Poor Lug Nut just hates the advancement of technology... I think he still has a Betamax machine.
The HEX+CAN+USB cable I currently use is lightning fast on full CAN cars, works great.
I agree the 2005 Passat was the last of the good ones.... now if you want one you have to visit the Audi dealer and buy an A4. Which if I were to be forced to get a gas engine in a B segment VAG car, I would rather buy an off-lease one year old A4 than a new current Passat.
The B5 Passat basically
is an Audi A4, but with a longer wheelbase and the more utilitarian twist-beam rear axle (FWD A4s get fully independant rear suspension... both makes AWD versions get IRS).
OIL-HAMMER ,
Not that I have any real knowledge on the subject, but I thought the older B-5 Passat to be a stripped down A-6 chassis with steering geometry and suspension components closer to the A-6 - specifically before Audi's upgrade which I think took place in or around 2005 when they came out with the new style Audi with the very big drooping grill on the front and a larger chassis? So let's say the ' up to 2005' A-6 chassis. I also find my 2005 Passat to be not only longer but wider than the A-4. I always thought the Jetta was a stripped down A-4 and the Passat a stripped down ( up to 2005 A-6). I assume VWAG finds production economy in stamping out a limited quantity of chassis and components - or- let's say they would want to save costs by sharing components between VW and Audi. Same thing GM did with Cheby and Caddy. Perhaps I miss read the information years ago - or it was simply bad information, but I rememeber the A-4 chassis being called the Jetta chassis or maybe I read some term on that chassis description that linked the two chassis , at least, with 'words'. I may have the wording wrong, it's been many years and again my opinion is close to worthless on the subject, but I remember something catching my immediate attention with the linking of Jetta and A-4 in terms of chassis classification. I then ' assumed' and perhaps incorrectly - that the Passat chassis was linked to the A-6, but that leap of faith on my part, nothing I read or 'thought' I read in my muddled mind. Just pure assumption on my part.
Regardless, Id love to know or have a 2004 A-6 up on a lift at the same time my Passat is up on a lift. When my Jetta TDI was up on a lift I was less than impressed with the front suspension. It was whimpy in my opinion. I could not imagine an A-4 being that wimpy at the A-4's price range. So you may be right. Then again, when my 2005 Passat PD was up on the lift its front suspension was clearly beefier - clearly superior to my Jetta's front suspension. I guess that upgrade back in the middle of 2001 VWAG took seriously. There was a 1990 Mercedes 300-E up on a lift close by. Both cars were approxiamately 3500lbs. The component parts on both the 300-E Mercedes and the much lower cost 2005 Passat were very similar in beef.
Lastly and I'm sorry for the long post, but what is this new ' Can' business on the code readers I see. In short, what is the benefit of ' Can.'
thanks,
Blair