VAG-COM Frequently Asked Questions -- Page 4

4.1  Why and How should I test VAG-COM prior to Activating it?

All of our Current Interfaces that have built-in Activation, are fully Registered and Activated once you test them on a car. With these Interfaces, the license is built in, you do not have to Activate VAG-COM, but obviously you'll want to test VAG-COM when you get it to make sure everything works properly.

For our older Interfaces without built-in Activation, or for 3rd party Interfaces:

As per our Guarantee no refunds will be issued once you have received an Activation Code from us. Therefore, it is in your best interest to test VAG-COM with your PC and your vehicle prior to requesting an Activation. First, Download and install VAG-COM on your PC. Find your vehicle on the Applications Page to see which control modules are in your car.  Connect your Interface to your car's Diagnostic Port and to your PC.  Turn the ignition ON (turn the key so the Instrument Cluster lights up, but do not start the car -OR- start the car). Go into the Options screen, select the correct port, and click the TEST button.  Ensure that VAG-COM finds your interface, you should see a message that says Interface Found. Now click SAVE.  Select one of your car's Control Modules (note: your car will not have all the Control Modules listed in VAG-COM, only the ones on your Applications Page).  After VAG-COM has Connected, check Fault Codes. Repeat the process for each of your car's Control Modules. If you encounter problems, please try These Suggestions first. If you still have problems, feel free to Contact Us with full details about your PC and vehicle, preferably while you are in front of both.

4.2  Can I use VAG-COM while I am driving?

We strongly recommend against reading data while driving -- that would be an accident waiting to happen. Almost everything that changes while you drive can be LOGGED to a .CSV file, which you can analyze to your heart's content using VAG-Scope or Excel (or a number of other programs) preferably while the vehicle is not in motion..:-)

If you find it necessary to read data while the vehicle is in motion, we strongly urge you to use a second person -- one to drive, one to look at the PC. This second person should sit in the back seat, because a laptop used in the front passenger's seat becomes potentially lethal if an airbag drives it back into the passenger's head or torso in case of an accident.

4.3  What is "The Aftermarket Radio Problem"?

Please read The Aftermarket Radio Page.

4.4  How do I upgrade my existing VAG-COM software to the newest version?

You should be able to simply Download and install the latest release of VAG-COM in your PC. Make sure you have exited out of VAG-COM before you install the new version. All of our Current Interfaces that have built-in Activation, so the new version should be fully Registered and Activated once you test on a car. If you'd like to be notified when a new version of VAG-COM becomes available, you should sign up for our Announcements List.

For our older Interfaces without built-in Activation, or for 3rd party Interfaces:

The new version of VAG-COM should see and use your existing registration/activation.  Very rarely,  the software will revert to shareware when an upgrade is done. If you perform an upgrade and feel it killed your registration, simply complete this short form to request a new activation code. Requests submitted via
e-mail, fax or telephone, or forms with incomplete information will be rejected and will delay your activation

If you purchase a genuine Ross-Tech Interface directly from us, or from one of our Distributors, you are entitled to free software updates for at least one year from date of purchase. Compatibility of future versions of VAG-COM with 3rd party interfaces is not guaranteed.

4.5  What is the purpose of the "OBD-II" button? Why would I want to press it?

See the Online Demo/Manual for more information. You can use this test to determine whether a car is ISO/OBD-II compatible, i.e. whether it "speaks" the OBD-II protocols, if the car uses the ISO-9141 hardware layer for OBD-II. This has nothing to do with the VAG protocol that VW uses, and the results of this test have nothing to do with VAG-COM working with any VW/Audi/SEAT/Skoda vehicle. No VW or Audi products prior to model year 1996 are OBD-II compliant! Please note that most vehicles sold outside of the US are NOT OBD-II compatible, and even some US-market TDI's are not OBD-II compatible.

4.6  How do I print screens or data in VAG-COM?

You can print reports from several VCDS screens.  You can save data to a Log file and print using a spreadsheet program.  To print screens, we highly recommend the HardCopy (freeware) program. 

4.7  What are Label Files?

Please read The Label Files Page.

