I've just discovered this thing called VAG-COM and it looks the dogs danglies ! I've never had a car with a means to plug in a laptop and read error codes etc !

My question is:- Will my '93 Polo Coupe (AAU) have this ability too ? I can see that there are several USB interfaces being sold on ebay for this prog. I'm all excited now !! :-D

Yes in the passenger footwell up under the dash next to the door pillar

What can you do with vag-com on an spi? Just read error codes I assume?

What can you do with vag-com on an spi? Just read error codes I assume?

Yes, you can't change engine settings or anything.

I'd be wary of some of those on eBay, as they're designed for the newer cars, which have different connections to those on older cars. You can get adapter cables to suit, but they can be expensive for what they are. Well, this was the case last time I looked anyway.

Yes, you can't change engine settings or anything.

But could you clear an error if the ECU had gone into 'limp home' mode?

What does spi stand for?

Edited 25 June, 200719 yr by Chuck Yoghurt

single point injection

single point injection

Ah yes! Thanks

You can get quite a lot more information than just error codes on the aav (and so I assume aau too), but yes you can't change anything. You can see in real time various things including rpm, lambda factor, temperatures, throttle angle, load factor and a few other things. You'll also need an adapter giving you 2 x 2pin plugs rather than the bigger connector on more modern cars.

You can also run output tests on a few things, the only one I've done is the throttle actuator which opens and closes the throttle a small amount over and over. I'm not sure what the purpose of this is apart from to check it works?

what if u have changed the engine i.e 1.0 to a gt engine would it still work???

hang on thats a silly question i just asked cos whatever engine is in there u have to use the ecu from that engine and loom so i guess it would work :)

So I'll need one that has 2 x 2 pin connector ? - and it will work in my Mk 2F - AAU engine ?

So I'll need one that has 2 x 2 pin connector ? - and it will work in my Mk 2F - AAU engine ?

Yep. Just check under your glovebox, there should be two 2pin sockets there. If they are and it hasn't been tampered with it should work Not sure about whether the ebay cables work though? What I said above was on a proper cable from rosstech, don't know much about the ebay ones.

never got VAG-COM to work on a mk3, always used the older 3rd party "VWTOOL" program to read fault codes

probably because i got a cheap ODBII lead from ebay with a free OBDII to 2x2 Pin Lead to suit the mk3 diag sockets..

I've just discovered this thing called VAG-COM and it looks the dogs danglies ! I've never had a car with a means to plug in a laptop and read error codes etc !

My question is:- Will my '93 Polo Coupe (AAU) have this ability too ? I can see that there are several USB interfaces being sold on ebay for this prog. I'm all excited now !! :-D

I never would of thought these cars would of had this either no little about it so I had a look here:

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/tour/main_screen.html

Looks to be a good starting point!

like i say, vagcom doesnt seem to work with anything reliably unless its via the proper ross-tech more expensive lead

i got this one, from the same seller. mine came with a piece of software called VWTOOL

ebay szhid

comes with free adapter to plug it into the 2 connectors on polo mk3