VW has new security measures that mean many recoding operations require a secured connection between a VW server and the car. Unfortunately unless VW has made a mistake in designing the crypto elements of the system we might be out of luck.

Crypto is hard though so maybe something will be found

 

I also seem to recall reading that, even if you were able to mod the software, VW has it so that updates will often remove any mods you've added to the car.

 

Last time I contacted Ross-Tech about access to ID. coding, 2 weeks ago, they said they were still locked out from making any changes.

 

As we have a Ross-Tech expert 'on staff' here I'm sure he'll soon be weighing in. Andy at Ross-Tech.com Although he will likely echo the VW security measures involved.

btw: I had a 2013 Audi allroad too. As I've often cited it was the best long haul vehicle I've ever owned. In 20/20 hindsight I should have better resisted my retirement urge to get a TTS and have kept it. But at least I'm now back to a 'station wagon.'

One of my most cherished mods to my 2013 Audi allroad was the installation of the so called "rest of world" tail lights with sequenced amber flashers.

However, besides procuring the light modules, I also had to adapt the programming through the VAG-COM system to make everything work.

I know it's irrational but I really love the Euro-style taillights on the ID.4, with the 3D "card" style elements, full across-the-tailgate lightbar, and the amber sweeping flashers.

My assumption is if I can get my hands on these lights, they won't be plug 'n play, that some coding would be required. Any knowledge whether Ross Tech has their fork in the ID.4 yet, before I jump on their forum?

 

I really hope this doesn't make my unlimited Hex-Net useless

 

You guys pretty much summed up the situation with tweaks. Many modules are locked down with SFD, currently requiring the factory ODIS scan tool with a connection to the factory headquarters to make changes. We are looking into it and my ID.4 spends most of its time in the interrogation corner of our parking lot. Keep in mind a HEX-NET or HEX-V2 can read fault codes, view/log/graph data in every control module in these cars which is far from “useless”.

 

What would be nice to come with phone app to watch over various PIDs that are easy to get from obd2.... at least until VW decides to put this type of information behind the firewall.

 

So we need to find a good dealer tech who’s willing to help us fanatics make changes like adding the sweet European taillights, or unlocking the full functionality of the premium headlights?

 

Looks like it comes in 3 pieces. here is the right corner piece for sale: VW ID.4 LAMPA PRAWA TYLNA ORYGINALNA IQ LIGHT Chodzież - Allegro.pl Looks to be about $395 for the one piece. If the controllers are part of the light assembly it MIGHT be plug and play, but it looks like all 3 pieces would probably run over $1000. To much for me to risk! but give it some time as Euro ones start getting wrecked and I am sure we can get the parts cheaper. I would not want to even ask what the new VW price would be. I did this similar mod to the Phaeton, and from the factory just the outside rear lights were around $1350 each. but I got a great set from allegro.pl shipped for $60 total for both

here is the center piece for the rear NAR lights: Oryginalna tylna lampa VW Volkswagen ID4 ID.4 Dzierżoniów - Allegro.pl

But this is a mod I really really want to do

 

@Andy at Ross-Tech.com, has any progress been made with vcds or is everything still locked? I just want to change my convenience signal to 4x instead of 3. I’ve done it to all of my previous VWs.

 

@Enzo589 Nothing to report yet, still working on it.

 

will my micro-can or hex+can support it? Don’t want to buy a 3rd cable!

 

I wish you guys good luck...just remember that over the air will override any third party coding.....
Some coding would not be checked....but whenever there is module section that is getting flashed with new software it will look at server information regarding your specific EV and populate factory settings...


someone clever enough will come with something but as over the air continues SFD will not going to be easy to get around....

 

I wish you guys good luck...just remember that over the air will override any third party coding.....
Some coding would not be checked....but whenever there is module section that is getting flashed with new software it will look at server information regarding your specific EV and populate factory settings...


someone clever enough will come with something but as over the air continues SFD will not going to be easy to get around....

Encourage innovation and exploration of one’s possessions, it leads to bigger and better things…. 😁

 

The good thing about VAG-com is that we can easily plug it in after an update and make the adjustments again. I can’t wait for Ross-Tech to gain access into the cars so I can trade my cable in for a hex-can and do a few changes. First thing I normally do when I get a new VW is change the convenience signal from 3 to 4. I’ve always thought 3 was never enough.

