8.5R Gremlins

[Booth11]

3 hours ago, mahalo said:

It would be interesting to see if anyone has not installed dynamic lighting and has had the bong fest.  

For anyone thinking about doing the Dynamic Background Lighting free trial, I’d say don’t do it!  😂
 

My bong fest (experienced once so far, but without some of the issues the others have had )started the same day after I downloaded the AirConsole from the shop.

[Scudgie]

4 hours ago, Booth11 said:

Are you going to tell them you’ve scanned it, or keep 🤐

I'm going to tell them and insist it comes back error free

[vwroccorwv]

4 minutes ago, Scudgie said:

I'm going to tell them and insist it comes back error free

Thanks for sharing your experiences here, I would be interested in  hearing how it goes. I have a number of faults in my 8.5 rn.

[Booth11]

22 minutes ago, Scudgie said:

I'm going to tell them and insist it comes back error free

They’ll probably just clear all the faults and say job done.  😂

 

That’s my plan too, to tell them I’ve done a scan so know there are multitude of faults logged.  

[Scudgie]

57 minutes ago, vwroccorwv said:

Thanks for sharing your experiences here, I would be interested in  hearing how it goes. I have a number of faults in my 8.5 rn.

I certainly will report on here, but be prepared for a wait... my car doesn’t go in until17 June. 

[robdfr]

On 10/05/2025 at 15:04, Booth11 said:

I did have to log into the app this morning and enter my VIN again which don’t normally have to do.  There was a very brief message about downloading another obdeleven app, but that disappeared and I continued with the app I was using (Obdeleven for Vag).  It didn’t do any updates on the app itself though.  There does appear in the App Store to be another obdeleven app - Obdeleven OBD2 Car scanner.  I haven’t downloaded that yet. 

Finally got it sorted today , but forced me to use the new app , which requires you to use secure authorisation, which meant I had to download new apps 🤬to use double authentication, settled on google authorisation.

but all sorted now 

[mahalo]

7 hours ago, Booth11 said:

For anyone thinking about doing the Dynamic Background Lighting free trial, I’d say don’t do it!  😂
 

My bong fest (experienced once so far, but without some of the issues the others have had )started the same day after I downloaded the AirConsole from the shop.

I have not and most certainly won’t be downloading anything from the Shop even if VW offer free apps. Until we hear of someone having the bong fest without downloading these items from the shop, the smoking gun principle would seem to apply. 
The message that John gets saying “Thank you for buying the Dynamic Lighting feature” also adds to this theory.

In terms of logistics, this all fits in with VW being amateurs at this type of software development and delivery. There are obviously hooks in their IOS to let them add features it would appear that adding features opens up a can of worms as it looks to me as if they have not thoroughly tested this feature if it is producing this bong fest.

[AHG]

4 hours ago, Scudgie said:

I'm going to tell them and insist it comes back error free

Error free is not an existing condition on the 8/8.5

the sensors are super sensitive and you can have 40 errors even when nothing’s wrong 

 

I would not say anything about scanning, as they can blame you for the problems for using a non certified OBD device.

[blizzard60]

1 hour ago, AHG said:

I would not say anything about scanning, as they can blame you for the problems for using a non certified OBD device.

I 100% agree with this. In my experience saying anything to dealership staff unless you have a very good relationship with them gets their backs up.

[dv52]

3 hours ago, AHG said:

I would not say anything about scanning, as they can blame you for the problems for using a non certified OBD device.

@AHG: with absolutely no offense intended - I do not agree!

 

As I said way back in an earlier reply in this thread - SCAN reports do nothing more than request a data-dump from the car's self-surveillance system. SCAN reports do NOT alter module coding!

 

As I know you are aware- the challenge/response protocols that third-party diagnostic devices use for SCAN reports are (must be) exactly the same as those used by the dealer tool. So there can be no incompatibility - else the SCAN process would fail!

 

I'm not sure about consumer law in the land of the God King, but I suspect that creating a SCAN report is just a normal part of every car owner's right-to-service in most (all?) first world countries!

 

I would be more than a tad annoyed (not a pretty sight! 😉) if a dealer even hinted to me that the simple act of extracting a SCAN using a third-party diagnostic device was tantamount to negating the car's warranty because the purchaser had some form of undisclosed obligation to only use the dealer tool!! 

 

Actually, I wouldn't be annoyed - because I would relish the opportunity to discuss such a position with the dealer-rep. (I always respond forcefully, but politely when I'm tech-bullied)

 

Don

 

[mahalo]

BTDT if telling the dealer that you have scanned the car with a diagnostic tool like OBDEleven gets their back up then perhaps it suggests you are with the wrong dealer. I generally find if you show an interest and technical know how beyond your average customer that dealer technical staff respect this. 

