bearthebruce

There is no such serial number and from my view of the photo, HC854822 is what is shown in the photo. No matter - it's not real. It is fake tools - just like Mr Trump's Fake News!

HC854822 is most definitely a clone.

The ebay listing in this thread does not appear to be a legit interface. I'm not positive about it but am pretty sure. Price is unusually low even for a used HEX+CAN interface if that is what is offered. Did anyone buy it? Care to send me a serial number? It should be right on the face of the unit HCXXXXXX - where the XX's are 6 numerals.

Yes, to upgrade you must be a registered user of VCDS. That said, if purchased from one of our distributors and they have records to support, Ross-Tech will support the upgrade. As to not transferable - correct. The software license is between the original purchasing party and Ross-Tech. That license is not transferable to a third party. This applies to both dongle style interfaces and non-dongle interfaces. A third party may register an existing previously owned dongle interface for $99 transferring the license to their name. With that license, full support and the ability to later upgrade is given to the new owner of that device. A third party can purchase a non-dongle interface and then must purchase a full license in order to use it. I hope that helps explain licensing and registrations on the older products. The newer products V2 & HEX-NET require all to register the product in order to use them.

The OP is using a knock-off. They are known to give poor results. No need to send anything to Ross-Tech unless it comes from a legit system.

Correct - if the interface is not compatible, it means the HEX+CAN cannot speak to the module. Correct - if the labels are not available, it means the release of VCDS you are using did not have the labels for that module at the release. When the labels are added to VCDS, then they should load for that module. Without the labels, you can use the tool on the module but you only get our "guesses" from a similar module if we have info from one. It may be that when you look at live values and when you look to code the module, there is nothing labeled and it may not give any help at all. The bits in a coding word may have no descriptions. Playing with such unlabeled bits is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a burning fire. Stand back and watch things go terribly wrong.

Limitations: on 2016 through 2019 vehicles, an address scheme change by VAG on their cars resulted in the HEX+CAN interface no longer being able to address all modules. The HEX-NET and HEX-V2 were released to mitigate the problem and allow our users to continue working on all VAG from 1995 through 2019 and beyond (looks like 2020 models will not have any significant communications changes and our present offerings will continue work on those). So, while the HEX+CAN may speak to some modules in your 2019, it will not speak to all. As to labels and such, 2019 data is still being added to VCDS just like in every other new year. The work can only start when data is acquired from our user base. Is there any other information need with which we might help?

In US, the dealer is not permitted by VAG to make such changes. The vehicle must be set to a certain set of allowed parameters that have been approved the NHTSA. For example: one button window up/down is not permitted by NHTSA for new cars leaving the lot for they have decided a child could be pinched. Could it be that governmental interference is at the root of the dealer not asking?

For reference: www.Ross-Tech.com VCDS takes a windows PC and turns it into a near factory level diagnostic tool. Through its Coding function, one can change the turned on installed options of the vehicle.

Yes. The new units cover 1995 through 2019. The V2 does not cover Lambo. For Lambo you have to go HEX-NET. With an adapter cable, the units cover back to 1990 diagnostic cable vehicles.

No we do not have a crystal ball nor clairvoyance. Further, VAG does not consult us! As you say PetrolDave, we have tried to give the highest value to our users but sometimes changes require new hardware to meet the need. The DoIP thing came out of the blue. The HEX-NET is now 5 years old. Is it really a surprise that new hardware is required from time to time? What electronic product stands still? Tech changes and we have to adapt to the changes. Each year VAG is making things harder for us. If it were not for people like those found on this forum, we would not be able to keep up with VAG (we do better than most!). Remember, we do not use their handouts that other scan tool manufacturers use because the data is for 3 year old vehicles. From what we have learned of what they give, it would be inadequate for our user base. We know it would be expensive to buy (5 figures is what we have been told - annual cost). If that be true - that's plain crazy for 3 year old incomplete information. We do what we do so our users have the best we can provide. Some find fault with us saying the HEX+CAN had to be replaced after 14 years of service. It's theirs to say. We'll just keep going doing what we have done for 20 years. Are we perfect? Nope. But we strive to be the best we can be.

I was just with the Gendan guys at the Automechanika in Birmingham. The 225£ VCDS does more than the 195£ FXNT520. The FXNT520 has Incomplete coding support. It supports some adaptations and basic settings. Do remember that updates to VCDS have been free for 20 years. What kind of updates will you get with the Foxwell hand held? With VCDS you have support available through Gendan, through our dedicated forum, through email to our support team. Does Foxwell offer the same support? I do not think the Foxwell hand held scanner is equal to VCDS by any means. But I am biased... and each has the right to choose the tool they desire.

