Risks of VCDS Adaptations

[chrisps]

I am about to take delivery of a Superb estate (build date August 2016) L&K. One thing that it doesn't have, but I really want is the traffic sign reading. Unfortunately the dealer can't enable this (I offered the £80 it costs as a factory option ). Similar for high beam assist. I know from the thread on here, that these can be enabled with VCDS and I am considering buying one.

 

I realise that VCDS is use at your own risk, yada, yada, but I am trying to build an appreciation of what the actual risks are. As such, is anyone able to comment on the following:

 

- Are there known examples, when using the latest version of VCDS of "bricking" the ECU / needing replacement?

- Are there specific things that can go wrong, that are catastrophic; e.g. losing power, or the lead falling out etc when between changes? Looking at the instructions for road sign changes, you have to make multiple changes in multiple places

- Is there a way of rolling back if you screw something up? I have heard mention that VCDS can do some kind of confiig save? Does this allow you to roll back if it doesn't work?

- Are there particular changes that are more risky than others? E.g. are some changes just rejected by the car if they don't make sense vs some changes overwriting a critical bit of ECU firmware?

- Does VCDS have any type of protection against you being silly and clicking something which would be catastrophically bad?

- Is there any way of checking components before starting, to see if you have a different version to tutorials etc (and would this be obvious to someone with no experience)?

- Is there a specific unit that is safer? I know that there are different versions and HEX-NET?

 

Thanks!

[langers2k]

I'm assuming an August 2016 Superb is a MK3?

 

- Are there known examples, when using the latest version of VCDS of "bricking" the ECU / needing replacement?

Not that I'm aware of, there is a risk when using VCDS to modify brand new cars but the MQB platform has been around for a while now so that should be minimal.

 

- Are there specific things that can go wrong, that are catastrophic; e.g. losing power, or the lead falling out etc when between changes? Looking at the instructions for road sign changes, you have to make multiple changes in multiple places

 

Take sensible precautions like making sure the car battery is in good health, the laptop battery is charged and the VCDS lead is securely connected at both ends. In regards to needing up update multiple modules, just do one at a time. You'll get some error codes but these can be cleared when all modules have been changed.

 

- Is there a way of rolling back if you screw something up? I have heard mention that VCDS can do some kind of confiig save? Does this allow you to roll back if it doesn't work?

 

There isn't an inbuilt rollback function. Before you do anything, perform an autoscan and adaption maps of any modules you intend to change. Put these backups somewhere safe! Another trick is to do an autoscan first and then save it but leave the file open. Any changes you make will be shown in the log file so you can easily check your work.

 

- Are there particular changes that are more risky than others? E.g. are some changes just rejected by the car if they don't make sense vs some changes overwriting a critical bit of ECU firmware?

Some modules will reject obviously wrong coding. Generally speaking coding isn't risky, there are always exceptions such as byte 18 on PQ35 cars (not relevant if your Superb is a MK3).

 

- Does VCDS have any type of protection against you being silly and clicking something which would be catastrophically bad?

Nope, but most changes are reversible. This is why autoscans and adaption maps are useful to see what you've accidentally changed.

 

- Is there any way of checking components before starting, to see if you have a different version to tutorials etc (and would this be obvious to someone with no experience)?

Autoscan

- Is there a specific unit that is safer? I know that there are different versions and HEX-NET?

No difference. If your car is supported by multiple versions they should all act more or less the same.

[chrisps]

That's really useful! Thank you for that.

 

With the "auto scan and leave open" method, is that a sort of "simulation" - i.e. see what you are about to change before you commit, does does it simply log what is sending to the car?

 

Thanks again

[langers2k]

It logs the changes you're making as you do them. There is no simulation mode

[chrisps]

Cool, thanks!

[Auric Goldfinger]

Personally I prefer to let some one who knows what there doing to do any alterations to my 230. I've had loads done ( see my signature )

I'm prepared to travel and pay my way

 

 

AG

[chrisps]

1 hour ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

Personally I prefer to let some one who knows what there doing to do any alterations to my 230. I've had loads done ( see my signature )

I'm prepared to travel and pay my way

 

 

AG

Is it not just a case of following the instructions? I can totally see this point of view. I guess my feeling was that if I was in the position of having an unlimited vehicle VCDS, I would still be pretty unwilling to touch someone else's car, in case it went wrong... therefore I wouldn't want to put someone else in that position.

