Looking for advice: Which ODB tool to choose?

[peter1987t]

Hi Gents,

I am looking for your advice, coming from the Netherlands here.

Got a T6 2017 TSI LWB kombi with 78.000km (pretty standard, not even rear parking sensors). Anyway, converted to a camper including LPG. We just came from Swiss, absolutely lovely but we ran into a problem with the fuel mixture apparently and i was hoping to have a proper ODB tool to be able to read some fault codes which can potentially also speed up the diagnosis while also bringing it to the installer.

Few things i would be looking for which could help:
- read out fault codes (especially now)
- read out true KM's
- read out engine Temp (since it is Nowhere to find, why???)
- maybe do some changes myself when installing aftermarket LED headlights?
- necessary changes for adding towbar (13p)?
- other fun/useful changes where possible.

Anything you can advice me? Not planning to do any other diagnoses except for this car. Planning to have it for a while. Prefer not to need a laptop, since i would like to be able to use it during an holiday (the fault reading part at least).

Thanks !

Much appreciated.

-Peter

 

[kipperman]

Far more knowledgeable folks on here than me - but I bought the Carista device which seems to do a lot (perhaps not all) that you want to do - for me the selling point is that the device itself is tiny and since most people will have a mobile phone to run the app no laptop required and so it happily comes on holiday with me. It also just works with minimal fuss.

 

[rod_vw]

VCDS, but it does need a Windows laptop, it's not cheap but is the 'canine testes' and will work on 99% VAG vehicles with lifetime support and free upgrades.

 

[peter1987t]

Far more knowledgeable folks on here than me - but I bought the Carista device which seems to do a lot (perhaps not all) that you want to do - for me the selling point is that the device itself is tiny and since most people will have a mobile phone to run the app no laptop required and so it happily comes on holiday with me. It also just works with minimal fuss.

Interesting, now with code "SFDcarista" i get 30% discount via Amazon= €52,49 thats not bad.

Same price as a dealer in Swiss working 10min on my car just to read the fault codes and charging me 60 euro! ^^

 

[peter1987t]

VCDS, but it does need a Windows laptop, it's not cheap but is the 'canine testes' and will work on 99% VAG vehicles with lifetime support and free upgrades.

Aight, I looked into this one, but probably overkill with regards to features to enable/disable since my T6 is as standard as you get them i am afraid.

Would the VCDS come with better fault codes / diagnoses than a Carista unit?

 

[rod_vw]

Aight, I looked into this one, but probably overkill with regards to features to enable/disable since my T6 is as standard as you get them i am afraid.

Would the VCDS come with better fault codes / diagnoses than a Carista unit?

I've never used Carista so can't answer that from personal experience but I guess with the back-up available online from Ross tech and many other users I would assume the answer is yes.
Maybe worth reading a few threads commented on by 'mmi' and/or 'Robert' on here to see what it's capabilities are.

 

[whodat]

It seems you can do more 'stuff' with VCDS but you need to have a Windows laptop (or laptop running Windows in VM might work(?)) for it to work and you ,might need specialised codes/bits for some of the options - would think it is easier to break serious stuff if you have too much of a play with it.
There is also a larger initial cost outlay (about 4 or 5 years worth of Carista if I remember correctly).

Carista can be run off your mobile phone and gives you all the fault codes/odometer reading. Which part of 'engine temperature' are you looking at? All parts will be different.
You can see the water temps on your dash, the oil temps with the righthand steering wheel computer buttons. It also tells you DPF info and, if you pay (except for the first month which is free), you can initiate a DPF clean - not sure whether that is a good idea unless you are only doing short journeys all the time.
Did manage to 'break' my foldingi windows with Carista but helpful forum folk helped me get them working again.

I would get the Carista which is free to 'just look' at stuff and get error codes - and if you have serious stuff you need to sort out with specialised codes, either get someone a beer on this forum that is close to you, or purchase it.
The OBD2 is supposed to be good too but the pricing seems to be a bit random where you need 'credits' to do stuff so that put me off.

 

[JumpShip]

Carista is on a monthly subscription which i dont like and don't need to be paying for.
Buy it and get a free 30 day trial to do all your 'playing' after that it becomes just a very basic reader .

 

[whodat]

Carista costs 1 month for about £10, or a year for about £50. Can use on more than 1 vehicle.
OBD2 - you purchase credits - will have to do your own research on that as it seems a bit opaque with the pricing and one person (i think on this forum) said they got charged for just navigating the menu items - which, if it is true, is a pig.
VCDS - £225 for 3 vehicles for life - but you also need to add cable and laptop to that price.

