Where is the OBD II port?

tdiblair

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Bought a Scan Guage 2 for the 98 Cheby Truck, but want to try it out on the 2005 Passat Diesel. Finding the OBD II port on the truck is easy to find. Embarrassed to say I can't find that 16 pin connection port for a scanner in my 2005 Passat diesel which I suspected would be under the dash just a few inches to the left of the steering column. Been there - tired that. I don't see that unique looking 16 pin connector. What am I missing here? Any hints as to where this OBD II port is would be appreciated.

Blair
 

tdiblair

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Oilhammer - thanks. I'll go back in with a flashlight. I know the Scan Guage 2 is not great for VW - really for my truck - just thought I'd see what it does on on B-5's. Plan to get a VagCom someday, just don't know what level of VAG to get yet.
 

Lug_Nut

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I'm using a KEY-COM serial cable into a PCMCIA to serial adapter. It works well for the B5.5.
If I ever lose my mind and buy a newer TDI than I'll have no choice but to upgrade the cable (to compensate for the downgrade of VW?), but until then....
 

tdiblair

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Lug_Nut said:
I'm using a KEY-COM serial cable into a PCMCIA to serial adapter. It works well for the B5.5.
If I ever lose my mind and buy a newer TDI than I'll have no choice but to upgrade the cable (to compensate for the downgrade of VW?), but until then....
LUG NUT, when you say "(to compensate for the downgrade of VW?) ---wondering if you can explain the word ' downgrade' or considering yourself nuts if you went for a later model VW. I can't speak of it in terms of the cable and wondering if they actually went to a lessor cable? I think you are saying the new generation of Passat that came in 2006 downgraded the cable? All I can add is both my brother and I were at the dealership showroom when both the older 2005 Passat was going into its last year and salesman was excited in showing us the newly designed 2006 Passat, at the same time. We were not impressed with the newly designed 2006 Passat. My brother was downright hated it. We rushed back to buy the older 2005 Passats, all of which moved off the lot in a matter of 18 days. I was un-impressed with the newly designed 2006 Passat's transverse engine which seemed to be the first sigh that Passat we leaving the A-6 layout. I bought two 2005 Passat Diesels figuring this was the last of the good ones plus the many years I waited to move out of a Jetta Diesel up to the larger Passat Diesel which I always favored after two Jetta Diesels. Although I'm far from being an automotive engineer, I always fear the transaxle as being the first expensive item to go on a car. I've never had an engine die on me. It appears that the transverly mounted engine usually has less room for a beefier/bigger transaxle housing. I've always considered transverse mounted engines to be the typical set up used on cheaper econo-boxes. I realize the new Passat gained some interior room but wondering , if at the same time, it gave up some transaxle strength.

Blair
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Poor Lug Nut just hates the advancement of technology... I think he still has a Betamax machine. :D :p

The newer cables provide a faster baud rate to go with the newer cars, and they also seem to be much faster to initiate with the PC you are using, at least in my experience... I have had several VCDS cables over the years.

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).

If you place some sport springs and some stiffer shocks in the Passat, it will make it much more Audilike in its road manners, but the longer wheelbase still gives it the edge in high speed cruising.
 
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Lug_Nut

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My cable can't communicate with the current crop of controllers used in the VWs.
My opinion / commentary about the regression of VW product over the years is just another incoherent babbling of a retro-grouch that will go kicking and screaming out of his insular little immutable world.

Maybe I should change my screen name again.
How's "Luddite_Nut"?
 

tdiblair

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oilhammer said:
Poor Lug Nut just hates the advancement of technology... I think he still has a Betamax machine. :D :p



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
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
No, the Audi A6 is bigger, rides on a different (albeit similar) C segment platform, built in a different plant (same place they build the A8 and R8).

The Audi A4 is built on the same line in Emden as the Passats, same platform, front suspension is identical (I can give you part numbers if you like). In fact, most everything mechanical is the same, as well as most of the HVAC components, steering, etc.

There are 4 wheelbases on that platform, Audi got the shortest, then the Passat, then the Skoda Superb, then the longest is the Passat Lingyu (the latter is still in production, being built and sold in China).

Keep in mind that updates to the B platforms tended to not always occur at the same time accross brands. For instance, a 2005 Audi A4 is actually a newer updated '8E' version and the Passat the same year is still on the '3B' version, and the older Audis from around 1999 were on the '8D' version. But they are all related to what was introduced in 1995 as the 1996 model Audi A4, replacing the Audi 80/90.

Here is more info on VAG platform codes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_platforms#Platform_codes

CAN means Controller Area Network, it is a protocal pioneered by Bosch, and is used in one way or another in all newer cars as SAE decided it was the way to go.

