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Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer?
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:43 pm    Post subject: Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer? Reply with quote

Hi everyone,
Does anyone know of an original working VW diagnostic "computer" from the 70's? As you may remember many of the 70's VW's had a port/plug on the firewall that the dealer would plug into and generate a printed report on the car. My 1972 Karmann Ghia has the port, and I wonder if it still works? I have some of the dealer printouts from my uncle's 1973 Karmann Ghia that he had dealer serviced for many years. The printout is very interesting to read. Any info?

Thanks,
Zack
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69 Jim
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I heard Russ Wolfe had one surgically implanted on one of his thumbs.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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The number match the numbers on the schematics.
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Russ Wolfe
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Start here.
http://classicvw.org/gallery2/v/partsbook/Autoscan-Diagnostics/

And no Jim, I can't plug my finger into the diagnostic socket.
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone still have a NOS working "computer"?


Zack
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zack1978 wrote:
Anyone still have a NOS working "computer"?


Zack

Does it have to be NOS? Is Old and Used still OK?
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No machine, but I have the sign that they used to hang above the test bay.
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Tylinol
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't have the means or skill to do this, but if someone had the computer I wonder if it would be possible to reverse engineer/emulate it on a modern PC, then adapt the diagnostic plug to plug in to the USB port.
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenn wrote:
Zack1978 wrote:
Anyone still have a NOS working "computer"?


Zack

Does it have to be NOS? Is Old and Used still OK?



Yes used working is what I meant...sorry. It would just be interesting to actually see one of the machines in person. Do you think they still exist?

I would guess most of the dealers just tossed them in the trash years ago? Hell if you call most VW dealers today they usually don't even know what a Karmann Ghia is!


Zack
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tylinol wrote:
I don't have the means or skill to do this, but if someone had the computer I wonder if it would be possible to reverse engineer/emulate it on a modern PC, then adapt the diagnostic plug to plug in to the USB port.



I don't have the skill either, but interesting idea!


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think someone her has one.

The dealers tossed them the same time they tossed all the air cooled parts from the shelves.
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KTPhil wrote:
No machine, but I have the sign that they used to hang above the test bay.


Want to sell it?

Zack
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Zack1978
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenn wrote:
I think someone her has one.

The dealers tossed them the same time they tossed all the air cooled parts from the shelves.



What a shame! Is it me or did VW seem to move away from air-cooled cars very fast in terms of parts production? My other passion besides my Karmann Ghis is a Toyota Land Cruiser, and it seems that Toyota almost always has parts for the old Cruisers. I wonder why? I guess there was little profit to be made from air-cooled parts?


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tylinol wrote:
I don't have the means or skill to do this, but if someone had the computer I wonder if it would be possible to reverse engineer/emulate it on a modern PC, then adapt the diagnostic plug to plug in to the USB port.


It's my understanding that it is not worth the trouble, as the machine didn't tell you anything you couldn't easily figure out on your own. For instance, burnt light bulbs. I'm getting the impression that it was more trouble than it was worth in the first place. We have discussed it before in the beetle forum. If I remember correctly, there are few people here that have a few of the pieces and I'm sure there are a few people with the computer intact, that aren't speaking up because they don't want to be bothered with offers.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:53 pm    Post subject: autoscan Reply with quote

piemat, You are right on about the AutoScan/Diag. machine.
i still remember all the FREE coupons that came in the warranty booklet
and the customers would try to come in the service area to watch.
we had ours set up next to the alignment rack next to the Autoscan on the overhead track.

and we did alot of Bull-sh*tting to the customer's since only a portion of the machine would function. Laughing

within a year after the watercooled cars came out (dasher) 1974
the machine went bye-bye.
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VWMANIA72
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer? Reply with quote

I so happen to have one that actually works still! I have been looking all over the internet to see if there is any other in existence and so far I have come up with nothing! I have been searching for one of these Autoscan 4020 machines for years and then one day walked into an old school VW shop and low and behold Shocked I asked the old mechanic if he would ever sell it and told me that when he retired that he would reach out to me. 6 months later he called me and asked me if i was still interested!! I won't disclose what I paid for it but it is now in my collection.
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 7:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer? Reply with quote

Very cool to have found that!

That's part of it, but I think there is another console where you inserted the punch cards to indicate the car model being diagnosed, and the printer that gave the results.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here is a different model:
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And these show the whole setup including wheel alignment hardware:
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And here are good threads on the subject (which I bet you already saw):
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=720303
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256918

Also, here is dealer training material:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/dlt_computerdiagnosis.php

I thought I's scored the whole setup when I pestered an independent shop that had the sign still in the bay. He thought the rest was in a storage unit at the back of the site. We went in, but he said apparently it had been sold or given away, because it was nowhere to be found. Drat!


Last edited by KTPhil on Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:34 am; edited 4 times in total
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wheel607
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zack1978 wrote:
Glenn wrote:
I think someone her has one.

The dealers tossed them the same time they tossed all the air cooled parts from the shelves.



What a shame! Is it me or did VW seem to move away from air-cooled cars very fast in terms of parts production? My other passion besides my Karmann Ghis is a Toyota Land Cruiser, and it seems that Toyota almost always has parts for the old Cruisers. I wonder why? I guess there was little profit to be made from air-cooled parts?



I was there and "little profit" had nothing to do with it. The Rabbit came along and changed everything. Volkswagen was getting slammed on crash tests of the Beetle. Government intervention along with people being artificially motivated for change is what really happened to the air cooled VW as most of us know it. And as for this diagnostic piece of equipment...……..the person that stated the fact of the "free coupons" was exactly right. This was a tool used for SELLING, I mean UPSELLING. If a machine read out that you needed something, people, most people just said yes. I ran one of these machines and it had a 90% sales rate. This was MUCH more than any service writer or service manager could do.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 9:15 am    Post subject: Re: Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer? Reply with quote

VWMANIA72 wrote:
I so happen to have one that actually works still! I have been looking all over the internet to see if there is any other in existence and so far I have come up with nothing! I have been searching for one of these Autoscan 4020 machines for years and then one day walked into an old school VW shop and low and behold Shocked I asked the old mechanic if he would ever sell it and told me that when he retired that he would reach out to me. 6 months later he called me and asked me if i was still interested!! I won't disclose what I paid for it but it is now in my collection.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Us VW line mechanic's shared a couple of those analyzers for tune ups, however the VW diagnosis machine is different and my dealership only had one of them as they were very expensive and worked in conjunction with a floor dyno.

If you want to see one go to the archives section of the Samba and under literature for 1973 beetle in the English section it shows partial pictures of the machine.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:30 am    Post subject: Re: Does anyone know of a working original VW Diag Computer? Reply with quote

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/69diagnosis.php

This looks like it dates from the early (or pre-) introduction of the system... drawings and discussions of how to "sell" this capability to customers.
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