Which VAG-COM

Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

Anyone got any suggestions for whats the best vag-com setup to buy? I was planning on buying a full version from the states, but the exchange rate is crashing and its getting expensive again. Is there a cheaper lead I can get that works just as well?

The car is a '96 A6, but it'd be nice to be able to use it on the newer CAN-bus cars too.

Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

In case anyone else gets stuck on this in the future...

After a week of fiddling around, Ive managed to get the computer talking to the car Smile

I got my hands on a whole bunch of cables, but seem to have the most success with one of http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Serial-Vag-Com-Compatible-Cable-Interface-KKL-VW-Audi_W0QQitemZ220278288185QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220278288185&_trkparms=72%3A985%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 whcih is a KKL VAG COM cable from the states. It doesnt work with version 5.x of vagcom, but works with versions 3.xx and 4.xx and works with the latest version of VWTOOL I could find.

After lots of playing with an old serial laptop, I managed to get it working with a USB-SERIAL adaptor on my Advent 4211 and it works fine. The usb-serial is using the prolific 2303 chipset, vendor and product: VID_067B&PID_2303, drivers here: http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31 , This seems to be the most well used usb-serial chipset - I suspect this is used in the translucent blue usb-vagcom cables that are on ebay but havent confirmed this yet. This was all done on a '96 A6 2.5 TDI AEL Quattro.

EDIT: Turns out the translucent blue usb cables have got an FTDI FT2332BL chip, the crystalfontz drivers work: http://www.crystalfontz.com/software/cf-usb-2154b.exe
Not sure if this will talk to the car yet, its in pieces after yesterdays wading!

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:37 pm

Very informative, thanks very much for taking the time to post up the info to help folk out.
Glad you are sorted out Cool

Si.

Site Moderator Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 9144

wish I'd seen this sooner and could have advised you.

VAG Com themselves do not recommend a USB / serial adapter.

I use an old cheap laptop with a serial connector specifically for VAG Com use.

I tend to use V3.3 or V4.11.

You'll need a different interface for CAN bus cars.

I went for a genuine cable and have had zero problems for the last 7-8 years of owning it

Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

Cheers for the advise, I can understand why ross-tech dont recommend usb-serial adaptors as they're a pretty tempermental bunch. Saying that thou, I havent had any problems with the prolific one and used to use it for KMS and Emerald mapping.

Still havent got round to trying the translucent blue ebay lead with the car, I'll post up when i have time.

EDIT: Translucent blue one wont talk to the audi, windows installs it ok using the drivers above and VAGCOM says the port is ok but cant find the interface (or something along those lines).

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:24 pm

I have just got this USB cable today and had the same problem. However the laptop I had was assigning the device as COM8 and the software would not "see" the USB interface and has no COM8 option. If you go into the device settings in windows and temporary disable one of the other COM ports (i.e. 1 2 3 or 4)and reassign the USB port in use for the cable as COM1 to COM4 it will then work by using the USB cable and then connecting via the COM port you have just renamed.

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:27 pm

I have just got this USB cable today and had the same problem. However the laptop I had was assigning the device as COM8 and the software would not "see" the USB interface and has no COM8 option. If you go into the device settings in windows and temporary disable one of the other COM ports (i.e. 1 2 3 or 4)and reassign the USB port in use for the cable as COM1 to COM4 it will then work by using the USB cable and then connecting via the COM port you have just renamed.