# Cheap VAG-COM



## laser21 (Jan 25, 2012)

Hi, Im pretty new to this forum, and I have seen, that finding a problem in the phaeton is pretty hard withou a Vag com or a similar tool. I looked in ebay and found really cheap tools like this one: http://www.ebay.de/itm/VAG-COM-OBD2...iagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3a7074dd98

would it work with the phaeton, or what should I be looking for?
I would like to adjust the day lights, be able to read out some errors, pretty small stuff.
Thanks


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## dlouie (Oct 31, 2008)

What's your name mister?

FYI, they are bootleg 3rd party units that will probably get you frustrated when you find out you can't do what you need it to do.

Damon


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## jyoung8607 (Feb 14, 2006)

You can buy the cable and software licensing directly from Ross-Tech here:

http://store.ross-tech.com/shop/cat/VCDS.html

Yes, it is possible to find ancient pirate versions on eBay for pennies (what you linked above). Yes, it's possible to find specially-hacked pirated versions only out of date by two or three years that work with Chinese cloned hardware on eBay for a little more. You get what you pay for. Neither will give you recent features you'll need, important updates to the Phaeton label files (two of which were just added last month), support and upgrades from Ross-Tech, etc.

For MY2006 and older Phaetons, you can get by with a K2-USB interface. For newer models, and to be ready if you buy a new VW/Audi in the future, consider a HEX-CAN interface. The Ross-Tech guys make a good product and it's worth every penny. They provide excellent support, and we can also help you here in this forum. It will pay for itself the first time you don't have to take the car to a dealer. If the price is a deal-breaker, then to be brutally frank, you may have bought the wrong car. 

Jason


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## n968412L (Apr 23, 2009)

I would also recommend you bite the bullet and buy the right thing from Ross Tech. If you plan to keep the car any time, or even better, have any other VW or Audi motor, and value the peace of mind of being able to see what's going on... then you should buy one. Another factor is the support on this forum. I think all the help I've seen offered here comes from people familiar with Ross Tech's up-to-date products. You'll probably struggle to get as much help from forum members if your interface is different or out of date.

I know you can buy a small car for what a VAG Com costs... but you bought a big car anyway....


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## laser21 (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks for your suggestions! I asked, because I didnt know the difference. It all looks pretty much the same 
Ill buy a rosstech, 

Lukas


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## ramtor (Jan 1, 2006)

*I think for $100 is a better deal, works especially well with VW guided giagnostic*








VAS-5054A Bluetooth/USB adapter


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi ramtor,

Please can you tell me what is the PC software name and version number supplied with this piece of hardware?

Cheers,
Chris

Edit - update - the device seems to be a cloned piece of hardware emulating the VW kit. It seems likely that the software is cloned too, unless the user has bought a licence from VW. But maybe I'm wrong. More member comments here in the 'Tools and Machining' forum.


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## jyoung8607 (Feb 14, 2006)

Yeah, it's Chinese clone hardware with stolen VAS-PC software. The Real Deal costs several thousand dollars plus an expensive support and upgrade subscription. The clones are marketed for about $200, plus or minus on eBay. The things that are traditionally "special" about the VAS kits, matching keys to your immobilizer and flash updates and such, can't be done with the cloned hardware because they require a subscription and connectivity back to VW. It takes up an incredible amount of space, it's slow, and it's fragile. There's a little value in GFF, especially for newer vehicles where the repair manuals say "use GFF" in place of real documentation, but that's it. For that same money you can get a fully legit VCDS interface with software support and upgrades, and it will do everything that does and more. 

Full disclosure: I have one in the toolkit. That does make me a bit of a hypocrite, I guess. The only time I really used it was to check my work building Phaeton label files.


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## Passat2001_5lover (Dec 11, 2001)

*Will it run on a MAC?*

The VAGCOM site clearly shows that their software works on a *PC*. After about 20 years of being a die-hard PC fan, I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to Apple (MacBook Pro).... so not only would I be expected to buy their kit, but a PC computer just to run their software. 

There must be some Phaeton owners out there that own Apple computers that also have a VAGCOM...I just do not know how to convert their PC software to my Apple hardware.:facepalm:


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

> jyoung8607:
> Yeah, it's Chinese clone hardware


Thanks for the info, Jason, very helpful.




> Passat2001_5lover:
> ...how to convert their PC software to my Apple hardware


I think the VCDS software itself might run under a Windows virtual machine running on the Mac. It doesn't seem to need a huge amount of procesor time, but I would wonder about the availability of USB drivers. You might find the serial port version of the VCDS hardware adapter would be OK, if your Mac has a serial port, or has a USB serial port converter with Mac drivers.

Only a guess.

