Date:         Fri, 22 Mar 2002 19:55:46 EST
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      digifant/ digijet? little vanagon content me thinks
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Warning this is quazi-Vanagon at best.

I just got a 93 VW Fox with California emissions and Digifant I fuel
injection. My 83 water-cooled Vanagon has Digijet fuel injection. But I think
the later busses had the Digifant fuel injection (?).

The Fox is a California emissions vehicle and so has a different Digifant
(Digifant I) than the other 49 state models (which have Digifant II) as I
understand. The Digifant I has an engine monitoring system that registers
faults in the FI system that can be read on a special VW computer.

Did Vanagons ever share this Digifant I? And the real question is on the
Digifant I can one reset the timing in the driveway? There is talk in the Fox
Bentley of reconfiguring the engine monitoring system on the Fox once the
timing is adjusted. The monitoring system is connected to a check engine
light and holds codes that can be read when hooked up to a computor that will
help diagnose the error in the system. (Needless to say I don't have the VW
computer needed to accomodate the reconfiguration.)

To adjust the timing the Fox has be brought up to 2500 RPMs with the temp 2
sensor disconnected according to Bentley. Then adjusted and checked at idle.
And then the diagnostic system has to be reset to disregard the fault
registered when the temp sender was disconnected. My guess is until the
diagnotic system is reset the "check engine" light will be illuminated as a
result of the temp 2 senor disconnect.

My problem is a rough idle on the Fox. But the engine performs great at
speed, just passed smog, gets great gas mileage-- runs normal (the timing is
controlled by the computer at speed me thinks, but not at idle.). Also the
Fox seems to perform fine at idle when it is first started until the throttle
is opened for the first time by pushing on the gas pedal--which might get the
engine off the default setting (?) (It's not a cold engine vs. warm engine
problem).

The timing registers as being off and uneven with the idle speed within specs
and the timing light hooked up. And all this apprehension comes because
everything in the engine compartment is sealed off with some kind of paint
seemingly loaded up at the factory filling in spots where the idle screw is
and the like. The bolt on the distributor to adjust the timing is capped to
avoid access to the bolt. (the bolt can be released by removing the cap with
a secret pin). There's also a sticker that says the engine never needs
adjusting--although Bentley states the timing can be adjusted as above.

Any experience with the Digifant I will be appreciated. If the Digifant I is
not in the Vanagon ever, any information P-mailed to me will be appreciated.

I hit a few Fox lists on the internet, but mostly no one has the experience
with the Digifant I -- and no list is as knowledgeable as the Vanagon list.

TIA
Jeff
83.5 Westy (160K miles)
93 Fox (54 K miles)