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Due to being new to this site and equally new to owning an RS4 you will have to forgive me if the following questions seem quite simple. I have spent alot of time brousing through the forum to establish some of the do's and don'ts of owning an RS4 and have come across alot of references to VAGCOM.

It is my understanding that VAGCOM is a windows based programme which is installed onto a labtop and via a patch lead to the car can be used to perform self fault diagnosis. In addition i believe that is capable of monitoring inlet/exhaust temperatures, boost, fuelling etc. My first question is the software advanced enough to alter boost, timing, fuelling while keeping the engine running safe.

Where is the best place to purchase the software and patch lead from and what version of the software is best compatible with my car. How easy is the programme to use as i have been using easimap in conjuction with an MBE unit on my XE'd Mini is the VAGCOM software of a similar ilk.

I am very reluctant to use the main stealers as in my experience all main stealer workshops are made up of 1 knowledged technician and 9 apprentices. I am not prepared to pay £80+ an hour for some YTS kid to f**k up my pride and joy. I am very fortunate to have a close friend who is an outstanding mechanic so if i can get to grips with VAGCOM i should have all bases covered.

There is a very useful section devoted to VAGCOM here
http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... 25bbfde694

I'm sorry I've no idea if it can be usedd to alter functions like that, I just use dmine for simple fault diagnosis. The software is available as a free download from the manufacturers:-
http://www.ross-tech.com/

Also loads of helpful pages on using the software. There is a table there which tells you which lead you need for your car. IIRC my lead came from a company in London, but others here may be able to help you more on that point and the other points you raise.

BTW - welcome to teh forum and hoep yo uenjoy your RS4!

Paul

VAGCOM cannot remap the car. It is an excellent bit of free software very easy to use (even for a computer donut like me) Produced by Ross-tech. You pay approx £150 for the basic interface lead and simply download the software from Ross-tech. The lead can be purchased from UK dealers.

There is an excellent Yahoo forum where worldwide users post their VAGCOM faults and the main man or his buddies will answer your questions on fault codes for any VAG type car sometimes within minutes of posting

Don't try to save a few quid by buying one of the many fake leads out there you won't get the excellent help from Ross-tech. It will be glitchy at best. Besides he's a relatively small outfit producing an excellent product which he is continually trying to update. VAGCOM has saved me probably well over £1K in diagnostic fees and monitoring the health of my car. Its an absolute must for any DIY mechanic.