VAG-COM NUKED Airbags

[FL2AK-tdi]

So I borrowed a friend's VAG-COM set up. All I wanted to do was check and adjust my timing to get a little better mpg out of the car.

I clicked on autoscan and immediately got two airbag codes, B+ battery voltage too low-intermittant and Internal memory intermittant.

Now I've got a hard failed airbag system with caution light on all times. The codes will not clear.

It happened instnatly and without warning.

Guess I'm off to the dealership with my life's savings on monday morning.

Oh by the way, I was totally unable to access the enige timing function.

 

[dieseldorf]

So I borrowed a friend's VAG-COM set up. All I wanted to do was check and adjust my timing to get a little better mpg out of the car.

I clicked on autoscan and immediately got two airbag codes, B+ battery voltage too low-intermittant and Internal memory intermittant.

You're supposed to check the "do not scan airbags" box

Does this have something to do with your importation of that Renault?

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

You're supposed to check the "do not scan airbags" box

Does this have something to do with your importation of that Renault?

LOL hahahah

In a round about way, yes lol. I'm trying to do everything I can to get the mpg up on my jetta. Otherwise, the jetta is up for sale. (See increase mpg or sell jetta)

So what do I do with this now?

Where does it say I'm supposed to click do not scan airbags?

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

owr084 sent me a link to some obscure page on ross-tech.com. Yeah, it's a known problem for 01 Jettas. Vag-Com kills air bag controllers. They pass it off as a bug within the controller and that it's somehow not vag-Com's problem.

Greaaaaaaat.

Thanks for the heads up owr.

 

[owr084]

I ran the "good" controller part number from the ross-tech page at www.worldimpex.com - $558 Any junkyards nearby?

So were you using v.3 or v.4 of VAG-COM?

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

I ran the "good" controller part number from the ross-tech page at www.worldimpex.com - $558 Any junkyards nearby?
So were you using v.3 or v.4 of VAG-COM?

That's considerably less than I expected it to be. Are you sure that's a VW part or is it aftermarket?

And I was using version 607.

I wish I had never heard of Vag-Com. What a horrible mistake. What a huge rip off and waste of time. I'm glad I didn't actually buy the product. I can't believe they knew about this problem and did basically nothing to prevent it from happening. Why didn't they disable this function as a safeguard?

That's it. I'm done "improving" my cars. all I wanted to do was squeeze 4 r 5 more miles out of a gallon. I cold have bought 200 gallons of fuel for what this is going to cost me.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

When you put in that part number, thre are 4 hits, two are $391.99 Can I just disconnect the battery and replace the controller myself? it's looks easy to get to.

 

[bhtooefr]

They put giant warnings all over their site.

Ever heard of these four letters?

RTFM



And, the older Volkswagen scan tools do it too - they just replace the controller if they scan it and it fries it.

 

[n1das]

You're supposed to check the "do not scan airbags" box

Or leave the "Include Airbags" button un-checked!

 

[compu_85]

You can replace the controller yourself. But please take anti static precautions!!!

-Jason

 

[owr084]

I just ran the part number "6Q0-909-605-F" at worldimpex.com. It brought up 6 or 7 sku #s all the same price w/o application (i.e., make and model year). I would just call them on Monday.

I would definitely send an e-mail to Uwe (the father of VAG-COM) about what happen - his contact info is here http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?find=lastposter&t=160063 It's strange that that happened with the newest version. I would be curious to hear Uwe's opinion.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

I just ran the part number "6Q0-909-605-F" at worldimpex.com. It brought up 6 or 7 sku #s all the same price w/o application (i.e., make and model year). I would just call them on Monday.

I would definitely send an e-mail to Uwe (the father of VAG-COM) about what happen - his contact info is here http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?find=lastposter&t=160063 It's strange that that happened with the newest version. I would be curious to hear Uwe's opinion.

Yeah, he and I already had a small round of discussions as to his total lack of willingness to transfer his product to a Mac platform lol. That's why I was borrowing someone elses stuff in the first place-to see if it would be worth me buying a new laptop PC to use it with. LOL

This "father" should have had an abortion.

Why would I contact him. Certainly, his opinion will be the same as "Mr. I shoot noobs" that I should have read the manual, which I did, that there are giant warning all over their site, which I didn't see. If hegave a rats terd about his customers he would have disabled that function completely and then it would be a non issue. So why would I contact him?

 

[bhtooefr]

Fine, YOU spend $800 plus a very high yearly fee for a VAS-1552.

 

[Growler]

WOW..

/me gets some popcorn

 

[compu_85]

Have you ever done ANY programming? You don't just 'transfer' software that needs as much hardware control as VAG-COM.....

