Hi, help please. 
2019 2.0 tdi.   I got one of the cheap VW dongles from eBay as I thought the Skoda lite app may be helpful. Soon realised it’s not much more than a gimmick and a way of Skoda to mine more information about you and the car. 
I’ve downloaded the VAG DPF app and it appears that it’s not communicating with it,, it could be me but I like an instruction book, it’s an age thing. 
if I need a new dongle then I should ensure that it will do everything. For example will it work with OBD eleven if I decide to go that way in the future. 
 

Any recommendations thanks

OBD 11 demands you use their dongle. Carista allows you to use any. Torque will also communicate with most. If the Dongle actually connects and works, then the DPF app should also "just work". Does Torque work with it?

 

 - Bret

Please forgive my ignorance. Is Torque another app?

yes, it is, and the free version is pretty good. If that can't connect, I'd say you have a duff dongle.... if it can, then the DPF app is doing something strange. But when it's connected, it should just work. 

 

 - Bret

Highly recommend the OBDeleven dongle - VAG group compatible (can do coding and stuff like that), but also dealer level diagnostics.

 

It probably won't work with the DPF app and the like, but definitely more useful!

Can anyone give advice about what's needed to more in depth things?

eg, I want to adjust the aiming of my headlights, but being the "active" type, you need to put the car into a learning mode first. From what I've seen, OBD11 can't do that.

.. and there are generally pretty good reasons why OBD11 can't. Especially this particular thing, I'd be talking to a dealer to work out what it is that you think is wrong.. you can adjust the physical position of the headlamp unit but it's a process which requires precision. Or a flat surface and some time and a measuring stick or three. 

 

 - Bret

Short answer- Avoid buying cheap ebay dongles.

 

Long answer- An awful lot (all?) of OBD2 Bluetooth dongles use the ELM327 chipset. This is the brain of the dongle. Cheap Chinese dongles, often with "ELM327" + <fake version number> in the name, are using non-genuine ELM327 chipsets and/or completely different hardware to (poorly) emulate the proper functionality. Some now go so far as to report false-positives to testing apps so that they look legitimate, but the actual functionality isn't there. You are better off buying from a reputable store.

cheers.

 

I've adjusted headlights before. Takes some time & patience and sometimes a few different tries to get correct.

Not sure what equipment the dealers have here as headlight aiming is not a requirement of the annual check where I am (used to be and should be...)

 

TrinityJay, where abouts are you? I'm in Sydney.

I'm in Melbourne and would rather not be right now!

LOL. I can understand that. Dunno why things suddenly went so pear shaped down there compared to here...

Can you give me a recommendation of a decent system to buy?

I'm intending to do a lot of work on the car myself and would like to be able to do jobs like I've mentioned and be able to track things like water pump and other known issues myself.

Recently had to contend with one of the DRL controllers shorting out because it got wet somehow in a rainstorm... My local dealer did give me a free scan because the car is just out of warranty, but any more effort than that I was up for some $.

On 06/09/2020 at 17:34, wagonist said:

Can anyone give advice about what's needed to more in depth things?

eg, I want to adjust the aiming of my headlights, but being the "active" type, you need to put the car into a learning mode first. From what I've seen, OBD11 can't do that.

 

Just to clarify things - OBDII and OBDEleven are two different things.

OBDII is the diagnostic standard - you can buy cheap OBDII dongles on eBay (the ELM327 clones), some of which don't play nicely with certain apps. Torque is one app that can talk to the car using these dongles and reset engine codes (not individual module codes), and read certain diagnostic data.

OBDEleven is a specific dongle that uses their own app, but it can talk to every module in your car, activate special functions (possibly the light adjustment, but you'd need to clarify this on their own forum), clear codes out of any modules, do long coding and adjust adaptations.

 

Carista is a similar dongle that uses it's own app, but I haven't used it so can't comment.

13 hours ago, wagonist said:

Can you give me a recommendation of a decent system to buy?

 

I bought this one on a whim a week or so back- https://www.jaycar.com.au/obd-ii-engine-code-reader-with-bluetooth-technology/p/PP2145

 

Sadly it seems it too is a clone, as it identifies as the non-genuine v1.5....however it does pass the core functionality tests and has a proper MAC address.

