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HankScorpio Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2010 Posts: 375 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject: 1972 Diagnostic Computer? |
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Anybody know what the diagnostic computer actually checked or if there is a practical use for the plug when working on the car?
Link
I'd love to have one of those computers. Just for the fun of it... |
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Glenn Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001 Posts: 76940 Location: Sneaking up behind you
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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I just checked lights, timing. There were no computers in the car so there was no data logging. _________________ Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare |
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HankScorpio Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2010 Posts: 375 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Glenn wrote: |
I just checked lights, timing. |
It checked the battery too (didn't you listen to Buzz?)
I assumed no data logging. I puzzled what you might check past voltage and current on a car where the only electronics are in the radio... (which mine never had)
I was curious if there was anything of value and I could see the potential for making use of the timing feature at very least. |
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julrich366 Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2006 Posts: 1306 Location: N.E. Ohio - aka "The Rustbelt"
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Do a search...you'll find quite a few people who use the plug
Such as:
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 1:02 pm Post subject:
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Speaking as someone who has just finishing restoring my engine compartment (including restoring the diagnostic harness)
THE THING IS ABSOLUTELY USEFUL.
As long as it hasn't been hacked up by thumb-fingered blingers more interested in appearance than functionality.
From my diag harness, I can crank the starter, close the ignition and start the car, check my dwell and rpm, performing stroboscopic timing (with a gun hooked up to the ring pulse transformer on the #1 wire) as well as check my generator output and battery charge.
All of this without even getting my hands greasy. So....useful? You betcha. With an intact diag system and a $7 multimeter and some jumpers, there isn't much in engine electricals that you can't diagnose.
But it can't be hacked up, and its connections do need to all be in place for it to be this useful. If you tune by instruments, rather than by ear, it is a brilliant piece of kit.
Now things like the 'light bulb' checks are a little silly. But lots of things it does are dead USEFUL.
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And here's some great information on the plug from Speedy Jim:
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/htm/plug.htm _________________ - John
'74 Vert ..lot's to still do. |
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MrVWGuy Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2010 Posts: 643 Location: North of Pittsburgh PA
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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As I understand it, the attached computer could also check the relative compression of each cylinder based on the crankshaft position sensor & the voltage drop from the starter! Pretty darn engenius those German engineers were back in the day. |
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HankScorpio Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2010 Posts: 375 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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MrVWGuy wrote: |
Pretty darn engenius those German engineers were back in the day. |
I'm an Electrical engineer in the aviation industry and I have to admit I believe modern technology has made us fat and lazy compared to previous generations. I think in past technical limitation force engineers to find more creative solutions and the lack of calculators and simulation software bred a stronger basic understanding of how things work. |
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Bookwus Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2003 Posts: 1786 Location: City of Roses
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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Hiya Hank,
I had most of the components in the VW Diagnostic System. I sold those components a few years back.
The Diagnostic System would check about 70 items onboard the car. The actual number varied from year to year and model to model. Most of those 70 (or so) items checked were not input by the computer. Rather they were entered by a technician with a hand-held "paddle". By the way that paddle (it's blue) is visible in the commercial as Buzz walks over to the computer units.
It worked like this........after the car was plugged in a program card (made of plastic and you see this also in the commercial being read by the input reader) for a particular model was inserted into the computer. This card program directed the tests and set the standards for each model of car. As the computer did its monitoring jobs, the technician added his inputs. Those inputs were in the form of + and -. This was strictly a go, no-go kinda evaluation. This was very much a stone-age type computer. The printer would spit out a form listing the items checked and the results.
VW actually used this system as much for marketing (probably more - witness the commercial you linked) as for any sort of diagnostic work. _________________ Mike
1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck
Have an AutoStick? Check out www.auto-stick.com |
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mnussbau Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2006 Posts: 4589 Location: Central Maryland
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Bookwus wrote: |
VW actually used this system as much for marketing (probably more - witness the commercial you linked) as for any sort of diagnostic work. |
And I actually expected Buzz to say that the computer used to diagnose your bug was more powerful than the one in Apollo XI! _________________ Mike
Sold my sedan
Parts... |
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Greezy Joe Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2010 Posts: 1534 Location: Crawfordville, Fl
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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mnussbau wrote: |
Bookwus wrote: |
VW actually used this system as much for marketing (probably more - witness the commercial you linked) as for any sort of diagnostic work. |
And I actually expected Buzz to say that the computer used to diagnose your bug was more powerful than the one in Apollo XI! |
_________________ Current:74 Ghia Coupe w/ 2276
71 Ghia Vert w/ 1835
07 GMC Truck
12 Jeep Wrangler
73 Harley FLH 93 cid
89 Harley 883 Sportster (1200)
Owned before: 58, 69 Ghia Coupes, 64 Canvas Sunroof, 68, 72, 73, & 74 Bugs, 63 Single Cab, 65 Bus, 66 & 70 Camper
" Duct tape can't fix stupid, but it'll muffle the sound". |
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po7g Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2004 Posts: 461 Location: Crown Point, Indiana
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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I use to work for VW recently let go and the new TDIs can tell you running compression with the glow plugs now that was cool to see. they computers in the new cars are crazy and to think it all started from 72 to 2011 cars and still going. |
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Vinnems Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2008 Posts: 1183 Location: Simi Valley, CA
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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Does the computer make those cool beeping sound like in the end of the commercial? because that's the deal breaker for me. |
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forested665 Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2010 Posts: 258 Location: Harriman
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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You dont even need the computer. a decent multimeter can perform all the functions that the computer did.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bug_72.jpg
If you look to the right it has all the pins numbered. if you look in the schematic the numbers are circled throughout it and tied into different places in the schematic. most of these are just test points (see if you have 12 volts) before i even knew i was staring at the reverse light fuse (didnt know it was next to the coil) i used the test point to determine that there was 0 voltage after the fuse.
As for all of those you dont even need a voltmeter you can use an elcheapo 12v bulb or lamp from radioshack.
the one that gets pricey trying to use is the inductive sensor on the plug wire as your meter has to be capable of measuring inductance, most of them dont. |
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Lettuce Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2009 Posts: 749 Location: Socal
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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some of the wiring can be useful. The battery check wire is pre ran though the firewall next to the main harness for installing a tach or other instruments, for your convenience.
The plug and everything else, not so much. Its almost easier to hook up a timing light or dwell meter without fiddling with the socket. You don't need wiring running everywhere that might carry current either. I have the socket and everything, but it isnt hacked so I'll remove it eventually. |
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