Petition to have SKC Codes released for Volkswagen vehicles

ATG

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Location
Upstate, NY
TDI
MKVI Jetta TDI
All,

I don't know if this as been attempted before, but being an owner of older tdi, and my first, I see the value of having the SKC codes for the immobilizer.

If this concept has not been done before, I would like to propose gathering signatures, addresses and names of individuals that would commit to a petition to have Volkswagen Auto Group to release the SKC codes to the vehicles we own and so dearly love.

I know there are other methods out in public that can possibly give you the code, but I'm taking the political approach and rallying the populous of Volkswagen owners together so we can show Volkswagen we love our cars, we have a vested interest in these vehicles and it is our right to know the information since we paid for it with the purchase of the car.

If this has been done before, the. I apologize and I will cease this attempt. But if not, I would like to gather an interest and possibly start another thread(or use this one) for the petition.

Thanks,

Andy G.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
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idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
I bought my computer. I do not own the software.
I don't really see much of a difference between Microsoft withholding the operating system code and VW not making it easy for the guy down the street get the codes he needs to drive the vehicle I own and so dearly love to the chop shop.
 

VWBeamer

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GA
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2004 Jetta Wagon
How does having the SKC help me. Little un clear on the issue.
 

ATG

Veteran Member
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Location
Upstate, NY
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MKVI Jetta TDI
I bought my computer. I do not own the software.
I don't really see much of a difference between Microsoft withholding the operating system code and VW not making it easy for the guy down the street get the codes he needs to drive the vehicle I own and so dearly love to the chop shop.

From my point of view, bad analogy. But I will agree the end user has rights to use he software and interact with it. That ends here.

Consider this concept. I am a programmer, and you do have access to the same methods and procedures to the code as windows uses for key system tasks. Therefore, if the person is a programmer, they can use the code to make software as they see fit and to accomplish a task. Again an analogy that won't work with this example. But I see your point.

Also consider this Microsoft never released the source code to the public, then offered it as an option later. Volkswagen did this with the SKC CODES. Volkswagen gave you the SKC CODE in a black plastic card, and later didn't, but around allowed you to request it. Then took it away.

Big difference. But this is what I'm rallying for.

Good debate!
 

ATG

Veteran Member
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Location
Upstate, NY
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MKVI Jetta TDI
How does having the SKC help me. Little un clear on the issue.

Having the SKC code allows you to program keys to the immobilizer over a certain year.

Consider this, you lost your only master keyfob for some reason and you needed a new one. You are driving on the valet key. This normally requires you to pay the dealership a hefty charge, for programming. I believe in excess of $200.00 to have this done, on top of, purchasing the key, having it cut, ETC. The cost for the key is around $150.00.

With the SKC code, obtaining the proper software, and some common sense, a user can do the programming and save themselves some money. Only an authorized key programmed to the car can start the car. I struggled with this on my 2003 golf and had to pay out the nose just to have the keys programmed at the dealer. Needless to say, 250.00 could have been better spent on other things.

Some other people can also use the SKC code to swap clusters in their vehicles. That also requires the SKC code. I'm not too familiar with this and look to the community to list the other tasks the SKC is used for.

Let's keep the questions comming.
 

FowVay

Veteran Member
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Aug 27, 2000
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Georgia
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2009 Jetta returned to der Führer
I would like to propose gathering signatures, addresses and names of individuals that would commit to a petition to have Volkswagen Auto Group to release the SKC codes to the vehicles we own and so dearly love.
Andy G.
This question isn't about key codes but do you believe that VAG stands for Volkswagen Auto Group? Just curious.
 

ATG

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Location
Upstate, NY
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MKVI Jetta TDI
At first I was confused to what VAG was in VAG-COM (Volkswagen Auto Group communications) , now called VCDS. Yes, I think VAG is Volkswagen Auto Group.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
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Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
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2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
Anyone with vag commander or similar can pull the skc anyway or if it's immo 2 vag tacho usually does the trick. Tuners can get it from the ecu for immo 3 easy enough. No real reason to involve the dealer imo.
 

