TIL VCDS is Neat

"Tripper" (tripe46)
09/17/2019 at 14:45 • Filed to: None

I’m a bachelor for the week. My wife and daughter are visiting her sister and I’m left home with the animals. I have to say, the rate at which a single person can complete tasks is unbelievable. At least once you have been on the other side of the fence. And I have it good! My wife is fantastic, and our daughter is a delight who has slept through the night since she was just over a month old. I can’t imagine being a with a person who sucks with a couple of bratty kids...

When my wife goes away I run out of things to do VERY quickly. I always clean the house and do all of the laundry first as I won’t use much throughout the week. Then it’s onto PROJECTS!

I decided to build another, smaller workbench. this one will be on casters also. I’ll use it for clamping things to or for tools that need to be mounted (drill press, ammo press, vice) I had to make a few stops on the way home. By the time I was getting setup to cut, I saw that it was just after 7pm. I’m not sure what the rules are, but I decided that I wouldn’t much like to hear a saw if I was inside relaxing. So I’m saving that for this afternoon.

No Pickup, no problem

Instead I pulled out the 02's speedo and got it boxed up to send out to North Hollywood Speedometer to be repaired. Finally, I saved the best for last. I bought a Ross-Tech HEX-V2 interface from someone on the TDI club forum for $150! For those of you who don’t know, this cable allows you to use VW software (VCDS) to do all kinds of cool things to your car.

Everything you read about VCDS talks about “code” this or “coding” that. I thought I’d be working via CLI to make carefully make tiny code tweaks to do different things...Turns out coding means clicking a button or checking a box...I’m kind of disappointed that there was not more to do, however I was able to make the following mods in 30 minutes:

Keyfob active with engine running
Seatbelt warning chime off
Gauge sweep
Passenger mirror pitch down in reverse
Window closing with ignition off
Carbon fiber screen background
Sunroof opens/closes with remote
All rear lights are brake lights
EDIT: I Forgot the coolest one! - Windows auto up if it rains when (vehicle parked)

Anyone else got any cool ones?

Happy Tuesday!

DISCUSSION (24)

Arrivederci > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 14:51

I have nothing to add, except:

I’m a bachelor for the week. My wife and daughter are visiting her sister and I’m left home with the animals.

Super jelly.

I have to say, the rate at which a single person can complete tasks is unbelievable.

Ain’t that the damned truth. Give me an hour or two without the squirt and I can get so many chores down. With her around, maybe one task, and that’s plopping her in the high-chair eating puffs.

FSI > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 14:52

This. VCDS is the best essential for everyone with a VAG vehicle. I coded my rear fog lights to function as dimmed, normal lights. Makes my A3 resemble the older Avants.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 14:55

VCDS is so nice! Did you buy the HEX cable that restricts how many different cars you can use or an older unlimited use version? It’s kinda dumb how Ross-Tech made that switch, but I get it.

My cable (HEX+CAN) can do unlimited vehicles. It’s nice.

Ash78, voting early and often > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 14:56

I didn’t know how easy it was before kids. Now if my wife and kids are gone for just a few hours in the afternoon, I can get an entire weekend’s worth of work done in about 2 hours. And it’s far more valuable because I’ll get around to the lower-priority stuff that’s been on the back burner for a year or more.

What was I doing for all of the prior years? Wow.

Also, it’s amazing how much VCDS can do on the modern vehicles. Our biggest hack in the late 90s was getting the windows to change their behavior slightly. Other than that, it was all just trouble codes and diagnostics.

TrickJos > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 14:56

I have an older Ross-Tech cable that I bought when I started working on my wife’s (girlfriend at the time) Beetle. It is a fantastic tool that has helped me track down several issues. Highly recommended for anybody that wrenches on a VW regularly.

I really need to get around to the passenger mirror tilt and remote window opening for my GTI. Those would be nice to have. Especially the windows.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:00

I’ve never broken down and bought my own, despite owning several Audis in the household. This might get me in the hunt to buy one. What can you say about the current state of software support? Don’t you still need to be running XP (or earlier) to use this?

Any info you’d have on software support levels would be very helpful. Thanks!

functionoverfashion > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:01

As my kids get older, I’m slowly returning to near-adult levels of productivity in terms of household projects. But then for example on Sunday, I had a list of things I wanted to do and my son says, “Daddy can we go mountain biking?” HELL YES WE CAN literally everything else can wait. So now we’re into that phase - which I’m looking forward to and I’m going to enjoy immensely. I just won’t get as much done.

My most productive time is often 8-10pm, after the kids are in bed. I spent that time last night working on my basement / perimeter drain / shed / gutter drain debacle. I’ll post about that later with some pics.

Anyway, cheers. Enjoy the free time.

