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diagnostic equipment for small MB shop

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  benzguy95 
#1 ·
Hi, im new to the forum and need some guidence.
Im an out of work dealer tech with 8 years experience and am thinking of starting my own MB shop.
Question is what diagnostic equipment to use, I only have experience with the SDS, but it is alittle out of my price range ($26k).
Have not heard anything good about carsoft and any knock off sds's out of the far east.
Considering WIN-STAR system of ebay for $6k, but would love any second
oppinions, any help would be great, thanks
 
#2 ·
"Why would you work somebody 40 hr a week bringing home $800 on Friday, when you can work 60 hr a week in your own shop for $500 a week?".
I started lot of businesses in my life. All of them were a sucess, but lot of my friends trying to follow my sample have failed.
Being good craftsmen/mechanic is just a start. How good manager are you?
How well can you talk with customers?
Can you "sell yourself"?
Where is Apple Valley? My friend owning an European car shop in Glendora passed away and the widow is struggling trying to run the shop at loss.
Good luck.
 
#4 ·
Can't help you with finding the right hardware, but my late friend just to stay in business in repairing post-warranty Mercedes -was going on trainings and seminars at least once a year traveling all over West Coast for that.
I just hope that you realize that the hardware is going to be a minor problem in opening new shop?
 
#5 ·
Where did you get the $26k price? A year ago $7k for two years was mentioned:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/3755318-post11.html

I'm not familiar with WIN-STAR but it looks like a cheap C3 copy (often sold with the C4 name). You would be dependent on this company and their capability to emulate DAS and Xentry (I understand they are not using a copy of DAS/Xentry for copyright reasons and I doubt they can ever follow closely what the original tool can do).
 
#6 ·
Genuine SDS

As of now MB does not sell the Basic 2 platform which did cost 9k before it got
discontinued.
They only sell the compact 3 (latest touch screen) with one year of s/w updates
and its about 3k a year for continuing the updates
This info was strait from benz via startek info (wish I would have kept the email
brouchure). Now I do know that dealers do not buy any SDSs, they lease them all, so they probably get a sweetheat deal, but MB does not lease to non-dealers.
Thanks again for all the help

BG
 
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