To Buy or Not To Buy

DaveC52

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I have just been offered a second hand C5 MB star diagnostic system on a Panasonic Tough Book with a multiplexer and cables for £550 considering that I normally take my cars to a garage for any work, I am wondering if there is any point in splashing out cash I could use for other things, yet some negative experiences I have had with garages in the past at least I could check to see if I am being conned and I could use it to change the speed limiter not that I think that would give me any benefit on a 350 CDI and I don't think I will be going to Germany to find out. So will it be useful or just another toy gathering dust I am tempted to buy it on the strength that I don't think I will lose any money reselling it what do you think.
 

om613

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Way too much for DIY use.
Get an iCarsoft MB unit, they're good.
 

Conor

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Agreed that for simple DIY / Diag it is a bit OTT.

I think a decent combo is iCarsoft MB + eBay WIS for DIY.
 

LostKiwi

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Sounds a bit on the pricy side too for second hand.
 

alexanderfoti

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You will get super frustrated with it, when it stops working as well (which it will, being a china clone). Most of them are date/time limited.

They are powerful tools though, an I car soft would be a better option.
 

Conor

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You will get super frustrated with it, when it stops working as well (which it will, being a china clone). Most of them are date/time limited.

They are powerful tools though, an I car soft would be a better option.

Woo, if it's a second hand china clone, then damn, the money quoted by OP is extortion. For second hand china clone, I would only pay £150/175 max.

I was under the impression this was a legit copy.
 

alexanderfoti

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Woo, if it's a second hand china clone, then damn, the money quoted by OP is extortion. For second hand china clone, I would only pay £150/175 max.

I was under the impression this was a legit copy.

No chance, up to date legit system is £10K + without subscriptions.

It could be, op was not specific tbh.
 

John Laidlaw

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^ yip this, it’s a Chinese Clone and unless you’ve the patience I’m also with the others in suggesting the icarsoft MB latest versions are more than enough for us amateurs !
 

Conor

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^ yip this, it’s a Chinese Clone and unless you’ve the patience I’m also with the others in suggesting the icarsoft MB latest versions are more than enough for us amateurs !

Fair enough. I'm more than happy with my iCarsoft to be honest, and fit's in the glovebox.
 

LostKiwi

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Fair enough. I'm more than happy with my iCarsoft to be honest, and fit's in the glovebox.
That's the big benefit to an iCarsoft (or other similar) compared to Star.
I have both and the iCarsoft normally lives in the car behind the front seat (r230). It will tell me enough that if I get an issue whilst out and about I can make an informed.decision between recovery or driving home.
Star relies on a laptop so needs a 12v adapter to work (unless you keep taking the laptop out to top up the battery). It also takes over 3 times as long to get to the point you're reading codes. Great as a workshop tool, less so for on the run diagnosis.
 

Capra

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No chance, up to date legit system is £10K + without subscriptions.

It could be, op was not specific tbh.
I knew star was expensive but not that much, that will be why the local VAG garage doesn't have one!!
 
OP
D

DaveC52

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I already have an Autel DS708 diagnoistic tool which does everything a carsoft does and more as I can diagnose other makes of car. I dont think it is a Chinese clone with the manufacturer of the multiplexer being ACTIA, Made in France, it isn't the latest with the multiplexer being a C3 nor is the software installed on the Panasonic Toughbook and it only comes with the interface cable for the laptop and an OBD II interface what I was interested in was the developer function to remove limitations and alter settings I have offered him £350 for it not heard back yet.
 

LostKiwi

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I'd be surprised if it was not a Chinese clone.

Two minutes on AliExpress turned up a Star C3, all the cables, software and toughbook for £461.

Our old friend Malcolm used to repair Star systems when they failed. He always maintained the clones were indistinguishable from the real ones.
 

Conor

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I'd be surprised if it was not a Chinese clone.

Two minutes on AliExpress turned up a Star C3, all the cables, software and toughbook for £461.

Our old friend Malcolm used to repair Star systems when they failed. He always maintained the clones were indistinguishable from the real ones.

Yeap, proper Chinese clones of most things are generally indistinguishable.
 

Andy.M

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So if they are generally indistinguishable, presumably using the same parts to make them indistinguishable , how come they fail so often?
 

LostKiwi

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So if they are generally indistinguishable, presumably using the same parts to make them indistinguishable , how come they fail so often?
Who says they do?
 
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DaveC52

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On reflection of the main opinion here I won't be buying it, one reason is that whilst most Chinese clones are reliable they are obviously limited to not much more than a diagnostics scanner with the addition to remove limitations, to get the full benefits you need to purchase a licence and pay a yearly subscription fee to Mercedes so unless you are a commercial operation or incredibly rich and stupid it isn't worth the expense for one or two vehicles also the Xentry software key might/will/could expire at any time making the scanner unusable. The easiest way to tell a clone from the real thing is if the software runs in a virtual machine such as VM Virtual Box it isn't, if it doesn't and costs 14K plus it's the real thing.
 

LostKiwi

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Mine (Malcolm's) is a clone and doesn't run in a VM.
 


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