Diagnostic scanners

PeterS

Member
As part of the preliminary going over, before booking it in for someone who actually knows what they’re doing to sort the problems, I bought a MaxiScan VAG405 OBD reader. After being pointed in the right direction by Steve I successfully connected it to the car and all seemed good :)

It happily connected, and would let me look at various info. But when I tried to ‘read codes’ in any of the menus it appeared to just hang. Though of course it’s possible I just didn’t wait long enough. I left it a few minutes though, and the bar would progress around 10% of the way along before just stopping. How long should it take? Strangely though if I jumped straight to the erase codes (or reset, I can’t remember the terminology) it appeared to work just fine. Is there likely to be something wrong with my reader, or am I just too impatient!

Thanks :)
 
It shouldn't take that long to give you a reading (you do have the ignition on I assume?)

Steve B
 
Yes, ignition on. When I tried it without, just to see, I got an error message saying it couldn’t connect. So it *seems* to work, in that it connects. And for example on the (I think) engine menu the fourth option down shows various info that it must have read from the car.

I’ll take some pictures tomorrow and post!
Thanks
 
So here’s a sequence of what works and what doesn’t!
Ignition on, and these are the lights
4C28D78E-E074-428E-BF11-9E0A69D99201.jpeg


Then with the scanner connected...

73253549-415A-471C-8CEB-E8FD6E2DFD8B.jpeg


And the scanner seeming to work, and read some info...

920FA24F-819E-40FF-A1AA-50D79DD950F9.jpeg
AD42EF42-7EBD-47DE-9ADE-E360EF5441F8.jpeg
920FA24F-819E-40FF-A1AA-50D79DD950F9.jpeg
73253549-415A-471C-8CEB-E8FD6E2DFD8B.jpeg
 
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You should just be able to go to 1)read codes

That's how mine works and has worked on both pre 2002 and post 2002 A2s.

It would seem there's a problem with the reader.
 
Thanks. Going to read codes just leaves it on this screen...it never seems to finish. I’ll see if they can send another one so I can see if it’s the scanner!
EECE009F-7C3E-4BF8-AFC3-4A70425DC30C.jpeg
 
It’s definitely more than 10/12 seconds! I’ve waited several minutes, before giving up!
 
I don't suppose it will make any difference, but can you put it in another car and see if there is any difference? Unlikely to be but no harm trying?

Steve B
 
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The cars I have available to try on are, I think, either too old or too new.
The web says that the 80, which the Cabriolet is based on, has a non standard port like this:

https://www.outilsobdfacile.com/location-plug-connector-obd/Audi-80-b4

Edited to add, the A3 should have a standard one...

https://www.outilsobdfacile.com/location-plug-connector-obd/Audi-a3-8v

But I thought the the e-tron had a 48V electrical system (though I could be wrong - it might be just the motor), so don’t want to fry anything!
 
In the meantime I dropped it off at my local garage to take a look at.
In their words... “a number of issues...”
But basically an intermittent problem with the air mass sensor
An EGR problem
And a problem with the steering sensor, but flagged as a mechanical fault I think?

So, some work to do!
 
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