I expect (haven't tested this yet) that the VAG401 will do that coding, but you'll need to look up the bit/byte locations yourself, and calculate the binary/hex conversion. VCDS has a long coding assistant, breaking out multibyte module coding into individual, documented bits. For example, the TDI timing graph tool in VCDS is great for timing your injection pump after replacing a timing belt-I wouldn't want to do that by just reading numbers on the screen, but numbers on the screen are what you'd get with a VAG401. But it doesn't have anywhere near the UI that VCDS has.
#VCDS SCANNER CODE#
It can read codes, clear codes, read measuring blocks, do output tests, code modules, etc. The VAG401 claims to be able to do pretty much everything VCDS can do. The VW codes also, as I understand it, cover control modules that don't register OBD-II codes (for example, I don't think you can use an OBD-II reader to pull codes from your radio, but you can use a VAG tool for that). These can be more specific than the OBD-II codes, as the latter are a standard set of codes used by all automakers. Something like VCDS or the VAG401 will pull VW-specific codes. That, AFAIK (having no experience with it), will pull OBD-II codes for you, and will likely work with other non-VW cars you may have.
#VCDS SCANNER BLUETOOTH#
But I am kind of curious about what's out there, and how they differ.Ĭlick to expand.Ol'Rattler has already jumped in suggesting Torque and a bluetooth dongle. I don't know that I'm likely to buy another tool at this point-like I said, I have VCDS and a VAG401, so I don't know that the need would be there. And plenty of others-a search for "vag scan tool" yields almost 500 listings. There's the iCarSoft VAGII unit ( ), which is in a different form factor, but doesn't say much about the unit itself. The VAG505 ( ) looks a little more polished than the VAG401, and has a nice color screen.
Seems it would work well for things like checking the DSG fluid temp for a change, or activating the fuel pump for a fuel filter change on an A6 as well (though I note at least one other person has had a problem with this application).īut looking at eBay, there are lots of others. I don't think I'd want to try it for long coding, but it was great for setting the IQ when I replaced my injection pump seals last week, and saved lugging the laptop out to the car for that job. At $50 or less from Amazon, it seems like a pretty attractive option. One that's already been discussed in a couple of threads here is the VAG401 from XTool.
Looking around, though, there are a lot of inexpensive, standalone, allegedly VAG-specific tools on the market, and I'm wondering about experiences with them. I have it, I like it, and I will be upgrading it when I buy a CAN-based car, hopefully this weekend. I know that VCDS is by far the most commonly-recommended scan tool for VAG products.