csrajput1 wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 6:34 am
I'm in the same boat as OP.
I will be selling my HEX CAN on ebay and then purchasing HEX V2 but undecided whether to go for 3 VIN or 10VIN.
Well as I traded my HEX CAN version in against HEX V2, I could only do that, or was given a better trade in deal, if I took out 10VIN or unlimited VIN, so I took out 10VIN.
Then a year later I was helping a friend who has a late 2018 Audi A6 - due to lack of use his original battery went bad and he got his local friendly small garage to replace that battery, which they did but fitted in an AGM version without changing anything in the BMS settings. So, I suggested that I could sort that out for him with my VCDS, doing that was going to be a win-win for both of us as I had never had to examine and/or change any settings relating to batteries, but, it did mean giving away "a VIN" which I saw as being an investment as I gained some knowledge.
I also have Carista and as I was an early adopter of that, I have complete access to all tasks built into the initial cost, have has turned out to be very handy, Carista was only bought to "use on the road" and a dongle is kept in both cars, but now that I have the new version of VCDS, it has become useful to use Carista to reset service warnings etc - to use VCDS to do that I'd use up a VIN per car.
Now the silly part, last year I was not concentrating on what I was doing so after I serviced my Audi S4, and using VCDS to scan it and save for my records, I used VCDS to reset the service warnings, naively inputted the last 3 digits of that car's VIN when requested, and so used up another VIN - that was brain fart time, but in due course I found that I will need to have that car "logged" to my VCDS so that I can run other tests relating to Charge Cooler Pump possible limitations to pump as much coolant as intended.
Also, while investigating the operation of that electric pump in my Audi S4, I ran a similar test on my wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI - and yes to do that I needed to use up another VIN.
So, maybe think very carefully before picking the 3VIN over the 10VIN, my original reason to buy HEX V2 as I said was my daughter buying a new SEAT Leon Cupra - as at that time I had no need to upgrade, though I'd think that I will in the future, you are in a different place as your current car requires you to have HEX V2, I think that I fully understood what I was getting myself into though, I've only missed one thing, and that was the chance to upgrade to "unlimited" from 10VIN at a very good price, either earlier this year or last year at the 20th birthday of VCDS, I am reg'd with VCDS fully so I don't know why I did not receive that info via email, but too late now, as that product will hold more of its value if/when you sell it with some "VINs" left in it.
Edit:- the other aspect of having the latest version of VCDS, if someone needs you to look at their car in a way that requires you to use up a "VIN", then they need to hand over some cash, maybe £35 > £45 for you to bank against buying a "10VIN" refresh pack from RossTech, now that might seem being a bit mercenary but it is reality, they are gaining something and you are getting compensation for helping out, it certainly separates the wasters from the rest. Another mate of mine wanted me to change something in his VW T-Roc and I was quite happy to do that if he handed over £40 and any other use of VCDS on his car would be free after that - he lost interest immediately. I understand why RossTech have put that limitation on its "deep" use as many small repairers previously could make lots of money out of owning it without any of that cash heading RossTech's direction. Most other modern scan tools are or had already moved to that business model for the same reasons.