Hello,

Post #2 on the forums. I am sure I am committing a rookie mistake by posting this thread in this forum. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I recently bought a 2010 X164. It's the first MB in the family. I come from VAG (didn't we all, but that's another thread in another forum/site ) In my years spent in the VW/Audi ecosystem I have enjoyed the diagnostic software from Ross-Tech. Long story short, I am looking to do the same with the MB - accessible diagnostic software.

I've weighed the options with the different code readers and third party options. I've settled on the Star software solution. Here would be a good place to say that I only work on my own cars and having access to all modules to monitor/adapt when necessary is a must for me. I am trying to do this with the least $ expended (hard cost) if I could. Soft costs such as my time to install/configure the software, drivers, etc. are excluded from the expenditure computations for this particular exercise. I used to do enterprise software implementations for a living, so some of you might see why I am willing to venture particularly into these tall weeds. Besides, if it's been done already, it is evidence that it can be done again.

I've come across a number of software/multiplexer (MP) combos in various forms (w/ laptops, w/o laptops, Star DAS only, MP only, OEM MP, knock off MP, etc). I have access to software already so I need the MP. There are C3, C4 (and C5?) models out there, but I don't seem to be able to determine which MP models are compatible with which Star versions. I realize there are OEM and knock off MPs. Not knowing enough about the MPs, I am making an assumption that for example, an OEM C3 and knock off C3 would work with the same range of Star versions, and the latter will be expected for all OEM/knock off MPs of the same model.

I realize that this could be a big ask, as there would be at least one STAR minor version within a major release and if there are multiple minor versions, STAR support for the previous MP model could have been dropped mid release, which in the software world shouldn't happen, but seems to anyway. And then there are MP firmware versions... because simple is a difficult word in the software world.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

I found some of the information I had been searching for here....Post #12
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...8608-star.html

 

deleted

 

Wrong Thread - Deleted

 

I am a long term many times repeat customer and just picked up a GL 63 AMG. As you might expect these are very complex cars and going to the dealership would cost a mint...but I will never need to sell organs and body parts again since I have the BenzNinja taking care of it!
I would not have even considered this purchase without Peter in my corner.
If you are serious about DIY and want to avoid getting ****ed dry by the dealership, or want to tweak your vehicle to the next level I highly recommend him.

 

Hi all: I've built custom motorcycles and restored automobiles for decades. My CL600 is different from anything I previously owned.
Peter helped me purchase and set up Xentry, showed me how to use it, and he diagnosed and fixed several issues on my car. He told me which parts needed replacing, and he guided me through WIS, and the process of repair and configuration.
Peter is so smart, and he works so fast, it's worth the price of admission just to watch him work on your car remotely (with Xentry connected.
This might sound like a paid commercial, but it isn't--I'm an old skeptical architect by profession. Like many who have benefitted from Peter's knowledge, experience and dedication to his craft, my beautiful vehicle wouldn't be on the road today without BenzNinja. I suggest you purchase parts from the dealer (MercedesBenzStarParts.com), but perform diagnostics yourself (with Peter's help.
Don't hesitate to message me if you have questions about this post.

After BenzNinja...

 

Thank you !

 

I wanted to share my experience, and right up front, I will say without reservation, his software and service is the stellar.

I have been considering this for probably 3 months, and and finally purchased his service and joined the Club a few weeks ago. Following that, he helped me find a VCI, and laptop. All arrived for me in (Washington State) within 5 days. All worked perfectly. His instructions along the way are easy to follow, and if you have questions or need assistance, he has always been available.
The first issue I wanted to resolve, was a drivers window that stopped working. I was able to use the software, update the door control module software and problem solved! From there, I updated the other window modules, and many others (not sure if that is advised) but with one exception, all went well. I did get an error with the modules on my headlights, which I could not figure out. I reached out to Peter, set up some time a few hours later, and he was able to remotely sort it out in about 10 minutes. It felt like having a factory Mercedes technical at my disposal, so cool!

I will admit to being a tad apprehensive, payment via an app, ordering a used laptop and VCI from China on eBay, but after doing my homework on the forums and calling a few shops in the US that use Benz Ninja, I took the leap.

This is my first Mercedes, (I've mostly owned Audi's and BMW's) and as this is a bit older car, if you are at all inclined to working on these cars yourself, I can't imagine doing so with out XENTRY / DAS, and with Peter available for support - I think it's the only way to go.

My advice is if you are on the fence, go for it, based on my experience, you won't regret it for a second.

Keep up the good work Peter!!

If anyone has any questions, please reach out, I'd be happy to chat.

Thanks,

Rob

 

Thank you!

 

So I bought the whole lifetime membership, computer, and C4 device. BenzNinja walked me through everything and basically did all the setup with virtually nothing needed from me.

I learned one small lesson when buying the Lenovo computer off ebay... When it arrived the battery was badly swollen to the point the plastic was cracking. I found a new battery on Amazon for $25, so that was an easy fix. While I had the back off the laptop awaiting the BenzNinja SSD to arrive I also noticed the 8GB Ram was pretty pathetic, so I also bought an upgraded 16GB ram for another $30 off Amazon... So the $110 computer (ebay price) actually cost $165. The C4 OBD device that BenzNinja suggested on Ebay shipped from China and to my surprise arrived very quickly via DHL (only a few days). My past experience with China vendors has been several weeks-long shipping times. The ebay C4 looks well built (for $470) and the cables are all rugged / professional grade.

I was of course eager to try everything out and I thought I'd have to schedule something with BenzNinja for weeks, or at least days out... But when I contacted him he was able to start right away, which was convenient since I had the day off.

BenzNinja spent hours doing various coding and got my ILS+ lights working and changed the "bump" feature of the turn signal to 5 flashes instead of 3. The ILS+ lights are amazing and I'll echo what others have said, not a single car flashed me while driving around with "the brights on". The headlights are constantly lighting up the road and the surroundings WAY brighter than before and yet no other drivers are being blinded. When turning corners the lights move significantly more and it's almost like you are looking around the corner before you turn. I really like this feature more than I thought.

My main focus was to activate Android Auto in my vehicle, because that's the only kind of phones I own, and for some reason Mercedes thought only Apple Carplay should be active from the factory. BenzNinja spent a lot of time (hours) coding and was defeated on the first try. He did some research and we connected again a couple days later and he was able to get it working after doing a clean / fresh install of the head unit software. I'm also now loving having access to always - updated Google Maps and live traffic data not to mention "Hey Google" voice access to searches, messages, maps, phone, etc.

I will also echo what others have said... BenzNinja's service and responsiveness is the best you will find. The dealerships simply cannot do what he does, and even if they could, the stealer-ship would charge a ridiculous amount of money, I'm sure. I appreciated his dedication to figuring it out and not just giving up and moving on to the next customer... Tell me the last time you met someone who actually cared about helping a customer?







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As I recall, sometimes, the connection between different versions of DAS/Xentry and the multiplexers can be a bit tricky. It seems like newer versions of Xentry might not work as well with older multiplexer models, like the C3, especially once you get past 2015 updates. It's like when you update your phone and some older apps just don't work the same way anymore.

 

Can you say how much the lifetime cost is?