Date:         Sat, 23 May 1998 14:38:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Subject:      Re: I'm stumped! (misfire)
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM, dboehler@TAOS.MIDWEST.NET

>     While on that subject, I just got back from a California vacation and
> my 86 westy doesn't  seem to run as strong on Colorado  or California low
> octane gas as midwestern. You people need to add some more corn squeezins to
> your petro. Your  high octane gas  seemed to run ok.   Maybe the solution
> here is to install a digifant ecu that uses use a knock sensor. My son near
> SLO on the left coast has a 540 beemer that has over 10 to 1 engine
> compression ratio and can  use low octane gas. It uses a distant cousin to
> our vw digifant called a bosch motronic .  I think the knock sensor and
> knock sensor electronics  is a good thing and probably would help our
> beloved vans with a little more power. Probably not worth the expense and
> trouble but  does anyone know  of any vws that use a digifant with the knock
> sensor, and a good easy way to jump the compression ratio to 10-1 on a
> wasser boxer.

The knock sensor is a *very* nice addition -- in VW terms (according to
Probst) this is what makes "DigifantII" different from the "Digifant" used
in all Vanagons.  I think it would be impossible to add this, since the
Vanagon has two heads that need sensors, and DigifantII boxes use one.

The Digifant is not much of a "distant" cousin to Motronic -- it
is nearly identical -- more like a close (not twin) brother.  The difference
between the "Digijet" (VW's name for L-Jetronic) is that it is a fuel-
injection only system -- the ingition is totally separate (and why you can
add the California ECU without the California ignition -- which *I* would
have added -- it is the same as the early waterboxer ignition).

Malcolm Holser