-Jason

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

When you run the old, now superceded, part number through, you get the $391 price.

 

[bhtooefr]

Plus, if you've ever worked with the Aqua interface for five minutes, you'll know that it's a completely different programming model (and this is from the USER perspective, let alone the developer perspective!) from either the GDI or X11 models.

And, a Unix-based OS like OS X has a completely different hardware access method than an OS/2-based OS like Windows NT/2000/XP or a CP/M-based OS like Windows 95/98/ME.

 

[weedeater]

[asks self question: should I jump in on this or not?]

[naawww, I think not.]

 

[Matthew_S]

According to Ross-Tech 607 is safe for all airbag modules when used with a current interface. They also removed the warning from the last few versions and the quick scan no longer automatically deselects airbags.

You should be able to get a used module from a wrecking yard for under 200 buck. Check car-part.com I bet there are a bunch out there.

I wish I had never heard of Vag-Com. What a horrible mistake. What a huge rip off and waste of time. I'm glad I didn't actually buy the product. I can't believe they knew about this problem and did basically nothing to prevent it from happening. Why didn't they disable this function as a safeguard?

The airbag module is defective, if you want to get mad a someone get mad at VW or the supplier that built the controller. Also this was probably the most well know and well advertised VAG-COM related problem ever. It is kind of odd that this happened with a new version of VAG-COM since the problem is supposed to be fixed.

 

[bhtooefr]

OMFG, I missed this.

Why would I contact him. Certainly, his opinion will be the same as "Mr. I shoot noobs" that I should have read the manual, which I did, that there are giant warning all over their site, which I didn't see. If hegave a rats terd about his customers he would have disabled that function completely and then it would be a non issue. So why would I contact him?

Maybe Volkswagen should have disabled the function for your engine to start, if they gave (note the space) a rat's (possessive) turd about their customers. After all, when stupid people start their car engines, they can crash, causing property damage, and death.

 

[david_594]

That's considerably less than I expected it to be. Are you sure that's a VW part or is it aftermarket?

And I was using version 607.

I wish I had never heard of Vag-Com. What a horrible mistake. What a huge rip off and waste of time. I'm glad I didn't actually buy the product. I can't believe they knew about this problem and did basically nothing to prevent it from happening. Why didn't they disable this function as a safeguard?

From what I remember of version 607 it does automatically scan the airbag controller. In all the older versions it was disabled by default and there was a check box you had to select to scan it.

To be fair, I have scanned some of the "bad" airbag modules with my serial hex-com and have never had one of them freak out at me.

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

...so I jumped in the 737 and randomly fiddled with some buttons and levers. Damned thing crashed into a hanger. Friggin' Boeing idiots...

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

You should be able to get a used module from a wrecking yard for under 200 buck. Check car-part.com I bet there are a bunch out there.



The airbag module is defective, if you want to get mad a someone get mad at VW or the supplier that built the controller. Also this was probably the most well know and well advertised VAG-COM related problem ever. It is kind of odd that this happened with a new version of VAG-COM since the problem is supposed to be fixed.

matt, thanks for the refrence link on car-parts.com. Thy have like dozens, all under $250. Appreciated. Now I just have decide if I should do it myself. I'm a little worried that I'll blow the airbags.

 

[Matthew_S]

matt, thanks for the refrence link on car-parts.com. Thy have like dozens, all under $250. Appreciated. Now I just have decide if I should do it myself. I'm a little worried that I'll blow the airbags.

It is far more difficult to accidently blow the air bags than most people think. You should disconnect the battery as a precaution but you could probably do it with the key on and not hurt anything (DON'T TRY IT THOUGH!). I've seen people do all sorts of stupid things with airbags and not blow them up but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions just don't worry too much.

 

[Santos_V]

What Version of Vag-com were you running? What interface were you using?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Wow. Everything that I was going to say has already been said.

I'll just add this one thing. Sell your car NOW before you end up killing yourself and winning a Darwin Award.

Technology and instruction manuals > you

 

[burpod]

FLAK -

maybe it's time you looked into getting a bus pass?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

FLAK -

maybe it's time you looked into getting a bus pass?

... on the short bus!

 

[Sebastian]

@FL2AK-tdi

#1 Could you post an Auto-Scan containing the airbag control identification and fault codes please?
#2 The airbag light was NOT lit before you read the codes?
#3 Since you say you used 607, which interface were you using it with?

 

[fricker3]

FL2AK-tdi,
Thank you for posting your problem to the forum. I am sorry you have had such rude responses.

Let's please keep our posts focused on helping a fellow member in trouble. Pointing out typo's and grammarian is not going to help him fix the problem.

Eric