2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CL55AMG ESP

163 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
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
,
(page 159).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
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
,
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding / pop-up
roof will be closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding/pop-up roof if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the closing pro-
cedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by
releasing the
,
button or by pressing
the respective window switch. The closing of
the sliding/pop-up roof can be immediately
halted by releasing the
,
button or by
moving the sliding/pop-up roof switch in the
overhead control panel in any direction.
iThe 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 beyond a
predetermined level, for example in
a tunnel.
Please note that the charcoal filter
must be activated (
page 164) for the
air recirculation mode to be activated
automatically.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 166) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.

164 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDeactivating
Press button
,
(page 159).
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 159).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
e
(page 159).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iIf you keep button
,
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding / pop-up
roof will be returned to their previous
position.
iIf you keep button
e
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding / pop-up
roof will be closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding/pop-up roof if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the closing pro-
cedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the procedure can be imme-
diately halted by releasing the
e
button
or by pressing the respective window
switch. The closing of the sliding/pop-up
roof can be immediately halted by releasing
the
e
button or by moving the slid-
ing/pop-up roof switch in the overhead con-
trol panel in any direction.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
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, for example
in a tunnel.
The automatic air recirculation mode does
not function if AC
OFF
m o d e i s s e l e c t e d o r i f
the outside temperature has fallen below
41°F (5°C).
The activated charcoal filter should be
switched off when windows fog up on the
inside, or if the passenger compartment
needs to be quickly heated or cooled
down.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of opera-
tion depending on the outside tempera-
ture.
Activating
Press button
F
(page 159).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
F
(page 159) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iIf you keep button
e
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding / pop-up
roof will be returned to their previous
positions.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.

169 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
Opening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the passenger door and on the rear cen-
ter console.
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Right rear window
4Left rear windowAdditional switches for the rear windows
are located on the rear center console.
1Left rear window
2Right rear window
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if switch was pressed past the resistance
point and released, by pressing the respec-
tive switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
t h a t b l o c k s i t s p a t h i n a c i r c u m s t a n c e w h e r e
you pressed the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the window,
the automatic reversal function will stop the
window and open it slightly.
If the window encounters an obstruction
t h a t b l o c k s i t s p a t h i n a c i r c u m s t a n c e w h e r e
you are closing the window by pressing and
holding the switch, by pressing and holding
button
‹
on the SmartKey, or by press-
ing and holding the lock button
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*) on the door
handle, the automatic reversal function will
not operate.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from starter switch, take the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* with you, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment can cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

171 Controls in detail
Power windows
Stopping windows
Press respective switch again.Opening and closing the windows with
the SmartKey
The sliding/pop-up roof will also be
opened or closed when you operate the
power windows with the key.Opening (Summer opening feature)

Press and hold button
Œ
after un-
locking the vehicle.
The windows and sliding / pop-up roof
begin to open after approximately one
second.

Release the
‹
button to stop proce-
dure.
Closing (Convenience feature)

Press and hold button
‹
after lock-
ing the vehicle.
The windows and sliding / pop-up roof
begin to close after approximately one
second.

Release the
‹
button to stop proce-
dure.
Make sure that all side windows and the
sliding / pop-up roof are properly closed
before leaving the vehicle.
iYou can also open or close the win-
dows using the:

SmartKey, see below


button
O
in the control panel of
the automatic climate control
(
page 159).


button
e
in the control panel of
the automatic climate control
(
page 159).
Warning!
G
Never operate the windows or sliding /
pop-up roof if there is the possibility of any-
one being harmed by the opening or closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the procedure can be imme-
diately halted by releasing the remote
control button. To reverse direction of
movement, press
Œ
for opening or
‹
for closing.

176 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed


ABC with vehicle level control systems,
with which you can change vehicle sus-
pension characteristics.


Parktronic system*, which serves as a
parking assistant.
The BAS, ABS and ESP driving systems are
described in the “Safety and Security” sec-
tion (page 71).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 20).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

177 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume at previously set speed
Setting current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated.The selected speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately 5 sec-
onds, and the corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed to the
vehicle maximum speed are illuminated.
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:

Step on the brake pedal.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control will be canceled. The
last speed set will be stored for later
use.iOn uphill or downhill grades, cruise
control may not be able to maintain the
set speed. Once the grade eases, the
set speed will be resumed.
!Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.

178 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)
Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position4.
The cruise control will resume the last
set speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The selected speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately 5 sec-
onds, and the corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed to the
vehicle maximum speed are illuminated.Setting a higher speed

Lift the cruise control lever to
position1 and hold it until the desired
speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress the cruise control lever to
position2 and hold it until the desired
speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Fine adjustment in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments
Faster

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1.
Slower

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow2.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to preset
speed could cause an accident and / or seri-
ous injury to you and others.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing),
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the transmission will au-
tomatically downshift if the engine’s
braking power does not slow the vehi-
cle sufficiently.