Using VCDS for car shopping

[wrakoski]

I've done some searching but not able to find out how/if I can use my VCDS license while car shopping? I have the three VIN license and use it regularly on my 07 Touareg. I'm looking to buy another vehicle (Audi) and want to scan prospective cars while looking. Is there a way I can do that without using one of my VINs if I'm only scanning once?

 

[Derek]

Hello

Yes, you can run a full autoscan on as many cars as you need without using any of your spare VINs.

Here's the full rundown on what you can do without using a VIN

VIN-Limited Interface FAQ

Why sell VIN-Limited interfaces? Because it allows us to charge for the product in a manner that's somewhat commensurate with how the product is used. A professional workshop that's in and out of several vehicles a day with their VCDS gets considerably more value from the product than a...

forums.ross-tech.com

Best regards
Derek

 

[Uwe]

Yes, you can run a full autoscan on as many cars as you need without using any of your spare VINs.

Right, that very thing is explicitly addressed in the FAQ you linked above and has been since it was written in 2017.

A VIN-Limited interface can do Auto-Scans, Clear DTCs, and look at Measuring Values on an unlimited number of cars. I think this is important because I wouldn't want to keep an enthusiast from doing basic diagnostics on his friends' cars, or to use his VCDS when evaluating used cars he's contemplating buying. You wouldn't buy a used car without doing an Auto-Scan on it first, right?

@wrakoski
Just remember one thing: If VCDS asks you whether you want to register that car's VIN, and you're not 100% certain that you do, decline to do so.

-Uwe-

 

[Sebastian]

...things I usually look for when checking out a used car (depending on availability in the specific model):

- Fault Codes
- Readiness before/after a Drive Cycle
- DPF Status (if applicable)
- Vehicle and Control Module Mileage entries (ECM, TCM, ABS)
- ABS Crash related Data
- Service Status
- Aux. Heater Operating Hours

 

[Galammys]

What are the possible issues with ordering cars from abroad, and what documentation do I need to get for such a car upon its arrival in the US?

 

[Uwe]

What are the possible issues with ordering cars from abroad,

My understanding is that if the car is less than 25 years old, it must meet all the US safety and emissions specs for its model year, and it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to get the manufacturer to certify that it does.

-Uwe-

 

[JMR]

What are the possible issues with ordering cars from abroad, and what documentation do I need to get for such a car upon its arrival in the US?

What possible car would you like to import in US that you cannot find in US ? Leaving aside a Japan spec GTR Skyline or whatever fantasy car ...

 

[Uwe]

What possible car would you like to import in US that you cannot find in US ?

Me?
How about a VW "Transporter" (Multivan) newer than a T4.
Or an Amarok. I'd like one with a V6 TDI and a proper 3-pedal transmission, please.

-Uwe-

 

[JMR]

How about a VW "Transporter" (Multivan) newer than a T4.

yeah, those are nice, i thought you guys got them too

Or an Amarok. I'd like one with a V6 TDI and a proper 3-pedal transmission, please.

it will be called the Tarok ( where in the hell they get those names i have no idea ) and it will come to US soon they say
eeeh..americans usually want an automatic gearbox

2022 VW Amarok Is Coming to the US as Volkswagen Tarok Truck - New Best Trucks [2024-2025]

For a long time we expect the Volkswagen to launch truck for the US market. The 2022 VW Amarok migh finally be available in North America.

newbesttrucks.com

 

[Uwe]

i thought you guys got them too

Nope. Last transporter van we got was the T4 MY 2003.

it will be called the Tarok

Bah, the new Amorak is a cross-dressed Ford Ranger, and no, it's not likely to be sold here:

No Ranger Danger of the New Volkswagen Amarok Coming to America

The new VW pickup shares bones with the new Ford Ranger, but is destined for global ambitions.

www.motortrend.com

-Uwe-

 

[Galammys]

What are the possible issues with ordering cars from abroad, and what documentation do I need to get for such a car upon its arrival in the US?

I’ve found some good Japanese cars [Spammy link removed], which would be a real bargain. I don’t want to miss it and pay more for a similar car in the US. According to my calculations, it would be cheaper to transport a car from Japan than to buy a similar car. Is it a good plan, or am I missing something? I know some people do that, but I don’t know all the juridical peculiarities of the process that might be complicated.

