New member with a few questions

[johny d]

Hello all, just switched over from the TT forum and now own a GT TDI 05 plate with a whopping 130K on the clock......

Thought i'd say hello and pop a couple of questions in at the same time.

Had the car for 3 weeks and i have to say i've been very impressed up until this morning when upon starting her up the 'Emissions Workshop' popped up on my screen with the EML and refused to go away....no issue with limp mode so hopefully nothing too expensive....I have used vag com before but i undertsand this is Can Bus therefore my old OBDII wouldn't work.

So the quandry is, what cable should i get? (i only want to obtain fault codes) and what is the most common reason for the emissions workshop warning on MK5's?  I'v read a few posts about sticky vanes, EGR etc .....the only thing i would add is that when warm this and idling its a little bumpy but nothing 'normal' people notice (a statement from my wife when i said, "can you feel that") 

regards

John

[Hurdy]

Buy a Ross-Tech one

If you want to just go with the MKV version then you can get a Micro-Can version which is a little cheaper.

http://www.ross-tech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=VCuCAN&Category_Code=VAGCOM

There are cheaper versions out there, but none as good.

[johny d]

Thanks for the reply, that's still quite expensive mind £130 ish....

really could do with finding someone local who doesn't charge the earth.....

[_Adam_]

Hurdy - what will this allow you to do?
i've paid £80 twice at VW for diagnostics and need to go a third time! if £130 will mean i can do it all myself, i'm all in 

[Jimp]

I think it will allow you to read error codes and so on from your ECU. You can then look up the codes online to see what's wrong.

[Hurdy]

It allows you to read error codes on your car, alter settings like the anti-hijack locking and courtesy light timings, then there are the real-time diagnostics like checking for boost, timing pull, misfires, air/fuel ratio etc etc etc. In my mind it was absolutely invaluable. The real bonus is that you can reset error codes yourself after you've found out what is causing the error code (and cured it!). This means not having to visit a VW dealer and get scalped for a 10 second diagnostic that costs £xx.

[johny d]

Are there any less expensive handheld readers that people recommend...this one below reads can bus and it's £50 all in.....anyone tried it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Code-Scan-Trouble-Reader-Tool-VW-Golf-Bora-Passat-/150580488774?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item230f4bea46

[Hurdy]

Some of the cheap models cables don't work or work intermittently. 

[Ed30DSG]

Are there any less expensive handheld readers that people recommend...this one below reads can bus and it's £50 all in.....anyone tried it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Code-Scan-Trouble-Reader-Tool-VW-Golf-Bora-Passat-/150580488774?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item230f4bea46

Avoid the handheld ones if you can, they are rubbish - they only read the engine ECU and even then don't pick up intermittant codes.

If you are on a budget, then this one works fine on a MkV with can-bus ... http://www.obdspy.com/elm327/usb_vag_704.php

[johny d]

Are there any less expensive handheld readers that people recommend...this one below reads can bus and it's £50 all in.....anyone tried it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Code-Scan-Trouble-Reader-Tool-VW-Golf-Bora-Passat-/150580488774?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item230f4bea46

Avoid the handheld ones if you can, they are rubbish - they only read the engine ECU and even then don't pick up intermittant codes.

If you are on a budget, then this one works fine on a MkV with can-bus ... http://www.obdspy.com/elm327/usb_vag_704.php

Thanks for the advice on the code reader, just an update on my OP.  Got the car scanned at VW through a friend of a friend for 20 quid...new throttle valve required which are 330 notes from VW however the master techinican did me a deal at 160 notes plus 30 to fit so good bit of business.  the cheapest i could get the IMF was 190 from eurocarparts and that was after chipping them down to the same prices as murrays.

It's getting fitted tomorrow so fingers crossed all will be well.....