The COMPLETE beginner's guide to e-tuning (with a vendor and VAG-COM cable)

Ever notice all the links in the FAQ on romraider.com to Tactirx? Ever notice how Tactrix claims to "support" the open source community? Your payments for Tactrix cables are the "donations" that are mentioned, LOL.

 

If ecu deff exist for your car your Tactrix cable can be used. If not, do not throw away your other set ups. No device works on every car except a standard code checker (OBD1 and 2).

 

$700 for a tune is ludicrous. We do not charge license fees at Infamous. We also do not lock our tunes. They can be modified after we deliver them.

 

Vag-Com is not perfect. It is cheap and if you are willing to go for it, can be a very inexpensive alternative. It does work for many users. But it can also comes with its headaches.

 

I just try to be honest about it. Yes, it can work. Is there an easier way, yes. Tactrix or Cobb AP. But both cost far more. It is up to the end user.

Still struggling with RomRaider not working. It's frustrating, & feeling like I'm just running around in a circle.

In RomRaider, I just want to be clear. Are you using the file called "logger.xml" which was extracted from a file called, "ROMRAIDER STANDARD units LOGGER definitions 0.3.5b 10-02-09.zip"?

 

I think it best to make sure RomRaider is pointing to this file. Open RomRaider Logger, click Settings > Logger Definition Location. Navigate to wherever you extracted the "logger.xml" file.

Noob question,but what does that 1.29 flash provide? I have a stock 05lgt and am wanting to run a catless up pipe to avoid catalytic particals going into my turbo. My only reason for a tune is to not have a check engine light and not run lean or to rich.

I'm not sure what exactly you're asking, but EcuFlash (version 1.29) is a software program that we can use to re-program the stock ECU in the LGT (combined with the VAG-COM cable). You'll need it if you get an e-tune done.

How would I know what tune to use? Sorry for what seems like stupid questions,but I'm used obd1 simplicity like a vafc's and chipping honda's with pre-burnt chips (superchips). Edited September 6, 2011 by Wrench

I would recommend you start doing a lot more reading on this forum. There's a plethora of information about tuning, which tunes apply to which cars, etc.

 

In short, you're going to either tune the car yourself (by downloading the current base map and adjusting it at will), or you're going to purchase a tune from a professional. You can get those in the $100-500 range from varying companies. Leave it up to the vendor to determine which tune you need for your car (based on what parts you have). You can drive your car into a shop and they'll take care of it, or you can do the semi-do-it-yourself method described in this thread. (you DID read the first post thoroughly, right?? )

Yep. Thanks.

Gentlemen,

 

Preface: I have successfully flashed and logged my car in the past - just with my ex-GF's laptop. I had all my data backed up on my slave HDD and it crashed - of course. My car is 05 LGT 5Speed.

 

I absolutely positively cannot seem to get the drivers and cable working on my laptop. I've tried every combination of drivers I could think of to no avail - FTDI 2.06, FTDI - Newest Version, and Tactrix 1.3 Open Port. I've tried both 1.3 Subaru and 1.3 Universal. I've manually installed both the USB Port and the USB Serial Bus Converter with every combination.

 

No matter what combination of drivers I've tried, my cable installs as a "USB Serial Port", displays as such in EcuFlash and fails to read the ECU, "Unable to open Serial device" or some shit like that.

 

The only thing that hasn't installed properly was the Microsoft Dot Net 2.0 update. But I believe that only pertains to Learning View (which is the only thing that I can use with my car at the moment.) Right?

 

Any ideas?

 

Does anyone have a known working Win 7 64bit combination of software and drivers they could recommend with the VAG-COM cable? If so, I can try my work laptop next.

 

Any and all help is much appreciated.

I've been putting of doing a Win 7 x64 write-up for a while, and now I need a re-tune due to moving and using 93 octane, so I think now is a perfect time for me to go ahead and get crackin' on that. I'll let you know as soon as I get it working with all 3 programs.

