[Vwdiesel] lifesigns, cont'd

[S. Shourds]

jeremy wrote:

>How about some education here. What is VAG-COM? What does it do? Thanks.
>
>  
>

VAG-COM is a computer program and a connector cable (from Ross-TECH) 
that you stick into the OBD II port of your TDI-era Jetta and it allows 
you to do all manner of groovy things with your car.  I'm mainly 
familiar with looking for error codes and using it to time the engine.  
The old school engines are timed with a depth gauge installed onto the 
injection pump.  The TDIs are timed using the computer.  You still have 
to adjust it by hand, but the timing measurement is done by computer.  I 
honestly never did figure out how to time the IDI Diesels.  Hard to do 
by yourself.  Pretty easy wth the TDIs, when I can get them to start....

If you wasted 2 hours of your life watching "The Fast and the Furious", 
you can pretend you're a street racer and monitor your engine parameters 
as you drive.  More advanced users can change parameters within the 
computer.  One popular alteration is the EGR settings.  Many drivers cut 
the EGR completely out of the system because it really cokes up the 
intake. 

Match the VAG-COM with the Bentley CD and you're wired up.  Pull up an 
error code, search the CD, and it'll give you your possibilities.  
Sometimes there's even a picture with an arrow pointing to the offending 
part.  As usual, I'm generally off the map in the messed up problems I 
have with cars, but when the system covers it, I'm in tall cotton.  If 
only VAG-COM did e-exorcisms. 

No financial relationship, it just works really slick.

-Shalyn