzy in position and test drive for pinking. - take your spanner with you and turn the dizzy back a bit if it pinks. Final pinking check should be done under load, accellerate uphill in a high gear- if it doesn't pink then, you're pretty well perfectly set up.

If the valve timing is indeed out by a tooth, revs at idle will probably increase all the way until you run out of dizzy adjustment, and still the engine won't pink

 

Have you checked the condition of the vacuum pipe from the dizzy to the underside of the throttle body? - often cracks / perishes or falls off completely at one end

Edited February 10, 2008 by steve@cornwall