[BGB]

I've been using VCDS for about two years now and took the "learning-by-doing" route and can say it is perfectly safe to use even as a novice if you just use your brain and stay away from modules you don't know.

 

Use the Ross-Tech forum and watch youtube videos and you will have much fun and learn a lot. 

[Auric Goldfinger]

36 minutes ago, chrisps said:

Is it not just a case of following the instructions? I can totally see this point of view. I guess my feeling was that if I was in the position of having an unlimited vehicle VCDS, I would still be pretty unwilling to touch someone else's car, in case it went wrong... therefore I wouldn't want to put someone else in that position.

 

I see you point about using a VCDS on someone else's car but every thing is in German, my Germans not that good to be honest. 

 

 

[BGB]

VCDS is not only in German, mine is in English.

[chrisps]

22 minutes ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

 

I see you point about using a VCDS on someone else's car but every thing is in German, my Germans not that good to be honest. 

 

 

 

I guess another way to look at it is: Is there a list of people who actually do VCDS a lot? I know there is the list of people with VCDS devices, but it seems like most of them are just like me and have bought one. Is there a list of people who I could talk to who have a lot of experience? I have seen a few people around on the forums who obviously know their stuff, but no one in the Bristol area.

52 minutes ago, BGB said:

I've been using VCDS for about two years now and took the "learning-by-doing" route and can say it is perfectly safe to use even as a novice if you just use your brain and stay away from modules you don't know.

 

Use the Ross-Tech forum and watch youtube videos and you will have much fun and learn a lot. 

Thats good to know! Every hand any miss-haps with that approach?!

[BGB]

11 minutes ago, chrisps said:

 

I guess another way to look at it is: Is there a list of people who actually do VCDS a lot? I know there is the list of people with VCDS devices, but it seems like most of them are just like me and have bought one. Is there a list of people who I could talk to who have a lot of experience? I have seen a few people around on the forums who obviously know their stuff, but no one in the Bristol area.

Thats good to know! Every hand any miss-haps with that approach?!

 

No not once

[Auric Goldfinger]

40 minutes ago, BGB said:

VCDS is not only in German, mine is in English.

 

Mmmm,  perhaps I didn't phrase it properly, the ones I've see when you get into the sections to actually alter things, thats in German.

[TLV]

If you know the basics of VCDS (like always starting with an auto-scan, saving logs, etc.) , then playing around with it is very safe and 99.9% of the time reversible (there are sometimes situations like with the rev limiter that can only be adjusted irreversibly downwards and never upwards, some glitches that can cause a module to fry if you don't follow a specific procedure and so on but those are far from the usual options that everyone toys with). READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, follow the basics and nothing bad will happen.

 

Pretty sure Ross-Tech is US based and the default VCDS language is English. May or may not have had about 5 other languages to boot. Some fleabay copy adapters are limited to only one languages but depends on the trickery they've used to get VCDS working without the blessing of Ross-Tech. As far as I've toyed with VCDS 16.8.4 , every bit of it has been in English. Maybe the older versions have more German in it or perhaps I haven't gone deep enough into the secret sauce.

 

Not familiar with the S3 but in order to enable certain things you need to have the hardware on the car. Manufacturers don't just put expensive bits in the car and leave them disabled. Playing with VCDS adaptions is mostly tweaking software to the owners liking. If you're lucky, you can enable some of the cheaper features that have been disabled by software. Usually in order to get those cheaper options you need to have certain more expensive options, which the cheaper option is designed to be a part of. What the cars come with by standard and what can be optioned, that's all different between markets and what the factory can offer at that time. Sometimes you can option the car more, sometimes less.

 

I compared the UK and Estonian Skoda configurators. Smart Light Assist is a part of a package with Lane Assist and Blind Spot Detection on both configurators. I'm quite sure that Smart Light Assist depends on the optional camera that's mounted under the top of the windshield and requires bi-xenon headlights (standard on L&K's.). Since it only comes in a package, it may or may not also require the car to be fitted with Lane Assist and Blind Spot Detection hardware for it to be possible to enable Smart Light Assist with VCDS.

