One of the things that Audi and Volkswagen
owners will find out is that they cannot simply take their vehicles to any
mechanic. Not only that, they cannot just buy any OBD-II option.
While there are some that promise to pull
information from the ECU of these vehicles, they will not. Generic OBD options
are only going to get limited information, if anything at all.
That makes owning one of these cars a bit
difficult, especially when there needs to be a repair put in place. A simple
repair that you could do yourself, could cost you thousands if you’re not
careful.
If you’re not interested in paying a great
deal, you’ll need to look for a VAG unit. But there’s a catch.
Not all of these
are created equally, and you could very well find yourself spending a lot of
money trying to hack one together, or spending a great deal downloading
software, buying scanners, and more.
This becomes a serious issue if you want to
get any diagnostics done for your vehicle, but there is hope for a brighter
future. With the following tips and tricks, you can figure out which VAG
solution is going to work best for your overall needs.
Beware
of The Clones
One of the most prolific thing that you’ll
find online is that of clones. ECU readers and tuners are sometimes cloned, and
sold at a discount. If you are looking at the cheapest possible solutions,
you’ll find that you can easily get a VAG clone with relative ease.
In fact, these are under $100, and the descriptions
may claim to give you full access to tuning, changes, and upgrades for
Volkswagen and Audi options. That’s not a bad thing, at first glance. A cheap
alternative to the officially licensed readers?
Well, the problem is that clones are not
going to give you the upper hand at all. Clone solutions are not good, and will
not help you get the information that you need.
Even if you try to use cloned options,
you’ll find that they are limited, full of bugs, and may cause issues with your
system’s stock performance. It’s best to stay away from these.
DIY
Builds
As you explore all of the available VAG units, you’ll find that some will come in pieces. There are some people that
will take the components of other OBD options, or build their own, with an
interface that is supposed to be from the original ECU adapters.
Be careful with these, as they will not
give you the same control. Similar to cloned solutions, DIY builds are limited
in scope.
These can help specific makes and models,
but often, they are filled with bugs, because they do not have licensing and
support that comes from the original software programmers.
They are often “hacked” or changed just
enough to make it a “new” solution, that will help you get a bit of changes
into your vehicle. However, they are not going to rival what you would get with
the more expensive, unique, and licensed branded options.
DIY builds can be fun, and interesting as a
hobby. However, if you want to make sure that you get the “best” solution,
don’t build your own, and don’t buy one that you have to put together on your
own, that will not help your diagnostics.
Officially
Licensed Options Are Best
The best thing to do is to look for options
that are officially licensed. You can buy professional grade options, but they
are going to cost a great deal.
They are not “discounted” in the same
manner as other solutions. You may have to pay for the device, and then pay for
software that is going to cost you per license.
That means that you’ll only be able to use
it in one car per license. That’s very important to remember. You will not be
able to use the software for multiple cars, including similar friend’s models.
You’ll be locked into one car, per one
license, and you’ll have to pay for additional licenses.
However, this is going
to give you an upper hand in regard to diagnostics and fixing the right
solutions.
Licensed options are not cheap, but they
are inherently better than others overall. They’ll give you a better glance at
your Audi, and Volkswagen vehicles overall.
Do not try to save money by going with a
solution that has emulation, but rather go with an official license.
Upgrade
The Software
If you purchase a VAG unit that is older,
or used, make sure that you upgrade the software. The latest update from the
officially licensed solutions have a 2018 update.
This is an important thing to realize,
because it’s going to help you gain the right information on your vehicle. If
you do not update the software, you may have codes that are not the right ones.
The right codes mean the difference between
having good software that will read your ECU, or something that is going to be vague.
It’s imperative that you upgrade the
software as soon as you can, that way you get the best of the solution.
Read
Reviews Overall
Another great tip that you should consider
is to read reviews. Make certain that you look at positives and negatives. Read
through forums, and ecommerce solutions.
Reading reviews will help you see what
things are going to help you gain the right information, and which options
aren’t going to help you.
Some options are in fact good, and others
aren’t. The reviews that you read, especially the ones that are not necessarily
good, will highlight problems, bugs, and information that you will not have to
find out on your own.
It’s not fun to buy a VAG unit, only to
find out it doesn’t work well for your needs. Read reviews, and you’ll at least
get a better picture of the right OBD for your needs.
If you remember nothing
else, remember to take your time when researching OBD options for Volkswagen Group’s
cars.
They have their own code system and
software, which you cannot get in a generic form, simple as that.
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