Date:         Mon, 18 Sep 2000 21:58:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Rennie Wible <volksdragon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rennie Wible <volksdragon@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      ETKA Program Ups & Downs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Seeing as I work at the VW Dealer, I decided to d/l the ETKA program
that is available on the net.  The program is definintely an older one.
The website tells of it being a US update over the original euro CD.

I even brought the newest CD home from work and tried to update to the
newest version, but I'm not a computer programming expert, just a VW
freak.  Being a 208 MB program, it takes a while to try different
things.  One update I did actually showed one of the updates, but it
didn't work.

There is an advantage to having the program of course.  It does give an
exploded view of the assembly, just like the Bentley manuals.  For
standard parts, it sometimes gives the dimensions so you can sort out
the parts you have to put it back together.  It also gives you the year
break of the part for your car (that helps a lot at the junkyard).

There are a few parts of the CD that you don't get though.  There is an
ATP field that allows you to enter the part number and it tells you for
what cars that part fits on, kind of like a 'buyer's guide' to part
numbers.  The other thing is updates.  Lexcom sends us 10 updates per
year, so even new CDs are outdated quickly.

If you do d/l the program, you won't be sorry.  However, you might want
to keep in mind that the part numbers might not be exactly the same at
the local Dealer.

Rennie
VolksDragon@earthlink.net
Los Angeles

61 crew cab (911 conversion)
65 convertible (need a project?)
84 vanagon (for sale)
84 vanagon 9 passenger (for sale)
86 synchro
93 fox