Thanks Jim I understand a lot more now....sounds like the thing to have dont it £225 for 3 vins but then i,ve seen unlimited on ebay for that price but used condition 

If you're considering investing, steer clear of ebay and similar sites. Too many cases of false claims and people being ripped off with diagnostic stuff. Buy genuine Ross-Tech equipment direct from authorised sellers:

 

Gendan: https://www.gendan.co.uk/category_145.html

 

or

 

Ilexa: https://www.ilexa.co.uk/diagnostic-tools/vag-com-vcds.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqY3zBRDQARIsAJeCVxPhswyCPLqZG9CvgvoLIzHMbSR6rAb4Kb-1ZaocUMzCvxbxj2SgUMAaAtnUEALw_wcB

 

are both great options. The kit isn't cheap, but it's no more expensive than the fake stuff on ebay, and at least you know you're getting the real deal. There are a few options available, and hopefully someone else will comment to advise you further about those. VIN licensing is also not something i'm familiar with. Diagnostic tools i've used in the past have not been restricted to a set number of vehicles. Sounds fishy to me, but maybe others can confirm or deny this?

Edited 7 March, 20206 yr by Jim_bobs

yea I would only buy Ross-Tech equipment 

just an update guys, put the new battery on and it would still not start to put my code scanner in and it would not pick up or connect, I had to ring a guy who has a better code reader at the cost of £20 his would not connect either, we then played around with the cpu fuses both of them then it did connect to his scanner, he cleared all the codes and the car started up 1st go and everything is all back to working again.

 

thought I would update in case anyone reads this thread and there code reader wont connect try wriggling about with the fuses lol.

 

Seems it must of been the battery after all.

 

Thanks for all your help guys... Al

Great news re starting again.

 

Bit strange re having to pull fuses?

Presumably having changed the battery there was a time where the car had no battery power which would have been the same as removing the fuses?

Is it possible that one of the fuses you played with wasn't seated properly, or wasn't conducting as it should have?

Did you replace fuses for new ones or just remove and then replace them to clear/reset the ECU?

No Dan when I replaced the battery I kept power to the car with a spare battery and jump leads so I never had to reset/code the stereo not sure why messing with the fuses sorted it but glad it did

Over time, electrical connections will just "fade", where dust and moisture in the air cause unprotected connecting surfaces to deteriorate, or in some cases oxidise. You can see evidence of this on cars that are several years old. Pull a fuse out, and the "faces" of the fuse legs will be discoloured and often grotty and rough to touch. Pulling and re-seating a fuse renews the connection.

 

It could also be an indication of early corrosion in the fuse box. Either way, i'm glad you got the problem sorted!