Code Readers

**Sunny43.5** · 23-03-2017, 08:01 PM

Hi all does anyone have knowledge of Actron Elite Auto Scanner , I have been loaned one with the view to purchasing it . So far I am a bit befuddled [everyone knows how I feel about technology ] Are VW,s so different that one of these wont work with it , the reason I ask is that today my wife experienced a loss of power after rounding a roundabout and then going up a slight uphill section . She admits in panic that she could not tell if the engine failed or just had no power suddenly , after turning it off and then on it started normally and drove home with no further problems . I attached this Actron unit via the OBD port but when I try to select auto ID for 2012 onwards it says the car does not support Auto ID , when you then go to manual selection it gives you three regions US Asia And Europe . Being a German car I selected EU it give a few models VW being one of them , then when you go to vehicle model it has Golf Jetta Tiguan and a couple of others but no Transporter / Multivan etc . Does this mean it wont work or something else , I ran a diagnostics using the parameters of a 2.0 litre Golf as a guide . It does see quite a lot of codes 329 to be exact but does not show any faults , I can see all sorts of engine outputs which means double dutch to me . Am I using it correctly or is it a waste of money , I tried it on my work van and it spat out 3 EGR codes that were faulty [tell me something I don't know as the engine check light has been on for the last 3 years or so ] I cleared those and the light goes out only to come back on ten minutes later ha ha . Now this what I was trying also to check on my van as well TCS and ABS fault lights have been off and mainly on for a few years also , but these do not show up as I was hoping it would show me if one of the ABS sensors on any wheel was a problem . Ok thanks in advance from a total tech failure ! Howard

**Umai Naa!!** · 23-03-2017, 08:20 PM

The diagnostic protocol (the way in which the car communicates with the scan tool, and vice versa) evolves over time, meaning older, and many entry-level diagnostic tools won't work on newer cars.

Most are bascially hacked copies of factory diagnostic software, bundled into a hand-held unit.

I'd recommend an Autel MD802, for the average user. Although, $400 or so.

**Sunny43.5** · 23-03-2017, 08:39 PM

This unit was around $540 so the guy tells me , not cheap by my standards . I have sent an email to Actron not sure if they will help .The software for the device is up to date as I checked the Firmware and its march 2017 .

**Sunny43.5** · 23-03-2017, 11:45 PM

According to Actron support they cannot find a listing for the VW vans as according to them they are not sold in the US .

**h100vw** · 23-03-2017, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Sunny43.5

According to Actron support they cannot find a listing for the VW vans as according to them they are not sold in the US .

https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/vchv2_ent/

I'd say without a doubt the latest VCDS at $199 USD is the tool to get. restricted to 3 VINs but will read and clear faults on any number of VINs.

If you do use the 3, you can extend it to 10 for 170USD.

Won't do Crafters.

The interface is easy to use.

**Hillbilly** · 24-03-2017, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Sunny43.5

According to Actron support they cannot find a listing for the VW vans as according to them they are not sold in the US .

Wont do Polos then either as they arent sold in the USA as I found out when I was looking for some cheap parts over there

**Sunny43.5** · 24-03-2017, 08:43 AM

The problem with Ross Tech is that the correct cable is more than the program I saw one listed at $600 for a cable ??

Originally Posted by h100vw

https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/vchv2_ent/

I'd say without a doubt the latest VCDS at $199 USD is the tool to get. restricted to 3 VINs but will read and clear faults on any number of VINs.

If you do use the 3, you can extend it to 10 for 170USD.

Won't do Crafters.

The interface is easy to use.

**Umai Naa!!** · 24-03-2017, 12:04 PM

They come with the cable.

**The_Hawk** · 24-03-2017, 03:37 PM

The RossTech cable now (and for a long while) is the licence to use the software. There is a chip inside which unlocks the functionality, many of the knock offs either use an old cloned key (which only works on older specific versions of the software) or run some sort of other hack with their own custom software. The VCDS software itself is freely available on RossTech's website, but without the genuine cable it's sort of useless.

Persoanlly I bought my cable many years ago (before they had the cheaper limited VIN versions) and have used it on my cars as well as (many many) VWWatercoolers cars over that time. Even though there are other options out there, I still think that the RossTech cable is the choice if you want to do much more than read and clear codes if you can afford it. It has ongoing development, a pretty active community and always seems to do all the things.

If you haven't already seen it in action you can probably find a member on here nearby who would be happy to give you a demo (and/or do the handful of things you want to code).