Can't you just buy this and download the Vag-com software and it will do the EXACT same thing?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USB-K...spagenameZWDVW

I am a complete newb when it comes to this but I don't see why the "offcial" vag-com cable would be different than this one, for christs sake it's a cable! How does vagcom justify charging 250 for a cable? From what I read on their site that is really all you are paying for, and you can download the sofware free.

Anyoen used this before, becuase I would love to learn to use it and I am down with saving 230 bucks

 

its the programmin thats the most expensive part not the connection wires

 

The cable is not the expensive part, its the software, and show me where you can download it for free?

 

Yes, you can buy that and download the software. However, you can only unlock a full install of software to a single PC. If you need to move it to another PC, you have to go through a send-reply process with ross-tech.

On the other hand, the dongle contains the unlock code within it. If I'm not mistaken, that means you can have the free vag software installed on a bunch of machines and whichever one is using the dongle has the full unlocked version.

I hope that made sense, I'm not in the best condition atm.

 

The only way you can download vag com software for free is if you do it the highly illegal way, which i probably shouldnt disclose that procedure...

 

Right on their website, on the page for orderign the USB cable, it says:

Please Note:
No software or printed documentation is shipped with this product. Software and documentation must be downloaded from the Ross-Tech web site.

I am guessing then that you can get the software for free but it is a limited shareware version or something until you type in a license code that unlocks the full version features.

 

from ross-tech? why doesn't that sound right? I honestly forget the process I went through but can't you just download the software from their site with no problem? I swore that version at least read and cleared codes or something and once you unlock it after paying, you can then mod so to speak.

 

They keep changing how they sell it and what is included/different packages etc. Looks like the software license for full version is $99 and then you can use your ebay cable with that for a decent price. I ordered my cable and shareware software from them last year for $79, then i got the full version.

 

Because that's the cheapest diagnostic software specifically for VAG cars that you can get anywhere. I've had it with my first car in 2000 and it's paid for itself many times over. You cannot get the level of diagnostic access short of buying a bona fide VAG tool. But if you're whining over $250, try pricing a VAG tool. Plus, a VAG tool only returns codes that you then have to figure out.

If you don't want to spend the money for a VAG-COM, then leave your car stock and take it to the dealer every time something’s not right (at $95 a pop just to diagnose the problem).

 

im working on a way for you guys to have a ecu scaner for 89 bucks. just buy a cable($89) and a generic scaner(free) of the internet. i have it on my car and im going to see if i can connect to an audi. so far i have been able to connect to a mustang and my evo