Can anyone point me in the right direction for a cheap ebay cable to use with VCDS. I am intrigued with the idea of using the shareware version of VCDS and then just buying a cheap ebay lead for a few quid. Do you get the full software version or is there a real advantage to paying £200+ and going for the genuine cable and software?

Ebay cables will not work with CAN based cars (MK5 Golf, MKII Octavia etc) basically most cars 2004 onwards.

You would also need to buy the $99 licence to open the 409.01 software right up, but even then the software is 6 years old and MANY updates have been made since then that 409.01 will never cover.

So by the time you have bought your cheap cable and paid the $99 to open it up (providing you get a cable that actually works - some do some don't!) you are not a million miles away from buying the pukka thing (at the Group Buy price) for a cable that is nowhere near as good as the proper interface that will work with ALL VAG cars.

It's your call....

Thanks for that. Both my cars are 2003 or before so I may get away with a cheapo cable. I was under the impression that the shareware version may be free! I should have known that it wasn't really!

Assuming that I can get a cable from ebay, what cable would I need for the 2001 Mk4 golf and the 2003 mk1 Octavia vRS?

The shareware version will work, but will only allow you to scan and clear fault codes. If you want to do any more like alter settings then you have to pay the 99$ to unlock it. Shareware is not Freeware.

The shareware version is free, but it's capabilities are limited, hence why people buy the $99 licence, the beauty of the genuine interfaces is you are future proofing your investment (you 'own' a 2003 vehicle already, so it's replacement will probably be CAN based - if it's another VAG).

When i bought my Ross-Tech interface i had a MKI Octavia so didn't need the CAN facility, however SWMBO then bought a MK5 Golf which a non genuine cable would not of worked on.

It's worth considering what your next cars will be, otherwise it' may be 'buy cheap, buy twice'.

Thanks for the advice. I might just buy the cheap kit and see if I like it, before upgrading to the full monty. By the looks of it I could be fully equipped on a shareware version and an ebay for under a tenner! Got to be worth a go hasn't it?

Personally i have never seen or used one of the cheap cables in use, so can't really comment on how good or bad they are first hand, some people get them to work OK, others give up with them and wright it off as a bad idea.

Certainly VCDS is not for everyone, BUT on the other hand they are an amazing tool, everyone who has seen mine in action, have been impressed with what it can do. (VCDS that is )

Only you can decide what is the right one for you. A limited cable for £10, a more functional one (but still limited to what it will work on) for just under £100, or the full monty that will work on all your cars, future VAG cars and anything made by VAG with OBDII for £200 in the GB or £250+ at normal non GB price.

Hmmmmm i will have a think and see what pennies I have lying around at the moment.

Thanks for all of your help and I am sure that I will be buying one of the systems at some point soon.

I've just bought one of the fleabay knock offs, was a waste of time imho. Sure it's an ODB cable, but since it's a pile of cheap tat, it's a nightmare to get working. If I had the spare cash at the mo, I'd get the real thing.