I been having a bit of an issue with the way my golfs been set up, when i got my golf it ran like a dream after 6 months I did the cambelt and everything thats required for a 60k service for piece of mind. In a slight moment of absense while the cam and crank pulleys were aligned the idler which runs the dizzy became 2 teeth out ( i think ) i noticed the car running like a heap.

so i get out my Haynes manual, which says line the crank and cam marks to there points, then with the Dizzy cap off line the centre of the rotor arm up with a mark on the distributor body. this done it runs mildly better but still lacks power, so i then have another look at the book which says the timing is 4-8 deg BTDC and is non adjustable (which doesnt make sense as you can turn the dizzy!) so i adjust the timing with a strobe gun against the crank mark so its sparking at approx 4deg BTDC and the cars a million times better.

Two Years Pass...

Still unhappy with the fuel economy(used to be high 30s and as high as 42mpg but only manage to get about 35mpg max even taking it steady) and the cam belt tensioner sounding a little noisy, i decided on the 2 year service to do the cambelt/tensioner again and take alot more time doing it and making sure the marks all line up properly, this done, i set the dizzy so the rotor arm dead centre with the mark on the dizzy body. Once again it runs like its lacking power, adjusted it again with the strobe gun to about 4-6 deg BTDC on the crank mark, runs great, power through the whole rev range although i havent tested the MPG yet.

So the question is, exactly how do you time up the dizzy? am i actually doing it right? or could there be something wrong with the car?