Too far advanced: Spark knock (also known as preignition), Hard starting, Damage to pistons, and Poor Performance. Overheating and very sluggish performance.
Take it to the dealer
Right side of the engine behind the cam cover.
No, but faulty water pump or thermostat can.
Not unless they are damaged or faulty.
The timing belt of a vehicle is responsible for linking the activities of the crankshaft and camshaft. A damaged timing belt could be responsible for a faulty engine.
You can't set it, since there is no distributer. The computer controls it. If you suspect the ignition timing is off, then it could be caused by the computer (ECM) malfunctioning (unlikely) or one of the numerous sensors is faulty and is send the wrong signal to the computer.
Bad points , leaking or fryed coil, shorted wires leading to timing device.
If there is no trouble while shifting, then the problem most likely is with the ignition sequence. This could be caused by bad gasoline, a bad timing assembly or faulty spark plugs/wires.
Probably not. But it could be caused by a "pickup coil", rotor, distributor cap, loose connection... lots of other possibilities. I don't see how. Backfiring is usually caused by improper timing. When a coil goes bad it usually just quits.
The timing of the symptoms is also important, because it indicates what activities set off the symptoms, such as while reading a book or having the hands placed on the steering wheel.
A faulty fuel pump could do that or a faulty timing belt (if equipped) could also do that. If it is a Ford, it could be the ignition module too.
Check the plug gap / check timing , check jets in carb