VAG 405 SCAN TOOL

VAG405 SCAN TOOL

A week ago I  ordered a VAG405 scan tool from an online store. This scan tool is essentially a dedicated stand-alone OEM level diagnostic device for scanning Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, VW Golf, VW GTI , VW Polo, VW Jetta, VW Beetle, VW Passat, VW Touareg, vehicles... etc. Restated, it's a scan tool specific to VAG vehicles manufactured since 1990 to the current day, yet it is quite unlike the Autel D900 diagnostic scan tool I evaluated in a previous blog which is not VAG specific but can scan several makes of vehicles.

As can be seen, it can scan Golf 3, Golf 4 Beetle, New Beetle, Passat.....

It also scans the Polo, Sharan, Lupo, Bora and the Transporter, etc...

However, when the scan tool arrived, I expected something much smaller, like perhaps the size of a Samsung S7, but to my surprise it was actually quite substantial, sporting a large easy to read backlit LCD with OBD/EOBD functionality. The box also included a nylon carry case, an OBD2 cable, a USB cable and a VAG405 user's manual.

Initially, I was intrigued by the general claims made by the advert and reiterated on  the actual box it which it was packaged. It stated that  the VAG405 scan tool reads most electronic controlled modules and erases Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) from the ECU's non-volatile memory triggered by the Engine, Transmission, ABS, Airbags, Climatic control (AC), Steering wheel, Immobilizer, Instrument cluster and Central electronics, etc. That it reads and clears generic trouble codes on VAG vehicles using either ISO 9141-2 ("CARB"), or ISO 1430 ("KWP-2000") and ISO-15765 ("CAN") protocols for the latest cars and can even resets the MIL light, airbag, ABS and a host of other  OBDII systems.

ISO 1941 Protocol

KWP2000 Protocol

CAN Bus Protocol

And that it can also resets oil service light and retrieve the ECU embedded VIN (Vehicle Information Number) as well as display I/M readiness. 

All of this just sounded too good to be true so I just had to get one. But after running tests I am sorry to say that I am not too impressed with it. Not because it is brick but that it is rather inclined towards cars built prior to y2k.  I found that the VAG405 timed-out and froze when scanning for trouble codes, while displaying "Please Wait" on its LCD screen. In order to reset it, I had to physically unplug the 16 pin DLC then reconnect, else I was going to wait forever.  I assume the "Please Wait" (timeout) is an incompatibility between the non-volitile memory used in my 2007 VW Polo 2.0L Highline and that used in VW prior to y2k. However, most of the other functions appear to be compatible.

I like the fact that it is powered from the car's battery via the DLC and therefore doesn't need batteries but a nice to have would have at least been an on-off switch fitted to the scan tool, to reset the scan tool when it freezes. The software is fairly simplistic and easy to use, though rather limited since it doesn't allow you to change module coding. I couldn't retrieve my car's embedded VIN and I don't think this VAG405 can't retrieve it from  any later model VAG vehicle. It is a very nifty scan tool and great value for money if you own an older VW vehicle or Audi but steer clear of it if your car is newer that year 2000. Perhaps this peculiarity is specific to my scan tool yet everything else seem to function as per claim in the advert and on the box.

Below is a series of photographs that I uploaded to demonstrate the functionality of this scan tool.

Engine control Module data

ABS control Module data

Airbag control Module data

Instrument Control Module data

Electronics Module Control data

Gateway Control Module data

Comfort Control Module data

Failed communication occurred several times but after unplugging DLC and
reinserting comms appeared to be much better.

The software is quite informative, guiding you to causes of comms errors.

Link Error! This happened when I scanned the Steering Control Module and the Radio Control Module, both of which was present and responded to the Autel D900 scan tool.

OBD readiness tests of the 8 monitors, 6 of which are feature in the above image and
2 are featured in the image below, all of which pass,

The first 6 Control Modules, A peculiarity I picked up is that the Airbags is listed before ABS which
isn't normal compared to other dedicated scan tools and computerized scan tool software.

Control Modules 16 -25 

Control modules 35 -56

I don't believe that there are no stored codes because I know there are airbag error codes stores which I determined using VCDS. Like I mentioned earlier, the VAG405 is more suited to vehicles manufactured prior to y2k.