Vadis Questions

[peixcman]

I was thinking of purchasing the VADIS disks that are available on the net. What I would like to know is if you require a scanner to get Vadis codes out of the car for various problems. Most cars will flash a code if you turn the key off and on a certain pattern. Does this work with Volvo as well? I do have a handheld OBDII scanner at home.

[MoeB]

I'm not aware of any way to get DTC codes from the odometer, but I think your OBD2 scanner will work. You'll need to convert from the standard SAE/ISO PXXXX code format to Volvo's proprietary ECM-XXXX code format to make sense of them. There used to be a conversion chart on this site but I can't find it at the moment. If you can't find it, IM me.

[BillAileo]

A VADIS disk contains interesting vehicle information but it provides no interface with the vehicle or its DTC codes without very expensive hardware that I doubt a DIY'r is going to purchase.

Bill

[dhayner]

... I do have a handheld OBDII scanner at home.

An OBDII scanner won't work for late-models (my 2006 V70, for instance) unless it supports the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol. I had to upgrade my scanner.

[MoeB]

Good point, I forgot about that, dhayner, but I think he has an '01 so he should be OK.

Did the change to CAN come in '05, or???

[Aviator]

I believe all that is needed is a cable to join the OBDII connector in the car to the laptop which has VIDA loaded....plus a high speed internet connection.

Dave.

[BillAileo]

You need more than that. In particular, if you are contemplating changes to software settings within the car a special interface device called a VCT2000 that costs a couple thousand is necessary. Additionally, you'd need a VIDA subscription which wont be cheap either. If all you want to do is read codes, just get a good OBDII/CAN reader. The older VADIS disks sold online are really only viable as information references, not as functional tools.

Bill