 

[stefdds]

You need to speak with someone who imports vehicles (older / vintage and Newer) ; I'm speculating, but 10K for fees, taxes, duties, etc. before you are all done. Also, someone needs to go see the vehicle to be sure it even exists and in what condition it is in! Your not buying pictures.

 

[Uwe]

Is it a good plan, or am I missing something?

In the USA? Let's start with the fact that Japan drives on the wrong (left) side of the road and cars made for that market have all the controls (like the steering wheel) on the right side.

-Uwe-

 

[stefdds]

This YT'er is a Subaru enthusiast ; you could probably contact him for some insights. And, as Uwe posted above, some details that you haven't even thought of!

 

[Mike@Gendan]

In the USA? Let's start with the fact that Japan drives on the wrong (left) side of the road and cars made for that market have all the controls (like the steering wheel) on the right side.

-Uwe-

My understanding is that the UK system of driving on the left side of the road dates back to the days of mounted Knights, who would pass on the left side so the person passing was on their dominant (sword-wielding) side, should they need to attack/defend.
It's surprising therefore, given America's constitutional right to bear arms, that when cars came to the US they didn't adopt the same system. I wonder if it was just a post-independence desire to be different?

 

[Uwe]

I wonder if it was just a post-independence desire to be different?

Or the fact that swords were obsolete by the time we revolted and got our independence?

Riding shotgun - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

-Uwe-

 

[davisev5225]

Or the fact that swords were obsolete by the time we revolted and got our independence?

Riding shotgun - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

-Uwe-

How about the fact that the Germans are credited as inventing the automobile (hence the Germanic word), and they've always been RHD?

 

[JMR]

How about the fact that the Germans are credited as inventing the automobile (hence the Germanic word), and they've always been RHD?

no !

By
Mary Bellis
Updated on July 06, 2019

The very first self-powered road vehicles were powered by steam engines, and by that definition, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France built the first automobile in 1769 — recognized by the British Royal Automobile Club and the Automobile Club de France as being the first. So why do so many history books say that the automobile was invented by either Gottlieb Daimler or Karl Benz? It is because both Daimler and Benz invented highly successful and practical gasoline-powered vehicles that ushered in the age of modern automobiles. Daimler and Benz invented cars that looked and worked like the cars we use today. However, it is unfair to say that either man invented "the" automobile.

The Evolution of the Car Dates All the Way Back to the 1600s

A Frenchman made the first automobile, but its evolution was a worldwide effort dating back to the 1600s, starting with the invention of the engine.

www.thoughtco.com

History of the automobile - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[davisev5225]

no !

By
Mary Bellis
Updated on July 06, 2019

The very first self-powered road vehicles were powered by steam engines, and by that definition, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France built the first automobile in 1769 — recognized by the British Royal Automobile Club and the Automobile Club de France as being the first. So why do so many history books say that the automobile was invented by either Gottlieb Daimler or Karl Benz? It is because both Daimler and Benz invented highly successful and practical gasoline-powered vehicles that ushered in the age of modern automobiles. Daimler and Benz invented cars that looked and worked like the cars we use today. However, it is unfair to say that either man invented "the" automobile.

The Evolution of the Car Dates All the Way Back to the 1600s

A Frenchman made the first automobile, but its evolution was a worldwide effort dating back to the 1600s, starting with the invention of the engine.

www.thoughtco.com

History of the automobile - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Of course every country wants credit for being "first", but since you used a Wikipedia article, I'll do the same.

"The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the car when German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen."

Car - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The Benz Patent-Motorwagen ("patent motorcar"), built in 1885 by the German Carl Benz, is widely regarded as the world's first practical automobile,[1] a self-propelled vehicle for carrying people, and first car put into series production."
"...it became the first commercially available automobile in history in the late summer of 1888."

Benz Patent-Motorwagen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[PetrolDave]

The very first self-powered road vehicles were powered by steam engines, and by that definition, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France built the first automobile in 1769

The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the car when German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen.

Isn't 1769 earlier than 1886?