VCDS_ Where to buy?

[pjm-84]

Just realised I will need a VCDS going forward and thought I would ask where's the best place to buy from? (I didn't know if any vendors are linked with the club).

Paul

 

[Ting Tong]

Have you considered a Carista obd dongle?

 

[pjm-84]

No, not really. I thought the VCDS was the one to have? I will need to prime / purge the fuel system (when I change the fuel filter) and I know that this can be done under the VCDS.

I will take a look at the Carista.

 

[Nolan]

I keep thinking I might buy one as I like having the tools to do stuff myself. Can someone confirm that Carista doesn't allow the headlight coding (the change from H4 to H7)?

 

[babble]

could someone summarise the cost, pros and cons, of the different options? or do i have to use the search function and work it all out myself?

 

[Loz]

Carista is fine for that quick list of mods most will only want to do once. You can reset and get the basic codes out when you have a warning light on. Cost £15 for the dongle and £30pa if you keep the ongoing subscription.

VCDS allows granular programming and much deeper diagnostics and testing. Costs £225 for up to 3 VINs

Ross-Tech VCDS - Diagnostics tools from ilexa onboarddiagnostcs Ltd

Proud to be Ross-Tech a UK distributor since 2002. Buy a genuine Ross-Tech VCDS HEX-NET or HEX-V2 from the ilexa web shop

www.ilexa.co.uk

 

[Andy]

Vcds can do much much more than carista or any comparatively cheap dongle. It has similar ability to the vw diagnostics software. You can run full diagnostics on all vehicle systems & code in any modifications you fit such as tow bar.
You buy the lead which has licence codes in to it. Software can be downloaded from vcds website.
I bought mine around four years ago, from the cheapest uk supplier. Can't remember who, am at work & will have a look later on tonight & let you know. Price wise I think around £200 ???? Again will try to update later.


Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[babble]

that's perfect, thanks all!

 

[jts46]

Carista is fine for that quick list of mods most will only want to do once. You can reset and get the basic codes out when you have a warning light on. Cost £15 for the dongle and £30pa if you keep the ongoing subscription.

VCDS allows granular programming and much deeper diagnostics and testing. Costs £225 for up to 3 VINs

Ross-Tech VCDS - Diagnostics tools from ilexa onboarddiagnostcs Ltd

Proud to be Ross-Tech a UK distributor since 2002. Buy a genuine Ross-Tech VCDS HEX-NET or HEX-V2 from the ilexa web shop

www.ilexa.co.uk

Can this be used using my macbook pro. VCDS or Carista?

 

[babble]

https://forums.ross-tech.com/showthread.php?14514-Mac-version-for-VCDS

Can this be used using my macbook pro. VCDS or Carista?

 

[Loz]

Can this be used using my macbook pro. VCDS or Carista?

Yes, vcds I use it on a mac book using a virtual pc running on vmware fusion, but boot camp would also work.
Carista is a mobile app only.

 

[Andy]

I bought myy VCDS cable in 2015 hex-can-usb for £257. This was the cheapest genuine cable I could find at the time. The supplier has, I believe gone out of business. I see that this has been superseded by HEX-V2 USB.
There are plenty used hex-can-usb cables on ebay, I would say don't buy one of these as Ross Tech will eventually stop support for them & eventually they will no longer work with software.
Cheapest I can find genuine item is £225 here
Online manual

 

[Stoneybroke]

OBDeleven is a Bluetooth dongle that is more flexible and better value than Carista, but doesn't do the full range of VCDS stuff.

OBDeleven: Car diagnostic tool & OBD2 scanner

OBDeleven car diagnostic tool helps every driver diagnose, customize, and improve their vehicles – only a pocket-sized OBD2 scanner and a smartphone needed.

obdeleven.com

 

[scottk]

Gendan is a good supplier. They used to be unlimited VINs but now they have 3, 10 and unlimited options. I think you can upgrade once you have it.
There are occasionally some for sale on the audisport forum but they are almost new prices.

 

[pjm-84]

I ended up buying from Gendan. You can upgrade in the future if required but its relatively costly (£175)

 

[babble]

OBDeleven is a Bluetooth dongle that is more flexible and better value than Carista, but doesn't do the full range of VCDS stuff.

OBDeleven: Car diagnostic tool & OBD2 scanner

OBDeleven car diagnostic tool helps every driver diagnose, customize, and improve their vehicles – only a pocket-sized OBD2 scanner and a smartphone needed.

obdeleven.com

Can someone outline what OBDeleven doesn't do compared to Carista?

 

[Pete M]

No, not really. I thought the VCDS was the one to have? I will need to prime / purge the fuel system (when I change the fuel filter) and I know that this can be done under the VCDS.

I will take a look at the Carista.

I maybe wrong here but a friend has a small garage/workshop business and he services mine and I help. Don't recall having to do anything reference the fuel filter, just change it and started the engine no problem.

 

[Loz]

I maybe wrong here but a friend has a small garage/workshop business and he services mine and I help. Don't recall having to do anything reference the fuel filter, just change it and started the engine no problem.

The workshop manual states to bleed the fuel system before starting, you mechanic can choose to bypass this step, but the high pressure fuel pump must not run dry otherwise there is a risk of it going metal to metal the subsequent metal particles going through the injectors.

If I new a garage chose not to follow correct practice and cut corners, I would not use them. But as I always say;
Your vehicle, your money, your choice. You are also no longer under VW warranty, so I guess your risks are lower in this regard.

 

[pjm-84]

Thanks Loz.

Out of interest do you know the webpage for the workshop manual / tech information downloads? The one that you pay for access per day /week/month etc.

 

[Loz]

Thanks Loz.

Out of interest do you know the webpage for the workshop manual / tech information downloads? The one that you pay for access per day /week/month etc.

Domain Changed

 

[babble]

there doesn't seem to be any advantage of Carista over OBDeleven, does there? it's more expensive, requires a subscription, and does less.

 

[pjm-84]

Thanks.

 

[deccauk]

I'm waiting for the ODBeleven Pro that will work with IOS, and is supposedly significantly faster than the current version (which is Android only). It has the latest low power bluetooth technology, and will be out next month.

 

[loic2000]

Domain Changed

Is there an easy way to download the whole workshop manual to access it offline? or each time you need to look for something you need to get a paid access?

 

[Loz]

Is there an easy way to download the whole workshop manual to access it offline? or each time you need to look for something you need to get a paid access?

If you are organised, you can pay for 1 hour with printing rights, find each one you want and print to a .pdf