 

[drinfinity]

I have ODB11 because it runs in my IPhone and had a bargain bundle when I bought it. There is often some promo pricing on these.

 

[rod_vw]

Carista costs 1 month for about £10, or a year for about £50. Can use on more than 1 vehicle.
OBD2 - you purchase credits - will have to do your own research on that as it seems a bit opaque with the pricing and one person (i think on this forum) said they got charged for just navigating the menu items - which, if it is true, is a pig.
VCDS - £225 for 3 vehicles for life - but you also need to add cable and laptop to that price.

When purchased from Ilixa the cost of £255 includes an approved and registerable cable/dongle for the three VIN version. That's fully approved by Ross Tech and carries lifetime support and software / firmware updates. The software is free to download on any PC with no limit to how many machines, all the value and certification is with the cable / dongle so if you purchase it DON'T LOST IT! I have the Ross-Tech VCDS® with HEX-V2® unlimited interface with VCDS® software license, professional version with Unlimited VINs. from the same supplier many years ago and updated four or five years back. It's helped numerous owners local to me and earned quite a few bottles of wine! Not to mention use on my own family vehicles.

 

[DXX]

Carista Beta has quite a few useful functions including Live Data. Yes there’s a subscription but I’ll suggest that the subscription is worth it just to be able to monitor the DPF condition alone.
Clogging DPFs are an ongoing issue and they wreck engines. Use a bit of simple condition monitoring and you’ll spot a trend before it becomes a major £££££ headache.

 

[peter1987t]

Thanks all for the answers/advice/experiences.
I would normally invest in something like VCDS, but since the Van is already and endless pit of money and i dont plan to use it on other cars, i will be going for Carista.

Since i have a TSI, DPF is not relevant right

Also took a look at:
-' Carista - How I Done It -

Which is very informative, the only question that remains now is which Carista adapter te choose, the regular one or the EVO.

Difference in adapters (FAQ Carista)

"The main difference between the Carista OBD Аdapter and the Carista EVO Аdapter lies in their capabilities and compatibility.

The Carista OBD Аdapter is compatible with ELM327 v1.4. It serves as a reliable tool for diagnostics and customization of supported car models.

On the other hand, the Carista EVO Adapter is designed to unlock the full potential of the Carista App. It provides several advancements, including a lightning-fast connection, superior Bluetooth connectivity, stable communication, and a robust design. The Carista EVO Adapter significantly broadens the capabilities of the Carista App by supporting an even greater range of car brands. This expanded compatibility is achieved by overcoming hardware limitations present in the Carista OBD Adapter.

In summary, while the Carista OBD Adapter is suitable for standard diagnostics and customizations, the Carista EVO Adapter offers enhanced performance and compatibility (such as supporting the MS-CAN protocol for Ford cars, and unlocking SFD for all VAG vehicles), making it the preferred choice for users seeking a broader range of supported car brands and advanced features within the Carista App."

I dont think subscription pricing is different is it?

 

[kipperman]

I just went for the plain vanilla Carista - sub pricing is the same. Evo I gather can just work with a wider range of vehicles, but since the standard one works fine with the T6 didn't see the point in shelling out more.

 

[JumpShip]

I was disappointed to find very little could be done with carista on our 'builders edition' poverty spec van

 

[Insert Coin]

I run Carista 24/7 in my obd port and then pair it with this app to keep an eye on my dpf soot levels and when regens are taking place.

DPF Monitor for VAG

DPF Monitor for VAG allows you to see several important data points relating to the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) installed in a diesel vehicle built by VAG (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, and SEAT). By making this data visible it is possible to see the health of your DPF, as well as when an Active...

apps.apple.com

 

[JumpShip]

Do people panic about their soot levels that much that they need to watch them that closely?
I run a cheap elm327 and have digital dash to view stuff like engine water temp that vw deemed unnecessary on our van

 

[Insert Coin]

6.1’s are well known for the ‘oil level too high’ error due to regens not being completed.

I loosely watch mine get to 95% accumulation and then keep a closer eye on it once the regen takes place.

 

[JumpShip]

I didnt know that ...but i do now

 

[peter1987t]

Do people panic about their soot levels that much that they need to watch them that closely?
I run a cheap elm327 and have digital dash to view stuff like engine water temp that vw deemed unnecessary on our van

Interesting, Can you maybe elaborate on the digital dash part? Same here... No oil temp or water temp at the moment.