 

[dv52]

2 hours ago, blizzard60 said:

I 100% agree with this. In my experience saying anything to dealership staff unless you have a very good relationship with them gets their backs up.

@blizzard60: Again, with absolutely no offense - I do not agree!!

 

I invite that you think differently about car-owner's "relationship" with a dealer. Go back to basics and ask yourself what is the dealer's objective and more importantly, ask yourself how the dealer's objective differs from your aim in these meetings. My view is that the dealer has just ONE clear motivation the drives ALL client exchanges and I'm sure that I don't need to write it. Your objective almost certainly will interfere with what the dealer wants from the meeting!

 

So, I respectfully suggest that you consider any form of "very good relationship" in a dealer meeting as being no more meaningful than a mechanism to achieve differing wants!! Of course, this doesn't mean that I'm suggesting that car owners should have a combative relationship relationship with dealers. I'm simply saying that ANY relationship in a meeting with a dealer (by both parties) is just a means to an end - nothing less and most certainly, nothing more!!

 

Even if car-owners recognize the philosophy above, the problem we face in dealer meetings is one of skill asymmetry! Dealers do this stuff every working day of their lives -whereas we are rank amateurs! So, we need to try harder - but our deficiency ain't good when negotiating matters of disagreement!

 

Again, no offense.

 

Don

 

 

[AHG]

2 hours ago, dv52 said:

@AHG: with absolutely no offense intended - I do not agree!

 

SCAN reports do NOT alter module coding!

 

As I know you are aware- the challenge/response protocols that third-party

 

Don

 

Dear Don,

a. I would never take offense from someone disagreeing with me. In the words of my favorite physicist ”doubt is the language of science”, and I welcome discourse, especially when so well versed and explained.

b. I do completely agree with all you’ve written, both on the technical side and even on the “how things should be when dealing with the shop” side of things.

c. More over, my shop which I’m friendly with know I scan my cars, and they are fine with it. They even VAS-scanned our ‘19 Tig to show me some error codes that pop on OBD11 don’t necessarily qualify as problems on VAS which uses data-based logic to determine issues (OBDeleven just shows all flags that are up). Not to argue it is correct, just that it works like that.

Not relevant here but it was about air quality sensor that they claimed was fine despite errors on OBD11. Post warranty so no reason for them to persuade me to not buy a new one.

d. I do still think the facts of the matter are that many dealer shops may try to find a way out and may grasp at any straw you present them with. Not that it should be this way, but sometimes it is. They may claim any not VW-certified may cause damage (like short circuiting something).

 

So the reality may suck sometimes, and you are correct on all technical and principal accounts, but still those two exist simultaneously as they don’t contradict each other.

Bottom line is that it depends on the shop.

If they are friendly, sure go ahead tell them.

If they are not, then Even if you would “win” at the end, why take the longer route ?

 

2 hours ago, mahalo said:

BTDT if telling the dealer that you have scanned the car with a diagnostic tool like OBDEleven gets their back up then perhaps it suggests you are with the wrong dealer. I generally find if you show an interest and technical know how beyond your average customer that dealer technical staff respect this. 

 

My experience is the same, in some cases not in all (I stay with the one sit is, of course, if I have the choice). But I think we are the lucky ones.

Many report different behavior and not all people have a choice of dealer shops around them available to take their cars in, so situations may occur, and unfortunately more often than not, they do.

[AHG]

1 hour ago, dv52 said:

I'm simply saying that ANY relationship in a meeting with a dealer (by both parties) is just a means to an end - nothing less and most certainly, nothing more!!

 

I am actually on better terms than that with my VW shop.

We have conversations not re cars, and I do help promote them, and even offered to help on a medical issue a team member once had. So all kind of relationships exist.

 

But I’m lucky that I have that with my shop (15 years), and also with my tyre guy (5+ years) and my bicycle tech/store (going on 20 years).

Maybe it’s my style or how I chose them 🙂 

[Booth11]

7 hours ago, mahalo said:

BTDT if telling the dealer that you have scanned the car with a diagnostic tool like OBDEleven gets their back up then perhaps it suggests you are with the wrong dealer. I generally find if you show an interest and technical know how beyond your average customer that dealer technical staff respect this. 

 

This is my experience with my dealer (I’ve been with them a long time).  They know that on previous cars I’ve used obdeleven and no issue with it.  This time round, I have only scanned the car with it (no adaptations made) and that does not in any way affect the warranty.  I will be telling them I’ve done a scan and seen the faults logged and then requesting that they provide me with a copy of their scan report (as Don has suggested).  This avoids the scenario of getting your car back and them telling you that no faults were logged when you clearly know there were. That doesn’t mean they have a fix of course but at least you’re on the same page so to speak.  The bong fest logged loads and there are others logged. I do not think the paddle issue has logged a fault but will see what they say and as much as anything want it recorded on their system so that if and when VW have a fix, that gets applied.