Issues adjusting timing 88 4AF

[SButler83]

I have a 1988 Corolla with the 4AF. The underhood sticker says to adjust the timing to 5 degrees btdc. I set up the car as described in the manual (connect tachometer between battery and test connection on distributor, and jumper the 2 points on the diagnostics connector, and unplugged the vacuum connections at the distributor and isolated them). Initially upon doing this, the timing changed to about 14 degrees btdc. I thought this was odd because the car ran so well, so I remembered the initial setting of 14 and proceeded to adjust it to 5. The car didn't seem to run as well. It gets a little less mileage than it did on the previous setting.
At this point I was curious and began investigating. I wasn't getting any detectable change in timing on the car from jumpering the 2 wires on the diagnostic connection. Usually on other vehicles I've worked on you will.
Is there an updated timing spec for this motor or do I have something wrong.

Thanks in advance

[90 GP]

Did you plug vac lines at distributor when you removed them?

[SButler83]

yes I plugged them. Thank you for Replying.

[tashirosgt]

The other step in timing the 4AF is to rev the engine (the RPM is in the service manual) and see that the timing advances to (as I recall) 10 deg before TDC. I don't have the service manual in front of me so I'm saying this from memory. You probably need a helper to do this.

[BeatupRolla]

i think i might have the same problem, my car runs good only at 15-20 BTDC, if i run it any lower it loses power i dont know why, so i just run it at 15-20 BTDC

[SButler83]

Tashiros GT, Thank you for the post that led me to find the problem. You were correct it says to verify that the timing readvances to 10-16 degrees BTDC after the normal lineup is restored on the car... so I took a closer look.
The Haynes manual I am using tells me to jumper the "E1 and the T" terminals.
Upon a closer look, there is no wire in the "T" terminal to jumper. There are only 3 wires in that connector, B+, E1, and O2 if I remember correctly. Is this a procedure error, is it supposed to be B+ that is jumpered to the E1?

Thanks!

[SButler83]

Found Answer:
Setting timing on '88 4AF Auto
I was able to find a better search term for my problem that led me to this.