Lets make this a fairly exhaustive thread about VagCom options.
And what each investment level allows the user to perform.
Mostly the Free - with china-jap cable is what i'm lacking info on the most.
Thats about my limit of investment right now too.
Ross-Tech , VCDS, VagCom, whatever anyone wants to call it.
TheMan53, Ross-Tech are the folks behind VagCom / VCDS
I'm pretty fresh - and partially confused about some of it also.
But don't think there are any ups or extras - unless you upgrade to higher class connector/newer car capabilty than what you start with.
What i think i understand :
There are 3 levels available to us
(us being - 2006 and older ? - for this comparison)Free ShareWare = you supply your own means of connection between car and computer. The china/jap cables now available have made this more accessible to the masses more recently. The quality and durability of said cables is subjective. Some may not even obtain recognition from Car to PC. RossTech offers no assistance at this level.
Or if you buy/have an older Ross cable, that was only useable on 2 PC's before it auto decodes, and those 2 chances have been exhausted - you can run it with ShareWare.
But by what i can find out so far - you don't get much more than basic CEL/fault code reading and the ability to clear some of those codes.
I do know for sure you can't read TDI Injection Timing with this level of investment - but i DONT know for sure about IQ reading and adjusting IQ at this level ? or anything else that can be done at this level ? How about EGR reduction ?
If anyone has first hand knowledge - that would be nice.
Info has been seeming conflicting, the more i read - the less i know.
IQ readings/adjustments - and EGR adjustments are about all i really need to have at my personal disposal. Dial gauge has me good on Mk3 and Mk4 TDI timing - iirc.
I can travel a lil ways and get higher level assistance when/if needed.VCDS-Lite $100 = you supply your own china/jap cable - or you have/buy an older Ross cable that has decoded from being further adapted to any more PC's. It is licensed with tech support (think 1 year of support) and can only be used on 1 computer.
Even with this investment - you still cannot read TDI Injection Timing. It does have a lot more function than Free ShareWare - more indepth fault code readings - but what other kind of stuff ?
i suppose
IQ reading - and adjusting ?
EGR reduction adjusting ?
What else ?VCDS $250 = you get full licensed product and 1 or 2 years of support. And their high grade trouble free cable. Cars up to 2006 ?
Or what year / engine TDI ?
You can do about anything short of writing your own tunes and some classified operations. Something to that degree.
If you guys can fill in some beneficial operations and super cool neato stuff - its great to know what all is possible. In general off the shoulder from memory. Doesn't have to be down to the tiny nitty gritty.
I've been reading a bit on R-T.com and on a couple forums - but i don't have any real big clues about the full scope. And it really just rolls me around in circles mostly.