Discontinuation of the erWin Webshop for Private Customers

[KGCali]

Hello all, I just received the following email from VW stating the erWin webshop for private users access will end on 18th December 2025, a sad day for users ;(
___________________________________________________________________________
Important Information:
Discontinuation of the erWin Webshop for Private Customers

Dear erWin User,

We would like to inform you that, as of 18-12-2025, the erWin Webshop will no longer be available to private customers but exclusively to business customers.
Of course, you may continue to use your active flatrate subscriptions until the end of their contractually agreed term – even beyond the above-mentioned discontinuation date.
Should you have any questions, please contact our support team at https://volkswagen.erwin-store.com/erwin/showRequestSupport.do .
Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards,
Your erWin Team Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
___________________________________________________________________________

erWin - the up-to-date Eelectronic Repair and Workshop Information service from Volkswagen.

erWin Info Tour < Volkswagen AG erWin Online

volkswagen.erwin-store.com

erWin contains:

• All repair manuals of Volkswagen AG
• Additional repair information in PDF format (not available in all languages).
• Additional information such as self-study programmes and training programmes.
• Vehicle-specific information, such as maintenance charts, vehicle data and field actions, is available in several languages.
• Constant updating of data
• The Offboard Diagnostic Information System service - diagnostic software
  • With the benefit of being able to perform an offboard diagnostic for all Volkswagen brand vehicles with an EU-5 type approval via an SAEJ2534-compliant interface (diagnostic interface).
  • As well as the possibility of direct access to selected repair and servicing information during a current diagnostic session using the diagnostic software.

 

[sidepod]

Yeah I was about to post similar.

So what would constitute a “business “?

 

[KGCali]

Yeah I was about to post similar.

So what would constitute a “business “?

Maybe the club could be the business and make it available to all VIP members, any thoughts Admins?

 

[Roger Boeken]

They give no reason for this decision.

 

[WelshGas]

They give no reason for this decision.

? Increase work for registered garages/Dealerships at the expense of DIY and non affiliated garages.

 

[pjm-84]

Simple reason is business. They are probably finding that less and less people are using the dealers. Service manuals were typically kept in house. So if you don't know then you have to pay for the knowledge, and on the flip side increase costs for the 3rd parties garages.

 

[sidepod]

If it’s money they’re after, I’ve got a great business idea.

Build a really cool, useful and well thought out camper van based on an existing vehicle.
I recon they’d sell like hot cakes.

 

[pjm-84]

Me too...

Corporates are generally dumb / bloated , as are governments with typically no business experience and just waste other people's money before going onto the next project. The results of our education system. Those who can't....teach, etc.

 

[sidepod]

Maybe the club could be the business and make it available to all VIP members, any thoughts Admins?

To be fair, it’s probably forums like this that are the worst enemy.
Once one person uploads some Intel then it’s effectively free to all.

We may have contributed to our own downfall.

That said, it probably won’t take much to qualify as a Business user. I have a similar account with Bosch.

 

[sidepod]

Monitor this thread for updates.

erWin Limiting Access to Business Users in the UK?

Good evening all, In relation to Erwin, I've just received this email from them (I appreciate that this might need to be moved to another area). This is somewhat of a blow to DIYers and flies in the face of 'right to repair' in my eyes. "Dear erWin User, We would like to inform you that, as...

forums.ross-tech.com

 

[KGCali]

Monitor this thread for updates.

erWin Limiting Access to Business Users in the UK?

Good evening all, In relation to Erwin, I've just received this email from them (I appreciate that this might need to be moved to another area). This is somewhat of a blow to DIYers and flies in the face of 'right to repair' in my eyes. "Dear erWin User, We would like to inform you that, as...

forums.ross-tech.com

From the Ross-tech thread above ...
Dear M,
thank you for your E-Mail.
Due to stricter legal requirements, additional documentation obligations, and increasing support efforts, continuing the service is no longer economically or organizationally feasible. Significant adjustments to contract terms, liability regulations, and information obligations would have been necessary, which are no longer justifiable for the private customer segment.
Kind regards Susanne

 

[pjm-84]

Word salad...a little too much. Susanne could have stuck with the first sentence but felt the need to reinforce this with the second.

 

[Blanco]

This is a typically poor show on VW's part considering if operational costs were really the issue all they had to do is increase the usage fee .. just like every other company seems busy doing. Think I know what I'm going to be doing over the next couple of weeks .. signed up to erwin several months ago knowing when needed it would be there .. now just in case I'm just going to have to download everything I can think of .. assuming the website doesn't crash.

