3 Best Timing Light to Help You Diagnose and Maintain Your Engine’s Peak Performance
David Jones, Contributor
Updated: Feb 3rd, 2022
It’s nice to have a trusty timing light for performing routine checks of your car. If your vehicle starts to thump or shudder, this tool is extremely useful in telling you what’s wrong. However, choosing which one to buy can be a challenge. And with all the options available on the market today, it’s not surprising that you’ll find yourself lost. So to spare you the trouble of looking from page to page, we’ve listed down our Top 3 Favorites for Best Timing Lights to Buy. Our list only includes timing lights with excellent engine compatibility, lead length, and accuracy for better options.
Read along.
For a timing light that does it all, the OC2Start is our best bet. This device features a pistol-type design with advanced features to re-time your car’s ignition and maintain peak performance. No matter if you’re using a 2-stroke or 4-stroke gasoline engine, as long as it runs in a 12V ignition system, the OC2Start can deliver a precise diagnosis of your car.
The OC2Start’s advanced features are something to look forward to. It can run ignition testing on the engine flywheel or belt pulley to ensure smooth transition all the time. Another thing that makes OC2Start unique is its ability to detect suppression in your car’s knocking control system—including the vacuum advance mechanism to treat any possible engine operating conditions.
Its housing makes it perfect for the job. The OC2Start is made of a durable ABS and polycarbonate blend that provides resistance against mechanical damage and scratches. This built-in durability makes it more long-term than ordinary timing lights. Moreover, its piston-type handle features an ergonomic design that makes controlling and pressing keys easy on the hands. Plus, the lead length comes in the right size to accommodate different engine types.
Overall, the OC2Start is an excellent choice to help you maintain your car’s engine performance at home. It provides essential data you need to treat engine conditions on your own, enabling you to save money from professional fixes.
Recommended Features
- Our #1 Popular Choice
- Suitable for 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines that operate on a 12V ignition system
- Features a handle piston-type design
- Reads timing scale on engine flywheel or belt pulley, automotive knocking control system suppression, vacuum advance mechanism, etc
- Includes colored sensor clips for easy distinguishing
- Perfect lead length for all types of engine
- Designed using an impact-resistant ABS housing
- Delivers accurate reading up to 10,000 RPM
- Ergonomic handle and easy operation
- Exclusive 50% Off Deal
Editor's Pick
If you’re looking for a safer, more professional timing light, then IGNITOOL is the right product for you. It features a solid-state, burnout-proof polarity with automotive reverse polarity and overload protection. Or, in English, even if you wired the hot and neutral wires in reverse, it won’t cause any hazard to your or to your car. And to make it even more, safer, the IGNITOOL also comes with a sliding clamp-on wire for easy use and safe hookup.
Aside from its safety features, the IGNITOOL also provides reliable support in re-timing your 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines. Its input voltage is 12V and reads all speeds through a 10,000 RPM max rating. And here’s one more thing: the lead length of the pistol-type handle is 73 x 5.2cm, which will make navigating to different engine types easy.
Recommended Features
Key Features
- Safe and professional timing light
- Features reverse polarity and overload protection
- Includes sliding, clamp-on wires for easy hookup and safe operation
- Supports 2-strokes and 4-strokes on a 12V ignition system
- Reads all speeds up to 10,000 RPM
- Ergonomically designed piston-type handle
- User-friendly and durable
Here’s another timing light that you can trust. The OmeCharge is a reliable device that runs a safe and professional diagnosis of your car’s engine. It supports 2-stroke and 4-stroke gasoline engines that operate on a 12V ignition system.
What we love about the OmeCharge are its add-on features. First, it reads ignition spark advance and engine speed data to know if your engine is getting a head start. This data could also help you determine if your spark plug keeps up with the pistol.
Next is the built-in Xenon Flash and high-visibility LED. This design is convenient for fixing your car in dark places. Well, it isn’t probably your first time catching no-spark issues in the most unexpected places, right? Hence, you’ll never have to bring spare lights to work on necessary fixes with this support.
Of course, similar to the products mentioned above, the OmeCharge also comes with a pistol-type design handle that makes navigating super easy. It also comes with an interchangeable clamp to make operation even more effortless. Plus, it’s made of a high-strength, impact-resistant ABS shell—so there’s no need to worry about mechanical damage and scratches.
Recommended Features
Key Features
- Provides safe, reliable, and professional diagnosis of your vehicle’s engine
- Supports 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines operating on a 12V ignition system
- Includes a super bright xenon flash and high-visibility LED
- Displays RPM and Degree for easy reading
- Designed with piston-type handle for easy navigating
- Reads: Ignition Spark Advance and Display Engine Speed
- Features an interchangeable clamp for easy operation
- Color-labeled sensor clips to avoid confusion
- Made of high-strength, impact-resistant ABS shell
Rundown
Timing lights are a great tool to run car diagnoses at home. It’s free and delivers the same results as those from professional services. So investing in this tool can actually save you hundreds of dollars from repairs. But, for you to get the most out of this tool, you need to make sure you’re dealing with a high-quality, proven, and tested one. Hence, here are a few recommendations you must consider before buying:
Engine Compatibility
Of course, it’s essential to know if the timing light you’re buying fits your vehicle’s engine. There are timing lights that only work with 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines. However, some hybrids can work on both strokes, as long as it’s within the ignition system range.
Lead Length
If it’s your first time using a timing light, it is vital to remember that they take their power from the vehicle’s battery. Therefore, the lead length is a significant factor to ensure you can easily navigate your car’s engine.
Accuracy
It is given that the timing light you’re looking at should deliver top-notch accuracy. Therefore, make sure to check on what RPM the timing light will maintain its accuracy so that you’ll get precise results all the time. Mostly, timing lights are accurate within 10,000 RPMs.
Conclusion
The products we recommend in this review have passed all our testing criteria. They have delivered the best results and are guaranteed to work to your advantage. Give them a try and make use of the special offers we’re running on our site.
