Star knock offs from china, Anyone got one?

[charlysays]

Been considering buying some diagnostics. If I'd bought one 10 yrs ago it would have more than paid for itself by now. It's likely I'll be running old Mercs for quite a long time yet.

Tried the icarsoft MB v2.0 and whilst I could get into many systems, some in a roundabout way (ECU for example I had to select prefacelift model then try 5 different listed ECUs, one of which connected), I couldn't get into the ABS/ BAS/ASR systems on any of my W202s.

So here's the aliexpress version... £395

404 page

Or £549 from a UK distributor who has pretty good reviews.

MB STAR C3 MERCEDES DIAGNOSTICS System - Pro Auto Diagnostics

MB STAR C3 MERCEDES DIAGNOSTICS System This is the Simple Package Includes 1 Laptop with software installed 1 High quality MB C3 Multiplexer 1 cable 16 pin obd1/2 1 cable RS converter

www.obdstore.co.uk

I've personally had good experiences with everything off aliexpress but the only tech stuff I've bought from there were some CR1 immo off emulator PCBs for Merc ECUs. They all worked fine once fitted to the ECUs and associated programming done... but clearly a lot more to go wrong with an entire star setup!

Any experiences from users would be great

cheers

 

[M80]

In the interests of discretion I've sent a PM.
Although I'm fairly confident this isn't an issue for this forum, please say if it is.

 

[Richard Moakes]

I started with HW, multiplexer and laptop, and then “found” some software

My choice of mux was Super MB Pro M6 which emulates C4 without some of the issues of the C4 clones that are available

 

[Botus]

this guy is legit - offering an interesting service NO one else does - outside a very large subscription to Mercedes

he's also a windows expert - he sets up his mildly customised iteration of what you need (so he can remotely help you) putting it on clean install of windows without any bonusware from mr criminal@ebay r us - he works crazy hrs supporting people 7 days a week

in my experience he knows more about the car and playing with software than the manufacturer ever did

BenzNinja.com | Your Mercedes Tech at Home

N°1 in the USA Mercedes Benz "at home" remote repair and coding service.

benzninja.com

 

[alexanderfoti]

The last guy who did this "JC recordings" ended up being taken to court by MB and fined quite a horrendous amount of cash

 

[toby1]

I have an acquaintance with a hooky STAR on an old laptop bought all together. It is set to developer mode so powerful but it could also land one in a spot of bother if one deleted something or similar.

I'd be interested it it can reset an SRS light after I disconnected the seatbelt tensioner, or I could just take it to Star MS in Caversham and pay for it, if it is possible

 

[Botus]

car are being designed to stop you working on them

either they make u pay serious money for their mcdonalds bodger to wreck it, or better still it just dies and they keep the factory churning out replacement cars

thus its becoming essential you can flash later software at them - they come out half not working to start with these days - and then not that we are allowed to say it they have accidental time switches in the software that cause them to play up

all of which means you either go mad and pay out serious money to try and do what you need, and mostly fail, go with something for 1k you hope gets at the feature you want on a lot of different brands and or get something for 300 quid scratch your head and get nowhere

 

[ajlsl600]

I bought mine from a guy near Ross. Had prob 3vmoth later he sent foc 2 preloaded HD and sorted it over team viewer so no complaints then when I needed it it had come up license expired!! In fairness I had been out of country nearly 2 yr. Its being sorted by a wiser man on here. But without doubt it saved me 1000,s in the time I had it bit unsure but think it was about 380 with laptop. But that was prob near 9.10 Yr ago. Now have icarsoft in car will keep xentry in house.

 

[charlysays]

Thanks for the replies everyone... keep me posted if any of you ever want to sell your star setup. I think 500 odd quid on a knock off C3 star setup is a little out of my budget at the moment.
The guy I spoke to in the UK who sets them up and sells them also raised concern about it working fully with my mid to late 90s mercs- He reckons the factory in china might be cutting corners with the multiplexers which meant he wouldn't be able to guarantee that it would connect to all systems on my C250 TD- not exactly what you want to hear as a hobbyist considering it's a 500 quid bit of diagnostic equipment. Would take a long time for it to pay itself back

Since I posted this thread I picked up a used as new icarsoft mb v.1.0 . I already had the red 38 pin to obd2 multiplexer. I hooked it up to the desktop app and it's not a fake so that's good. With a lot of fiddling in various menus I have been able to connect to, read codes and clear codes in the ECU, TCM, ABS and SRS systems.... so at least I can deal with these MOT/ driveability critical systems now and all for under a hundred quid.

It seems like these early facelift W202s have a mix up of pre facelift and facelift electronics which makes them fiddly to run diagnostics on- certainly the ECU can only be read and cleared as a before 06/97 ECU even though its certainly a facelift post 06/97 ECU.
Same goes for some of the other systems.
Apparently around 1999 it became much more obd2 compliant. Will have a go at reading my father T plate 250TD and see if that's easier to diagnose.

 

[ajlsl600]

As the tech changes the makers will hav a dept that only exists to stop us from fixing things ourself. Fortunatly there are also some clever characters "fixing" solutions. When I use my own star, I never push the enter button until I have investigated all the ramifications. Even when I set up my ride heights. And I always screen shot any move I set in motion.. The biggest prob with these systems. Is staying current. Until recently I had around 6 different systems and the b, s won't agree on any standardisation of operating principles.