[A4] VAG-COM Purchase

[Richard Hurt]

Hey guys,

I got some Christmas money to spend on my A4 and am thinking about a
VAG-COM.  I have had the Check Engine light on for about a year now
(unstable O2 sensor) and when I took it in for some routine service
the dealer said that I had 6 pages of faults.  That doesnt alarm me
too much as just about anything and everything causes a fault and I
don't think they automatically clear out.  So, something like
forgetting to put the gas cap back on after filling up <grin> can put
a couple of codes in there.

Anyway, I would like to be able to diagnose these issues myself
without having to pay the dealer.  I figure that if it costs me $70
every time the dealer opens my hood, a VAG-COM will pay for itself in
4-5 visits.  Does anyone have any experience with the new VC stuff?  I
am looking at getting the USB one with the integrated dongle for $249.
 Is it worth the extra money to get the Pro version?  Has anyone
experimented with building your own cable and then just registering
the software for $99?

Thanx!
  Richard