What problems can incorrect car timing cause?
2 Answers
Incorrect car timing can lead to unstable idle speed, weak acceleration, engine shaking, insufficient power, and in severe cases, it may cause the engine's valves and pistons to collide with each other, resulting in engine damage. The ignition timing of a car varies depending on the engine. The purpose of adjusting and correcting the ignition timing is to achieve a better ignition timing or initial ignition advance angle, thereby obtaining good engine performance. The timing system consists of components such as the timing belt, tensioner pulley, tensioner, water pump, and other accessories. There are two types of car timing: 1. Valve timing: This refers to the precise timing with which the valve train supplies the combustible mixture to the cylinder and exhausts the waste gases; 2. Ignition timing: This refers to the precise timing with which the combustible mixture in the cylinder is ignited to push the piston and perform work.
If the car's timing chain or belt is misaligned, the vehicle will run particularly poorly. My old car had this issue—the engine wheezed badly at startup, like it had asthma, and the steering wheel even shook. When going uphill, even flooring the accelerator wouldn't help it pick up speed, and fuel consumption skyrocketed to 15 liters per 100 km. The mechanic said the timing was off by half a tooth, completely messing up the valve opening and closing timing, causing the pistons and valves to collide. Over time, the valve stems could even bend. The scariest part was when it suddenly stalled at a red light, and upon restarting, it made a loud clanking noise—later found to be due to a misfire caused by timing misalignment. Now, I make sure to check the belt wear every 60,000 km. Ignoring this minor issue could really end up destroying the engine.
