Over a decade of leadership in aftermarket diagnostics for VW-Audi Group vehicles. 2000:The first truly affordable, full-function diagnostic system for VW/Audi. Constantly updated software has ensured compatibility with all VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda passenger cars through the current model year ever since.
I am looking to get some sort of diagnostic tool for my 56 plate VW Polo 1.9Tdi (100bhp) for DIY maintenance. I've been looking on ebay etc and there seems to be all sorts of diagnostic tools at varying price levels. I often read 'vag com' mentioned on here. Is this the 'best' type of diagnostic tool? What should I be looking for?
Can anyone give me some advice on what I should go for, where I should get it from, and how much I should pay? PM me if neccessary
Many thanks in advance!
Not used it, but wouldn't be hard for it to be better than Ross-Tech's VAG-COM (which is very crude software).
Ross-tech do several versions, so if you've got an older VAG, then might be OK.
They also do a 'Lite' version (can use a generic lead), which would be compareable to those fault code readers. Might be OK for very basic stuff.
Worth watching out on eBay for 2nd copies of older versions of Ross-Tech - got a 2nd hand Ross-Tech VAG-COM v908 lead and software for about £50 (watch out for hooky stuff though )
Not used it, but wouldn't be hard for it to be better than Ross-Tech's VAG-COM (which is very crude software).
I've got the USB Hex+CAN version and, although it wasn't cheap, it just works & I wouldn't be without it. I admit it hasn't got fancy graphics etc, but it does exactly what it needs to do! I even used its TDI injection timing tool to show the Skoda main dealer that they'd got the injection timing wrong when changing my cambelt, and the mechanic commented that it looked better than their factory tool. They had to mark the timing points on a paper printout of a graph, whereas VCDS drew in on the screen in real time.
I've also found Ross Tech's support great. Their staff hang out on lots of VW/Audi type forums, and seem very up for helping people.
I've never tried anyone else's products though, so there might be other great products out there.
http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCHU.html
The CAN bit of the product name means it works with newer cars too. I don't know if yours will be CAN bus or not. My 2002 Octavia just needs the HEX bit of it, but I figured I might as well get one that will work with whatever car I buy next too!
EDIT: Just found this table on Ross Tech's website. Seems to suggest you don't need CAN for 2006 Polo (type 9N) as it's got red and blue arrows. Newer stuff is going CAN though, and so doesn't have the red arrow. The blue arrow (what I've got) works with everything.
http://www.ross-tech.net/VCDS/download/VCDSCompati...
This is a bit cheaper if you don't need the CAN bus support:
http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCKU.html
Or, if you don't need CAN bus, you can buy a cheap 'dumb' lead and use with the shareware version of Ross Tech's software. That doesn't do everything, but should read fault codes. Missing features in shareware version listed here:
http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/vag-functions.htm...
Lots of people buy cheap leads from ebay, some of which work and some of which don't. If I was buying a cheap lead, I think I'd go with that same company and get this:
http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VAGUSB.html
I've never tried one, but hopefully it'll be a bit less hit or miss than the ebay ones seem to be.
There are very few tasks you could attempt with VAG-COM without following the directions from their website, which are sometimes a bit misleading, or simply to brief, without what-if's covered.
Ross-Tech do seem to put all their effort into the background knowledge underlying the software, which, to be fair, is second to none.
Pity it isn't incorporated into the software better.
My angle on this, is that as someone who has developed technical systems for workshop/industrial use, there is just so much room for improvement in VAG-COM ...
Looks like I should be budgeting a lot more than I expected
Once again, thanks for all the info/advice
Older versions of VAG-COM used a simple serial number system, and a generic lead.
The software was simple to crack, and there are copies to be found on warez sites and pirate bay.
As already mentioned, there are generic leads availiable which might (hypothetically) work with a cracked version.
These would probably work for pre-CAN VAG vehicles.
At some stage, Ross-Tech got wise to this and starting to ship leads with a built in dongle.
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Judging from the overall software skills of ross-tech, the dongle protection system will be a 3rd party plugin, and proabably difficult to crack. Cloning one of these leads isn't rocket science, so I would imagine there are some chinese copies out there
If you can't or don't want to stretch to that, or you just want basic functionality to read fault codes, then the Ross Tech shareware software lets you do some basic stuff perfectly legally and for free. It works with a cheap 3rd party lead like this one:
http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VAGUSB.html
As I said before, I haven't actually tried that particular lead, but hopefully it'd be OK. Some of the cheap ebay ones aren't... And I think your car isn't CAN bus, so I think it should all work.
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