how do you connect a timing light?

Question

When checking & adjusting the ignition timing on a car, how do you hook up the timing light. There are 3 wires: 1 goes to the battery terminal (+) the other (-) and then the last goes to the #1 spark plug wire.
Do you clamp the outside of the wire over the insulation or what?? How does this Ding - Dang gadget function???

Answer 1

Yes it clamps to the sparkplug wire, than you just aim it toward the crankshaft and it should produce a "arrow" effect to show where the timmings at..

Answer 2

You clamp it over the wire, The clamp has a notch in it to fit over the wire.
Its an inductive pickup. It will pickup the ignition pulse and trigger the timing light.

Answer 3

Not trying to be rude but please read on
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> Ding - Dang gadget function

It isn't as simple as just plugging it in and it works. My car was found to have 15 degree too much timing (for total of 31 degree instead of 16 degree). That could have damaged the engine (engine detonation). And presumably it was done by somebody who have half the working knowledge of timing lights and timing adjustments.

So if you don't want to damage your car this is not something you should learn from a forum. You need somebody to SHOW you (preferably somebody with LOTS of experience).

Answer 4

you clamp it over the #1 wire, some timing lights have one side to the plug.