Mc funbot what code reader should I buy for my mk1 cupra 180 2001 y reg I'm confused with what's what over on ebay. I'm from Peterborough and not sure if and were I could buy one of the shelf. Needs to be able to clear errors not just read them? Could you point me to the right device please.
Reason I ask is if I plug in maf the car idles really bad and try's to stall. Not drivable so replaced maf with new one and same thing. Unplugged runs ok i think. Not had a turbo car before.
Many thanks
Andrew.
Hi andrew, first off i'm not sure there is even any point doing a N249 bypass tbh. What is it you are trying to achieve by removing it? we've had this debate time and again and apart from the space saving aspect then there's really no point IMO, however it's your car and it's up to you. ( I don't want to start yet another debate on it,lol) However here is my reason for NOT removing it
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6881579-Why-you-should-keep-the-N249
The MAF thing comes up time and time again too, and is one of the most misunderstood things on modern cars. When you unplug the MAF, the car shuts off all fuel trims and runs in "open-loop" rather than "closed-loop" mode. It also defaults to it's back-up engine maps because it now has to guess how much air is entering the engine rather than being able to actually measure it.
Unplugging the MAF will often make the car run better, but this is simply because by unplugging it you've disabled most of the systems that control fuelling, not because the MAF is in any way faulty. Every time a MAF has actually failed, you should get the fault code for that. They are usually fairly reliable, as long as you don't use an air filter that needs oil on it, like some aftermarket filters use. Again IMO stick to a good panel filter in the original airbox instead. If the MAF ever does need replacing, then only a GENUINE BOSCH one from eurocarparts or similar will do. A cheap ebay job will not work.
Anyone who tells you to unplug the MAF to test if it is working/not working, simply doesn't understand how the system works! You'll just end up spending £80 on a part you don't need. The only proper way to test it, is to look at the live data reading from it.......For the 180bhp engine you should see between 2 and 4 G/S of airflow at idle (with a warm engine) if the MAF is ok.
Any OBD2 code reader will do, however if you plan on keeping the car for a while then get yourself VCDS
http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCHU.html Yes it's pricey at almost £300 but will probably save you that amount plus a lot of headaches if keeping the car long term. With VCDS you can not only get far more fault codes than you can with a standard OBD2 reader, (OBD2 will only read engine, brakes, airbags etc, VCDS will do fault codes for every system in the car possible I.E locks, air con etc etc) but you can also do live readings and data logging with it as well.
If you have an android phone then "torque" from google play
store (£1.49 i think) Plus a ELM327 adaptor (see link below) will allow you to read and reset a limited amount of engine related codes.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-ELM32...637863?hash=item23701a76a7:g:97EAAOSwU-pXuGYQ
Sorry for the long essay, but i hope that it may have cleared up a few questions for you.
Matty
