The 1990 Honda Accord sedan featured a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine. You can get the most out of your Accord if you keep up with its basic maintenance needs. The ignition timing of the engine is an important part of regular maintenance. The ignition timing determines when a spark will occur to start the internal combustion engine. The 1990 Honda Accord has an ignition timing of 15 degrees before top dead center.
Park your Accord where there's ample space to work on the engine. Power on the engine, but turn off all accessories, including the air conditioning, heater and radio.
Exit the car and chock the wheels. Put the transmission in neutral and apply the emergency brake. Return to the passenger cabin and bring the engine to an idle speed of about 700 rpm.
Exit the vehicle with the emergency brake firmly applied and open the hood.
Turn the fast idle speed mode of your engine on by turning on the idle speed control located by your engine.
Attach the timing light to the battery by placing the red clip on the positive terminal first and the black clip on the negative terminal second. Attach the timing light clamps to the No. 1 spark plug wire connected to the cylinder head. Shine the timing light on the pulley connected to the main crankshaft.
Check the timing mark on the pulley and compare it to the degree tab on the front of your engine to see what the current ignition timing is. It it reads 15 degrees before top dead center, you can end the project. If not, proceed to the next step.
Use your wrench to loosen the distributor lock-down bolt located at the base of the distributor housing, then disconnect the distributor vacuum hose from the distributor housing. Be careful not to disconnect any other vacuum hoses. Plug the distributor vacuum hose into the electronic spark computer.
Use your hand to rotate the distributor until the timing mark on the pulley falls to the ignition time you desire. Do not deviate too far from 15 degrees or you will risk damaging your engine.
Unplug the distributor vacuum hose from the electronic spark computer and reconnect it into the distributor housing. Tighten the lock-down bolt with your wrench and turn off the idle speed control. Remove the timing light components from the engine, close the hood, and put your transmission in park. Remove the wheel chocks.
