vladc77

I am thinking to get some diagnostic equipment for testing Mercedes GL450, 2007 at home. I found few options but have difficulties to choose. I have found references to Star Diagnostics C3 or C4, Carsoft Ultimate Pro and many option for OBD II readers. Perhaps, none of them is a good choice. I am wondering if you can share your experience using them. Which will be the best choice? Thank you in advance!

vladc77

I am still in the process of choosing a tool. Any ideas? Thank you!

RobertEarl

I have the Autel Maxidas 708 and so far it does everything I need. Bonus is that it does almost everything you need for most any car! ( Audi to Veyron )

Reb

alx

A Chinese c3 for about $350-400.

vladc77

Thank you for sharing this information with me. I am planning to order MB Star C3. It has a reputation to be more reliable then C4 and SD Connect.

BIGsmoke

I use Go Point and my iPad.


www.gopointtech.com

alx

Correct. Besides the c4 is very mb- dependent and becomes disabled very often when it "calls home". The c3 especially for pre-2011 vehicles is plenty. If you have a 2011+ you will need a c4.

gregsho

Has any one used the Scangage 1 or 2 or the Bullydog system.
On a 07 Gl450 Gas engine ? If so please reply with your thoughts if you have .

McGG

I am considering an MBstar replica.

But I have a 2012 GL350. Is the C4 version a "nice to have" or a "need to have".

vladc77

I believe they both should work. However, I am not sure. I see at it as a device that has access to all systems of the car and allows to communicate Laptop-Soft with the car. You just need to have the newest soft. I can be wrong. I find 2012-2013 models in the list of serviceable cars on my system, but I never tried to access to the. If I could not use C3 for sure, then I would buy SD Connect not C4.

RidingDonkeys

I'm late to the party here, but I have a question. Is there anything specific that a Star setup does that a generic OBD code reader from Pep Boys can't do?

I have sadly been caught without a code reader. Having put the purchase off for years, the Check Engine light surfaced on my '09 GL320. I took it by the dealer, and I'm already in for $300, a number that is likely to climb. My pride is hurt more than anything, as for the first time in my life I don't have the tool for the job. Must....buy.....code.....reader!

N_Jay

You could have stopped by a auto parts store, many will scan for free.

RidingDonkeys

Well, that doesn't really help me now.

I've never actually had a check engine light appear on any vehicle before. I never even really considered buying a code reader. Considering we drive over 75k miles a year between our three vehicles, one would think I had seen this before. However, the light coupled with the lack of symptons had me worried. The fact that the dealership has had the vehicle 24hrs and hasn't been able to diagnose it worries me even more. This is why I'd like to have the OBD computer. If I had my own, I would have had an answer last night.

N_Jay

Within 10 minuets of getting into the bay they should; have been able to tell you the EXACT CODE it stored. (But you do have to ask)


If not, get a new shop.

RidingDonkeys

I finally got a call, with very bad news. The AdBlue heater is failed. I'm looking at $1700. The Great Mercedes Diesel experiment is failing in our household. Mrs. Donkeys is having a hard time justifying a car with 69k miles needing a $1700 repair when my last four cars combined had over 700,000k miles and needed nothing other than oil changes, tires, and brakes.

So if I'm going to keep this thing around, I'm going to have to start picking up maintenance and repairs on it. This brings me back to my original question. Is there anything specific that a Star setup does that a generic OBD code reader from Pep Boys can't do?

N_Jay

Yes, it reads a lot "deeper" data in the MB system are lets you change settings than an ODB/CAN reader don't even know are there.


As for maintenance, a standard ODB/CAN reader will do about 95% of what most people need done.


As for the AddBlue heater. Did you check the parts price and what an Indy shop would charge to replace it?


EDIT Looks like a $900 to $1100 part. I would start with a recycler.

carracer

I currently bought a scan tool called CARECAR C68 Retail, good price and good stuff! www.carecartech.com
I can choose the brand I want, and it cover all systems with in-depth function, not only read/clear codes, i am very surprised it does things as the manufacturer described such as reset oil light, injection, throttle without any problem.
I have a BMW car also, I think I will buy this software from them also, cost about USD50 for adding up each software.
They have also another version CARECAR C68 PREMIUM FULLSET with more than 50 brands, good coverage, impressive

sak335

I've got a 2012 GL 350 and recently tried to use my Actron CP9185 scanner that I bought a few years ago. The check engine light had come on (NOx sensor failed, it turns out) and I wanted to see what it was before I called the dealer to bring it in. Unfortunately I got nothing from the scanner. Figuring I needed to update the scanner, I downloaded the newest update and still got nothing.

Is there something I'm doing wrong or should this scanner work? It works fine on my 2013 BMW which is what is really puzzling.

N_Jay

I would say something is wrong.


If the Check Engine light is on, a CAN compatible scanner should have displayed some relevant error code.


You may need to double check the order of connecting the scanner, turning on the vehicle and reading the codes.

Seems on mine I have to start with the car completely off,
then connect the scanner (A $19 Costco special),
then turn on the car,
then hit the read button.

sak335

I think the Keyless Go is messing me up. I'll have to pull the button and use the key in the ignition to see if that changes anything.

McGG

I was originally going to get a C3 for the HID headlight conversion on my 2012.

But considering I had both of the problems listed in this thread (NOx and adblue heater), I'm wondering if one of the more advanced ones is a better alternative.

What's the difference between a C4 and an SD connect?

What do the dealers use?

bha

The C3/C4/etc are all basically the same thing. They are just an interface between your car and the laptop. The laptop/STAR (DAS) software is what is doing all of the work/diagnosis.

C3 is the older style.. large metal box with grey rubber corners. And lots of cables.

C4 is the newer style and is WiFi so you plug it into the car and just have the car nearby.

I have a C3. If buying today, I'd probably buy the C4 if the price was similar (they used to be much more expensive)

I have heard rumours that the C3 is actually more reliable but I haven't verified that. My suspicion is the 'unreliable' comments are probably related to flaky wifi connections as that's the big difference between the two.

vladc77

SD Connect C4 is one step newer from C3. I decided to buy C3 because many reviews were much more positive. You don't really need wi-fi capability. It brings much more problems than benefits. The worse part is that this device can be blacklisted without a way to recover it because a chip inside will be overwritten. C3 does not have this problem. C3 should work well with new models. You just need to update Diagnostic software. It is a possibility that newer models are not supported. I think that x164, 2012 should be supported because it is the same car starting from 2006. It is a possibility that newer models are not supported but I cannot verify it. I have doubts to believe that is true. You can buy a newer one if it will be a case.

Johnny .Bravo

Mercedes will charge you $300 even if it is the gas cap.

sak335

I bit the bullet and bought an Autel Maxisys MS906TS. I didn't want to buy a Star/DAS because that's only Mercedes and we have a BMW as well. Seems like a better value to be able to work on all makes/models. So far I've only used it once and diagnosed a bad air compressor on the Airmatic system. I'm sure I'll get my money's worth out of it on this vehicle alone. It's a pretty slick setup with a Bluetooth dongle that plugs into the OBD port and a tablet that hooks up to Wi-Fi.