 

 

Early on there were a bunch of tweaked clone chips (hence the v1.5 vs the genuine v1.4 at the time) that weren't necessarily complete garbage. It was the later clones claiming to be v2.1 that were total junk, to the point that Chinese ebayers started selling them as v1.5 again once word got out. This dongle is working fine for me, so it's likely based on one of those earlier clone chips.

 

If I were to buy again I would probably go with an OBDlink dongle. They use a different chipset entirely with their own firmware, and feature a much higher transfer rate than the ELM327 chip.

Does this look like a legit OBDEleven dongle?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/274135391622?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=274135391622&targetid=938697916926&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007321&poi=&campaignid=10204071741&mkgroupid=105678537727&rlsatarget=aud-629407027345:pla-938697916926&abcId=1145987&merchantid=113422025&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhvf6BRCkARIsAGl1GGhAG3BQIVc3bNt7tCtFQ51KlNRD1e18fryUXehposaPxrSQIWDdoUIaAhIHEALw_wcB

I'd only buy direct from them. Besides, the device by itself is only £39.99 (cheaper than your link). The pro option is only necessary if you need features that it unlocks - you may find it's cheaper in the app rather than purchasing a code online.

 

https://obdeleven.com/en/home/10-obdeleven-device-0725423005103.html

 

 

4 minutes ago, micro said:

I'd only buy direct from them. Besides, the device by itself is only £39.99 (cheaper than your link). The pro option is only necessary if you need features that it unlocks - you may find it's cheaper in the app rather than purchasing a code online.

 

https://obdeleven.com/en/home/10-obdeleven-device-0725423005103.html

 

 

Perfect. Cheers

Do i need PROPACK for 99E for coding some simple mods like RVC?

DONGLES

Pro is required for coding. Only the inbuilt apps are available otherwise. You earn credits to use the inbuilt apps at the rate of 1 per day or you can buy bundles. By the time you have bought a bundle you may aswell have unlocked Pro. Plus the inbuilt apps are not 100% reliable and you may not know exactly what is being changed which can be dangerous.

Not to mention - BACKUP your module configuration before changing anything.

 

It's a lifesaver when you get a "Module misconfiguration" code set and can't figure out what actually did it...

On the main site it's €39.99 for the dongle and €24.99 for pro pack. Only reason I can see to get the newer device is if you want to run it with iPhone.

Se standard OBDeleven for 40E+25E PRO licence is fine. I don't need a NEXT gen PRO Pack for 99E?

Does (will) next gen OBDeleven support newer models of cars that the old one wont?

I made an impulse purchase of a Carly dongle this week. It arrived today and I connected up to my Octavia III vRS to see what I can get from it without committing to the pretty pricey full-features subscription.

I got emailed a report with a couple of VERY BAD! alerts that look like they've been in the system for quite a while. Nothing that numerous fault checks at Skoda main dealer Helston Garages have picked up. False positive alerts? Scanlog attached below

I tried to connect to it with the Torque lite app but the connection wouldn't stabilise.

Anyway I may just send it back within the 14 days and try something else because of the need to have the aforementioned subscription.

Diagnostics Report.pdf

On 06/11/2020 at 17:35, Pilotguy said:

I made an impulse purchase of a Carly dongle this week. It arrived today and I connected up to my Octavia III vRS to see what I can get from it without committing to the pretty pricey full-features subscription.

I got emailed a report with a couple of VERY BAD! alerts that look like they've been in the system for quite a while. Nothing that numerous fault checks at Skoda main dealer Helston Garages have picked up. False positive alerts? Scanlog attached below

I tried to connect to it with the Torque lite app but the connection wouldn't stabilise.

Anyway I may just send it back within the 14 days and try something else because of the need to have the aforementioned subscription.

Diagnostics Report.pdf 49.28 kB · 13 downloads

I’ve returned the Carly dongle now. Easy process, all online through their EU website, postage paid on the return label produced. Thee was no way I was going to pay upfront for their annual subscription based on what I saw from the test diagnostic check.