Trying to figure out what to buy, but not 100% sure of the feature list descriptions

[Wrenchly]

I have a late 1999 TDI Jetta. Before I bought the car, there was a bag of key fobs that were all supposed to go with it. It sat half a year before I asked about the car. I wound up buying it, but that bag had disappeared and all I had were a couple broken folding keys and one valet key. I know for a fact one of the fobs in that bag was disarming the alarm. But that one isn't what I wound up with. So my 1st goal is delete all the keys and fobs that were programmed into this car. Besides that, do more than just read DTC's. So, will the lite version do that, or do I need to escalate to a more expensive setup? I only need this to work on my one car. I'm not concerned with any flashy extras. I have two different beater laptops to run softwares on. One is a Linux machine, the other is running Win10. I'm also wanting to change out all the locks, but not having any way to program in new keys is gob-stoppering the whole deal! Trying to find someone with the means to deal with this doesn't help me as much as being able to just get the job done on my own time. I'm the head mechanic where I work, so changing the door locks is not an issue. Plus I have the full service manual, so I know about all those non-intuitive german ideas hiding in this car

The feature list I've seen said something about 'body security' but didn't go into any details. Seems like all the sales pitches are geared towards figuring out what the DTC's mean. I have a bluetooth scanner that works with an app on my phone. That's not really telling me much about a few other issues, but it looks like the lite version can help with that part. However, can the lite version delete key fobs & program in new ones?

 

[Uwe]

The registered ($99) version of VCDS-Lite will do everything that the full (non-Lite) version of VCDS can do on that car, including matching remotes:

VW Golf (1J) Comfort System (Generation 2) - Ross-Tech Wiki

wiki.ross-tech.com

You will need to use your Windows PC either way.

-Uwe-

 

[Wrenchly]

The registered ($99) version of VCDS-Lite will do everything that the full (non-Lite) version of VCDS can do on that car, including matching remotes:

VW Golf (1J) Comfort System (Generation 2) - Ross-Tech Wiki

wiki.ross-tech.com

You will need to use your Windows PC either way.

-Uwe-

Cool, thanks! And I'll bookmark that for a refresher, when it comes time to actually do that

The first part of that page has a list of codes under 'Coding'. Would it be safe to assume the correct code to use depends on the car having two doors, or four? Mine is a four door, all four with power windows, and no memory seat option - so I would be using codes 04096 & 04097

 

[Uwe]

The first part of that page has a list of codes under 'Coding'.

If all you're not replacing the Comfort Module, there's not reason it should need to be coded.

-Uwe-

 

[Wrenchly]

If all you're not replacing the Comfort Module, there's not reason it should need to be coded.

-Uwe-

I probably should just get it installed 1st, before trying to figure it out! From all the vids I've seen so far, there's a ton of menu entries that are not even being explained or made use of. Seems like the tinkering can get really deep, real fast!

There's a separate 'Comfort Module' that's in control of the key fobs? I had thought all the code was run inside the ECU. Just how many individual logic controllers could there be on a mark 4? I would expect one for an auto tranny, and maybe another for the immobilizer

 

[PetrolDave]

Just how many individual logic controllers could there be on a mark 4? I would expect one for an auto tranny, and maybe another for the immobilizer

See the relevant Ross-Tech wiki page VW Golf/Jetta/Bora (1J/9M) there could be up to 15 modules depending on specification!

 

[Uwe]

There's a separate 'Comfort Module' that's in control of the key fobs?

Indeed, there is. It also controls the electric windows and such.

-Uwe-

 

[Wrenchly]

See the relevant Ross-Tech wiki page VW Golf/Jetta/Bora (1J/9M) there could be up to 15 modules depending on specification!

I took a look at that wiki page, but it's not as informative as I would hope for. I'll just have to take your word for it, that each entry on that wiki is for a separate logic controller. Maybe the FSM has something more on that? I know there's a few black boxes I've spotted in various places on the car, with no idea what they're for. For example, in the trunk, behind the right rear wheelwell, after cutting an access hole in the trunk liner to run some trailer light wiring, spotted a box mounted with at least one connector, with maybe 2 or 3 light gauge wires

 

[Uwe]

I took a look at that wiki page, but it's not as informative as I would hope for.

Uhm, what were you hoping for?

I'll just have to take your word for it, that each entry on that wiki is for a separate logic controller.

Each entry is separately addressable. Most are physically discreet modules, but in certain cases, they are within the same physical package. For example on this car, 19-CAN Gateway is physically part of the 17-Instruments. In addition, two of then (35-Central locks and 46-Central Convenience) are mutually exclusive; any given car will have one or the other but not both.

08, 22, 37, 55, and 76 are quite rare in Mk.4 cars, and I'm confident your 1999 NAR TDI doesn't have them.

-Uwe-

 

[Wrenchly]

Uhm, what were you hoping for?


Each entry is separately addressable. Most are physically discreet modules, but in certain cases, they are within the same physical package. For example on this car, 19-CAN Gateway is physically part of the 17-Instruments. In addition, two of then (35-Central locks and 46-Central Convenience) are mutually exclusive; any given car will have one or the other but not both.

