# Terminal 15



## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

What is terminal 15? I see it referenced alot on many of the options.


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

Read the repair manual.

How to read wiring diagrams section.

Auto-scans are required for questions here.

Follow the rules.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

Can you provide a source to obtain a repair manual? When I checked with bentley for a manual they don't even have 2011! 

I had a scan already posted. Did not know EVERY post required a scan especially for a generic question like this.


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

Sorry to disagree with you and to take this thread further off topic. The terminal 15 is referenced dozens of times in the vcds software making it relavent to this forum. I also reread the forum rules and did not see or missed the requirements that all posts have to have an auto scan. If the mods feel otherwise let then respond, delete or edit the post.

Back on topic... Can someone provide a helpful response to the original question? Is term 15 the same as VACC+ like with key on or something?


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## bearthebruce (Dec 23, 2005)

jnmarshall said:


> Can you provide a source to obtain a repair manual? When I checked with bentley for a manual they don't even have 2011!


AFAIK, Bentley Publishers are not planning to make any manuals for newer models. Your only choice for 2010 and newer is to use the erWin website for repair information.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

bearthebruce said:


> AFAIK, Bentley Publishers are not planning to make any manuals for newer models. Your only choice for 2010 and newer is to use the erWin website for repair information.


Thanks for the info. Any chance you can answer the original question

What is terminal 15?


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

No worries. I'll contact Rosstech on monday to return the product. If this is the expected support then this is not a product or forum for me.

Thanks man!




[email protected] Parts said:


> PM from jnmarshall
> 
> "You know you could have been helpful and decent actually providing a real answer instead of being a jerk and wasting everyone's time with your useless response. "
> 
> ...


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## My1stIbi (Oct 15, 2010)

Gentlemen (I presume), I'm not a mod, but could we play nice!

@jnmarshall: you could at least state which car you we're working on when you got the reference to Terminal 15. An auto-scan could help with that...

On my car Terminal 15 refers to the ignition switch.


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## Silentbobs (Apr 27, 2003)

Terminal 15 on most German cars refers to battery power with ignition switch on. Terminal 30 is always hot and 31 is ground. Hope that helps.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

My1stIbi said:


> Gentlemen (I presume), I'm not a mod, but could we play nice!
> 
> @jnmarshall: you could at least state which car you we're working on when you got the reference to Terminal 15. An auto-scan could help with that...
> 
> On my car Terminal 15 refers to the ignition switch.


Thank you my friends. That is the kind of answer I would have expected. Not sure why the need for an autoscan or reference to a site charging 2,000 euro's/year for a subscription (not applicable to US residents), or rude comments like "read a repair manual". It's a generic question because many of the check box options in the software are labeled "this feature enabled with terminal 15"


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## My1stIbi (Oct 15, 2010)

Again, if you post an auto-scan or at least mention the car your talking about, visitors here can give a more accurate answer. It could well be Terminal 15 means something else for your car than it does for mine.

off-topic: You can download manuals from erWin for $25 (more or less), as much as you want, for 1 day.


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## Silentbobs (Apr 27, 2003)

[email protected] Parts said:


> The answer that was given. "How to read wiring diagrams" was the correct answer.
> 
> Just knowing what terminal 15 is, especially in an ignition circuit, depending on where it is being referenced, could kill you. If not handled proper for a close secondary ignition circuit.


I am a little confused with this comment. When can terminal 15 kill you if it isn't referenced properly. Terminal 15 is simply ignition switch on so 12.6v, how is this going to kill you??? The secondary ignition circuit is not part of terminal 15, it is its own circuit. Also the name calling makes you look very unprofessional and really is uncalled for.


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## Silentbobs (Apr 27, 2003)

[email protected] Parts said:


> Terminal 15 is also used in the secondary part of a ignition system such as the coil ,and if back fed can even keep a car running in an unsafe manner if shorted to hot B+.


I think you may be confused with this statement. terminal 15 is not part of the secondary ignition system. It is part of the primary system for sure but not the secondary. As far as your conduct is concerned, if I was VCDS I would probably ask you to stop posting like a jackass every time someone doesn't include a full scan.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

Well since this thread went completely off topic...


My1stIbi said:


> off-topic: You can download manuals from erWin for $25 (more or less), as much as you want, for 1 day.


In the US it's $35/day. The material is protected media displaying one page at a time and doesn't appear to be downloadable content. At least that's what I gathered from the FAQs after registering yesterday. The US site is different from the one Bruce referenced above. The referenced site appears to be accessible for those NOT living in the US so I could not even register and it does show any subscription of a day or more comes with downloadable privileges.


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## jnmarshall (Aug 25, 2011)

[email protected] Parts said:


> Hello Semi BooB NooB
> ...
> 
> Your comment is not helpful with maintaining safety or rules of post procedures in this forum.


JackO,

Why do you feel the need to keep refering to rules about posting that CLEARLY you yourself have not read? They are posted here for your reference. The original post did NOT violate any rules. And does NOT require a full AutoScan... I probably should have provided a little more info like year or model. But since the VCDS software is littered with this reference, it seemed like something that RossTech should document.




[email protected] Parts said:


> ...
> I may not be always correct, or nice with my name calling. That is my choice if I want to be unprofessional. Personally, I like being the odd ball.
> 
> I have no code of conduct to conform to.
> ...


We all got it already! you pay good money here to be rude and helpless. You've made that clear at least twice if not more in this thread alone. Don't you have any REAL customer's to harass?


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## Uwe (Jan 16, 2000)

Silentbobs said:


> Terminal 15 on most German cars refers to battery power with ignition switch on. Terminal 30 is always hot and 31 is ground. Hope that helps.


Correct. 
Terminal 15 = Switched power, live when the ignition is on. 
Terminal 30 = Unswitched power, always live
Terminal 31 = Ground

It might be worth noting that some control modules in newer cars don't have a physical connection to Terminal 15, instead they listen for CAN messages which tell them when the ignition is switched ON and OFF.

-Uwe-


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

You missed the point.


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

This content VACATED and moved by Jack :heart:
I recommend to see the RT forum directly for intelligent conversation.


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## d-9 (Apr 24, 2012)

Sorry for reviving a 3 year old thread, but I just thought [email protected] Parts would appreciate the fact that his rant above is the top hit in google for "VW Terminal 15". Way to advertise!


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## [email protected] Parts (Nov 27, 2006)

Respect is earned not just given freely......


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## DubSteve68 (May 11, 2013)

...And another six years on, still the top result for *Terminal 15* searches.

Shame it took until posts #11 and #12 before anyone saw fit to answer the question. It's a poor show to see certain people putting more energy into _avoiding_ providing an answer than being a helpful member of the community.

Thanks to *My1stIbi* and *Silentbobs* for actually providing an answer, plus of course *Uwe* for going the extra distance.

Cheers all, DubSteve


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## JOG (Nov 27, 2020)

Wow! I had to register to express my amazement at how badly the innocent question was responded to! Is this really representative of vwvortex.com? I’m a complete newbie to this subject matter


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## JOG (Nov 27, 2020)

Uwe said:


> Correct.
> Terminal 15 = Switched power, live when the ignition is on.
> Terminal 30 = Unswitched power, always live
> Terminal 31 = Ground
> ...


Concise and informative - excellent post, thank you


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