 

First thing I normally do when I get a new VW is change the convenience signal from 3 to 4. I’ve always thought 3 was never enough.

The reason for 3.

 

Can this HEX net product reset an airbag light? I was trying to figure out camping mode and unplugged the seat sensor. BTW 35 lb kettle bell works, or rig a pole against the cushion/ roof keeps the car on indefinitely. Slept in 90 deg weathert twice so far, 60-80 mile range loss in ten hours running the AC at 72. The dealer wants to keep it for three dyas to send a report to engineering since its a launch vehicle...and charge 150$. I dont mind the 150$ but I do mind losing the car for three days for such a simple reset.

 

My dealer did it for free. Airbag error reset took 30 seconds.
I fear the airbag will be behind SFD

 

@NightRiderFPV you should be able to read and clear faults in 15-Airbags with a HEX-V2 or HEX-NET. Keep in mind, there may be more to it than just that, like a PODS calibration, for which we may or may not have documented procedures. I wouldn't recommend buying VCDS for just this one thing, but I think you would find it useful for logging and whatnot, even if you end up sending the car to the dealer for this procedure.

 

Awesome thanks. I understand this is beta software, where can I find more info on that?

 

@NightRiderFPV There is no current Beta software so you should be using Release 21.9

Ross-Tech: VCDS: Current Version

 

Ve haff ways of making you talk:

 

Ve haff ways of making you talk:

Andy we fully trust you on figuring out the SFD "pickle" so we can retro fit euro head and tails and adapt the CECM Can't wait!

BTW - these seem to be the 3D Euro tail part numbers:

• Left 11A945207A
• Right 11A945208A
• Center 11A945307B

...I was really surprised how bright red the segments are without even being turned on...

BTW does anyone have an idea if they are sitting directly on CAN?

 

Does anybody know what the compliance issue is with the ID.4 3D-style Euro taillights in the US?

They have amber turn indicators, but those are legal in the US. They appear to have red side marker capability. I believe the US has a retroreflective requirement of a certain area, and I can't tell whether the Euro-spec taillights have that.

 

US regires red side markers for the rear, 7.8 square inches per bank of brake lamps and 3.4 square inches per bank of turn signals. Probably the 3D tails don’t meet these requirements.

 

Got my Hex v2, reset my airbag light no problem... But I guess that's about it for functionality, other than code reading and clearing.

I saw someone enabled easy exit but I wonder if that was with the old software before the last update a few months ago.

What I really want is a way to keep the car on for tailgating and camping, I built a sleeping platform, its a little cramped to be honest for sleeping, but only uses 60-80 miles of range in ten hours of AC use when its 90 degrees out here in the southern Arizona desert... so far a weight on the drivers seat is the only thing that works. Maybe buying a new seat weight switch and rigging it up on a relay to trick the system.... I rigged up a padded pole against the roof and move the seat up to activate the switch for now.

 

I rigged up a padded pole against the roof and move the seat up to activate the switch for now.

I'm not sure that will be 100% effective. I can be sitting in the car with the clima and radio going but it will still shut off, without warning, after about 30 minutes.

 

You need to activate and hold down the drivers seat switch with weight or mechanical force, press the brake. Then it wont shut off, done it several times for over 8 hours.

 

Team - does anyone have please any insights on how the 3D Euro tails are wired and if they are wired differently compared to the US spec? I'm suspecting them to sit on one of the CAN/LIN buses...

Here is a theory how to adopt the 3D tail to US car (from simple to more difficult):

• Option 1 - Having an authorized service do the CEM adaptation for 3D Euro Tail (depending on the wiring, there may be a need to run additional wires)
• Option 2 - Build a separate module that would "translate" the US car signal for the Euro Tail (benefit: not detectable by VW, downside: not as easy as the previous option, as potential coding and design is required and sure this would not enable the "animation selection" on the dash)
• Option 3 - Read-only CEM (parallel to the existing factory CEM that only reads from the CAN but never writes to it) without SFD that can control the 3D Euro Tail (likely too complex to find the right CEM without SFD that supports the 3D tails)

Thoughts?

