Does the timing on a car affect the air/fuel ratio?

Question

How much comes into play as far as the timing not correct and therefore affecting the afr?

Answer 1

timing affects everything!
If your car is out of time, then you can bend your valves and your car also won't start if it is out of time too badly.
Timing causes low idling, and terrible throttle response, slow acceleration, and loss of power throughout.
Take it to a shop, or take a timing light and test your timing.
Technically timing does not affect the ratio, that is set by the computer, but the timing controls the response on all cylinders.
The timing belts turns the valves to release air, then fuel to cause the compression explosion. As the piston goes down, air and fuel is released, as it travels upward, the piston compresses this air and fuel to cause a compressed explosion. Once the piston reaches the top the spark plug ignites and causes the explosion, which shoves the piston back down, and the process repeats. If the timing is off, the piston could be coming up when the valves are opening and hit either one, and cause them to bend. Most cars are designed now with a piston that prevents this bending.
Hope this is informative!

Answer 2

Ignition timing is just that… ignition timing. It has nothing at all to do with Air/fuel ratio. It DOES however have a great deal to do with engine performance, and how well the engine uses the fuel it does get.

Happy motoring