Can a Flash mess with my Cam Timing? After my IX was flashed, my cam timing went out of wack. Initial thought was, my clutch was slipping. That's what it felt like. After a new clutch install, my car still acts the same way. Shop owner checked my cam timing and said it was all off. My OBD 2 port wouldn't let their readers read anything either. Also he said that there was white smoke coming from my exhaust and he thinks I have a bent valve. Anyone can spare any help? Thanks.

 

It can't change the physical cam gear timing, but it can affect your MIVEC settings.

 

Then how does your timing go wack after a flash? Or is the owner of the shop lying to me? Modifications on my car are just bolt ons. No cams, never touched cam gears or anything in my motor...Also he said I may have bent valves. Bent valves means white smoke?

 

It could have gone whack regardless of when you got flashed if it skipped a tooth. I don't know what else could cause the cam timing to be off if you have done nothing else to the car.

 

Well it can't be because it was fine until after the flash...

 

Ok, whatever. The flash must have pushed your cam gears off a tooth then...

 

Clayton is right, there's simply no logical correlation between a reflash and a mechanical problem such as a timing belt slip. The ecu has zero control over the pressure put on the tensioner arm by the hydraulic tensioner or the timing belt's slack.

I understand that it's natural for you to initially attribute the problem to the flash, but once it was diagnosed as a mechanical part failure, it is illogical to associate the timing skip with an ecu modification.

 

If the valves are bent that is probably due to over revving, if you have missed shifts with the throttle down this might be the case.

If the valves have contacted the pistons hard enough to bend them, it could have easily caused the timing belt to skip a tooth.

Also a bent valve shouldn't cause white smoke, usually white smoke means water is getting into the cylinders (head gasket failure).

Just my $.02

 

A bent valve should show low cylinder pressure on a compression check right? The valve shouldnt seat fully (if it were bent) and I think there would be some sort of damage to the piston as well.

Your ECU flash is not going to cause your cam timing to jump, listen to what we are telling you.

 

Well I just needed more info. Warr's first few posts weren't explaining everything so I didn't really understand. Also replying to 96's post, I have never overrevved my car while in motion. I have mis shifted a few times, but my revv's did not climb past 7k rpms. I haven't done a Comp check since my car is in the shop. Shop is about 100 miles from me so it would be impossible.

I think I will let this shop take care of it. He told me to check back on Tuesday, if he hasn't done anything Im pulling my car out and working on the problems myself. Thanks for the help everyone. Post is made for info purpose and also to see if the Owner was just trying to make money off me or not.

 

You can do your own compression check if you need to - just have to buy the cheap tool at the auto parts store. You can also do your own cam timing check as long as you have a half-inch breaker bar or something.

 

Yes, a flash can def screw up timing. White smoke might mean that your burning coolent.

 

Did you just completely ignore the rest of the thread? He's talking about CAM timing, not IGNITION timing. Good gracious, you're showing a very bad trend with your responses...

 

Ok. What else would produce white smoke?

 

When did I say anything about white smoke? This must be Zhemel...