2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 WAGON air conditioning

146 Controls in detailClimate controlThe climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. You can operate
the climate control system in either the au-
tomatic or manual mode. The system cools
or heats the interior depending on the se-
lected interior temperature and the cur-
rent outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the AC
OFF
mode is selected
(
page 150).
Setting the temperature
Use the temperature controls2 and3 to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing
Turn the control slightly to the right.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn the control slightly to the left.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 146 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

148 Controls in detailClimate controlDeactivating
Press button
P
(page 145).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating

Press button
O
(page 145).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press button
O
(page 145).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically:


after five minutes if the outside temper-
ature is below approximately 41°F
(5 °C)


after five minutes if the air conditioning
is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temper-
ature is above approximately 41°F
(5 °C)
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26 °C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air. A quantity of
outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
iIf you keep button
O
pressed the
side windows and sliding/pop-up roof
will be closed.
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing or the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode
will not switch on automatically.
iIf you keep button
O
pressed the
side windows and sliding/pop-up roof
will be returned to their previous posi-
tion.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 148 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

150 Controls in detailClimate controlAir conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press buttonAC
OFF
(page 145).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

PressAC
OFF
again (
page 145).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFC’s
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Ventilated storage compartment
The front center console storage compart-
ment has its own air vent that allows for
cooling ventilation when the automatic cli-
mate control system is activated.
1Lever
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iYou should keep this air vent closed
when outside temperatures are low.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 150 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

154 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the economy mode AC
OFF
is se-
lected (
page 159).
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and14 for the
left side or6 and7 for the right side to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).Increasing

Push temperature control1 and/or6.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Decreasing

Push temperature control14
and/or7.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Adding outside air

Turn thumbwheel3 in dashboard
(page 153) to increase airflow of out-
side air through air vents for center, left
and right sides and rear passenger
compartment.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 154 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

157 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Deactivating
Press button
O
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically:


after five minutes if the outside temper-
ature is below approximately 41°F
(5 °C)


after five minutes if the air conditioning
is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temper-
ature is above approximately 41°F
(5 °C)At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26 °C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air. A quantity of
outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
Charcoal filter
An activated charcoal filter markedly re-
duces bad odors and removes pollutants
from air entering the passenger compart-
ment.
Activating
Press button
e
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
The system switches automatically to the
air recirculation mode if the carbon
monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxide (NO
X)
concentration of the outside air increases
beyond a predetermined level.
iIf you keep button
O
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will be closed.
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically:


at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel (charcoal filter activated)
Please note that the charcoal filter
must be activated (
page 157) for
the air recirculation mode to be ac-
tivated automatically.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 159) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
iIf you keep button
O
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof* will be returned to their previous
position.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 157 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

159 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press buttonAC
OFF
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

PressAC
OFF
again (
page 153).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation*
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1 o r r e m o v e i t f r o m t h e s t a r t e r
switch.

Press button
T
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on button
T

comes on.
Deactivating

Press button
T
.
The indicator lamp on button
T

goes off.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 159 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

330 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could result in engine damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air conditio-
ning system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil, otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 330 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

345 Index
A
ABS 23, 73, 339
ABS control 74
Malfunction indicator lamp 255
Messages in display 261
Warning lamp 255
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 140
Accident
In case of 50
Activating
Air circulation mode 148
Air conditioning (cooling) 150, 159
Air recirculation mode 148, 156
Anti-theft alarm system 79
Automatic climate control 153
Central locking (control system) 125
Climate control 145
Defrost 147, 156
Easy-entry/exit feature 126
ESP 77
Exterior headlamps 47
Exterior lamps 99
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position 142
Hazard warning flasher 101Headlamps 47
High beams 101
Ignition 31
Immobilizer 52, 79
Rear fog lamp 99
Rear window defroster 149, 158
Residual heat 159
Seat heater 94
Tow-away alarm 80
Windshield wipers 48
Adding
Coolant 238
Engine oil 236
Additional turn signals 292
Adjustable air vents, rear passenger
compartment 151, 160
Adjusting 32
Air distribution 147, 155
Air volume 147, 155
Backrest tilt 33, 35
Exterior rear view mirror 39
Head restraint height 33, 35, 36
Head restraint tilt 34, 35, 36
Head restraints 36
Inside rear view mirror 38
Instrument cluster illumination 104Manual seat 33
Mirrors 38
Multicontour seat* 93
Power seat 34
Rear seat head restraints 35
Seat cushion depth 93
Seat cushion tilt 33, 35
Seat fore and aft adjustment 33, 34
Seat height 33, 35
Seats 32
Steering column height 38
Steering column length 38
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioning (cooling)
Turning off 150, 159
Turning on 150, 159
Air conditioning refrigerant 330
Air distribution
Adjusting 147, 155
Air pressure see Tire inflation
pressure 242
Air recirculation mode 148, 156
Activating 148, 156
Deactivating 148, 157
Air vents, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 151, 160
S203 MY03_A.book Page 345 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM