Other diagnostic cables.

[ScottD3]

I'm not wanting to step on any toes and I'm very happy with my VCDS cables.
But I've been thinking.

Apart from VCDS that we all know and love, is there any thing else out there for VAG?

 

[@udi A3]

Tacho and commander? I use cheepo ones to get SKC numbers and correct milage etc. Also good for dumping eproms and re writing to enable miles to empty on some older cars etc.

 

[ScottD3]

I've used commander but could never get it work.
It always seemed a bit hit and miss.

Tacho?
Are they both just for the clocks?

 

[@udi A3]

Tacho does key coding milage and scans of fault codes etc too, but i only use for hex dumps, skc retrieval, and milage correction, usually commander works where vag tacho doesnt.

they probably do a lot more too, i know the genuine can-commander could be really useful, for instance if you have a fried ecu and replace with a doner cars ecu without knowing the skc. I tried to help a guy on this forum in a situation like this a while back with a bodged chipped ecu. Well vag commander would be able to marry that doner ecu to the car clocks/keys etc. Currently i think some people offer a postal service to get this kind of replacement working, maybe with immobiliser deletes etc which of course would invalidate insurance.

As with everything, dont mess with things you dont understand, VCDS is very user freindly and has good tech support, if you know what your doing i guess a copy cable could suffice. Id be interested to see what these good copy cables can and cant do, and what quality the internal components are. Nothing could be worse than corrupting an eprom write with a short to ground through bad components!

 

[ScottD3]

The copy VCDS cables or 'Dumb' cables as VCDS calls are ok but its all down the software they run.
I've ran copy cables with version 7, another with 11 and my mate has been running 3 cables with version from 4, 7 and 11.11. each has the same function, the only difference we can see is the labels and some extra drop down options but we've never gone that far in to it, just basic scans and out put tests.
I would not want to trust one for adaptation though. Would always say go Gen if you're going to go that deep in to it.

When I used vag-commander it did ok but just a bit hit and miss.
That Tacho seems interesting and might be usefull for when I swap my clocks over, I also got a hand full of keys sat here that I need to sort out.

Any recommendations on where to get Tacho?

 

[@udi A3]

Total diagnostics in slough i think i got both from him but both copys obviously. considering buying genuine commander though tbh.
I didnt think you could code second hand keys to a car? if so i wanna know how i need a new one!

 

[ScottD3]

I've heard that but I was able to code one many months ago.
No idea how I did it, I just button bashed my way through VCDS.

 

[@udi A3]

Genuine or fake vcds?!
Immobiliser and remote unlock etc worked? Im itching to try it for the boot-unlatching function as i currently only have a two button fob! Im just worried i might foobar it, waiting for somebody to ask me if they can use my cable to code there keys for me to watch tbh lol.

I have accomplished quite a bit now though, helping others with tacho/commander to enable fuel to empty on a golf, retrieve skc on several cars (after seeing proof of ownership).
Also used VCDS to activate cruise/anti hijacking/ needle sweep etc, g450 recalibration, parking heater activation, abs module swapping, canbus recoding, MFSW coding as well as fault finding and some block logging. Also lowered an A8 (air ride) and opened up engineering menus on oem HU.
This is all possibly doable through hex editing on the cheepo copy cables, but tbh the gui rosstech have built is nice and easy.

needless to say my vcds has paid for itself in beermoney and personal jobs, after a few months, and the cheepo cables ppaid for themselves on first use!

 

[ScottD3]

Fake copy.
My keys are 2 but this one is 3 key and it works great till I started to fold out on its own, so I went mental and bought some others. lol

Fuel to empty?
What's that?

I did the air ride suspension thing on my dad's touareg with his gen cable, would not want to attempt it with his copy.
It seemed to work quicker and less hanging on his gen over the copy.

I'd like to see what's possible via hex editing but I can see me getting carried away and killing something.

 

[@udi A3]

I think the hex editing is similar to long coding but without the helpfull boxes. Dump the eprom file, open up in a free hex editing program, edit it, then reflash it. In some mk4 golfs the dash is capable of a fuel computer like the audis but iirc there is no way to turn it on currently in vcds so you need to edit the file. its well documented online somewhere google is awesome.

What key do i need to buy for mine? best quote online was like £90 un coded for a 3 button, which incedently its supposed to have from new, where mine is only two. other halfs is older but 3 button, i was tempted to pinch it, tacho got her skc in seconds so could reprogram it later technically.

 

[ScottD3]

I'll take a look at that hex editing.
I've done a bit in games but not on a car. I guess it will be the same.

Its all down to the frequency I think.
I got a A3 and a A4 key here and both works.
one is 2 button and the other is 3 button.

that's for the remote side of things, the immob is something different all together.

 

[PAULF]

Drifting a little off topic, but for keys,
I used these people Spare Car Keys | Replacement Car Keys | Transponder Keys | Lost Keys for the fob and transponder, and got a second hand remote from scrappy. I can't remember the cost, but it wasn't terrible.
You only have to e-mail them a picture of your existing key and they send you a cut key, with the pattern code in case you want another one cut.
I then pulled the SKC with VAG Tacho, and used VCDS to program the keys.

When I had my dash issues, I put in the new dash, pulled the dash SKC with VAG Tacho and coded both keys with the new number - no problem. I also reset the milage on the new dash to her old dash milage - I think it was correct within 11 or 12 miles. I seem to remember it was entered in KM, which was why it wasn't exact.

There is an EPROM dump facility too with VAG Tacho, but I haven't tried that. It also has an airbag fix on it - but I had no joy when I had a duff controller. Although to be fair, even the hand-held box only fixed it until the next cold day.
I did manage to brick a mates TT dash with it though - not popular!

 

[@udi A3]

I did manage to brick a mates TT dash with it though - not popular!

Exactly the reason not to mess with copy cables/software unless you know what you are doing!

 

[ScottD3]

I do like the idea of VAG tacho but not the idea of bricking a dash.....

 

[@udi A3]

So just tell yourself, if you mess things up take it on the chin, its a risk, take a risk and fix it cheaply, or pay a speciallist 10 times more to do it right. in todays climate people are risk takers while theres risk takers theres going to be cheepo cables!