Advice Seek- Buying MB Star C4 Diagnostic equipment on eBay ????
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
2007 GL 450; 2004 S500
Need assistance i purchasing the right diagnostic unit for my MB vehicles.
Ease of payment:
It was ebay, so paypal made things pretty easy
Shipping:
Ordered on a monday, had it by friday. Box/tracking number says it came from china, even though the sender is based in Hawaii on ebay. Still 5 days to ship from China to Virginia is amazing. Packaging was OK, lots of bubble wrap but I expected a little better considering its a laptop.
Product:
The laptop was missing its RAM stick, a little disappointing but an easy fix. It also must have been dropped while shipping because the computer has a cracked screen. But I had a small external monitor I am using temporary. I contacted the seller regarding the problem earlier today, he hasn't responded yet. Multiplexer says it was made in france on it, everything was brand new. Really nice quality cables, metal connectors, just nice quality stuff.
Functionality:
Everything works perfectly. EPC/WIS, XENTRY (I'm not sure what the difference between this and DAS is yet), DAS and a couple other programs I haven't played with yet. DAS has developer mode, allowing coding and advanced functions. I played with it for several hours, read every module, played with the activations, everything is perfect.
Cliff's notes: Some minor snags but overall I'm very satisfied. The capabilities of this system are blowing my mind.
Im using this on a w220 S-class by the way.
It was ebay, so paypal made things pretty easy
Shipping:
Ordered on a monday, had it by friday. Box/tracking number says it came from china, even though the sender is based in Hawaii on ebay. Still 5 days to ship from China to Virginia is amazing. Packaging was OK, lots of bubble wrap but I expected a little better considering its a laptop.
Product:
The laptop was missing its RAM stick, a little disappointing but an easy fix. It also must have been dropped while shipping because the computer has a cracked screen. But I had a small external monitor I am using temporary. I contacted the seller regarding the problem earlier today, he hasn't responded yet. Multiplexer says it was made in france on it, everything was brand new. Really nice quality cables, metal connectors, just nice quality stuff.
Functionality:
Everything works perfectly. EPC/WIS, XENTRY (I'm not sure what the difference between this and DAS is yet), DAS and a couple other programs I haven't played with yet. DAS has developer mode, allowing coding and advanced functions. I played with it for several hours, read every module, played with the activations, everything is perfect.
Cliff's notes: Some minor snags but overall I'm very satisfied. The capabilities of this system are blowing my mind.
Im using this on a w220 S-class by the way.
Do you recommend this unit?
MB STAR C5 SD Compact 5 Multiplexer Diagnostic for Mercedes Benz
I have an '04 W220 & a '07 GL450.
Thanks
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Ibaraki , Japan
S600L , 500 SEC -W140 , S500-W220, S550 -W221, SL500-R129, SL450,380 etc. W107
ebay buyer protection scam
That is one impressive system. And I must say, I have been thinking about getting something similar although I might simply start with the software (in spite of its limitations) before graduating onto something as elaborate as this.
That said, a little heads up about the eBay Buyer Protection Guarantee... I am not sure if you've ever had the need to use it before but it really isn't all that they make it seem to be. In fact, I tend to think that Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee has a slight edge.
For one, and for an item that is of a high dollar cost, this might not seem like an issue, however, if you buy something from a seller who s\hips from China, chances are if you need to return anything, it will likely have to go back to China. This might result in a huge postage fee and in any case, regardless of whether the item was damaged in shipping, "not as described" or even if it were a knock-off/fake brand name item that the seller is trying to rip you off by selling it as if it were the real thing, you dispute the sale with with eBay, and according to the fine print under their Buyer Protection Guarantee, while they will refund you the cost of the item plus what you originally paid for shipping, that refund is not going to come your way until the seller has received his item back. And who gets to pay for the fees to ship the item back to the seller (with tracking/delivery confirmation)? You, the buyer!
Notice it says nothing about that in the FAQs:
However, if you read the fine print, and though it says "we may decide to pay for return shipping"... They NEVER do and instead, they require the buyer to pay return shipping:
Second, the Buyer Protection Guarantee only applies for the first 30 days after the item was expected to be delivered.
