Battery Message & Cold Weather

[Red 2]

With immaculate timing, my battered battery has failed completely as in dead,no spark of life, dead as a dodo, a never to be again battery,kaput......literally just before the now lifeless A4 was to return to Warrington Audi around the corner to have a new one fitted.

An issue causing an electrical drain had been traced and fixed but it all proved too much for the poor battery...the risk of a battery failure had however been foreseen and a new battery already awaits, warranty item thankfully.

Best bit and a source of some amusement to all watching was the strange chirping noise the A4 made as it slowly died in our driveway with warning lights going off ad hoc inside the locked car. In a fit of spite it has also refused to release the ignition key. Time for some dealer TLC.....

Thanks also to a8 tech for all his useful info......made all the difference!

[a8 tech]

Yes you can flash from the dvd drive, but you need to purchase the correct update disc from vag.
All dealer updates are done by online connection to vas and then the server downloads code changes etc, so if the update requires code changes which are hidden then the cd rom updates will not work as intended.

I have used the update function for engine ecu software which did not need online connection.


Red, glad to see the dealer is going the extra mile

[jabicho]

Cool! I asked you about flashing cause on the latest audi models everything has to be done by SVM,which implies a direct connection with the factory server...glad to see there are other options round there, may be it´s time to go for something bigger than Vag-com, thanx for the info.

[a8 tech]

oem full pacakage

https://erwin.volkswagen.de/workshop/englisch/


or https://erwin.volkswagen.de/workshop/englisch/ the head unit plus you need a lap top running xp sp2 or 3 java 1.4 (I use Ibm t40) and the brand/base and recovery
discs with license

software https://erwin.volkswagen.de/erwin/sh...ractVas505x.do

so not cheap

[jabicho]

Thanx for the info...but I´m afraid at the moment I´ll stick to my "old faithfull" Vag-com cable ...just leave VAS for professionals!

[a8 tech]

I believe vas will be phased out in 2011/12, dealers are going to online diagnostics so independents will struggle in the coming years.

I would love some rosstech feedback for there future plans

[ScottyUK]

How will the recovery services perform? Will they need mobile web/VPN connectivity?

[a8 tech]

Not sure scotty.

Compared vcds with vas today and found vcds is limited without battery history but on a good note you can run a battery drain test using vcds

Go to address 19

click output test

select quiescent current

connect your laptop to a mains connection and leave connected to the obd port

turn ignition off and open osf window so you can run the vcds lead outside of the vehicle whilst locking the vehicle to arm the alarm and lock the doors etc

start the test and you will see the amp reading displayed on vcds (this will drop as the networks shut down)

leave it running for 20 to 30 mins and the amps reading should drop

take a note of the reading and then you can calculate if a drain is present

[Red 2]

Thanks to the techmeister at Warrington Audi, the A4 is back after 3 days of testing, fault resolution, more testing and a new battery.

Probably in even better shape than when it left the factory!

[gazza57]

A8 Tech,
It is interesting to note that the diagnostics going on line will make it much more difficult for independents.
Presumably, they will charge independents for access who in turn will have to charge us the customers.
As long as there is choice, I don't mind.
This is not intended as a criticism of main dealers, but I want the option to take my car where I want to take it, not to have hobson's choice between two or three main dealers only.
That is a cartel and must surely be illegal, various main dealers did this about 10 years ago, trying to void customers' warranties on those cars which hadn't been dealer serviced, implying a somehow inferior level of service and expertise, my experience is quite the opposite. illegal can't do it.
They will have to give access they will charge naturally but they have to offer it.

Gazza57