This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Timing light" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Timing light, combination instrument with RPM, volt meter and dwell angle meter. The actual light is on the far end. 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.
A 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. Modern electronically controlled passenger vehicle engines require use of a scan tool to display ignition timing.
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. The apparent position of the marks, frozen by the stroboscopic effect, indicates the current timing of the spark in relation to piston position. 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 distributor can be rotated slightly until the reference pointer aligns with the specified point on the timing scale.
Fuel-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. On most automotive engines, the timing is set based on the #1 cylinder.[1] 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.
Simple timing lights may just contain a neon lamp operated by the energy provided by the ignition circuit. 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.
A 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. 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. Power for the strobe comes directly from the vehicle's battery. 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.
^Mark Schnubel Shop manual for advanced engine performance, Cengage Learning, 2005 ISBN 1-4018-7787-7, page 52-53
A timinglight is a stroboscope used to dynamically set the ignition timing of an Otto cycle or similar internal combustion engine equipped with a distributor...
points, the basic timing can be set statically using a test light or dynamically using the timing marks and a timinglight. Timing advance is required...
ignition timing using a timinglight, which flashes in time with the ignition system (and hence engine rotation). Shining the light on the timing marks makes...
disorders such as delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), the timing of light exposure is critical. Light exposure administered to the eyes before or after the...
strobe-light towards a mark on the flywheel on the engine's main axle. The strobe-light tool for such ignition timing is called a timinglight. Strobe...
examples. A stroboscope used to set the ignition timing of internal combustion engines is called a timinglight. In its simplest mechanical form, a stroboscope...
than light, such as feeding. Light resets the biological clock in accordance with the phase response curve (PRC). Depending on the timing, light can advance...
strict adherence to timing. Light therapy is a popular method used by professional athletes to reduce jet lag. Timed correctly, the light may contribute to...
car, to provide a standardised, repeatable method by which to break a timinglight beam at the start and finish of events timed to high-degrees of accuracy...
the gun which sends an electronic signal to the timing system when fired. An alternative starting light or sound which is electronically triggered, such...
VTEC (described as Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control, but stands for Valve Timing Electronically Controlled) is a system developed by Honda...
resolutions of less than one nanosecond, the speed of light can be directly measured by timing the delay of a light pulse from a laser or an LED reflected from...
process, referred to as color timing, was performed at a film lab during printing by varying the intensity and color of light used to expose the rephotographed...
thing works for variable stars, not by radio but light. The most massive planet detected by timing is HW Virginis b, which masses 19.2 MJ; the least...
Japan). A light pen detects changes in brightness of nearby screen pixels when scanned by cathode-ray tube electron beam and communicates the timing of this...
Signal timing is the technique which traffic engineers use to distribute right-of-way at a signalized intersection. The process includes selecting appropriate...
or in building pulsar clocks. Timing noise is the name for rotational irregularities observed in all pulsars. This timing noise is observable as random...
observations. Some can also be confirmed through the transit timing variation method. Many points of light in the sky have brightness variations that may appear...
areas of the brain: Sub-second timing or millisecond timing Interval timing or seconds-to-minutes timing Circadian timing There are many theories and computational...
valves per cylinder, and have a single timing belt that drives the overhead camshafts. VTEC variable valve timing is used on almost all applications, with...
the vibration or (in car engines using a timing chain) the variation in ignition timing seen with a timinglight. Both sprockets and chain should be replaced...
simulation is a technique that involves timing a light, often called a wake-up light, sunrise alarm clock, or natural light alarm clock, in the bedroom to come...
In the GSM cellular mobile phone standard, timing advance (TA) value corresponds to the length of time a signal takes to reach the base station from a...
include switching to a timing chain from a timing belt, and relocating the water pump from the outside of the engine to inside the timing cover where the pump...
systems Variable valve timing. The rotation of a camshaft is driven by a crankshaft. Many 21st century engines use a toothed timing belt made from rubber...
countries. When electronic timing is used, a sensor is often affixed to the gun, which sends an electronic signal to the timing system upon firing. For deaf...
Global Information
