CEM PIN decoding with VDD dongle only (No DiCE) - Clarification needed
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Hi everyone,
I am currently using a VDD dongle on my Volvo V40 D3 (5-cylinder). I've started the CEM PIN decoding process and I would like to clarify a few things.
During the initial phase, I heard several relays clicking, fans spinning at high speed, and other strange noises coming from the car modules. After a few minutes, the car restarted itself automatically and the progress bar on my phone disappeared.
I have a few questions regarding the VDD-only process:
Can the VDD dongle complete the entire PIN decoding process on its own, without ever needing to connect a DiCE cable?
Does the decoding happen automatically in the background while I use the car for my daily driving?
Is it necessary to keep the car on a battery charger/maintainer during this "cloud decoding" phase with VDD, or is that only required for the DiCE "brute force" method?
I prefer the VDD method to avoid leaving the car stationary with a laptop for many hours, but I want to be sure I'm doing it correctly.
Thanks in advance for your help!
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@johnzero Decoding with the VDD is a standalone process, no laptop/DICE needed. When it is successful, the pin will be added to the Vdash database and you can start using Vdash on the car.
The car can't be used or locked while decoding. It will enter programming mode after you start the decode process. This means the car is clicking here and there, and then goes completely dead. Never start the decode when the engine is running!!!
The decode can be started without a key in the car. You should still unlock to be able to open the hood/disconnect the battery if the process crashes.
As the decoding might take up to 8 hours with the VDD, you should indeed connect a charger while decoding. The process can of course be paused and continued later. You might also want to use an OBD Extender cable to place the dongle behind the windshield for better mobile network signal.
BTW: I have never been able to successful perform a decode with my VDD, because it was always aborting/crashing after around 30-120 seconds with the car not fully waking up from programming mode afterwards. The support was never able to figure out why, so I bit the bullet and decoded the classic way.