4.8  How can I speed up my sample rate in VAG-COM?

The sample rate for viewing and logging data is largely determined by each controller in the car. There are a few things you can do to speed up the rate for a given controller. First, logging one group at a time, rather than two or three, will help greatly. In order  to get the highest sample rate possible go to the Options screen and set Blk Int to 25 and Char Int to 0. Note, however, that this may cause unreliable communications with some controllers. Changing KP2 time to a smaller value speeds up the sample rate in Measuring Blocks on control modules that use the KWP-2000 protocols. Try setting it to 0. If any of these adjustments cause unreliable communications, change them back closer to the defaults. If in doubt, use the Restore Defaults button!

In Engine controllers using KWP-2000, there is a [Turbo] button in the latest version of VAG-COM. This can significantly speed up sampling, in some cases to over 30 samples per second. See the Measuring Blocks page for more information.

4.9  What kinds of cool stuff can I do with VAG-COM?

See our Car Info & Procedures Page You can look up Vehicle Specific Application Charts for your car to see which control modules exist and can communicate with VAG-COM. Additionally, there are some very useful links to pages about Key Matching, Immobilizers, as well as some excellent spreadsheets submitted by our customers.

4.10  How do I set up my USB Interface?

To use one of our USB Interfaces, you'll need to download and install the latest version VAG-COM with USB Support. After you have installed VAG-COM, you will need to follow the instructions on the USB driver installation page: USB driver installation instructions.

4.11  Does Ross-Tech make diagnostic software for other makes of cars?

We do not currently have plans to develop manufacturer-specific software for any other makes of cars, but of course, all plans are subject to change.   Current versions of VAG-COM can be used as a generic OBD-II scanner on many other makes of cars.  Click here for more info. 

Porsche:   Although Porsche now owns more than 50% of Volkswagen AG, Porsche still does diagnostics  quite differently than VW and VCDS does not do OEM diagnostics on most Porsche system.   However, we've heard good things about Durametric's Diagnostic Tool for Porsche.

4.12  Can I use VAG-COM to retrieve my Radio Code to get it out of "SAFE" mode?

No, You'll need to get the radio code from your dealer (it should also be on a card that came with your car).  Neither VAG-COM nor the factory tool can retrieve the radio's security code for you. (On some late model cars the factory may be required, but it does not retrieve the code from the car, it gets it from a server belonging to VW/Audi).   In many cases (particularly MY 2000 and newer cars), the radio will be in SAFE mode after disconnecting the battery, but it will automatically exit that mode after a period of time, as long as it is still installed in the same vehicle.

4.13  Does VAG-COM work with cars that require direct CAN access for diagnostics?

Yes!  We have integrated CAN compatibility into  Release 404.0 and newer versions of VAG-COM, but a CAN-Bus interface is required..  The  HEX-COM+CAN and HEX-USB+CAN interfaces are fully compatible with the new latest cars which require a direct CAN connection as well as with the older k-line vehicles. The Mk5 based vehicles like the Rabbit and Jetta can use a lower priced Micro-CAN as well.  Check out our CAN-Bus page for more information.

4.14  Can I use VAG-COM to make my windows roll up and down using my keyfob remote?

Many Audi vehicles can be recoded to allow this function, see this example.  Unfortunately, most VW models do not have the same capability. In order to make your windows roll up and down using your remote in most older VW models, you'll need to add extra hardware such as the Remote Window Controller from Alientech. The Mk5 based vehicles such as the latest Rabbit/Jetta/GTI and B6 Passat can use these instructions.

4.15  How do I obtain an SKC for Immobilizer and Key-Matching functions?

We do not know of any way to retrieve an SKC for VW/Audi/SEAT/Skoda vehicles other than getting it from an official dealership. Prior to 2002, some vehicles were delivered with a scratch-off panel on a plastic tag that contained the 4 digit PIN code. Starting in 2002, dealerships implemented the WIN2 system to provide SKC's to their technicians and customers. Starting April 1, 2005, VW/Audi dealerships switched to the new GEKO system, whereby their factory scan tools dial up the factory while connected to a car. Under this system, the technician no longer sees the SKC at all and you will need to bring your vehicle into the dealer to have Immobilizer work performed. VAG-COM does not interact with the GEKO system. Check out our Immobilizer Page for more information and procedures.

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