fault code reader

[Gavla52]

Hi guys

Looking at buying a fault code reader for me car as the flippin excessive pollution/diagnostic lights keeps coming on basically every 3-4weeks and takin it to a garage constantly is a pain in the butt!

looking at one from argos which is £50 as its christmas money is tight.

Never used one before so i guess it displays a code but how do i know what this code means or will it give a discription too?

 

[BlackLeon]

ebay mate, vag-com cables around £15, work very well.

 

[LEE69]

^

+1

 

[Gordz]

Fault code reader things are a bit crap to be honest mate. Can't really do anything with them. They literally just throw a number out at you (fault code) and you can reset service light, and that's about it. Plus, because every unit seems to be different, they all tell you different things, so they're a pain to work out what they're saying!

Definitley go with vag-com. Much more help & support with how to work vag-com on here too.

 

[OFI]

I thought the cheapo fault code reader I used the other week was pretty good. Cost £25-30 and did exactly what I wanted.

It read the code, came with a manual telling me what the code meant and then I cleared it. Plus it has the benefit of fitting in your glovebox to keep in the car.

VAG-COM does do alot more but you might not need alot more ;-)

 

[Gordz]

suppose, does depend on what you want!

cheapo fault code reader I had from ebay was crap, didn't relate to codes in "manual", and couldn't clear faults either!
Maybe the one I bought was just rubbish!

 

[OFI]

As cheeky as it might be the Ross Tech Wiki lists every fault code there is. So if your el cheapo code reader doesn't have a decent manual you can just check on there

Yours does sound rubbish..

The one I used looked just like this http://www.autotec-direct.com/u480-obd2-eobd-can-bus-protocol-fault-code-scanner-reader-238-p.asp
and actually that's a very good price! First one that popped up on Google

 

[jk47]

I think it would be a waste of money. You'll need to know the codes and what they mean, then you'll end up at the dealers anyway asking them to fix it! If your car has that many problems, I'd consider getting a new one, Cupra's generally don't have a lot of issues.

 

[jk47]

Or try another dealer! If all they are doing is turning off the light and telling you they fixed the problem, then you are being ripped off.

You need someone to find the sensor that isn't working and get it replaced. The best dealer I found was in Camberly, in Berkshire, they found the problem that many other dealers failed to spot and the engine light never came back on!

 

[OFI]

I think it would be a waste of money. You'll need to know the codes and what they mean, then you'll end up at the dealers anyway asking them to fix it! If your car has that many problems, I'd consider getting a new one, Cupra's generally don't have a lot of issues.

As i've already said you can check the code through the manual or on the Ross Tech Wiki. If gives you a full description of the fault/symptoms and possible fixes.

If this highlights a need for a £20 sensor then it's saved you the £40 or whatever it costs to get a scan at a garage.

I scanned mine the other day and got a '17704' fault code.

Go to Ross Tech site and it gives you the info you need:

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/index.php/17704/P1296/004758

17704/P1296/004758 - Error in Mapped Cooling System

Possible Symptoms

* Cold start issues

Possible Causes

* Coolant Temperature Sensor (G62) faulty
* Coolant Thermostat faulty

Possible Solutions

* Check Coolant Temperature Sensor (G62)
* Check Coolant Thermostat