The Mercedes Star diagnostic tool comes in a variety of formats such as C3, C4 and
MB SD Connect C5. The C3 and C4 are very similar, just the difference is that the
MB Star C4
is smaller and lightweight, which is very useful due to the C3 being a
task in itself setting it up. The C5 is the same format at the C4 but it
can update itself (WiFi) via an official web directory.
Why did I choose the Mb Star C3?
Owning 4 Mercedes and many others in the family, fault codes are very
common and are difficult to uncover unless you own a Star Machine. The
MB Star C3 can interact with cars from 1989 to now, which covers the
majority of the cars I own. The ability to read troublesome stored codes
and erase them once resolved is very useful and also saves money in the
long run with the majority of independent garages charging ￡30-40 to
scan your Mercedes.
c3 star machine w210
How Hard is it to use the Mercedes Star Machine?
There is two parts to using the Mercedes Star Diagnostic tool, the
first being the setup and the latter actually using it. As you can see
above, their are a few leads involved to connect the Mercedes to the
star machine.
* Wire from ECU to the Multiplexor
* Wire from Multiplexor to the Computer
* Power Cable to the Laptop (It’s advised never to let the computer run out during diagnostics!)
* Power pack if low battery that might die during the test
Once the wires have been connected up properly, start the iginition
and you should wait until you see a lock appear in the bottom right
corner of your computer (near internet signal). Once the lock is
present, the computer is connected to the car, therefore start up the
DAS/Xentury software and do the following:
* Find your car using the menu provided (Car -> E Class -> W210 etc)
* You will then be greeted with a popup notifying that the multiplexor is attempting to connect
* Once connected, its fairly straight forward – You can perform tests or go into individual units
* Using F1, F2 and F3, you will be able to navigate through stored fault codes and removing them with the F9 key
* If faults are not removing, its best to print out the full test (button bottom right), which will contain unique
MB Codes to show a mechanic
The Star machine enables you to find a problem, fix it and confirm
that it is fixed by erasing the issue and then running another test. If
you are feeling confident, you may feel like running some more complex
tests i.e. Compression test. I had issues with the fuel injectors in my
320 CDi, therefore I performed a compression test, which was spot on but
the second test was the “leak” test, which showed two injectors were
faulty.
mb star machine
Buy Mercedes Star Diagnostic Computer Tool
The complete kit can be bought from just ￡600, which includes all of
the wires for the latest Mercedes Benz’s out and include the computer
with necessary equipment. Of course, the price seems a lot, but so does
paying ￡40 each time to have a diagnostic via an independent garage. You
are able to do this yourself with limited knowledge aswell as charge
friend to clear their faults. You can buy the
mercedes star diagnostic Machine Bundle straight from obd2tool.com
Just because a star machine is marketed as the “go to” Mercedes error
code scanner, it does not mean you cannot use any other type of
scanner.
