iCarSoft MB-II vs Autel MD802

seans

Member
I just purchased the Autel MD802 MaxiDiag Elite Full Systems and already own an iCarSoft i980 MB-II.

The MD802 has dropped a LOT from its original price and more than 10% from just a few months ago, which puts it in the ballpark. The iCarSoft currently runs about $167 on eBay. I found my Autel on Amazon at $205, sold and fulfilled by Amazon, so you can get things like same-day delivery and Amazon customer service.

The reason I got the Autel in addition to the iCarSoft is because the Autel supports vehicles from all over the world while the iCarSoft MB-II only supports Mercedes, Smart and Sprinter. I had an SRS (airbag) warning light on another vehicle that neither my OBD2 reader nor the iCarSoft could read or clear because the SRS ECU isn't at the same address as the OBD2 ECU. The Autel showed me codes with useful descriptions, and live data like current when the seat belt was inserted and removed. Without it, I would have had to pay the dealer for this.

Another difference is that Autel provides updates for only a year, while iCarSoft currently has no limit on how long you can download updates from its site. I believe that Autel updates regularly; not sure regarding iCarSoft. The Autel update currently costs $100. At the rate the price is dropping, it will be cheaper to buy a new Autel every two years than purchase annual updates.

The Autel has additional features like being able to save codes and print. I have not tried the print function yet; it appears to requiring tethering the unit to a PC and running an Autel print application.

The Autel is able to plot graphs of live data in the vehicle-specific menus, something the iCarSoft can only do in the OBD-II menu.

The iCarSoft seemed to be a little quicker and if you know what system you want to test, it seemed to be able to get to it faster.

Other than that, there don't seem to be any major differences. The devices operate similarly and seem to have roughly the same systems coverage, and do not appear to be clones.
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
Thanks for the comments. It seems like the major differentiating factor would be whether you intend to use the unit with just MB/Sprinter products or with other vehicles as well. Autel's coverage is extensive (includes manufacturers you have not even heard of) but that kind of scope/support does cost money in the form of update fees. Of course then again if you use the Autel only for your MB/Sprinter products then you do not really need the updates as they are more to support new models than add functionality to existing.

BTW the MD802 can record and playback data standalone, you only need a PC if you want to maintain a separate/archival copy or print data.
 

eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
Also doesn't the IcarSoft allow one to do forced Regenerations whereas the MD802 does not?
 

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