A method of improving the synchronization of the timing of a plurality of physically coupled print engines by detecting and eliminating misleading indications of a non-synchronized print engine that are essentially minimal variations caused by disturbances to the printer such as torque disturbances, power line voltage or frequency variations, etc. using a chosen number of consecutive changes in the time delay to result in the time delay of the receiver being handed off from one engine or module to a sequential engine or module before a machine error is declared. This method notes that a speed variation is sufficiently large or if a signal is reported that a module, operating within its speed specifications but near the end the limit of that specification, had been subjected to a small incremental change in module speed resulting in that module operating outside its specifications and takes corrective actions or not depending on the magnitude and or source of the variation.