The TIICO engine has a computer diagnosis port built into the ECU
function. The waterboxer Digijet and Digifant ECUs do NOT. Many shops do
have FI trouble shooting boxes that plug into the ECU harness connector
between it and the ECU. These boxes are sold with an assortment of
available ECU harness adapters including for Vanagons. The box has no
computer in it or any other electronics in it for that matter. It does
provide a way to connect external test equipment to the ECU and sensor
pins with the vehicle running. The mechanic may have referred to a piece
of external test equipment as "the computer" whether it was a true
computer or not.

Before the advent of OBD and particularly OBDII, there was no standard
way to connect a diagnostic computer to vehicles.
OBDII became a US Federal requirement with all passenger vehicles
beginning with the 1996 model year, AFAIK.

OBD = On Board Diagnostics

Mark

Bill Marshall wrote:
>
> If the digijet doesn't store engine codes, then how did a mechanic use a
> computer and program to find the particular problem on my '85?  I watched him do
> it.  In fact, the first question he asked me when we came in was, "Has the
> battery been disconnected?"
>
> Perhaps they are not engine codes in the same way modern cars have, but none
> the less the info is still there.  He pinpointed the problem in minutes.
>
> Bill Marshall
> 85 GL Tiico "Pandora's Box"
> Aurora, IL