Wankel7

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
Indiana
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2003 Jetta Wagon
I just ordered a $59 shipped VAG Tacho from Sidwinderkeys.com ... we will see how well it pulls the SKC from my car.
 

ymz

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Between Toronto & Montreal
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2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Because the A4 Wagon instrument clusters are of a different manufacture, and require a different tool (Vag-Commander) to access the EEPROM...

Yuri
 

Wankel7

Veteran Member
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Because the A4 Wagon instrument clusters are of a different manufacture, and require a different tool (Vag-Commander) to access the EEPROM...

Yuri
What is the manufacturer for the wagon clusters?
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
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I might be wrong... it's possible that newer versions of Vag-Tacho may be able to communicate with the VDO clusters in the Jetta Wagons... (I know that the older versions did not...)

Yuri
 

turbocharged798

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99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
All US MK4s Jetta/Golfs use VDO clusters no matter where they were made. Euro cars got a bit screwy with oddball motometer clusters.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
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Scotland
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2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
I just ordered a $59 shipped VAG Tacho from Sidwinderkeys.com ... we will see how well it pulls the SKC from my car.
Usually works just fine, some cars can take up to 90 minutes though to get it from the cluster. Here's a useful pile of info and links showing how to do it.

http://uk-mkivs.net/topic/10689-mk4-golf-and-bora-speedo-instrument-cluster/#1096416

When selecting which cluster to connect to in the drop down menu I usually choose new first and if that doesn't work I'll select old, haven't found one I couldn't connect to yet though.

Because the A4 Wagon instrument clusters are of a different manufacture, and require a different tool (Vag-Commander) to access the EEPROM...

Yuri
What? There's only two, bosch or vdo and vag tacho can do both. Just the beetles that were different.

If you want to read the full eeprom for doing things like mte then you need vag commander for the bosch clusters because vag tacho doesn't pull the complete eeprom.
 

Wankel7

Veteran Member
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Indiana
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I might be wrong... it's possible that newer versions of Vag-Tacho may be able to communicate with the VDO clusters in the Jetta Wagons... (I know that the older versions did not...)

Yuri
Would it at least allow you to download the EEProm so you could read the SKC from the hex?

Or would it not even login?
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
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Location
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2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
Would it at least allow you to download the EEProm so you could read the SKC from the hex?

Or would it not even login?
Usually works just fine, some cars can take up to 90 minutes though to get it from the cluster. Here's a useful pile of info and links showing how to do it.

http://uk-mkivs.net/topic/10689-mk4-golf-and-bora-speedo-instrument-cluster/#1096416

When selecting which cluster to connect to in the drop down menu I usually choose new first and if that doesn't work I'll select old, haven't found one I couldn't connect to yet though.

There's only two, bosch or vdo and vag tacho can do both. Just the beetles that were different.

If you want to read the full eeprom for doing things like mte then you need vag commander for the bosch clusters because vag tacho doesn't pull the complete eeprom.
That's about the size of it.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
If is US it should be VDO. I have never seen a motometer cluster in US spec car.

Wow! You mean VW actually did something better for the US than everywhere else? :D

If you've got VDO you really need to do the lit needles, it's just sooo cool ha ha
 

bhtooefr

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The version of VAG-Tacho (3.01) that I have can do Motometer clusters, too, it just takes a while.

As in, I left my laptop in the car that I was connected to for an hour while it brute-forced the access password.
 

Wankel7

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon
Well just installed the VAG Tacho from sidewinderkeys.com . Thankfully, I am running an older laptop with Window XP 32 Bit so the drivers loaded with no issues and the cable was sensed by the laptop.

I plugged it into the car and selected VDO NEW and it read the cluster. Looks like it is model 1J0920906L. I then pulled the SKC and verified it in the HEX coding as correct. I was able to connect to the EEProm and save it as a bin file.

Looks like it worked no problem on my 2003 Wagon.
 
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