 

Keep in mind that I know nothing about all this but... IMHO, this might be perpetually in the realm of DIY. The euro tails are not DOT approved and I'm pretty sure nobody in the USA wants that liability. That said, I can't wait... I'm heading to Europe early next year and one stop will be by a VW parts department to survey the landscape, I might pick up a set and start a journey hoping it's just a wiring change and some coding (assuming we can eventually sort out the adaptations). The big risk is if OTA updates overwrites the config/adaptation files and make changes that takes us back to square one (think about the Jailbreak scene at war with Apple).

 

That could be solved by somebody with the knowledge and inclination to build a Arduino adapter that takes US-spec inputs and produces Euro-spec outputs.

Possible? No idea. Maybe? Probably? At least then there would be no locked adaptations to be overwritten.

When I installed the ROW taillights on my allroad, besides the programming, there was a small aftermarket module I installed that output sequenced flashing.

 

US has a lot of crippling regarding advance in technology....
Matrix lights or Laser lights that are legal up to 800 meters high beams but US is crippling it to 400 meters.....with all nannies that are last line of defense to apply automatically brakes......lights in the night should be biggest priority over any other options. If you can see more ahead you will have more time to make right corrections.

 

@VW TECHNICIAN - agreed on the headlights priority over tails. IMHO the Matrix headlights retrofit is completely out of question as that requires adaptation/configuration of the CEM and possibly other units. From my initial research it seems like the headlight housing is the same on Pro S, the difference is the the LED module, but I could be wrong. There are other German automakers offering an equivalent of matrix headlights in the US, so it's doable afterall...

 

Now that OBDEleven can write to modules, I'm hopeful I can do an amber signal setup with my car once I've got it. (And maybe Ross-Tech will get that capability soon, too. I can hope).

 

Just FYI - Enabling rear amber signal on US models requires tail light replacement and wire harness adjustments, it's not just a coding change. ...and the coding change requires unlocking the CEM...

 

Just like on the 2007 GTI. Most likely it’s possible to build an adapter from wires and connectors to make the change, just like it was then. I’m not 100% clear on which modules can be accessed once developers get API tokens from VW; @VW TECHNICIAN can probably answer that.

I think the EU base tail lights are basically the same as the US versions save the amber signals, so hopefully the central portion doesn’t also need replacement. If so, the hassle is probably mostly trim and screw removal.

 

As you say, with base Euro tails, the feasibility can be high, the center (11A 945 093) looks as the same part. I did the same conversion as you on my MK5 Jetta - it required 3 steps: 1- Euro tail parts, 2 - connector adjustment (either move pins around or install adapter), 3 - adjust the long coding in the CEM (module on address 09) so the car sends the right signals.

For the ID.4 it seems like a very similar process for the base taillights (8VG). The CEM (J519) can be coded using the OBD Eleven w/ SFD unlocking. While looking at the wiring diagram the only question is the connection between pins 71 and 60 on the T73a CEM connector for the driver side and pins 8 and 27 on the T73b CEM connector for the passenger side. Those are the turn lights and brake lights. Those pins are not inter-connected in the Euro version. This almost makes it look like there is one less wire routed to the back for each side. This would confirm the hypothesis that side brake lights are linked with turn lights (if you hit brake both segments come on, same for turns). I'll post more once I (finally) get my car after more than 14+ months of waiting. Now if anyone wants to continue in the research - you are very welcome. Fundamental question - how many wires do you see going into the left and right tail light in your US version? 3 or 4? If 4 - are the red/black (left) or (purple/black on the right) wires connected to the same pin? ...so @Buran what it may imply is that additional wires might need to be routed...

The situation is more fun for the "3D Euro tail light" (8VP), there are more wires, different pins (same connector) and a LIN bus signal from J533 for the configuration of the light. Also the central part needs to be replaced. Let's keep this open for other time But I essentially don't see the 3D Euro tail retro fit that harder than the base Euro... My 2 cents...

 

Still slowly working on this one in the background while waiting to be scheduled for production. A mod-friendly dealer is trying to help sort out the parts themselves. They need the VIN of a European-model ID4 (I guess the database works on showing parts that will fit a given VIN).

I've tried looking at dealer websites in the UK and France, since I can read French well enough. They don't seem to list VINs on cars in their inventories. Anyone know where I could find an example VIN to use?

(And adding: thanks to @Andy at Ross-Tech.com I found what I was looking for! Thanks so much!)