How Does VAG-COM Work?

How Does VAG-COM Work?

VAG-COM is a package that can be purchased online that will allow you to run diagnostics on your car at home with no need to visit a mechanic. The result is that you can save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars and keep your car running better – even keeping it more efficient so that you aren’t wasting fuel and damaging the environment at the same time!

Ultimately, VAG-COM is like having a mechanic that you can call upon whenever you like and that won’t cost you a single dime.

But how does this all work? How can a single device + software package do almost everything that a car mechanic could do? How can it scan your car and get that much information?

Understanding OBD

To understand how this works, you simply have to understand the idea of OBD.

OBD stands for ‘On Board Diagnostics’. This can be a generalized term that for instance describes the ‘check engine light’ on your car dashboard. Even the petrol indicator is a form of on board diagnostics. Simply, this lets you know what’s going on inside your car and thereby tells you what you need to know about your car’s health/flags up any potential issues you need to be aware of. Without any kind of diagnostics, you wouldn’t know that your car was about to run out of fuel!

Likewise, every other type of vehicle has on board diagnostics of some sort. This is especially important when it comes to something like a fighter jet!

But OBD in the world of car engineering can also specifically refer to a set of guidelines and standards the car manufacturers follow.

Under the hood of your car, there are tons of crucial components and parts that all need to work flawlessly if your vehicle is going to operate as it should. If any one part of this goes wrong, then your car can be left essentially unusable. And it’s not always obvious which part of the car has failed.

Let’s say for instance that you can’t start the car in the morning. Now you might have a problem with your ignition but in a lot of cases it will be to do with the battery. If the car sputters and the lights flicker on but look dim, then you can probably assume that it is indeed something to do with the battery.

But how do you know if the battery needs replacing because it no longer holds charge, or if the alternator needs replacing because it is no longer able to recharge the battery as you’re driving?

Hmmm…

This is why OBD standards were introduced and what allows VAG-COM to work. This is an industry standard that essentially says all these issues must be reported in the same way. Better yet, that information is then reported in a standardized manner via a ‘diagnostics trouble code’ which is a 4-digit code that says exactly what is going wrong.

This information can be accessed via something called the OBD-II connector in your car. This allows the car to be plugged into a computer, so that the code can be read by a piece of software and the mechanic/manufacturer can know precisely what has gone wrong inside.

When you take your car into a garage then, the mechanic will use a diagnostic device and plug that into the OBD-II connector in order to quickly identify the specific problem. They can then go about repairing it by buying the right parts.

The only thing is, they charge a fortune for the privilege!

Introducing VAG-COM

So instead of going to a mechanic, it actually makes more sense to invest in VAG-COM and do it yourself. All this is, is a simple diagnostics tool that works in the precise same way as the one your mechanic would have used but which is available far more cheaply.

When you plug the device into your OBD-2 connector (it’s very easy), it will then relay the error code to your PC. Meanwhile, the PC will be running one of the 17 different manufacturer-approved programs in order to interpret that code and to recommend the best course of action. This bit is important as just getting a random number wouldn’t be much help!

The software that you use essentially comes with a database of problems and the best ways to repair them. Specifically, this includes over 17,000 different codes that can be repaired so that you’re never left unable to fix your vehicle.

What’s more, is that VAG-COM will work with practically any vehicle. That’s thanks to the standardized nature of OBD-II. Whether your car is Volkswagen, SEAT, Toyota, Ford or anything else, it will work and you’ll be able to run your own diagnostics.

Buying Your VAG-COM

The first VAG-COM package came from RossTech and cost over $600. This was an expensive product indeed then but very ahead of its time.

Thankfully, there are now third party suppliers of the necessary parts and the firmware can be installed on these chips to achieve the very same end. The Total Car Diagnostics VAG-COM is a much more affordable alternative that can do everything the RossTech model can do.

Make sure that you stay away from $10 packages on eBay. While these may look tempting, they often aren’t fit for purpose and won’t give you all the necessary information. When it comes to your vehicle, it’s not worth trying to cut corners.

How Does VAG-COM Work?
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