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Stupid question regarding 2* degree advance

2270 Views 22 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  LCRedFisher
Newbie here. I've been browsing thru this forum since I bought my '07 SE CC back in December. No mods yet, but I'm contemplating getting the 2* degree advance as my first.

Anyway, here's my question: If the 2* degree timing advance makes the performance so much better, why don't the Titans come from the factory that way? Is there some reason Nissan isn't automatically doing this? Possibly some downside by the timing increase? If so, what is it?

Also, once I get it adjusted is it possible to revert back to the factory default?
Is there an easy way to tell it is gone other than just noticing the degradation in performance?

Thanks
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I'm almost positive Nissan didn't do it because 89-91 octane would be recommended instead of 87. It will not revert back to the stock timing.
sudden urge said:
I'm almost positive Nissan didn't do it because 89-91 octane would be recommended instead of 87. It will not revert back to the stock timing.
Thanks for the response.

Despite their recommendation, running 87 octane will still be ok right? Think I recall other members saying they still use 87 w/the timing advance.
1bigredtitan said:
Thanks for the response.

Despite their recommendation, running 87 octane will still be ok right? Think I recall other members saying they still use 87 w/the timing advance.

Many forum members run 87 with it and never had a problem. I run 89 with it.
I have the 2* advance and run 87 octane, no problems.
After I got the 2 * advance done i ran 87 for a long time but changed to 89 just in case I got some bad fuel. The 2 * advance works its great down low in the rpm but getting a tune on the truck you will be amazed at the results.
Cool, thanks for your responses everyone.
Sounds like this is something I need to get done soon. Especially since it's quick, easy, and lots of bang for the buck. Now I just need to find someone in the Birmingham area that will perform the advance for me. I may check with the local dealers.
1bigredtitan said:
... Now I just need to find someone in the Birmingham area that will perform the advance for me. I may check with the local dealers.
Had mine done at Jim Burke, 3rd Ave N.
I've had a little "knocking" running 87 octane with the 2* advance - especially at lower rpm then giving some gas - like at 55mph on the hiway then mashing the gas -- but not so much that the tranny downshifts - it has created a noticeable "flat spot" in the power curve around 2500 rpm
BHMTitan said:
Had mine done at Jim Burke, 3rd Ave N.
Cool, I'll check with Crown and Dixie Nissan first since they're closer to me. If they don't do it, then Jim Burke it is.

Another question for anybody out there. Will getting the uprev tune later negate the benefits of the 2* timing advance? In other words, does
Truck A w/2* timing advance = Truck B w/2* timing advance and uprev tune (with everything else being equal)

No big deal, just curious. Thanks again.
I too am a newb to all of this, i had an 06 no fear, then got an 08, and i have no idea what a 2 degree advance is or what it does, very stupid question, but i keep reading about it and its driving me nuts
I run the 93 gas on my 93 uprev tune with no problems.Cost a little more.
It's not a stupid question. And no one has a decent answer for it. I think it's an easter egg for enthusiasts to find.
1bigredtitan said:
If the 2* degree timing advance makes the performance so much better, why don't the Titans come from the factory that way? Is there some reason Nissan isn't automatically doing this? Possibly some downside by the timing increase? If so, what is it?
Here is my question. Anyone using 85 octane with the timing advance? At high altitudes, 85 is normal, 87 is middle grade, and 89 and above is premium.
I found some info on factory set stock timing changes and octane. It basically says you add or subtract one octane number for every two degrees of timing change. Regular altitude Titans, with the two degree advance, should use 88 octane with it for maximum performance. High altitude Titans should be running 86. I know they don't sell 86 or 88, just use this for reference.
1bigredtitan said:
Another question for anybody out there. Will getting the uprev tune later negate the benefits of the 2* timing advance? In other words, does
Truck A w/2* timing advance = Truck B w/2* timing advance and uprev tune (with everything else being equal)

No big deal, just curious. Thanks again.
I've been asking this question for over a week with no response. Good luck. I'm just going to call Uprev at this point.
GIMME BACK MY $20
LD5050 said:
I've been asking this question for over a week with no response. Good luck. I'm just going to call Uprev at this point.
GIMME BACK MY $20
Uprev reflashes the ECU, first by clearing all the fuel and timing information then it rewrites the fuel and timing tables. The 2* you had before is lost, but there is more timing than 2* added with the new timing tables.
Sweet. So if I'm getting Uprev anyway, save the $125 my dealer would graciously charge me for the timing advance.
$125 for a 2*!!! Save your money for the Uprev.
I might get flamed for this, but I think it could be of value to some others why I have decided NOT to get the 2* advance.
I have presented this theory in another thread and did not get what I considered any firm answers regarding the 2* advance + 87 octane leading to catalitic converter damage, which in turn could lead to major engine damage.

If you search for a thread on catalitic failures you will find people who have reported having cat failures where particles got sucked into the engine via a vacuum line from the cats. Sounded strange to me but there seemed to be belivable corroboration from other posters that this was legit.
When I asked my service manager and his mechanic about the advance, he STRONGLY recomended that I use the highest octane for the following reason: A lower octane will result in higher exhaust temps than the higher octane. Higher exhaust temps will have negative effects on the cats, causing them to fail prematurely, possibly fail very prematurely. As I established earlier, cat failure could lead to engine failure that might lead to a big fight over any warranty claim, should they take the position that the 2* advance was the root cause of the problems. Now I am sure that somebody is going to tell you that you can easily force them legally to cover it provided you are still under warranty...but who needs that hassle?!
So for the aforementioned reasons it would seem to be prudent to run higher octane. Unfortunately the extra money the higher octane costs would cancel any savings from higher mpg I has hoping to get from the advance. And frankly I don't feel a need for more power, it's already a beast stock from the factory. Not to dis anybody else who chooses to put performance mods on their Titan, but the only performance mods I'm interested in are ways to curb my baby's fuel cost.
Best of luck to you whatever you decide.
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Bootzon, your concerns are way way way overblown. The dealer comments have some merit if you were advancing the timing by ten degrees, but you're only advancing the baseline by two degrees. Air fuel ratio is a hundred times more important than any small timing advance. The number one cause of converter failure is a rich air fuel mixture. Also, the dealer was way off base when they said to use the highest octane available with a two degree advance. For every two degrees of advance, only one octane point higher is needed to prevent detonation, that means 88 octane in our case if your altitude requires 87.
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