electronic ignition static timing

As long as you are pulling the triger on the timeing light it will stay on. They are not supose to turn off when you turn the distributor

The timing light strobes when the engine is running. You point it at the timing marks with the engine running and adjust the timing by turning the distributor.

to be more specific. you point the timing light at the hamonic balancer witch has a timing mark that is "stacked" with te cranck shaft. using the little "toothed" gauge that is bolted or spot welded to the timing chain cover, you can tell how far in or out of time you are. it will not shut off. if it has you have turned the timing so far that the engine has stalled.

Thanks for the answer shaggy1981, Ronc258 and teenspeede, but..... I must have missed a detail I am checking it with static timing, which means that all I am using is a time light and not a time light strobe. Normally I set the engine to top dead centre and when I turn the distributor the light will come off then I turn the distributor counter to the direction I was turning till the light comes on again. Now I just fitted a magnetic chopper (electronic ignition) and when I tried to check the static timing the time light is on and won't come off not even if I turn the distributor a whole turn. Any clues please? Thanks…..

Guess I never new there is two types of timeing lights. Every one that I have ever seen or used is a strobe style. Guess you learn something new every day. Don't know what to tell you about the style of timeing light you have

The time light I use is nothing special you just have a lamp you connect it to the engine earth from one side and to the coil negative on the other end, when the points are open or closed (am not sure now) the light is on and when the point are open the light will go out. This is done by putting the engine in top dead centre and the no 1 in the combustion position. This is normally known as static timing. For better reference I am sure you can find more info on the net.

Then I would think your points are staying closed to keep the light on becuse that is what would compleat your circut. when the points open the circut is not complete so it would turn your light off

heq that,s my problem I cannot understand what is happening cause this happened as soon as I installed an electronic ignition with a magnettic chopper. to tell you the truth this evening me and my son went on with it and tried to strat the engine, the engine started but it seems 5that it is set in advanced, the indication was that it was very hard to crank but once it started running it ran well. I guess I will have to check it out with the strobe light any way.! Thanks mate for you interest.

if you installed an electronic module ignition like the pertronix unit, did you pay close attention on how it wires up? it is different than points. usually if you wire them up wrong the timing light will stay on continously. if it does it usually burns out the module really quick. also these modules have a clearance between the ring and the module. if the distance is not correct and is to close it will cause the timing light to stay on constant.

thanks mate I will give it a closer look!

after much research i learned this .... if your using a test light.... you can not time your vw with it, it can only be timed with a strobe timing light

Your right Robert. You can't static test an electric ignition. But what if my light is doing the opposite. The light stays on when the points are open, then turns off when the points make contact. What could the problem be?

That is not correct you can static time a pertonxic electric ignition I have just done that, you need to watch some videos on Google.