Trade-in upgrade Hex-CAN to Hex-Net

Hello everybody,

I got my Hex-CAN USB about 10 years ago and used it successfully on several Audi and VW. I never regretted buying the Ross-Tech cable in the first place and think that about $35 a year was less than I would have spend buying cheap clones of eBay that only last a few weeks.

I now have the A4 B9 on order with a scheduled April/May delivery date. Since Hex-CAN doesn't support the new B9 I would be interested in trading it in for the unlimited Hex-Net if the trade-in amount is about the amount I could get when selling my old Hex-CAN privately. I guess I could buy the unlimited Hex-Net for $500 now and sell my Hex-CAN for $150-$200 which makes the Hex-Net end up costing about $300-$350.

Do you expect a trade-in upgrade from Hex-CAN USB to Hex-Net to become available within the next few months? If so, do you think that $300-$350 for the unlimited Hex-Net upgrade is reasonable and realistic?

Thanks,
Dirk

DirkM said:

Do you expect a trade-in upgrade from Hex-CAN USB to Hex-Net to become available within the next few months?

Click to expand...

Yes.

But I'm also still hopeful that we will be able to to make the HEX+CAN interface compatible with the B9 via a firmware upgrade. Trouble is, there are very few bytes of space left in there...

-Uwe-

Thanks, Uwe, that's good news. I will wait a few more months before deciding what route to go.

Hi Uwe, any update on the HEX-CAN to HEX-NET upgrade? Considering selling my HEX-CAN to upgrade to the HEX-NET. Is this program now available or should I just wait?

Uwe said:

Yes.

But I'm also still hopeful that we will be able to to make the HEX+CAN interface compatible with the B9 via a firmware upgrade. Trouble is, there are very few bytes of space left in there...

-Uwe-

Click to expand...

jocamero said:

Is this program now available or should I just wait?

Click to expand...

see here
http://store.ross-tech.com/shop/cat/RetCAN.html

Uwe said:

Yes.

But I'm also still hopeful that we will be able to to make the HEX+CAN interface compatible with the B9 via a firmware upgrade. Trouble is, there are very few bytes of space left in there...

-Uwe-

Click to expand...

I am also wondering about this, I am considering buying the B9 A4 allroad when it arrives here (I own Hex-Can USB today).

bjornb said:

I am also wondering about this, I am considering buying the B9 A4 allroad when it arrives here (I own Hex-Can USB today).

Click to expand...

And you've had that interface for a bit more than 10 years now.

If I tell you "You should upgrade to a HEX-NET" now, and we do end up successfully fixing this, you'll be annoyed that you spent money unnecessarily. So I suggest waiting at least until you get the car to see where we are then.

-Uwe-

Yes, I guess waiting would be the sensible thing to do, I'll do that.

I looked up my Ross-tech orders, Hex-Can in march 2006, Twin-Com in 2002, and ISO-Com in 2001..

Just as an update from my side, I bought the new HEX-NET and sold my old HEX-CAN 2nd hand. I did this mostly because the HEX-CAN was a reliable tool over the last 10 years and I'm sure the HEX-NET will be the same, so this was the good way to support Ross-Tech and allow them to keep working on new versions of VCDS. I hope that over the next few months the missing label files and undocumented channels will get less which will allow VCDS to remain the prime tool for VAG cars.

Right now it's a little frustrating because things that work in Germany don't exists in the US version of the A4 B9 and getting someone over there with a HEX-NET to compare settings is very limited. I so want to go on a vacation there, take my HEX-NET with me and do a test drive of a fully loaded B9 just to do a full scan and compare it with mine...

I would like to sell my hex-net. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you

Uwe said:

And you've had that interface for a bit more than 10 years now.

If I tell you "You should upgrade to a HEX-NET" now, and we do end up successfully fixing this, you'll be annoyed that you spent money unnecessarily. So I suggest waiting at least until you get the car to see where we are then.

-Uwe-

Click to expand...

Reviving this old thread..


I tried to use my Hex-Can USB a few days ago on a recent Audi Q7 e-tron.

I got messages like this on a few modules:

Address 74: Chassis Control

Interface not compatible.

Please upgrade to a current Ross-Tech interface.

Click to expand...

And messages like these on a lot of modules:

Faults Found:

1122561 - Databus

U1121 00 [008] - Missing Message

[New feature! Extended UDS fault detail is only supported by current gen. interfaces]

Click to expand...

I guess this is the limitiations mentioned under compatibility here:
http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/old-interfaces/huc.php

Just to be sure: This will not be fixed in a firmware update and I will need a new/current interface for that?

bjornb said:

Just to be sure: This will not be fixed in a firmware update and I will need a new/current interface for that?

Click to expand...

Correct. There is no space left in the HEX+CAN's micro-controller for further enhancements. The 16 kB of space it has seemed like plenty back in 2004.

-Uwe-