The Mercedes Star diagnostic tool comes in a variety of formats such as C3, C4 and C5. The C3 and C4 are very similar, just the difference is that the 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.
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.
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