I always thought VCDS was software.. and maybe OBD2 the hardware.. ? ?VCDS is the scanner.
VCDS is a tool and software that goes with it.... a special cable that plugs into your OBD plug under the dash and then connected to a laptop/PC running VCDS software. Its very powerful and can enable lots of adjustments to systems on the car, also it can "code" electronic units fitted to the car as either factory fitted or retrofittedI always thought VCDS was software.. and maybe OBD2 the hardware.. ? ?
VCDS Lite is free to use,
... because you can't change anything....won't damage your car,
which may or may not work. The cheap chinese Junk on Ebay is frequently that and though the software implementation has got better over the last few years, there can be issues with cheaper stuff. Autodia and others offer a nicer experience, especially if this...will give you error codes that are fully supported and widely understood. Online searches, using VCDS codes, especially the
Rosstech wiki, will save pointless and expensive "suck it and see" parts replacement. Don't be put off by the doomsters, spend under £10 on an ebay lead, and you're good to go.
... is not your cup of tea.The only caution being you must be able to install and configure the software on a laptop. The laptop does not need to anything special, mine's an 8 year old netbook.
Let's get this straight.. I'll pull this straight from Ross-tech, the vendors of VCDS and VCDS Lite:If your comfortable with this, it's the most useful tool in the box, it tells you what to do with the rest of the tools.
I've used it in anger twice, on my TT, both times it told me exactly what was wrong (coil pack & brake pressure sensor).
I agree, a registered copy has a risk, but you would spend £75 (cheapest option) upwards unless you knew what you were doing, wouldn't you? Mac.
Free Shareware:
Limitations of VCDS-Lite compared to VCDS even if Fully Registered:Cannot do AutoScan
Won't display text for all fault codes
No Basic Settings (so no TBA, Xenon leveling, etc or checking timing on TDI's)
No Adaptation Saving (so no changing of locking/lights/horn behavior)
No Output Tests
No tech support from Ross-Tech
Refer to our VCDS Function Chart for more detailsNo Generic OBD-II
Won't work with CAN-Bus vehicles
Fewer fault code definitions and label files
No built-in Activation (you'll be limited to a single PC)
No Advanced Measuring Blocks
No Acceleration Measurement
We do not sell interfaces for VCDS-Lite.
If you're considering VCDS-Lite, then you obviously have a very limited budget for tools an we can't compete on price with Chinese eBay sellers. When choosing an interface for VCDS-Lite, we recommend getting one that's based on an FTDI FT232 Chip. They almost always work well if you manually configure the virtual COM port into an unused port in the range of COM1 - COM4 and set the latency timer to 2, as shown here.