werick

Ive used my scanner on other audi's but on the one i bought it says vehicle not supported why would my scanner read others and not this one

jseklund

You will need to provide more information. What cars have you used the scanner on that worked? What car is not working? What is the make of the scanner?

werick

Got a 1998 a6 quatt used my scanner on a 98 a4 2001 a4 and 99 a6....

jseklund

That is interesting...does that 98 A6 (the car that isn't working with the scanner) have any aftermarket electronics? Maybe an aftermarket radio?

My first thought was that you had either a very new Audi or a very old Audi that wouldn't work- and your scanner was either OBD I or OBD II compliant but not both and/or not CAN compliant, but all of those cars are OBD II so they should all use the same protocol...

werick

Its crazy ask if it has an aftermarjet radio cause it does but what type of issue would cause to not let my scanner read the vehicle

jcman

No its not crazy to ask about aftermarket radios and the Audi can-bus system, go to Ross-tech's site and search to fill in the blanks on this problem you have.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

I suppose if someone who installed the aftermarket radio tapped into the power line from the OBDII socket…..
Try to disconnect the aftermarket radio and see if that lets your scanner work?

GTA_Driver

You could've answered the question but instead wasted your time with that response.

edit: i apologize, since I missed the part of your response "it does". looks like you answered the question.

try disconnecting the radio and hook up the scanner again.

jcman

That is why the OP should find the answer, apparently when some people don't hear what they want a silly challenge seems to rear its fugly head GTA_Driver

jseklund

Guys, I actually didn't take offense to it at all - I took it as, "You know, it's really funny you would ask that question, because it does have an aftermarket radio. How could that cause this problem?"

But after reading your responses and re-reading his, I can see it being taken both ways...haha.

Anyway, to the original problem, if someone installed an aftermarket radio, they HAD to make alterations to the wiring either by cut/splice or at least a harness. The radio communicates with the vehicles CAN/BUS system to some degree, and the wires for that can be spliced in such a way that they ground or energize and the code reader will no longer be able to access the car's OBD system through the plug, because the wiring isn't all where it should be.

That's a summary, and the suggestions above are actually valid- you can research on the vag-com site and/or remove the radio and see how the wiring is...if it is on a harness (hopefully), remove the harness too.