# CIS and DIGIFANT, what the heck does it all mean?



## 8GreatValves (May 2, 2004)

Ok, i'm no idiot, and i'm fairly knowledgable about cars, but i mostly know about Hondas/Nissans and other Japanese cars, until someone gave me a Golf. And now i love volkswagens more than any other cars. But i've never been able to get straight answers to these questions. What's the difference between CIS, Cis-E, and Digifant? Are some fuel injected and oters carbeurated? And what the hell os OBD and OBD-2. Seems like alot of complications. Why did VW make all these wariations?This is really stupid, but even the "tech Support" people at alot of reputable websites haveno idea what i'm talking about when i ask. And also how the F**k do i find out what MY car has in it? It's a 1988 Volkswagen Golf GL 4 door with a 1.8 liter 8v in it. I know it's fuel injectel, and the Vin number starts with the number 1. In case that matters, because i think it does. Well hopefully someone can help me. And hopefully other people can learn from the responses because i'm sure someone out there wants to know the same thing as me, just doesnt wanna sound dumb and ask. But... i'm sure that at some point in your lives you all didnt know what all this crap meant. someone polease help. Thanks


_Modified by 8GreatValves at 2:24 PM 5-5-2004_


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## ncvwnut (Jun 5, 2000)

First things first, get a Bentley manual. It will explain many things. You have an '88 Golf so it is a digifant II car. CIS-Constant Injection System meaning it is a mechanical type of injection system. It only uses ECU for mixture issues. CIS-E is the same but electronically controlled meaning that you have a knock sensor. DigifantI/II are VWs propriatary Motronic knock off. Good system but not very tuneable. OBDI/II. On board diagnostics using one or two oxygen sensors. This is a very watered down but simple explanation.


_Modified by ncvwnut at 11:28 AM 5-5-2004_


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## CopperTopGTI (Feb 16, 2004)

*Re: (ncvwnut)*

im currently working on a wiring swap from an 86 golf into a 84 rabbit gti. what does the knock sensor look like and where is it located on the 86?? im not sure its cis-e because everything ive seen and looked at says the golf never had cis-e it went right to digi in 87. But i still have a suspicion that it has the cis-e. im using the entire harness and dash from the 86 to replace a destroyed one in the 84 and would like to use every feature i can in regards to engine control.. any help or hints??


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## ncvwnut (Jun 5, 2000)

most of my experience with CIS-E was on the 16v cars. I am not sure that the 8v had CIS-E then in the mid '87 car they went digifant. Knock sensor is a thick wire with a bolt through the end and attached under the first cylinder on the engine block.


_Modified by ncvwnut at 11:58 AM 5-5-2004_


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## adub96 (Nov 12, 2003)

*Re: (ncvwnut)*

mines under the second cylinder on the front of the block. Also cis is the one with all the stainless steel lines that go from the air box to the motor, digifant looks like any other motor from that era.


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## Longboarder (Jul 1, 2001)

*Re: (ncvwnut)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ncvwnut* »_First things first, get a Bentley manual. It will explain many things. You have an '88 Golf so it is a digifant II car. CIS-Constant Injection System meaning it is a mechanical type of injection system. It only uses ECU for mixture issues. CIS-E is the same but electronically controlled meaning that you have a knock sensor. *DigifantI/II are VWs propriatary Motronic knock off. Good system but not very tuneable. * OBDI/II. On board diagnostics using one or two oxygen sensors. This is a very watered down but simple explanation.

_Modified by ncvwnut at 11:28 AM 5-5-2004_
 
digifant 2 is not very tunable, but digifant 1 is, especially for boosted applications


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## adub96 (Nov 12, 2003)

*Re: (Longboarder)*

that is so true, i'm having trouble tuning my top end so i dont have a fuel problem and i just have a built up 1.8 with digi


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## ABA Scirocco (May 30, 2001)

*Re: (ncvwnut)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ncvwnut* »_most of my experience with CIS-E was on the 16v cars. I am not sure that the 8v had CIS-E 

The 85, 86 and 87 8v GTI's and GLI's had CIS-E. The easiest and surest way to distinguish between CIS and CIS-E is to look for one of these,








It's a control pressure regulator (aka warm-up regulator), only CIS systems have these, CIS-E system do not. On a VW, if present, they are located just to the left of the oil filter.


_Modified by ABA Scirocco at 10:03 AM 5-7-2004_


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## CopperTopGTI (Feb 16, 2004)

*Re: (ABA Scirocco)*

Now im sure ive got cis, but the one last question i have is which jetronic box should i use??? i have the one that was in the gti to start and i also have the one from the golf. Another thing i wasnt sure about is if i should use the golf distributor or the one i already have for the gti??


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## ABA Scirocco (May 30, 2001)

*Re: (CopperTopGTI)*

You're talking about an 86 Golf and an 84 GTI right? so they're both CIS, Since it's all going into an 84, it would probably be simplest to use the control box from the GTI, as for the dizzy, it doesn't matter.


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