08, 22, 37, 55, and 76 are quite rare in Mk.4 cars, and I'm confident your 1999 NAR TDI doesn't have them.

-Uwe-

What I was hoping for could include everything you just now described. That wiki doesn't say any of that, though I might have guessed at the 'one or the other' conditional situation

08 Heating/Air Conditioning is rare? My car has both & I'd expect that's a pretty common thing to have. Did you mean to include that one? Or is it an upgraded control system for the climate control?

But 22, 37, 55, 76 are not present on my car, I wasn't worried about those entries

Not sure about 56, as that's an 'Analog Radio'? I had a digital tuner with a cassette deck and a CD changer in the trunk. All of that I ripped out and replaced with an aftermarket radio so I could have Bluetooth off my phone. But the tuner isn't very good, so I'm planning on putting in another radio. An analog tuner would be interesting. I don't have CD's, or tapes. All my music is MP3's

At any rate, I have a bit of a technical issue with the laptop. It's been so long since I last booted it up, I forgot the admin password. All I have is the password to the limited account, so I'm not going to be able to install anything on that. It's an 11 year old Thinkpad, so it's not worth installing Win10 all over again. Looks like it's time to replace the laptop! I can run linux on it, but that wont help here

 

[Uwe]

What I was hoping for could include everything you just now described.

The Wiki entry, just like the Auto-Scan line for your car, lists all modules that could possibly be in that model of car.

08 Heating/Air Conditioning is rare? My car has both & I'd expect that's a pretty common thing to have. Did you mean to include that one? Or is it an upgraded control system for the climate control?

On Mk.4 cars, 08 is only present and diagnostic capable if the car has a fully automatic "Climatronic" control head. Your car almost certainly has a manual control head for the HVAC, which is not diagnostic capable.

Not sure about 56, as that's an 'Analog Radio'?

56-Radio was present in the all these cars as the stock radio. If the stock radio has been replaced with an aftermarket one, then it will not be present.

-Uwe-

 

[Quintus Rotam]

I saw that it would let me change the fuel filter and the rear brake pads on my own, and just bought it. For me, those two things alone would have justified buying the product.
I had been doing all the regular maintenance at the dealer's and they would charge me $66 to change a $22 fuel filter, and $106 for $36 rear pads (actually, filter and pads installed by them were of lower price and quality than the ones I bought myself for $22+$36). So, that's $114 saved (and better parts installed) before even looking at other VCDS features.
But, I guess I am easier to please than some.

 

[Wrenchly]

I'm not trying to come across as 'critical' of any of the Ross Tech products, I'm just trying to get a better idea of how the work flow will be handled

I fixed the laptop. It doesn't have anything of value on it, so I reinstalled the OS with a disk I bought for another build. The validation key was preserved, so I now have an admin account with a brand new password. I'll need to go through and shut down all the back doors & bad ideas all over again. But that's something I would expect for any new windows machine, so that's a break-even with the bonus that I don't need to buy more hardware

I just now spotted on amazon, a vcds 21.3 hex-v2 for cheap. I just now bought one, total with shipping & tax was $70.60 - looks like there's 30 more still available on that listing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09C73WD6G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Viking]

Good luck with you stolen hacked software and fake cable...

 

[Wrenchly]

Good luck with you stolen hacked software and fake cable...

Is it? Maybe I could've asked about it first before buying, darn it!

Well if that's what it is, then I guess this is a heads-up for the Ross-Tech admins?

- just looked at that listing again, oh man that's one really chinese looking seller! Something tells me the photo isn't of what I just bought...

 

[Quintus Rotam]

#3 is always a good sign.

 

[PetrolDave]

#3 is always a good sign.

... and #2.

Whenever the English software comes on a CD the probability of it being an illegal clone is extremely high - a genuine cable works with software downloaded from the Ross-Tech website and updated software is FREE for as long as you own the cable.

Next steps:
1) Report the seller to amazon as a seller of counterfeit goods
2) If you paid with a credit card claim a refund from the card provider
3) Buy a genuine HEX-V2 from Ross-Tech or a distributor, see Ross-Tech Distributors

 

[Wrenchly]

... and #2.

Whenever the English software comes on a CD the probability of it being an illegal clone is extremely high - a genuine cable works with software downloaded from the Ross-Tech website and updated software is FREE for as long as you own the cable.

Next steps:
1) Report the seller to amazon as a seller of counterfeit goods
2) If you paid with a credit card claim a refund from the card provider
3) Buy a genuine HEX-V2 from Ross-Tech or a distributor, see Ross-Tech Distributors

Yeah, chances of that cable working without using their driver installer not good

I'll see if I can get refunded, but in the meantime buy again right now from somewhere a bit closer

 

[Uwe]

Ships from XiLinGuoLeiMengXiBeiShengWuKeJiKaiFaYouXianGongSi5

-Uwe-

 

[Wrenchly]

Ships from XiLinGuoLeiMengXiBeiShengWuKeJiKaiFaYouXianGongSi5

-Uwe-

I seem to get that a lot...