When you guys are talking about "total advance" for timing what are you refrencing? Isn't it just the number in the advance/rpm/MAP table? or is there some base timing number that is added to that number, and if where is it located? Thanks

Bill

 

Total advance would be the amount of timing your motor shows for WOT. It is the highest amount of advance you ignition will show.

 

I think the concept of "total" advance is a holdover from the days of the mechanical distributor. The distributor was rotated over the drive shaft to set "initial" advance, and then weights in the rotating assembly and vacuum diaphragms added or subtracted timing. The end result was "total" advance. The computer controlled ignition does away with a lot of that.... timing is set by a table of rpm vs MAP. But there may still be "offsets" based on feedback from the IAT sensor, coolant sensor, knock sensor, etc. So, what you see on a scanner as "advance" will not necessarily match the value programmed into the table.