In other words, even in case the seller is offering a one year warranty, eBay is not going to back you up if something happened six months down the line and the seller refused to honor the warranty...
I've gotten burned super bad by eBay and hence my wanting to expose their underhanded methods (example: calling it a "Buyer Protection Guarantee" when in fact, it ensures that the sellers is made whole and that he gets his item back (and it must be in perfect condition otherwise you get no refund) all while you must absorb the cost of shipping back to seller even if it was "item not as described in the listing". Not suggesting people should stop buying on eBay but be aware of the small details as they do make a huge difference.
That said, a little heads up about the eBay Buyer Protection Guarantee... I am not sure if you've ever had the need to use it before but it really isn't all that they make it seem to be. In fact, I tend to think that Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee has a slight edge.
For one, and for an item that is of a high dollar cost, this might not seem like an issue, however, if you buy something from a seller who s\hips from China, chances are if you need to return anything, it will likely have to go back to China. This might result in a huge postage fee and in any case, regardless of whether the item was damaged in shipping, "not as described" or even if it were a knock-off/fake brand name item that the seller is trying to rip you off by selling it as if it were the real thing, you dispute the sale with with eBay, and according to the fine print under their Buyer Protection Guarantee, while they will refund you the cost of the item plus what you originally paid for shipping, that refund is not going to come your way until the seller has received his item back. And who gets to pay for the fees to ship the item back to the seller (with tracking/delivery confirmation)? You, the buyer!
Notice it says nothing about that in the FAQs:
However, if you read the fine print, and though it says "we may decide to pay for return shipping"... They NEVER do and instead, they require the buyer to pay return shipping:
Second, the Buyer Protection Guarantee only applies for the first 30 days after the item was expected to be delivered.
In other words, even in case the seller is offering a one year warranty, eBay is not going to back you up if something happened six months down the line and the seller refused to honor the warranty...
I've gotten burned super bad by eBay and hence my wanting to expose their underhanded methods (example: calling it a "Buyer Protection Guarantee" when in fact, it ensures that the sellers is made whole and that he gets his item back (and it must be in perfect condition otherwise you get no refund) all while you must absorb the cost of shipping back to seller even if it was "item not as described in the listing". Not suggesting people should stop buying on eBay but be aware of the small details as they do make a huge difference.
eBay is doing this scam for many years - and eBay is like a ***** getting sold from one to another HAHAHA
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
2007 GL 450; 2004 S500
I appreciate your response however, I would like to purchase a unit that I can use in the event I purchase a newer MB vehicle - say a 2017 model. With that said, would you recommend the C5 I mentioned above?
Thanks
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
2007 GL 450; 2004 S500
Benz Ninja charges c. $400 to perform a remote installation of Star Diagnosis on a customer's PC. He isn't the only resource for this type of service, and I've seen someone on ******* advertise a price of $100 for the very same service as Benz Ninja.
If I'm not mistaken a C5 has no more capability than a C4, and it probably costs a little more on aliexpress. With either of these multiplexers I think you are looking at spending $400-$450, and comparatively the Foxwell NT510 Elite for $120 becomes an attractive option, in my opinion. It will essentially do everything you would use Star Diagnosis for. The drawbacks are that you are viewing a little screen instead of a PC, and the Foxwell is a little slow to navigate through its menus.
If I'm not mistaken a C5 has no more capability than a C4, and it probably costs a little more on aliexpress. With either of these multiplexers I think you are looking at spending $400-$450, and comparatively the Foxwell NT510 Elite for $120 becomes an attractive option, in my opinion. It will essentially do everything you would use Star Diagnosis for. The drawbacks are that you are viewing a little screen instead of a PC, and the Foxwell is a little slow to navigate through its menus.
Thanks for your input.
Much appreciated.
just read my services and reviews and you will notice
There are no real C5 clones
Chinese C5 clones are C4's with a C5 case
MB stopped supporting the real C5 on 06.2020
C4 is the ONLY way to go if you don't want to get stuck with old software and old cars
The ONLY
There are no real C5 clones
Chinese C5 clones are C4's with a C5 case
MB stopped supporting the real C5 on 06.2020
C4 is the ONLY way to go if you don't want to get stuck with old software and old cars
The ONLY
Last edited by Rock; Nov 9, 2020 at 03:23 PM. Reason: insults
Feel free to contact me for those who need the real stuff !
