VAG COM USB Diagnostic cables

[Joe 90]

Does anybody know if you can pick up these cables on the high street? Don't really have time to wait a few days on delivery :(

I'm having some car trouble (lack of power & stuttering/juddery engine at low revs) which could be caused by a range of things so want to run some diagnostics before I take it to a garage.

[divine]

I doubt it, a genuine VAG-COM cable (or VCDS I think it's called now) is only gonna come from Ross-Tech in the USA and will be something like $249 + import charges for the most basic cable and software license.

You can get cheaper third party systems or knock-off cables but you have to really keep an eye on what they allow, what compatibility they have etc. etc.

[leowyatt]

if it is juddery I'd check your plugs, dis cap and cables. Same thing happened to mine a couple of years back.

[Joe 90]

Cheers guys. Cheap Chinese knock off from eBay then!

At first I thought it was the temperature sender unit just causing the ecu to put too much fuel in to the engine all the time. Now it seems as it could potentially be all sorts of things. :(
Gonna give my breakdown people a call & hopefully they'll come & look at it

[Burble]

Bah, if I had my car with me I'd send you my genuine cable for a few days. I'm not goign to get my car back for about a week though.

I've had very limited success with the 3rd party cables hence why I bought a genuine cable but they may have improved since I tried - it was about 4 years ago I last used a 3rd party cable.

It could indeed be all sorts of things, the MAF is usually the first place to look, they're a bit fragile on Mk4 Golfs. If it is the MAF then save yourself a world of pain and buy a genuine Bosch one, the 3rd party ones aren't worth the money

[Psymonkee]

I have a genuine cable (unused too :confused: ) that I could lend you? (assuming I can find it :p)

[Joe 90]

Well the cable I was looking at was suggested by other users on clubpolo so it's a decent enough cable for the basic diagnostics (& £15 price tag!)

I'll go grab my Haynes manual & check the airflow sensor. Ta

* I don't think the polo has a MAF. Are they specific to cars with a turbo?


I have a genuine cable (unused too :confused: ) that I could lend you? (assuming I can find it :p)

thanks, but I've got my breakdown company coming to look at the car & next saturday my tame mechanic is back from Scotland so he'll be able to take a look, do any work needed & sort it out so I think I'll be able to get by - just might not be able to go back to work this week!

[Joe 90]

Had the breakdown bloke out. He had the air filter off and as he put it, 'had a play', with it & suggests new HT leads & plugs. One of the leads is taped up with black elecy tape so I'll pop to halfords this afternoon & get them fitted on Saturday hopefully (along with my new stereo & aerial!)

[leowyatt]

with it & suggests new HT leads & plugs

could have sworn I suggested something similar? ;D

[Joe 90]

could have sworn I suggested something similar? ;D

haha, yeah and guess what - he cleaned out the dis cap as well! (as long as thats what I thought it was - the distributor that feeds all the spark plugs and sits on the end of the engine block.)

[leowyatt]

Aye :)

With my car a lead had been rubbing on the engine block and gone through the rubber cover. A change of plugs and leads and the car wasn't spluttering anymore :)

[Joe 90]

How easy is it? Just been reading through Haynes & looks like I need a few tools, but doesn't seem to difficult. Just not sure if we have a wrench!

[leowyatt]

It wasn't a difficult job at all :)

[Joe 90]

well i cocked it up somewhere.

Just changed the cables over, left the plugs and now it wont start.

Got it started once with some help from a heavy right foot, but it wouldn't sit idle. oh well :(

[Zirax]

You did remember the firing order and the numbering of the ht leads from the pack? Sounds like you haven't bunged them back on in the right order. Most coil packs now will have numbers which relate to which spark plug they should go to.

[Joe 90]

Yeah I got that right.

I might of messed up cylinder 3 though. I first put it in 4 then had issues getting it out, separated cable from socket (whoops) and the did my best to put it back together!! It felt like it went back together ok but obviously might be bust :(

I was then perhaps too careful & might not have correctly secured each lead in the engine block. But I was running out of light & just put it all back together.

Looks like tomorrow I'll be back under the bonnet instead of heading to Liverpool!

[divine]

Looks like tomorrow I'll be back under the bonnet instead of heading to Liverpool!

Sounds like a blessing in disguise to me ;)




(I hope you get it sorted relatively quickly though, fingers crossed it's just a silly mistake that you'll spot quickly)

[Joe 90]

right. I have a friend coming over who's a dab hand with cars in the morning. I bloody hope he can fix it!

[divine]

Hopefully we can assume from the fact you haven't posted a string of obscenities in here, that you got the car sorted in time not to ruin your day?

[Joe 90]

Haha. No. I'm just too tired of it to go on. Said friend didn't have a long enough tool to remove the spark plugs & when I put the original ht leads back in this morning it still wouldn't start. :(

Seems that at the point the engine should fire up it dies. Turns over fine, but doesnt start. Yesterday I got it to start once with a heavy foot on the gas but it wouldn't keep going when left to idle. That took a lot of effort though & I don't want to cause more problems!

[Joe 90]

fixed it. One of the HT leads (the one I pulled apart!) was the problem. Now need to wait till saturday to get the sparks in & fit my new head unit (and aerial if it arrives!)

[Pheebs]

I'm sorry but the title of this thread made me laugh long and hard, which then upon scanning it to re-sensibilize myself, made me laugh even more when I only fully saw and took in this during my sweeping look:


Cheers guys. Cheap Chinese knock off from eBay then!

[Joe 90]

women... :rolleyes: ;D

[Pheebs]

I still don't know what any of it means - I decided at that point I would only disappoint myself if I properly read the thread so it's been left in my Brain to remain as it always has.


Filth.


;D