Cheers,
Chris


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## Passat2001_5lover (Dec 11, 2001)

Chris,
Thanks for the info. I know PC emulators exist for my MacBook but I have not gotten any...


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

There are a few old forum threads about running VCDS on a Mac, but the concensus is to boot the Apple laptop hardware into Windows instead of OSX. This means you have to buy a copy of 'bootcamp' dual boot software, and already have (or buy) a legal Windows CD.

Frankly it's better to dust off that ancient Windows XP laptop a relative discarded and just use that in your garage. VCDS is happy to run on flea-power processing.

I use a 10-year old Packard Bell XP laptop, and apart from the battery lasting just about no time, it runs fine.

Cheers,
Chris


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## Expoman (May 15, 2011)

As I am not likely to be doing any repairs myself, is there any point in my acquiring a VAG-COM from RossTech?

I must admit I do like the idea of being able to scan the car for faults doubtless because I do love a gadget anyway, but I can see some value in being able to get a non-dealer assessment of the cars state and I do have a suitable oldish Windows Laptop that should do the job based on what Chris has said above.

One other question - where on the Phaeton does one plug the thing in?

Many thanks,
Best,
Steven


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

I work with electronics and data, so it seems natural to want to view what the car says. But the downside is that you could worry unnecessarily about the odd message (and some of them ARE odd!).

After all, we basically want to enjoy the car and actually just drive it, without being a hypochondriac on its behalf.

The VCDS cable plugs into a neat socket behind the big hinged access hatch under the steering wheel, that's the panel that always looks as if it isn't properly pushed closed on one side, but is.

Chris


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## snapdragon (Aug 8, 2006)

Yes, I use a Macbook Pro. I just made a 10GB partition with Bootcamp (in the utilities folder) and installed Windows 7, ELSA, EKTA & VCDS.

You can also get a free virtual machine called Virtualbox, it is very good, I use it at work to run ELSA & EKTA on my Desktop Mac, and it does run VCDS, but no idea if it works with the car as I can't get the car plugged into my office Mac.


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## stefanuk (Jul 7, 2010)

Just to add to this thread, and i guess mainly for those who have more than 1 VW, and specifically with electronic handbrakes, when i had my brakes changed recently at an independant and while chatting with the fitter he was saying that a VAG COM is needed to release the parking brake to enable changing of rear pads and discs. 

Stefan


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

This is not true.


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## Expoman (May 15, 2011)

Paximus said:


> I work with electronics and data, so it seems natural to want to view what the car says. But the downside is that you could worry unnecessarily about the odd message (and some of them ARE odd!).
> 
> After all, we basically want to enjoy the car and actually just drive it, without being a hypochondriac on its behalf.
> 
> ...


 Chris, your point about becoming a Phateon hypochondriac had convinced me however I was at the dealer this morning to have my new front tyres fitted and I asked them to look at a couple of things, e.g. since the LHS battery saga, my push button start no longer works. 

A perfect pleasant discussion ensued as to whether or not this could make any difference and I terminated it by asking the service manager, very nicely, if they could just give it a scan to see what it throws up. 

That of course was my Eureka moment and why RossTech are about to see a couple of hundred of my hard earned dollars - it's true, knowledge is power! 

The clincher is that what I don't understand, clever people like you, Willem, Pierre and, of course, Michael do thus even my being a dunce in this area won't prove a handicap!! 

Finally, of course, the gadget element of it has exerted the same sort of pull on me that the post on replacing suspension parts had on Stu................:laugh: 

Off to the RossTech website! 

All best, 
Steven


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

By definition, no Phaeton owners are 'dunces', they are the creme de la creme! :laugh::laugh:


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

Paximus said:


> I work with electronics and data, so it seems natural to want to view what the car says.
> ...


 Past a certain stage, you don't want to know anymore. I am in front of a computer 90% of the time I'm awake. I bought a cable 2 years ago, did a scan once, and put all aside since then :laugh:


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## Expoman (May 15, 2011)

Paximus said:


> By definition, no Phaeton owners are 'dunces', they are the creme de la creme! :laugh::laugh:


 Ah, bless you Chris!


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## Expoman (May 15, 2011)

Zaphh said:


> Past a certain stage, you don't want to know anymore. I am in front of a computer 90% of the time I'm awake. I bought a cable 2 years ago, did a scan once, and put all aside since then :laugh:


 Pierre, 

Maybe I can buy your cable??? 

Best, 
Steven


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

At some point, my local garage (for my other non-VW cars) needed to do a scan + reset a few things on an audi, and as he knew I had the ross-tech cable, he asked whether he could use it for his customer. Since the thing was sleeping in a drawer for a year, I installed the software on his laptop and lent him the cable for an indefinite amount of time (I had rather him use it than sitting in my drawer)... 

So he has it now... 

P.


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