Roger Blassberg 0 Posted January 9, 2007 I am seriously considering installing VAG-COM onto my new laptop - it seems that I need a cable to connect to the car. The Ross Tech site sells them for over $300, but there are others available on eBay for a few pounds. Has anyone bought from eBay - is this a reliable source? If not, where else to get it without spending over £150? What are the risks? Would I need anything else other than the cable and the software downloaded from the Ross Tech site? I have a '94 VR6 Corrado and a '94 16V Passat (ABF engine) both with the multi-pin socket. I assume that VAG-COM will talk to both. Best wishes RB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted January 9, 2007 Minimal risk. Download the older version of vagcom, version 3.11 iirc, get one of the cheapo opto-isolated cables off ebay, bingo you have a working unregistered VAGCOM setup. Ross Tech's cables are USB, and include a key, so you don't have to go through the registration process for each PC you use the cable on - the cable itself is the key. Most of the ebay stuff is serial only (not all laptops have serial), and the opto-isolator cables aren't fast enough (generally) for the current rev of VAGCOM or the current cars. Your 1994 cars should be fine, however. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Blassberg 0 Posted January 10, 2007 Thanks Mat. I have looked in the RossTech website again. It aopears that the version 311 does not do Basic Settings, and yet this is one of the functions which I imagine I would need most of all (for instance when reconnecting the battery). Am I reading it right? Is there a way around this? Am I being pushed inexorably towards a full-priced cable/licence/registration? Berst wishes RB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonedef 9 Posted January 10, 2007 Just to offer an alternative opinion. I bought a cable from an Ebay seller in Germany, slightly more money than one from the States but I was sure of paying no duty that way. It's a serial cable but then I have a serial port on the laptop as I need it for work. Download of Vagcom 409.1 from Ross Tech is free, activation is $99, total price around £70 and I can connect to most VAG motors up to around 2004. Even without activation there are a lot of functions can be carried out so can be even cheaper? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted January 10, 2007 The unregistered 311 version does not do basic settings, no, you need to register it for $99 (about seven pence at the moment) to get those extra functions. Depending on what cable you buy, you will need either the 311 or the 409 version, both will do basic settings if you register it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CoxyLaad 0 Posted January 10, 2007 i can connect to anything, I have the all singing all dancing vag com lead from ross-tech Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
G60Jet 1 Posted January 11, 2007 i managed to get a ross tech lead of another forum for 65 notes with a dongle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