The Ross-tech folks could elaborate more on CAN setups, but here is some reading for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controller_area_network
 
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tdiblair

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Oil Hammer, great information on the chassis clearification. Although I'm deflated with my B-5, I'll settle for driving a elongated but stripped down A-4. Does the new Passat that emerged in 2006 share anything with Audi. I know this a tough call since things of this nature get subjective, but the transverse mounted engine in the new Passat seemed like a step backwards to the cheap side, or let's say a departure from what one might see in an Audi. Dunno about the rest of the car. Also the man who headed Mercedes and dropped the value of Mercedes stock price in half - left Diamler Benz after buring them with Chrylser. After this track record of destruction to Mercedes along with reliability issues some owners are not willing to forget, he ended up in a very key position at VWAG. In a letter he wrote to the shareholders of VW stock, he said he would increase profits margins for VW via production cost cuts. I often wondered in the latest model Passat was part of his plan.

Blair
 

Lug_Nut

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The transverse engine does wonders for interior space. Compare the "backward" (superior in my eyes) B4 to the B5 and B5.5.
The longitudinal B5/B5.5 engine meant pushing the driver back because the firewall is, and pedals are, pushed back. The B4 didn't have, nor need, a telescopic wheel, the B5 does. Pushing the driver back cut into the rear seat room, put the driver (me) in line with the B pillar. To restore a false perception of space the dash in the B5 was not pushed back as far, but this necessitated a longer reach for controls and the near necessity of steering wheel mounted redundancies.
Just a stupid idea and a stupid purchase on my part.
Grumble grumble, natter, gripe, kvetch, rakka-frakka.
Why, I remember when they used to....used to....Now where was I?
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
The current Passat rides on a bloated A5 platform once again, like the older B3 and B4 Passats rode on a bloated A2/A3 platform. And yes, they did cheapen them up once again, although I would not consider them a "cheap" car by any means.

The B1 and B2, like the B5, were shared with Audi. B1 was sold here as the Volkswagen Dasher and Audi Fox, B2 was sold here as the Volkswagen Quantum and Audi 4000. The B2 is still in production, and is one of the top selling cars ( and I think THE most sold car overall historically) in China.

Audi also sells (and has sold) several cars with a transverse engine, but in this country we have only ever seen the TT (now in its second generation... all aluminum body!) and the A3 (now available with a TDI :D , but with a manditory autobox :mad: ).

The first generation TT was on the same platform as the Volkswagen A4 cars (all New Beetles, 1999.5 through 2006 Golf and Jetta Wagon, 1999.5 through early 2005 Jetta sedan), the second generation TT is loosely based on the current A5 platform, albeit with its own body structure, and the Audi A3 is based on the Volkswagen A5 platform.
 

TomB

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After driving the Rabbit loaner car, I must concur that my decision to buy two of the 2005 Passat TDI's as the correct move.

There is no comparison, the B5.5 is an awesome car in so many ways.
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Yeah, I just need to find another one (a wagon). Lug Nut won't sell me his, he just will taunt me by complaining about it all the time. :p
 

tdiblair

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TomB said:
After driving the Rabbit loaner car, I must concur that my decision to buy two of the 2005 Passat TDI's as the correct move.

There is no comparison, the B5.5 is an awesome car in so many ways.

TomB, I did exactly the same thing. StoneHenge Wagon for the wife - Reflex silver Sedan for myself. Both B5.5. Then my brother bought a blue B5.5 sedan - all 3 Passats have the antrosite interior. We felt it was now or never, back in 2005 and found the Passat diesel a value tough to beat, but both my brother and I would welcome the additional noise of duel timing chains over timing belts. We have no clue what the love of timing belts are over twin chains. That was the only issue we were not fond of. I'm glad to see that reasonable people like Oil Hammer and MoGolf own B5.5's too.

Blair
 

compu_85

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Lug_Nut said:
The transverse engine does wonders for interior space. Compare the "backward" (superior in my eyes) B4 to the B5 and B5.5.
The longitudinal B5/B5.5 engine meant pushing the driver back because the firewall is, and pedals are, pushed back...
The A4 vs the A3 jetta is the same way. Compare the A2 to the A4. The A2 has the same rear seat legroom with more headroom, front seat space is about the same, but the dash is much shorter in the older car. The nose is shorter too, but the trunk is larger! I find that the older car has a lot more usable space. Now if only the rear seat folded down...

-Jason
 

Lug_Nut

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oilhammer said:
Yeah, I just need to find another one (a wagon). Lug Nut won't sell me his, he just will taunt me by complaining about it all the time. :p
PM sent.
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
In all fairness, my budget (and wife) would limit me to something in need of untooefing, unless I did not want to pay cash. Which, right now, is tough to do BUT as the used car prices go down and new car prices go up ($28k for a new Golf TDI, really? ) I doubt I will ever buy another new car again. I simply cannot save enough to keep up with 'inflation'.

I nearly had a 1.8t B5 last week with a hole in the block, but the deal fell through. I was really hoping to fix that one and turn it around and make enough to spend ~$10k+ on another B5 TDI :cool: .

Still working on the Golf though. I am just trying hard to keep it [mostly] stock, but the temptation for go-fast goodies is so strong, as there are so many neat things to do to ALH cars.

If I could just sell all my Asian cars... :p
 
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