Using Scangauge to check/set timing?
 

I was wondering... How does Scangauge measure the timing that it displays? Is that data from a crank sensor, or is it reading a + or - from base and adding that number to base timing? I guess what I really want to know is can I use SG to set the timing without having to go through the bother of messing with a timing light?

-Jay

I know that OBDII has a "Timing Advance" reading. Is that the data the SG is displaying? When I had a VW-specific tool that also did standard OBDII data logging, that's the only timing-related data I could find, and IIRC it read in + or - degrees from base.

If that's the case its really advancing the timing then... I'll see it regularly report + 25 to +30. I didn't know if it was + base timing or + TDC.

-Jay

For comparison, here's some logs from my VW. Lots of retardation going on...

Just copy and paste into a text file named something.csv, then open in a spreadsheet program.

Monday,02,June,2008,16:41:11
OBD --- --- --,
Marker,TIME,PID A - 014,TIME,PID B - 012,TIME,PID C - 013,TIME,PID D - 074
,STAMP,Ignition timing advance for cyl #1 ( Degrees),STAMP,Engine RPM ( /min),STAMP,Vehicle speed ( km/h),STAMP,Accelerator Pedal Position E ( %),
,0.14,0.0,0.33,0,0.53,0,0.73,15
,0.92,0.0,1.12,0,1.31,0,1.50,15
,1.70,0.0,1.88,0,2.08,0,2.28,15
,2.47,0.0,2.65,0,2.84,0,3.03,15
,3.21,0.0,3.40,0,3.59,0,3.78,15
,3.97,0.0,4.15,0,4.34,0,4.53,15
,4.72,0.0,4.91,0,5.11,0,5.30,15
,5.50,0.0,5.71,0,5.91,0,6.11,15
,6.30,0.0,6.50,0,6.68,0,6.87,15
,7.06,0.0,7.25,0,7.44,0,7.62,15
,7.81,0.0,8.00,0,8.18,0,8.37,15
,8.56,0.0,8.75,0,8.93,0,9.12,15
,9.31,0.0,9.50,0,9.69,0,9.88,15
,10.08,0.0,10.26,0,10.46,0,10.65,15
,10.84,0.0,11.03,0,11.22,0,11.42,15
,11.61,0.0,11.80,190,11.98,0,12.17,15
,12.36,-8.5,12.55,1707,12.74,0,12.94,15
,13.13,-4.5,13.31,1676,13.50,0,13.69,15
,13.87,0.5,14.06,1558,14.25,0,14.44,15
,14.62,-4.0,14.81,1310,15.00,1,15.19,15
,15.37,-13.0,15.57,867,15.77,3,15.96,15
,16.16,-13.5,16.35,740,16.54,6,16.74,15
,16.91,-18.0,17.10,926,17.30,8,17.48,15
,17.67,-21.0,17.87,1006,18.06,9,18.24,15
,18.44,-19.5,18.61,1022,18.81,8,18.99,15
,19.19,-18.0,19.36,944,19.56,7,19.74,15
,19.94,-20.5,20.13,925,20.32,2,20.52,15
,20.71,-20.5,20.90,871,21.08,0,21.28,15
,21.46,-21.0,21.65,891,21.84,0,22.03,15
,22.21,-22.0,22.41,869,22.59,1,22.79,21
,22.98,-14.5,23.17,769,23.37,4,23.57,22
,23.76,0.0,23.95,826,24.15,7,24.35,25
,24.54,2.0,24.74,1054,24.94,9,25.12,26
,25.32,13.5,25.51,1247,25.70,11,25.88,32
,26.08,-1.5,26.28,1398,26.46,12,26.66,15
,26.84,-8.5,27.03,947,27.21,11,27.41,21
,27.60,-19.0,27.80,780,28.00,12,28.19,22
,28.39,-2.5,28.58,883,28.78,13,28.99,26
,29.18,11.0,29.37,938,29.56,14,29.74,29
,29.93,10.5,30.12,1031,30.31,15,30.50,32
,30.68,0.5,30.87,1141,31.06,17,31.25,34
