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 ) that I could lend you? (assuming I can find it )

[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?

Originally Posted by Psymonkee

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

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]

Originally Posted by Joe 90

with it & suggests new HT leads & plugs

could have sworn I suggested something similar?

[Joe 90]

Originally Posted by leowyatt

could have sworn I suggested something similar?

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.)