Ok, 2005 LGT. Is this http://www.ebay.com/itm/VAG-COM-409-1-KKL-USB-OBD-II-2-Diagnostic-Cable-Audi-VW-/320751418073?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr&hash=item4aae463ad9 the Vag-com cable I need?

I hate to have to post how to get this working again when I already got my questions answered before but here we go with round 2. I'm doing this to get my brother's car tuned now and we're using his computer (Vista).. With that said.. Here's my problem.

 

I got everything on the computer. I used the first post of this thread as my reference. I connect to my car (just to test since I can't just go use his car) and "No Vehicle Interface" or whatever in the bottom right of ecuFlash.

 

Now I may know my problem.. I think I messed up on steps 6-10. Adoniram, you mention to use FTDIBUS as a driver, so I set that. But then I never get a "Found Device Wizard" to pop up at all so there's no chance to install FTDIPORT. Actually, the "Found Device Wizard" never pops up. Even when I uninstall driver software and replug the VAG-COM back in, it just automatically installs the drivers.

 

Whatdo?

Post #15 in this thread will help you.

 

I suppose that it could be a difference in operating systems or just system settings. Either way, you should be able to manually select the driver by doing the following:

 

1. Disconnect all USB devices OTHER than the VAG-COM cable (keep that plugged in)

2. Right-click on My Computer (XP), or Computer (Vista, Win7)

3. Click "Manage"

4. On the left, click "Device Manager"

5. On the right, expand "Ports (COM & LPT)"

6. You should see COM2 or something, and that's your VAG-COM cable

7. Right-click on that, choose "Properties"

8. Click on the "Driver" tab

9. Click "Update driver..."

10. Now, depending on your OS, you should be able to choose something like "Browse computer," "let me choose device," or "have disk" etc. Here's where you navigate to the EcuFlash folder and change the driver.

 

Let me know how that works for you.

Scimmed through all 8 pages and didn't see an answer, is that possible with a macbook?

Seeing how a Vag-Com cable requires the use of ECU Flash 1.29e or earlier, I do not see any Macbook compatibility with Vag-Com. Unless you can emulate an xp environment. But I could be mistaken.

New thread.

Thank you for this. I've been having trouble getting my current ROM read on ECUflash. Going to give it a go using this thread tomorrow. Cant move forward with my tune until I get the CAL ID.

 

I am a tard and did not do very much research about opensource programs and what works and what does not until now.

just ordered my cable, can't wait, just have to get everything to work on my laptop that has windows 7, i'll try following paintpollz link (except with the 1.29 ECUFlash) and report back as soon as I have the cable.

 

Here's the cable, only $7.72

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260833529468?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Feedeback on the instructions in the OP:

 

- Thanks for the heads-up on v1.29. It was a headscratcher there for a while until I got 1.29 (And drivers installed) and it worked fine.

- I tried 1.29 first and got an error message (Need 64bit DPinst). Couldn't install the cable driver either, so I uninstalled and installed the newest version (1.4x before reading the compatibility note). The cable drivers installed themselves (Win7) but the software couldn't connect to the car. Uninstalled 1.4x and reinstalled 1.29 and it remembered the cable drivers, and connected to the car. Still got the 64bit DPInst message, butt he drivers were already installed at that point. 1.4x did not give me the dpinst error.

 

- LearningView could use a warning that a table full of all zeroes is actually a good thing (No correction factors had to be applied?)

 

Still working at it.

okay, i figured it out Edited February 11, 2012 by car_cursed

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I got a kkl vag-com for 409.1 from ebay and have downloaded the ecuflash version from the first page since the cd that came with it did not contain ecuflash. Every time i go to plug it in it'll say found new hardware and the device manager pops up. I browse, myself, to the location where the FTDIBUS.inf file is at but when i select it and tell it to assign that driver, the system tells me that the file was either not found or the specified location does not contain information about your device. The cd i got with the cable did contain some vag-com software but no ecuflash. Could anyone help me out with this? Thanks!

Show some screenshots of the message you're seeing about that. There might be an option for something like "show me devices that aren't compatible" if I remember correctly... basically it's a way around, but I won't know if you can do that without some screenshots