grabo

Hi,

I've got a 1998 A4 Quattro (with 27K miles - that is not a typo, twenty-seven thousand miles, ONE owner) that recently lit up the AIR BAG light. The car is 100% stock and has been (mostly) maintained far better than the schedule calls for.

Being familiar with other German cars (BMW), I decided to get a scan/reset tool on the cheap, and it showed up today - $12 on Amazon for "VIMVIP VAG-COM KKL 409.1 OBD2 USB Cable Auto Scanner Scan Tool Audi" What could possibly go wrong?

So, hooked it up, installed the software - and for the record, on two different PCs, one running Win7 and one running WinXP. Drivers detect the cable. I've tried both the VAG-COM software that came with the cable, and VCDS-Lite that's downloadable from Ross Tech. That's when the fun began.

1. No communication when running the "Test". Error message: "Port Status: OK Interface: Not found!" after doing a bunch of research, it sounds like the "Concert" stock radio is often the culprit here. So, I yanked the fuse for the radio and ran the "Test" again, and success! The test passes.

2. Sadly, that's as far as I can get. The software, either software, on either operating system, fails to scan anything. It cycles through a bunch of attempts, but either throws errors or locks up.

So, my questions to the forum..

1. Bad cable? Looks like forums are full of people who have bought cheap cables from China.
2. Bad OBD port on the car?
3. Something else interfering with the ability of the scanner to read the car? (It'd be great if I had another scan tool...maybe even generic... but I don't. And I presume that my BMW tools won't work)

Your ideas are greatly appreciated!

clancy

You came by what sounds to be a great car. It sounds like you intend to DIY when possible. Get the real cable. Pay the price. You will not regret. It does much more. You are paying the people (Ross Tech) who did the work to make a good system, they deserve it. And, people on this forum will be more likely to help you.

grabo

Hi Clancy,

Thanks for the response - totally understand your sentiments. The reality is that I don't know if I'm keeping the A4 long-term... it's on "loan" from the owner (parent who shouldn't be driving anymore, and obviously hasn't based on the mileage; the car has basically sat in a garage for the past eight years; its only significant use was last summer when I borrowed it because it's an automatic I couldn't drive my manual due to injury and surgery). I just put in a new battery and replaced its 13-year-old (!!!!) tires. Both of those "upgrades" make it road-safeish and sellable. If I end up keeping the car (read: give to my significant other who have wheels and this gem might be a good option, except for the bright red exterior), I'll be pouring a lot of $$ and lots of weekends into it (read: front and rear suspension, timing belt, plugs and coils, fix the crapped-up pixels in the instrument cluster, etc etc - all DIY, largely thanks to resources like THIS forum), and THEN the Ross-Tech cable is an easy purchase decision (just like my purchase of a Peake tool for my BMW many years ago). I'm simply not ready to commit to buying the "real" cable when I may not have a use for the cable after a couple months - unless the resale value of the cable is anywhere close to what I'll pay for it (considering most folks buy these crappy cables, I feel that it'd be tough to resell).

With that lengthy blather in mind, I guess i'm hoping I can get some advice on how to get over this immediate hump, without having to commit to too much $$ in the short term.

clancy

I understand your logic. Personally I think it would be a good car to keep. Yes, it will require maintenance but all cars do. Maybe Audi Is a bit more, but not by much. You may have a few more out of the gate due to the years of non use. Once you get over that hurdle you will be ahead. And, be sure to get at least a couple of professional opinions on just what HAS to be done. I think many people tend to overstate necessities.

Find a reputable Indy Audi repair shop who regularly works on this vintage. See what they say about just what is necessary. Stay away from the dealerships.

Maybe you can find an Audiworld member nearby who will help you with their Ross Tech. Try asking for someone to assist.

grabo

Hi Clancy,

Pretty sure that maintenance on the 1998 Audi will be less than the maintenance on my 2004 bimmer It's been maintained by a reputable shop in the past, so I'm pretty comfortable talking with them... again, assuming that I keep the thing.

I'll take your advice over to the VAG-COM forum... thanks!