On my Audis I have an ODB/USB cable. Just plug it in to your laptop and your vehicle, check boost/miss fires/o2 and you can change sooo many different parameters like fogs on, add suspension dynamic mode, DRL on/off & brightness, auto windows, window close on rain sensing ect...You get the idea.

Does anyone make software or something like this for our trucks?

Ross-tech makes it for Audi/VW, what about us?
Can we score the Ford techs program or what?

http://www.ross-tech.com/

 

that FoMoCo program is pretty well protected by who knows how many things.

 

Yes they have that for our trucks. I'm researching it now.

Will post back but it looks like it's affordable.

Had I known about it before I would have bought it so I could have activated the remote start on my truck instead of paying the dealer.

.

 

You buying an ids?

 

I am researching different options yes, whether or not I buy one remains to be seen. I'm not liking the cost thus far but have seen a few on ebay that might be doable.

I already have a new gen star 2 tool but It does no good on my 13 and 14 vehicles. Might put it up for sale to help defer cost of the IDS.

.

 

The IDS costs would be fine with me for $3 to $500.00 since I plan on keeping the truck and mustang but I wonder if you have to buy a certain module that is vehicle and year specific? I have the vag com system OP wrote about and you can do everything he stated including custom tuning and it was like 200.00. of course you had to provide a laptop but who doesn't or can't get one cheap to run the system?

 

Well from what I have gathered thus far, there seems to be some sort of annual subscription cost involved, I haven't dug much deeper yet because I'm waiting for a reply to some of the questions outlined in this thread.

The hardware ranges any where from $300-$2300 I already have a laptop but it seems the software will only work with Windows XP, which sux because I'm not going to down grade my laptop to run it. Yeah I could split partitions and load xp on the other but that is a pita to configure, been there done it many times and it ain't worth the trouble far as I'm concerned.

What I am seeing is low level prices on the tough book pc, the system the oem originally used. There are other hardware requirements and waiting on a reply as to what all is needed besides the tough book and cables.


.

 

I have the Hex+Can USB Ross-Tech cable and use it on my VW all the time. I don't think there's much I'd need to change on my truck though. I sell VW radios and navigations online and install them for people locally on occasion so it comes in handy.

 

The beauty of Ford diag tools is they cover ALL Fords 1996 ^, not vehicle specific.

.

 

Not looking to good for anyone with a 2013 as I was reading they no longer have the software on a DVD after 2012. I am thinking maybe before that you could get the software and use it as it use to be on the alldata systems... then they went to the same system of having the software online only which is how they can charge the monthly fee's. Now as for me having a 2006 mustang and a 2012 F150 I was thinking maybe the DVD software would work without the monthly fee's as the benefit on getting new updates, TSB and programming updates would be lost but everything else would work fine,,, I am not sure that you wouldn't have to update the 2012 back as it could be one of those time out software deals! might to a lot cheaper to find (get) a ford mechanic friend that would just let us use the system and pay him 20 buck or something each time!!