I've stumbled across 409.1 software is that up to date??

Is it worth me gettin a cable I'm guessin there about a tenner from ebay??

I've seen the Single door unlock mod and the Power steering weight mod from fabiavrs.com which look pretty cool.

Is it right that all I have to do is install the software plug the cable in to my port on the right side of my steering wheel and into my computer and hey presto or is it an advanced job I should stay away from as I may mess up alot of settings?????

No, the current version is 805. 409 is ancient, but is the last one to work, sort of, with 'eBay' cables.

All the info you'll ever need: Ross-Tech: Home

Steve

As I understand it you have to be pretty good with computers and know what you're doing or you are liable to bugger things up.

On the basis that you have asked this question in two different forums and still not found the correct one (Diagnostics and VAG-COM), I'm not convinced.

As Wardy says, using ebay generic cables you can only read/reset codes and read data blocks.

However you cannot change settings without the £250 genuine lead, or a £70 software license.

Thinking about it I should really put my name on the vag-com list

Edited 2 April, 200917 yr by Ferret101

well I have now ordered myself the real deal, a ross tech cable. So as I see it, all the briskodians here on this site now own me nearly 300£

Speaking of it, if you are serious about the cable, ross tech is the only way to go. Ebay cables are for read/reset only. Some may claim to do it all, but hey, sometimes the work, sometimes they don't...

yes they worth it, for me a 15 mile drive to a skoda dealer £70 ish for them to diagnose it and 15 mile drive back again (do this twice and you definitely saved money).

Dont buy the ebay ones, i have one somewhere that i bought a few years ago and they dont work well, however my ross tech one works proper and if any problems they do free customer support and free vagcom updates (how many companies offer free updates for life).

I'm using an ebay one dongle with licensed 409.11 software for my Octavia1. It seems to give me all the functionality I need as I appear to be able to read and write and have access to all the measurement blocks that I could need. Adapter was £10 and the software was $99. I think that perhaps the later versions of the software are only useful on later model cars than mine?

I am utterly retarded with computers and managed to get mine set up within 20 mins with a little bit of forum searching. And, so far, have not broken mine or anyone elses car that I used it on.

For approx £80 it must be the best money you can spend on a VAG car. It saved me hundreds on my old VR6 (broke down relatively frequently) and allowed me to test my new octavia for faults before i bought it. Invaluable and easy to use (IMHO).

iep

i also beleive (someone can confirm) that the ebay leads dont work on octy II onwards, on the ones it does you have very limited options.

i also beleive (someone can confirm) that the ebay leads dont work on octy II onwards, on the ones it does you have very limited options.

That is what I was told.

As far as I'm aware the £10 cables are fine so long as you're not planning on looking at anything "modern" - so kind of 2003 onwards.

Yep, you'll have more luck on earlier cars (Fabia and Octy Mk1s). As the newer cars communicate over the CAN bus, the cheap cables don't allow full functionality as far as I'm aware.

Steve

That is what I was told.

As far as I'm aware the £10 cables are fine so long as you're not planning on looking at anything "modern" - so kind of 2003 onwards.

Correct,

The later cars are all canbus driven, rosstech supply three different leads:

HEX <-- early cars

CAN <-- late cars based on canbus

HEX+CAN <-- all cars

HEX+CAN is the best lead to go with as it'll give you compatibility with anything ever made by the VAG group, it is however, slightly more expensive.

It is so worth it. Also, when I was at Unit 18 with Ross there was an issue with the lead he had. The customer support was excellent and fast