,31.45,10.5,31.64,1313,31.83,21,32.04,40
,32.23,6.5,32.42,1576,32.62,24,32.81,44
,33.00,4.5,33.20,1857,33.39,29,33.58,44
,33.77,7.5,33.96,2186,34.15,34,34.34,41
,34.53,-4.0,34.71,2190,34.90,34,35.09,15
,35.28,2.0,35.48,1485,35.67,33,35.86,15
,36.05,-12.0,36.24,983,36.44,30,36.62,15
,36.81,-13.5,37.00,970,37.20,30,37.39,15
,37.58,-13.5,37.78,945,37.96,29,38.15,15
,38.34,-10.0,38.53,938,38.71,28,38.90,31
,39.09,10.5,39.28,935,39.47,29,39.66,37
,39.86,9.5,40.05,968,40.23,31,40.43,44
,40.62,5.0,40.81,1049,41.00,33,41.20,52
,41.39,5.0,41.58,1144,41.78,36,41.97,53
,42.16,6.5,42.34,1247,42.53,39,42.72,60
,42.91,5.0,43.09,1320,43.28,41,43.47,15
,43.66,-20.5,43.84,1102,44.03,40,44.22,15
,44.40,5.0,44.59,919,44.78,39,44.97,15
,45.16,7.5,45.34,858,45.53,38,45.72,15
,45.90,6.5,46.09,838,46.27,37,46.47,15
,46.65,6.5,46.84,804,47.02,36,47.22,15
,47.40,6.5,47.59,773,47.77,34,47.97,15
,48.18,6.0,48.37,776,48.57,33,48.76,15
,48.95,6.0,49.15,776,49.35,31,49.55,15
,49.74,7.5,49.93,772,50.13,30,50.32,15
,50.51,6.5,50.70,780,50.89,28,51.10,15
,51.30,7.5,51.50,756,51.68,27,51.87,15
,52.06,6.5,52.25,750,52.43,26,52.63,15
,52.81,4.5,53.00,765,53.19,25,53.37,15
,53.56,6.5,53.75,774,53.94,23,54.12,15
,54.31,5.0,54.50,784,54.68,23,54.87,15
,55.07,4.5,55.27,763,55.46,22,55.66,15
,55.85,6.0,56.02,780,56.21,21,56.40,15
,56.60,4.5,56.79,773,56.99,20,57.19,15
,57.37,6.0,57.57,773,57.77,17,57.96,15
,58.15,5.0,58.35,783,58.54,11,58.74,15
,58.91,5.0,59.12,765,59.32,7,59.52,15
,59.70,4.5,59.90,772,60.10,2,60.29,15
,60.49,3.5,60.67,780,60.86,1,61.05,15
,61.25,0.5,61.43,736,61.62,1,61.82,23
,62.02,20.0,62.21,888,62.40,1,62.59,28
,62.78,23.0,62.97,771,63.16,3,63.34,30
,63.53,10.5,63.72,796,63.91,6,64.09,36
,64.28,4.5,64.49,1237,64.70,11,64.89,15
,65.08,-24.0,65.28,1092,65.46,12,65.65,26
,65.84,33.5,66.03,985,66.23,13,66.42,46
,66.62,6.0,66.82,1170,67.00,19,67.19,82
,67.39,10.5,67.58,1667,67.77,27,67.97,81
,68.15,14.0,68.34,2196,68.53,34,68.73,15
,68.92,-1.0,69.11,1862,69.31,34,69.50,82
,69.68,22.5,69.87,1194,70.06,36,70.25,82
,70.43,5.0,70.62,1267,70.81,40,71.00,82
,71.20,9.0,71.39,1393,71.58,44,71.76,82
,71.95,11.0,72.15,1520,72.34,47,72.53,15
,72.72,35.0,72.91,1384,73.11,47,73.31,81
,73.50,8.0,73.68,1280,73.87,49,74.06,80
,74.25,6.0,74.44,1320,74.62,51,74.81,80
,75.00,9.5,75.19,1394,75.38,54,75.58,15
,75.78,-25.5,75.97,1084,76.16,53,76.36,15
,76.55,3.0,76.73,893,76.93,52,77.12,15
,77.32,3.0,77.52,874,77.70,51,77.90,15
,78.09,3.5,78.28,877,78.47,51,78.66,15
,78.86,5.0,79.05,859,79.24,50,79.44,15
,79.62,6.5,79.82,838,80.02,49,80.21,15
,80.40,8.0,80.59,801,80.78,48,80.97,15
,81.16,7.5,81.36,772,81.55,47,81.73,15
,81.92,7.5,82.10,766,82.30,46,82.48,15
,82.68,9.0,82.88,739,83.09,46,83.27,40
,83.47,3.5,83.65,1208,83.85,46,84.05,49
,84.23,6.5,84.43,1238,84.63,48,84.82,81