how to set timing on 96 4.0l explorer


89blacklx

89blacklx

15+ Year Member

Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
40
Points
3,101
Age
48
City
Wilmington Ohio
Vehicle Year
1996
Transmission
Automatic
I am trying to set the timing on my 96 explorer, I pulled the pill or plug whatever you want to call it, and not a thing changed I moved the cam sensor all around and it will not affect the motor at all. How do I do this???? Thanks for any and all help.
 
The cam sensor has no effect on ignition timing.

The cam sensor is simply for telling the computer WHICH of the two revolutions the engine is on for INJECTOR timing.

Ignition timing is NOT adjustable.

The sensor on the passenger side of the timing cover that reads off
the back of the vibration damper is "pinned" there is no adjustment.

AD
 
What is the little pill for ?. My mustang has on and you have to remove it to set the timing. Maybe it is because it still has a distributor, gotta love the new distributorless ignition systems of today...
 
What's wrong with it? There is no way for it to get loose and whack out. There is no way for DIYers to screw it up. It's not easy (at all) for the system to screw up in such a way that it's wrong (though it can lose all advance through an open circuit, as can distributor systems). There is no NEED for an adjustment. Were it there, it would be a screw-up control. It's more than a little stupid to put in a knob that you can only use incorrectly. Basic interface principle.

If you pulled the CORRECT pill (there are two on some 4.0Ls) and the timing didn't change AND it's at 10 deg BTDC, you have an open circuit. That's all it's for. If it's not at 10 deg BTDC, the most likely reason is you pulled the wrong pill.
 
One "pill" is purely to disable the computer's ability to adjust the timing

The OTHER pill is an "octane adjust" that leaves the ability of the computer to adjust timing intact, but changes the base timing by several degrees.

Frankly I don't recall which is which because I never mess with either one.

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