Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 00:10:15 -0500
Reply-To: Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA>
Subject: Re: Digitool Installed, totally Excellent!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Well, the digitool (as well as it's sibling) the Digifant-tool, is a
box-like instrument module, about the size of a rectangular "coffee mug?",
with 2 sets of readouts, that is connected to the ecu via a wide ribbon
cable. The cable is long enough to reach the dash.
The module has a row of leds, with a legend, that show activity of the
starter, fuel injectors, fuel pump, coil etc - I forget 'em all, it's in the
van, darn it!
The is also a large LCD display, and a rotary selector switch with a legend.
The LCD shows voltage from the sending unit that is selected by the rotary
switch.
It shows O2 sensor, AFM, Temp 1, Temp 2, an independent probe that you can
connect to anything, and darn it, it's in the van - I can't remember what
else.
So, the leds, being basically binary, show activity (which is "cool" and
also useful) and the LCD shows the state of the voltages the ecu is getting
from the senders.
Now, since the cable gets connected to the ecu (soldered right onto the
ecu's board), the voltages are really very useful for extensive diagnostic
purposes, more so than if they were directly taken at the sending units
themselves.
More on the cable. The cable has 2 sections, a short 12" one, and a much
longer one. The short one has the actual wires laced out so it can be
soldered to the pins on the ecu's circuit board (where the main harness
connector is soldered). The other end of the short cable is a 25 pin female
connector.
This connector mates to a male connector, on the long cable that ends in the
digitool module. The purpose of the connector, is so that the tool can be
disconnected when not needed, without a big fuss.
In case anybody's confused, the short cable stays permanently attached to
the ecu. The long cable unplugs when not needed, and the digitool can be
stowed away.
Needless to say, I think it's ingenious.
Cheers!
Marshall
-----Original Message-----
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, May 15, 1999 11:25 PM
Subject: Re: Digitool Installed, totally Excellent!
>Please tell us more about this device!
>
>At 19:52 15/05/1999 -0500, Marshall Ruskin wrote:
>>Hi Volks:
>>
>>Today I was able to figure out how to remove my ecu, and therefore I was
>>able to install my Digitool (supplied by listee Darrell Boehler for about
>>$50 US).
>>
>>I am completely impressed with this piece of equipment.
>>
>>Now I can determine the state of all my FI senders (temp sensors, O2
sensor,
>>AFM etc!) while the engine is running, while sitting in the drivers seat!
>>
>>Five "Gold Stars" to Darrell Boehler for inventing and building this tool.
>>
>>Marshall Ruskin
>>84 Westy "Iron Igloo"
>>Founding Member of "Vanagon's Anonymous"
>>
>>
>
>-- David Marshall - Vanagon List Admin - Quesnel, BC, Canada --
>-- 78 VW Rabbit, 80 VW Caddy, 84 VW Westie, 85 VW Cabriolet --
>-- 87 Audi 5000 Quattro, 88 2.0L VW Syncro Double Cab --
>-- David's Volkswagen Home Page http://www.volkswagen.org --
>-- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning http://www.fastforward.ca --
>-- david@volkswagen.org (pmail) or vanagon@volkswagen.org (list) --
>
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