Idle timing question.

This may sound a bit silly, but it can be important.

IF this is an inductive pickup timing light (with a block that clamps around the spark plug wire) they are often direction sensitive.  Most have an arrow that indicates which side of the pickup should be towards the plug.  They won't work if connected with the arrow pointing the wrong way.

Doug L.

Chuck,

I have the positive side of the light hooked to a positive connection going into the fuse box, so yes, it would be the same as the positive side of the coil.

Will try it on the - side of the coil, probably tomorrow, tho.

Negative ground car: set up the timing light to the side of the coil that has the wire going to the distributor (should be the negative post). If I understand your message, you have the light set up to the positive side of the coil.

Roger that. Will try again.

YES. Something must be wrong with the light or the way you hooked it up.

I set my timing statically using the test lamp method and it seems ok, because the car runs.

I tried to put my timing light on the marks (non-dial back type) to set the idle at about 10 deg, but the light would not flash. I had a good (checked with multimeter) + and ground.

The light was tested on another vehicle.

Is it possible to set timing this way at idle?