A8 W12 air-ride and VAG-com/VCDS problems
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 521
Likes: 10
From: Hanko, Finland
A8 W12 air-ride and VAG-com/VCDS problems
Hi!
I've got a 2006 A8 W12 and in the weekend we towed my friends BMW E36 cab on a 500kg trailer, a total mass aroudn 2100kg. The trailer was with double axles, and we put a modest 40-50kg weight on the tow hitch, and i think after that i can't anymore lower the car via the MMI. I suspect there's a DTC in the air-ride system, maybe our towing triggered something, or a ride height sensor is giving wrong data.
Anyhow, I have vagcom, but i only have one of theese cheap USB-FTDI cables, and it doesn't seem to handle the CAN-bus (only reads the ECU, no ABS, ESP, A/T etc. modules). Works well on Golf4:s and Polo's (which don't have CAN), but not on the A8. I also have a ELM327 bluetooth dongle, but VCDS doesn't like that either.
Is the only solution to buy one of theese:
http://store.ross-tech.com/shop/VCHUC.html
Tough it costs to run to the dealer, but for that price i can run 10-15 times to my dealer and read the DTC:s... and we have high prices here in finland... but 350$ for a friggin' cable...
I tried to read something about hacking the drivers on my FTDI cable, but it didn't make too much sense... as i understand the cheap interfaces don't support CAN protocol (tough it says on my BT dongle that it supports ALL OBD protocols).
I've got a 2006 A8 W12 and in the weekend we towed my friends BMW E36 cab on a 500kg trailer, a total mass aroudn 2100kg. The trailer was with double axles, and we put a modest 40-50kg weight on the tow hitch, and i think after that i can't anymore lower the car via the MMI. I suspect there's a DTC in the air-ride system, maybe our towing triggered something, or a ride height sensor is giving wrong data.
Anyhow, I have vagcom, but i only have one of theese cheap USB-FTDI cables, and it doesn't seem to handle the CAN-bus (only reads the ECU, no ABS, ESP, A/T etc. modules). Works well on Golf4:s and Polo's (which don't have CAN), but not on the A8. I also have a ELM327 bluetooth dongle, but VCDS doesn't like that either.
Is the only solution to buy one of theese:
http://store.ross-tech.com/shop/VCHUC.html
Tough it costs to run to the dealer, but for that price i can run 10-15 times to my dealer and read the DTC:s... and we have high prices here in finland... but 350$ for a friggin' cable...
I tried to read something about hacking the drivers on my FTDI cable, but it didn't make too much sense... as i understand the cheap interfaces don't support CAN protocol (tough it says on my BT dongle that it supports ALL OBD protocols).
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,831
Likes: 27
From: Vancouver, Canada
Have you checked in MMI if your car is in Towing Mode?
$350 is not cheap but most of it is for the software. You can do nice things with it. It is well invested money.
By the way, in North America we use trucks for towing. Modest 40-50kg on the hitch becomes not so modest 400-500kg when braking if your trailer is equipped with brakes.
$350 is not cheap but most of it is for the software. You can do nice things with it. It is well invested money.
By the way, in North America we use trucks for towing. Modest 40-50kg on the hitch becomes not so modest 400-500kg when braking if your trailer is equipped with brakes.
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 521
Likes: 10
From: Hanko, Finland
Have you checked in MMI if your car is in Towing Mode?
$350 is not cheap but most of it is for the software. You can do nice things with it. It is well invested money.
By the way, in North America we use trucks for towing. Modest 40-50kg on the hitch becomes not so modest 400-500kg when braking if your trailer is equipped with brakes.
$350 is not cheap but most of it is for the software. You can do nice things with it. It is well invested money.
By the way, in North America we use trucks for towing. Modest 40-50kg on the hitch becomes not so modest 400-500kg when braking if your trailer is equipped with brakes.
RTFM for me (read the f*king manual)
I've already got the software, would just need the right cable...
You can't tow a 2100kg trailer that's without brakes... atleast not in europe (max 750kg without brakes)... and wouldn't be so smart either, no matter how big car you've got!
And everything was legal, even the driver had a proper BE-driving licence required with over 3500kg total combination mass.
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,831
Likes: 27
From: Vancouver, Canada
I am glad it helped.
Cable has hardware protection. That's their way to protect their intellectual property.
As I said, when you start braking trailer brakes engage and transfer lot more weight to the hitch. Depending on deceleration it can be very high. Easily 500kg and more. I wouldn't like that on my aluminum body.
Cable has hardware protection. That's their way to protect their intellectual property.
As I said, when you start braking trailer brakes engage and transfer lot more weight to the hitch. Depending on deceleration it can be very high. Easily 500kg and more. I wouldn't like that on my aluminum body.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Paldi
A8 / S8 (D3 Platform) Discussion
3
Nov 30, 2006 12:52 PM
JTChicago
A8 / S8 (D3 Platform) Discussion
2
Jun 30, 2005 04:16 AM
wksel
A8 / S8 (D2 Platform) Discussion
2
Sep 17, 2004 04:02 PM