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Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
2000 C230 Kompressor
Hi, I am looking for a way to turn off the SRS light on my 2000 W202. The SRS light came on when the shop was doing some body work repair. However, they have no tool to turn it off.
The car couldn't pass the safety inspection in Virginia because of the SRS light. I am looking into the for $50 but unsure if this will do the trick. I don't need the latest and the greatest, just something to turn off the SRS light.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
The car couldn't pass the safety inspection in Virginia because of the SRS light. I am looking into the for $50 but unsure if this will do the trick. I don't need the latest and the greatest, just something to turn off the SRS light.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Hi, I am looking for a way to turn off the SRS light on my 2000 W202. The SRS light came on when the shop was doing some body work repair. However, they have no tool to turn it off.
The car couldn't pass the safety inspection in Virginia because of the SRS light. I am looking into the Foxwell NT301 for $50 but unsure if this will do the trick. I don't need the latest and the greatest, just something to turn off the SRS light.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
The car couldn't pass the safety inspection in Virginia because of the SRS light. I am looking into the Foxwell NT301 for $50 but unsure if this will do the trick. I don't need the latest and the greatest, just something to turn off the SRS light.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
try to remove the batteries for more than 20min
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
2000 C230 Kompressor
Thanks. Trying to do this as cheaply as possible. There is no plan to buy a new Mercedes, I love the boxy design of the 90s.
I heard Autel can do the job too? It's really hard to figure which would work for my purpose by reading the description .
I heard Autel can do the job too? It's really hard to figure which would work for my purpose by reading the description .
try that first
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
2000 C230 Kompressor
Hey...I was told that I need to reset SRS light under the hood with a 38pin connector, not beneath the driver side instrument cluster. Is this the case for you guys? seems a little odd to me since Foxwell NT510 doesn't come with the 38pin multiplexer.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
04 mercedes-benz e320 4matic
Ease of payment:
It was ebay, so paypal made things pretty easy
Shipping:
Ordered on a monday, had it by friday. Box/tracking number says it came from china, even though the sender is based in Hawaii on ebay. Still 5 days to ship from China to Virginia is amazing. Packaging was OK, lots of bubble wrap but I expected a little better considering its a laptop.
Product:
The laptop was missing its RAM stick, a little disappointing but an easy fix. It also must have been dropped while shipping because the computer has a cracked screen. But I had a small external monitor I am using temporary. I contacted the seller regarding the problem earlier today, he hasn't responded yet. Multiplexer says it was made in france on it, everything was brand new. Really nice quality cables, metal connectors, just nice quality stuff.
Functionality:
Everything works perfectly. EPC/WIS, XENTRY (I'm not sure what the difference between this and DAS is yet), DAS and a couple other programs I haven't played with yet. DAS has developer mode, allowing coding and advanced functions. I played with it for several hours, read every module, played with the activations, everything is perfect.
Cliff's notes: Some minor snags but overall I'm very satisfied. The capabilities of this system are blowing my mind.
Im using this on a w220 S-class by the way.
It was ebay, so paypal made things pretty easy
Shipping:
Ordered on a monday, had it by friday. Box/tracking number says it came from china, even though the sender is based in Hawaii on ebay. Still 5 days to ship from China to Virginia is amazing. Packaging was OK, lots of bubble wrap but I expected a little better considering its a laptop.
Product:
The laptop was missing its RAM stick, a little disappointing but an easy fix. It also must have been dropped while shipping because the computer has a cracked screen. But I had a small external monitor I am using temporary. I contacted the seller regarding the problem earlier today, he hasn't responded yet. Multiplexer says it was made in france on it, everything was brand new. Really nice quality cables, metal connectors, just nice quality stuff.
Functionality:
Everything works perfectly. EPC/WIS, XENTRY (I'm not sure what the difference between this and DAS is yet), DAS and a couple other programs I haven't played with yet. DAS has developer mode, allowing coding and advanced functions. I played with it for several hours, read every module, played with the activations, everything is perfect.
Cliff's notes: Some minor snags but overall I'm very satisfied. The capabilities of this system are blowing my mind.
Im using this on a w220 S-class by the way.
