Gasoline burns relatively slowly. It is not the explosion we all imagine, but a slower, controlled burn. As the fuel burns in a car, the hot gases expand with an increasing pressure until the piston is forced down the cylinder. To get the maximum power and complete combustion, the slow-burning fuel is ignited before the piston actually reaches top dead center. This is called base ignition timing. Setting base ignition timing on a Honda Civic is relatively easy to do.
Prepare for the timing adjustment. Start the engine and let it run until it reaches operating temperature. While the engine is running, remove the passenger-side kick panel and locate the two-wire connector located behind and just above it. It may take some digging to find it but it is there. When the engine temperature reaches operating temperature on the gauge, shut off the engine and install a jumper wire into the connector. This turns off the computerized timing and allows the engine to run in base timing.
Attach a timing light to the battery and the number one spark plug wire. The number one spark plug wire is the one located closest to the front of the motor. Some timing light pick-ups (the part that attaches to the spark plug wire) have an arrow indicating which side should face the spark plug. Make sure this arrow points at the spark plug.
Start the engine, and aim the timing light at the pointer on the front of the timing cover near the crankshaft pulley. Squeeze the trigger to start the strobe, and look at the mark on the pulley and timing cover. They should line up. There are 3 marks positioned close together. The middle mark is 16 degrees before top dead center, and this is the base timing called for by the manufacturer. If the marks do not line up, loosen the two distributor bolts attaching the distributor to the cylinder head, and rotate the distributor while watching the timing marks. When the mark on the pulley lines up with the pointer, tighten the distributor bolts, and turn off the engine.
Disconnect the jumper wire on two-wire connector. Reinstall the kick panel and test drive the car to verify the adjustment.