OH YEAH on a related note - I have been meaning to get VIDA set up on my Volvo for... months. Haven’t had the time. Go figure!

Tripper > FSI
09/17/2019 at 15:02

Hmm, I dunno if I have rear fogs on the alltrack...I like that though.

Tripper > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
09/17/2019 at 15:05

Nah mines the one limited to 3 VINs, but I got it $50 off so there is that.

Tripper > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
09/17/2019 at 15:23

I can’t speak to software support as I’m in the biz...So if I can’t figure it out, either the software sucks or it’s time to retire.

I’m the perfect person to ask as I did it a way that you should not...I have virtual box runing a windows 10 VM on my mac....It worked, but I just got a brand new work pc and used that for most of it.

Short answer it works on Windows 7 or 10.

Tripper > functionoverfashion
09/17/2019 at 15:25

Oh yea 8-10pm is basement time. My munchkin sleeps like a rock so I can even get away with the quieter power tools.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:42

I need to figure out if Toyota has an equivalent to this and if it will allow me to make my DRLs be just the swoopy bits and not the main beam.

Svend > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:43

If you have remote tailgate opening, you can code it to close on the remote.

Alter the car’s accelerator response by changing the unit from that of a VW to that of an Audi (faster response).

Rear lights on when front DRLs are on.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:46

Interesting. OK> Thanks. Most of the AudiWorld and Quattroworld threads seem to think that support stopped back on XP, so that’s good news. Most people seemed to be running a virtual machine to load XP and got it working.

But, f they finally support Win 10 that’s great. I’ve still got an account up there I think. I should go check it. I ditched the Mac and Windows treadmill about 5 years ago to go pure Linux and haven’t looked back, but could “slum it up” on a machine and re-load Windows for nostalgia sake.

Thanks for the info!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 15:51

Pretty sure I’ve said this before, but I’m so jealous of your clean, organized workspace. My shop will be done soon - can’t wait to move lots of stuff out of the garage into the shop and then do a full clean and organize of the garage.

Tripper > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
09/17/2019 at 16:14

Haha thank you, it’s a gift and a curse. I’m OCD enough hyper organize, but I’m also OCD enough to almost not like using it as a work shop because I have to dirty it up lol.

I just cleared some more junk out and made a little chill out corner for myself/dogs. I will post pics when its all done.

His Stigness > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 16:22

Since you’ve got an estate I can’t copy over tweaks, but you’re missing (if you want):

Change comfort blink activations - I do 5 on my cars.

Pace car turn signals.

And change your car to a Golf R (MDI screen can be changed on start-up).

Now, I need to share with me the carbon fibre background and all rear lights are brake lights.

And one tip: on the passenger mirror reverse dip - unless you install the power-folding mirrors the mirror will never go back in the same position, it always resets slightly higher. It drove me nuts so I ordered some new mirrors from CHINA for $200

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 21:18

I love my VCDS, best money I’ve spent. Especially now after being on my third Audi. It so nice to be able to get into the modules to check everything out.

One of my cars I was able to get the gps warning to go away, and also the warning for the phone. I wish I could code out the door chimes on my S8, but I haven’t found that one yet. The window drop with the key fob is nice too. My S4 would do windows up and down, but the S8 only does the drop with the keyfob.

functionoverfashion > Tripper
09/17/2019 at 21:37

haha, our basement is two floors away and the kids also sleep well especially in the first few hours. I can run my chop saw, air compressor, whatever. They’re out.

Tripper > functionoverfashion
09/18/2019 at 00:36

Honestly she’ll sleep right through all of the power tools then ill bump the wall with a piece of wood and the FUCKINIDIOTS dogs go crazy barking and wake her up.

Tripper > His Stigness
09/18/2019 at 08:21

CF Background:

Select Control unit 17
Adaptation
Screen view
Value = Option 2

Brake Lights:

9- Central Electronics

16- 31347

10-Adaptations

Left side inner:

Change [8] Leuchte23sl HLC10 - Lichtfunktion C23 from Not Active to Brake LightChange [10] Leuchte23sl hcl10 - Dimmwert CD 23 from 0 to 100

Right side inner:

Change [8] Leuchte24sl HRA65 - Lichtfunktion C24 from Not Active to Brake LightChange [10] Leuchte24sl HRA65 - Dimmwert CD 24 from 0 to 100

Good to know on the mirror dip, that’s fucking annoying.

His Stigness > Tripper
09/18/2019 at 14:01

Yeah, it really is. I won't mind having power folding mirrors, though. Once I get it and confirm they work I'll try to remember to send you the link to them. There are a ton of options.

Tripper > His Stigness
09/18/2019 at 15:08

Yea I saw some from ali express on someones youtube

His Stigness > Tripper
09/18/2019 at 15:24

They’re all OEM parts, just made in China instead of an Eastern Bloc country.