General questions

Is there a 123ignition for my specific engine available?

Take a look at the wide range of 123ignition products. First please compare the dimensions of the line drawings with your original distributor to be sure you have picked the right mechanical model. The following thing to check are the advance curves. The “Switch” version offers 16 pre-programmed advance curves listed in the curve table.

When the advance curves don’t match with your specific engine, the programmable 123\TUNE or 123TUNE+ probably is the right choice for you.. With the programmable units it is possible to program your own advance curve. Please be aware you have to find the original curve data yourself, 123ignition doesn’t have curve data available.

Where can I buy 123ignition products?

Please take a look at the “Where to buy” section of our website to find a 123ignition dealer. Unfortunately it is not possible to buy 123ignition products directly from us. As manufacturer we spend our time on developing and improving products and don’t have enough staff members to answer individual questions. The 123ignition dealers are experienced in assisting you with your questions.

Can I install your ignition system myself?

If you are familiar with installing old-fashion distributors it should be a piece of cake to install a 123ignition. When you are not experienced it will be better to search for a 123ignition dealer including workshop to install the unit.

What are the main advantages of 123ignition
  • Simple installation without mechanical adaptations
  • No more maintenance
  • Variable dwell angle for better performance
  • Better starting
  • Better emissions
  • Better fuel consumption
  • No burning out of the ignition coil
  • Built in LED for simple static ignition timing
  • Real value for money
I have another question, how can I reach you?

Please ask your general questions to your 123ignition dealer, they are familiar with the installation procedures and most of the time more experienced with your specific car brand. Of course you can send us an email when your supplier couldn’t help you.

Compatibility TUNE+ app

Apple:

The TUNE+ is compatible with all modern Apple smart phones and tablets. Please make sure your device offers Bluetooth 4.0 low energy.

Android:

The TUNE+ is compatible with most Android versions. Please make sure you use Android 4.4 or newer and your device offers Bluetooth 4.0 low energy.

Unfortunately we can not guaranty the 123TUNE+ works with Android 7.0 because of a Bluetooth bug in this Android version.

Manuals

Technical question

What kind of coil do you recommend?

This depends on your engine:

On a Citroen 2cv: DON’T use other coils than the standard. Best advise : buy a new black 2CV-coil, and new (silicone) ignition leads. The Brown VISA coil will ruin your ignition because these coils have a very low primary resistance.

For 2 cylinder DAF or FIAT engines you could use the stock coil or an other standard coil ( about 3 Ohm primary resistance )

For 4 cylinder engines you could use the original coil or other coils with a primary resistance of at least 1.0 Ohm. For standard street engines we advise a “Bosch Blue” or “Beru ZS106” coil. For high rpm engines a “Bosch red (0 221 119 030)” or “Beru ZS109” is much better.

For 6 cylinder engines we advise to change your coil to a high performance coil because of the short load time in the higher rpm range. Make sure you use coils with a primary resistance of at least 1.0 Ohm. ( 1,0 Ohm or more ) For standard street engines we advise a “Bosch Blue” or “Beru ZS106” coil. For high rpm engines a “Bosch red (0 221 119 030)” or “Beru ZS109” is much better.

For 8 cylinder engines we advise to chance yor coil to a high performance coil because of the very short load time in the higher rpm range. Make sure you use coils with a primary resistance of at least 0.6 Ohm. ( 0,6 Ohm or more ) For low rpm engines a “Bosch red (0 221 119 030)” or “Beru ZS109” will be a good choice, for higher rpm engines we advise a Pertronix Flame Thrower II 0.6 Ohm.

Note: We hear a lot of complains from our customers about the fake “Lucas Sport” or “Lucas gold” coils, better don’t use these coils.

What kind of high tension leads will be a good choice?

Of course it is always possible to use your original HT-leads for the original look. Even when your engine has solid copper core cables it would work with a 123ignition. For the best performance we advise “carbon tension leads”. These cables have a little resistance and very good isolation.

What kind of spark plugs do you recommend?

Always use the spark plugs for your engine specified by the manufacturer of the car!

It looks like my engine misfires in the high rpm range, what can cause this problem?
  • The car battery has to put enough energy into the coil for a powerful spark. In the higher rpm range the time to do this is very short, so all conditions have to be perfect for good performance.Make sure you are using the right coil for your engine, see: “What kind of coil do you recommend?”Resistance somewhere in the primary circuit can cause a lot of ignition problems as well, think about the following:– Coil and ignition wiring: Use good connectors and cables of good quality
    – Ignition key: Make sure the dashboard ignition key is in good condition ( test to power the ignition/coil direct from the battery )
    – Ground connection of the distributor: Make sure the distributor makes a good electrical connection with the engine.
It looks like the ignition misfires after a few kilometers driving, what can I do?

In some cases a very unstable boardnet voltage can cause misfires. The 123ignition is protected against high voltage peaks and goes in protection mode for a split second when a spike is detected. Most of the time this error occurs when the car battery is charged full again and the voltage regulator starts to work.

This problem can be caused by a broken alternator / dynamo or bad voltage regulator. Unfortunately this is impossible to measure with just a standard voltage meter because we talk about high voltage spikes of micro seconds.

You could easily test this to drive a while without working alternator / dynamo. Use a fully charged car battery and make sure no other important systems are driven by the dynamo belt, like the coolant pump!!!

Can 123ignition help me to find the best advance curve for my engine?

Unfortunately we could not give curve support on programmable units we offer. Simply because the needed data to create a curve is most of the time difficult to find and sometimes not reliable. You could ask your 123ignition dealer if they are willing to help you with creating your curve, most of the time they are more familiar with advance curves for the car brands they offer.

What kind of tablet or smartphone do I need for the wireless programmable TUNE+?

The app for the programmable 123\TUNE+ is available for iOS and Android. Please make sure your device offers Bluetooth 4.0 low energy and an up-to-date operating system (Android 4.4 or newer)

What PC operating systems does the USB programmable 123TUNE software run on?

The 123\TUNE runs on Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7. Unfortunately there is no iOS or Linux version available.

Note: USB A —> USB mini cable not included.

Will my tachometer (RPM meter) work with a 123ignition distributor?

Yes, by far most of the tachometers work in combination with a 123ignition.

RVI type tachometers manufactured by the Smiths Company, will not work properly without modification, though. Please see this document how to modify the RVI tachometer wiring.

If the rewiring does not solve the issue, then it is possible to modify the RVI. We know two companies which do this. They use the existing tachometer, where they replace the electronics with another printed circuit board. In the UK this is done by JDO-instruments ( www.jdo1.com ), and from the Netherlands this is done by CASU-Utrecht ( www.casu.nl )

Advance curve Tutorial

Video Tutorials

123\Tune+ App – Introduction

123\Tune+ App – Editing Advance Curves

How to install a 123ignition

Download our software

Here you can find the download links for the software and apps.

123\Tune PC software

123\Tune+ app