If you guys (professional techs) were going to spend $10,000 (+/-) on diagnostic equipment/engine analyzer, what would it/they be?

I'm no tech, much less professional tech. I belive the first would be an engine oscilloscope of some sort. why do you ask? I cant imagine someone forking up that kinda dough for a DIY job!

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Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

The need for an ignition scope on modern cars is somewhere between rare and non existent.

If I were to go in the biz and had $10K for diagnostic equipment. I would have a good scanner, which would probably be a laptop and software, and put the rest of the money in documentation, a good timing light, good fuel pressure guage, good compression guage, and various other good equipment.

Good luck,

Unfortunately $10k is a drop in the bucket. I pay tangible taxes on nearly $400k worth of equiptment. I have over $50k in scanners alone.

But given your question I would start with a good DSO. The Fluke 98 (see my driveability article in DIY) can be had used for around a grand (they are on ebay all the time). It doesn't do ignition as well as a dedicated tool but I paid $20k for my engine analyszer - Bosch Mot250 and you will need some money out of that 10k for a scanner. A scanner alone will not fix cars, it will only guide you if forming the proper testing for your DSO.

If you really want to do it right I would suggest the Vetronix MTS5100 for your scope. It will take a good chunk of that 10k at around 7k and its too new to find used most likely. That doesn't quite leave enough for a Baum CS2000 although they may be found used and a new module added. The current MB module lists for $1.5k (the base tool goes for about $2.3k). If you would like to view these tools see:

http://www.vetronix.com/main.html

http://www.baumtools.com/

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

If it was for the later Mercedes, say 1990 and later, I would get the Baum CS 2000...It is the BEST HHT for Mercedes in the aftermarket. Cost? about 3-4k,

If it was for the earlier cars, I would get a good SUN 400 or something equiv. Scope. They are about 10k.

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Benzmac:
Donnie Drummonds
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 11 YRS