 

[Goldi]

This is a typically poor show on VW's part considering if operational costs were really the issue all they had to do is increase the usage fee .. just like every other company seems busy doing. Think I know what I'm going to be doing over the next couple of weeks .. signed up to erwin several months ago knowing when needed it would be there .. now just in case I'm just going to have to download everything I can think of .. assuming the website doesn't crash.

Check out ebay for the workshop manual. It's cheap but comprehensive. Probably just as good as erWin

 

[CALIFORNIA-VW53DUB]

There are a number of posts about this on various other forums. 1) One on the Ross Tech site from someone in Australia has been told that the VW Group do not want the public trying to repair their own EV’s due to the dangers involved, and must be by trained technians only. They tried to restrict access to EV/Hybrid vehicles, but were unable to do so, so decided to prevent access to the public full stop? Maybe employ a decent programmer? I bought 24h of Erwin VW but all repair manuals are in German? Hello, I have PDF versions of Erwin repair manuals for my other cars that were graciously shared with me by people from the internet. I recently bought a 2021 Tiguan TSI 162 and I thought I'd get a 24h access to Erwin to download the PDF myself but everything I find is in German. I launch the... forums.ross-tech.com 2) VW under EU law have to provide product data to third party repairers on fair terms under the Right to Repair Regulations. The EU Regulations mandate just about everything including cars, whereas the UK Regulations seemed to concentrate more on household electrical appliances (energy related goods) Bit like when OBD ports became open to outside software, that manufactures tried to block. Seems as we left the EU we are now a bit stuffed on the EU regs side of things if VW remove access to private individuals. With the UK transitioning away from EU law it doesnt apply in full over here. Its a bit convoluted but the right to product data for motor vehicles does not apply to private citizens. EU Lawmakers have stepped in and are slowly but surely cementing the right to repair. Next stap is price limits on consumer access to repair procedures/manuals for the cars they own. But right to access is law so the first step has been taken. Perhaps VW may find themselves in Court again? VW in Europe requires SERMI credentials (Security-related Repair and Maintenance information) to register and access a GRP account which is needed to use the official VW program for programming and configuring control units (ODIS). New vehicles have SFD2 which, so far, has been an effective lockout for 3rd party tools like VCDS. 3) Last reported figures I could find were the VW group made €15.9 Billion from spare parts in 2018, with total revue of €235.8 Billion, so around 7%. Considering since that time most of their manufacturing bases are now in China, or similar low labour cost areas, but the prices for their spare parts are still sky high, that percentage will have increased somewhat. Slowly but surely the VW Group, have been removing access to parts for their vehicles. Their latest Bosch ECU most software enhancements firms cannot gain entry, to re chip them? Some parts need to be coded to the vehicle for them to actually function correctly, or creating specific codes that are not in common with other OBD codes. Not telling you what oil grade is used, but giving it a VW code….502.00 508.00 and, now the removal of ErWin to prevent you repairing it yourself, or identifying that part number. It all seems to have gone full circle, from when manufacturers first put OBD ports in cars to make their job easier to identify faults. Perhaps VAG have made their money on private individuals paying for access world wide. Perhaps they are pi55ed off with private individuals/small garages buying their parts cheaper elsewhere - (funnily enough from the same countries of manufacture they have theirs made!). How many times have you priced up a VAG part, from a dealer and thought ‘WHAT!’ for that………….then Googled the part number itself, find it fits another VAG vehicle from 5-10 years ago and you can get it from a motor factor for a 1/10th of the price, or go to say Bosch or Siemens themselves? A BMW part for your roof performs the same function, is exactly the same item, with a different part number to the VW one, but the same Bosch number and works flawlessly. Vehicles are built by accountants now, parts in them are cheap, break, stop functioning, leak, seize. We have all been there and, to be honest going to a VAG dealer is the last thing I ever do. Why do they not realise that is why most owners use an independent garage, they have experience, you can trust them, and likely to try and find out what the problem is, without throwing one part after another at it until the fault code dissapears…….mechanics not technians ………….Perhaps they don’t like these people to use ErWin to update your service history? Perhaps VAGCOM tells them more? If anybody gets stuck you can always buy EtKa /Elsawin from Ali Express on a 250HDD from Ali Express 2025Latest Car Repair Software Elsawin 6.0 Etka 8.5 vehicle electronic parts catalog, suitable for V/W+AU/DI+SE/AT+SKO/D 2025Latest Car Repair Software Elsawin 6.0 Etka 8.5 vehicle electronic parts catalog, suitable for V/W+AU/DI+SE/AT+SKO/D - AliExpress 34 Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com