If you have plugged a scan tool into a 2018 Ram or a 2021 Rogue and found you can read codes but cannot clear them, you have met the Secure Gateway. SGW access is now part of everyday diagnostics for shops and fleets, and how your tool handles it affects both your time and your annual costs.
What a Secure Gateway Is
A Secure Gateway is a control module that sits between the OBD port and the vehicle’s networks. It works like a firewall. A scan tool can still read data and codes, but write functions are blocked until the tool and the technician are authenticated with the manufacturer.
What It Blocks
- Clearing DTCs
- Bi-directional tests and actuations
- Calibrations, relearns and resets
- Component coding and adjustments
- Many body control module functions
On a protected vehicle, an unauthenticated tool becomes a code reader. The repair stalls until someone unlocks the gateway or the vehicle goes to a dealer.
How Shops Get Access
There are two main paths, and which one you use depends on the vehicle brand and the tool.
- AutoAuth. Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati) and Nissan/Infiniti use AutoAuth, a third-party authentication service. The shop registers, adds its tools and technicians, and pays AutoAuth directly. The Standard plan is billed annually, per shop and per manufacturer, so a shop that needs both Stellantis and Nissan pays for two manufacturers.
- Tool maker authentication. Some manufacturers allow access through the tool maker’s own authenticated login. How that is priced varies a lot from tool to tool: some include it, others sell it as an annual pack or per-vehicle token.
What TEXA Includes at No Added Cost
Through its manufacturer partnerships, TEXA builds SGW unlock into active IDC6 software licenses for North American coverage in the United States, Canada and Mexico. For the brands below, access runs through your registered myTEXA account with multi-factor authentication. There is no separate SGW subscription, pack or token to buy.
- Mercedes-Benz: 2021 and newer CLE (236), GLC (254), EQE (294, 295), EQS (296), S (223), C (206)
- Volkswagen: ID.4 2021 and newer, Atlas 2024 and newer, Golf GTI and Golf R 2022 and newer
- Audi: A3 2020 and newer, Q4 e-tron 2021 and newer, Q5 e-tron 2022 and newer
- Volvo: C40, EC40, EX40, S60 III, S90 II, V60 II and Cross Country, V90 II and Cross Country, XC40, XC60 II, XC90 II
Requirements: a compatible TEXA interface such as the Navigator TXT Multihub2, an active IDC6 Car license, and an active TEXPACK Car subscription.
What Still Needs AutoAuth
TEXA software is AutoAuth certified for Stellantis 2017 and newer and for listed Nissan and Infiniti models (including Rogue 2021+, Pathfinder 2020+, Sentra 2020+, Ariya, Armada and Kicks 2024+, QX55, QX60, QX80). For these brands you still need your own AutoAuth account, paid to AutoAuth. That is the same for every certified aftermarket tool.
The Real Cost of Separate Subscriptions
Each extra gateway account is another login, another renewal date and another invoice. A mixed-fleet shop can end up managing AutoAuth plus tool-specific SGW packs or tokens on top of its software subscription. When access is built into the license, the tech authenticates in the normal workflow and gets back to the repair.
How SGW Costs Compare (October 2026)
Here is what each scan tool maker publishes for the three brands TEXA includes. These are US prices from each company’s own pages as of October 2026, and they change. Your own AutoAuth account for Stellantis and Nissan is not included here, because it is the same for every tool.
| Tool | VW/Audi | Mercedes-Benz | Volvo |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEXA IDC6 | Included | Included | Included |
| Bosch ADS X | Included | Included | Supported, cost not published |
| Snap-on Security Link | Included | AutoAuth, $60/yr | Included |
| Autel | $120/yr or $15 per VIN | AutoAuth, $60/yr | Not offered |
| Thinkcar | $200/yr | Not published | Not published |
Several tools now include some or all of these brands. With TEXA, all three brands are included with your active IDC6 Car license and TEXPACK Car subscription, with one myTEXA login and no extra SGW fees.
Practical Tips
- Register your shop, techs and tools with AutoAuth before the first Stellantis or Nissan job, not during it.
- Set up myTEXA MFA on each technician’s phone ahead of time.
- Keep IDC6 and TEXPACK active. SGW unlock depends on it.
- Ask your current tool provider what SGW access costs per year, per brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Secure Gateway (SGW)?
A module that blocks write functions such as clearing codes, actuations and calibrations until the scan tool and technician are authenticated with the manufacturer.
Which brands does TEXA unlock at no added cost?
Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi and Volvo models listed by TEXA USA, through myTEXA with multi-factor authentication, with an active IDC6 Car license and TEXPACK Car subscription.
Do I still need AutoAuth with TEXA?
Yes, for Stellantis and Nissan/Infiniti. AutoAuth is billed by AutoAuth, annually per shop and per manufacturer.
Does SGW block reading codes?
Generally no. Reading data and codes still works. Clearing codes and bi-directional functions are what get blocked.
Questions about SGW coverage on your vehicles? Call (864) 803-3744 or email Dave@DefyDiagnostics.com.
