OBD= On Board Diagnostic, it's the system that you're referring to as the "car's computer". Changes were made in '95, going from the OBD I to the more advanced OBD II system. If you did the gas pedal trick correctly and it didn't work, maybe you have an OBD II; maybe '95 was a split year
I don't know how it records the data or if the Check Engine light (CEL) needs to be lit. But I do know that some parts can still operate badly and not trigger the CEL. And some problems can be compound. For example, I had a CEL a while back indicating the throttle position sensor was at fault. In actuality it was working fine, and it turns out the Idle control valve was at fault. But it was causing the TPS to try and compensate, thereby triggering the CEL.
I suggested that short list because it sounds like it's a fuel or air issue, but I could be wrong . .