Genuine VCDS cable - to borrow or rent please?

Spartan · Mar 6, 2017

Hi

I've been offered a freebie but genuine VW MDI controller and harness adaptor. I'm not sure I really need this or how well it will work. Fitting is a doddle but it's apparent it will need 'coding' ...

Trade member @fred did offer VCDS cable rental as a service but I've been unable to make contact with him.

Can anyone recommend somebody else offering this service or be prepared to lend me theirs for a few days? Happy to pay insured postage, security deposit, etc.

Thanks

MattBW · Mar 7, 2017

Have a look here if anyone is nearby who can help.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/members-with-vcds-carista-vag-devices.13566/#post-140209

Spartan · Mar 7, 2017

MattBW said:
Have a look here if anyone is nearby who can help.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/members-with-vcds-carista-vag-devices.13566/#post-140209

Thanks very much for the suggestion (and the referenced thread is a great initiative!) but there is nobody local apparently. Perhaps I will have to 'invest' in one and then add my name to that list ... hard to justify the initial outlay though.

MattBW · Mar 7, 2017

I had a similar dilemma and couldnt justify the cable cost.

I have used one of those VAG terminals
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...nabling-bluetooth-for-free.13011/#post-131772

It does the same but isn't perhaps as user friendly. What I have been told is that you can use the free VCDS finder to work out what you need to change then use the vag401 or similar to change it. This device only changes the numbers it doesn't really tell you what it's changing.

Mine cost me about £41 I seem to recall. Far more powerful than Carista but far less user friendly.

Spartan · Mar 7, 2017

Thanks again. In fact I had already researched that possibility (after using VCDSLite and a 3rd party cable to get as far as I can).

The difficulty here is that the MDI module needs to be added to the installation list of the CAN gateway (that bit's not so hard) but then needs to be registered with a long coding. I would not be comfortable doing the long coding without the assistance that the VCDS software provides ...