It is not immo then. Immo would allow it to start and would immediately shut it down within a minute. You have a no crank issue... this is electrical. You need to get access to wiring diagrams... My guess is a bad relay. A diagnostic scan would probably not tell much either. That is where I would be starting...

When you say, "won't start", is this a no crank - or a crank and no ignition of the fuel? Since you brought up the immo, does the immo flash? Trying to narrow down the area that needs attention. Got a scan from the car?

Gizmo your recollection is spot on. 2004 we introduced the HEX+CAN - the second generation of dongle interfaces. The KEY series and the HEX series prior to +CAN series were also dongle interfaces where the license is embedded in the units. The dongle style interface allows one to install the software to as many PCs as one chooses. Only the device to which the cable is connected can be used at that moment. It makes it easy for users to stay current because they do not need to register and play games to get / keep things working. The software name change came when in 2006 we tried to trademark VAG-COM. We wanted to protect the product name. The suits at VAG objected to our use of "VAG", a trademark they had let expire. We figured we were in the clear. Au contraire... They argued that their claim to VAG was grandfathered and it was obvious the courts would go along with them. VW of America threatened a lawsuit against Ross-Tech's use and in an out of court settlement agreed we could change the name to VCDS (VAG-COM Diagnostic Software). By 2007, we launched a worldwide advertising campaign - Ross-Tech style - to let the world know that nothing had changed beyond the name. In 2007 we feared that the HEX+CAN would not carry us forever and we also began dealing with all the illegal clones of VCDS. We began a project to implement a secure interface that would stop all the hacks. We also began locking down the files associated with VCDS owing to the fact that the big box scan tool companies were taking our files (which take effort to sort, organize, and properly label - read that cost), placing those files directly in their tools. Their support staffs, not knowing how to use this info, started sending their customers to Ross-Tech for support. We were being inundated with non-customers asking for our help. We didn't think that was very proper or fair. The problems just mentioned resulted in the HEX-NET which we launched quietly in 2014. We didn't release it to the world for we knew we still had work to do but we needed people testing it. By Sept 2016, the product was robust and was launched at the Automechanika in Frankfurt. We realized there was a need for a lower cost enthusiast product that still covered all VAG from 1990 to current year. But how to have such a product and establish different price levels. Enter the VIN limits and the HEX-V2 interface. I saw in another thread here yesterday that some feel we did all this for "commercial" purposes - ie to rip our users off and cost them their coin so we could get rich and fat. Well I speak for myself, I am fat. But as to rich? I'm a long way from that. Sure we need to make money but we keep an eye toward our users and we are famously loyal to our enthusiast customers. Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive VAG diagnostic tool we can provide without violating ethics, morals or laws. We will provide this along with the best service we can manage at a price that is fair and equitable, that is justifiable, that does not keep costing our user year after year after year as is the model for virtually every other product sold to support and diagnose vehicles. I have advocated higher prices and Uwe Ross beats me up every time I open my mouth. Uwe does not have a "commercial" bone in his body. He is an enthusiast. He launched VAG-COM and Ross-Tech to fill a need for the enthusiast community. That the product became good enough with the help of the user community to be a near factory level tool is gravy. We never targeted the professional market and most pro technicians still think Ross-Tech's business model is nuts. They are so used to having to pay annual fees they can't understand how we stay in business delivering a quality product. Another subject I wish to touch on. Some have been comparing VCDS to VCP and OBDEleven. Those products also have their place.. But do remember, while their initial price is low, they either have annual fees or they have fees you must pay to add features. When did Ross-Tech ever ask our user base to pay for features or to pay for updates? We have had to change hardware to keep up with VAG changes. We have never asked users to pay to have the latest software. And now I should get off my soap box and get back to the thread title - Upgrading. Any registered user can upgrade through Ross-Tech. The program is outlined on this page: https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/cat/IntUp New with the HEX-NET and HEX-V2 introduction, our distribution network can also do upgrades for you. They are not required to offer the upgrades and their prices may be a bit different than ours. Many of our partners do offer the upgrades. Why? They know as we know that the cost of shipping the interface to the USA is pricey. So, they are authorized to help users. In closing, we too find the prices people will pay for the older interfaces incredible. In several cases, sales were listed for a price higher than we offered the interface originally. Now that is a product that holds value! Folks, the support of our user community has been nothing less than stellar. We appreciate each and every one. We will keep working to give you the ability to work on the rides you love and do so with a tool that keeps giving you value year on year. Thanks for allowing my soap box and for listening. Thanks for the dialog that happens in this forum. While we have our own forum, we do still read these. We just could not keep participating in so many different forums. We had to concentrate things in one place. Remember, don't leave home without your VCDS! Later,