 

On a side note, in the UK the L&K seems to come standard with the Colombus but in Estonia with the Bolero infotainment. The base price difference is quite marginal though. The SLA-LA-BSD package is also £100 against €710, but perhaps the whole question arises from the fact that all those parts are standard in the UK but disabled. I have my doubts about that, though. If I try to add the Traffic Sign Recognition option on the Estonian configurator, then it requires me to add either Amundsen (€530) or Columbus (€1 300) systems with bluetooth and wireless charging (which is an expensive option on its own but seems to be swallowed into the infotainment package if you grab Amundsen or Columbus).

 

On the S2 I have bi-xenons but not the elliptical rear-view camera that has a camera in it, so no automatic high-beam fiddling for me. Pretty sure it could be added with VCDS if I swapped the mirror. As far as I've seen, the square mirrors never come with a camera.

 

Take everything I've said with a pinch of salt because I'm new to VW's of this millennium

Edited 27 February, 2017 by TLV

[chrisps]

@TLV - Thanks for that. Definitely sounds like it should be ok. In terms of hardware in the vehicle, I realise that, but pretty sure that the L&K here has all the necessary hardware for what I want (its such a cheap factory option, I am surprised they don't just put it on all of them really!)

[26DIPP]

The car has great self healing power when everything is flashing like a christmas tree. I made some "alterations" and followed the recipe or thought I did and I did not have enough finger to count the errors, but sensors simply had to reset themselves. If you simply activate functions and follow the trodden path you are safe. NEVER start before the first autoscan is saved - check that it is saved. Otherwise the internet with its forums will help sort most mistakes.

[tubbytommy]

Id never used vcds before i had my skoda.

Found it pretty simple to do and manged to retrofit loads of things like rear camera and front ops.

 

That said i guess im more skilled with the spanners etc than the average owner.

[Gizmo]

Another this to bear in mind is that as newer model years are introduced or controllers are superseded (and sometimes when the VCDS software is updated) some coding can move around slightly, this is the reason I include screenshots wherever possible rather than ‘just tick byte X bit Y’

[AndrewE]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 19:05, Auric Goldfinger said:

Personally I prefer to let some one who knows what there doing to do any alterations to my 230. I've had loads done ( see my signature )

I'm prepared to travel and pay my way

 

 

AG

I would like most of your options putting on my car. Roughly what did you pay for all the options? I also do not want to try and do this myself, and have looked at the VCDS list but don't know who knows what they are doing, and who would just give it a try.

 

I looked on Groupon as some people were offering a service, they were charging £40 per change.

[Gizmo]

49 minutes ago, VrsOctaviaAndy said:

I would like most of your options putting on my car. Roughly what did you pay for all the options? I also do not want to try and do this myself, and have looked at the VCDS list but don't know who knows what they are doing, and who would just give it a try.

 

@Jonny5ive is probably the most experienced VCDS owner near you.

[Auric Goldfinger]

3 bottles of a decent red wine, 

 

 

* Other wines, red or white and quality are available from many outlets *

 

 

Edited 24 May, 2017 by Auric Goldfinger

[AndrewE]

On 5/24/2017 at 19:01, Gizmo68 said:

 

@Jonny5ive is probably the most experienced VCDS owner near you.

Thanks. I will look into this soon.

[AndrewE]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 19:05, Auric Goldfinger said:

Personally I prefer to let some one who knows what there doing to do any alterations to my 230. I've had loads done ( see my signature )

I'm prepared to travel and pay my way

 

 

AG

 

Roughly how long did the process take to make the changes on your car? Are you talking hours or just minutes?

[Auric Goldfinger]

37 minutes ago, VrsOctaviaAndy said:

 

Roughly how long did the process take to make the changes on your car? Are you talking hours or just minutes?

 

Think the whole job done was around 40 minutes. I crossed the boarder between Yorkshire and Lancashire to have the work done. A good hour and a half travel each way.  Well worth the trip..............

[AndrewE]

7 minutes ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

 

Think the whole job done was around 40 minutes. I crossed the boarder between Yorkshire and Lancashire to have the work done. A good hour and a half travel each way.  Well worth the trip..............

Thanks for that, I do want to get a few things sorted at some stage. (a few copied from yourself)

 

My list so far:

Front & rear tear drop wipe.

Auto rain closing.

Refuel quantity.

Traffic sign recognition.

Passenger mirror dip on reverse.

High beam assist.

dimming drl's on indicating.

2 second delay on head light washers.