2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS climate control

Contents
Automatic central locking .............. 78
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 80
Seats.................................................... 81
Heated seats* ................................ 81
Head restraints............................... 82
Lighting ................................................ 83
Exterior lamp switch ....................... 83
Combination switch........................ 84
Hazard warning flasher................... 85
Interior lighting ............................... 86
Instrument cluster ............................... 88
Instrument cluster illumination....... 88
Coolant temperature gauge............ 88
Trip odometer................................. 89
Tachometer .................................... 89
Outside temperature indicator ....... 90
Setting clock .................................. 90
Manual transmission ............................ 91
Shifting into reverse ....................... 92
Automatic transmission* ..................... 93
One-touch gearshifting ................... 94
Gear ranges .................................... 95
Gear selector lever position ........... 96
Program mode selector switch ....... 97
Accelerator position ....................... 98Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ........................ 98
Good visibility ...................................... 99
Rear view mirror............................. 99
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 100
Sun visors .................................... 101
Climate control .................................. 102
Setting the temperature ............... 104
Adjusting air volume .................... 104
Adjusting air distribution .............. 104
Air recirculation mode .................. 105
Rear window defroster ................. 105
Air conditioning ............................ 106
Residual heat ............................... 107
Basic settings ............................... 108
Special settings............................ 108
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 110
Audio system ..................................... 111
Audio and telephone, operation ... 111
Operating safety........................... 111
Operating and display elements ... 112
Anti-theft system.......................... 114
Button and soft key operation ...... 115
Operation ..................................... 115
Radio mode .................................. 116Cassette mode............................. 118
CD mode ...................................... 120
Telephone* operation .................. 123
Power windows.................................. 127
Opening and closing
the side windows ......................... 127
Retractable hardtop........................... 129
Opening and closing
the retractable hardtop ................ 129
Wind screen ................................. 134
Driving systems ................................. 136
Cruise control .............................. 136
Useful features .................................. 139
Interior storage spaces ................ 139
Ashtray ........................................ 142
Cigarette lighter ........................... 143
Telephone* .................................. 143
Tele Aid ........................................ 144
Garage door opener ..................... 152
Operation......................................... 157
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 158
Driving instructions ........................... 159
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 159
Drinking and driving ..................... 159

23 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Cup holder
140
2
Center air outlet adjust-
ment
102
Side air outlet adjustment
102
3
Climate control
102
Rear window defroster
105
4
Audio system
111
5
Seat heater* passenger
side
81
6
Anti-theft alarm system in-
dicator lamp
71
Tow-away alarm switch
72
7
Central locking switch
78
8
Hazard warning flasher
switch – switching on/off
85
9
ESP control switch
70
10
Headlamp washer* switch
100
11
Seat heater* driver’s side
81

73 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Manual transmission
Automatic transmission*
Good visibility
Climate control
Audio system
Power windows
Retractable hardtop
Driving systems
Useful features

102 Controls in detailClimate control
Climate control

103 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. 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.
Item
1
Windshield air vent
2
Side window defroster vent,
adjustable
3
Air volume control for side air vents
4
Side air vent, adjustable
5
Temperature selectors, right and
left side passenger compartment
6
Air distribution control switch
7
Residual heat/air recirculation
8
AC cooling on/off (AC
OFF
)
9
Air volume control switch
10
Rear window defroster
11
Center air vents, adjustable
12
Air volume control for center air
vents
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.
iThe selected temperature is reached as
quickly as possible.
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter before its scheduled interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume
to the interior.
If 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.

104 Controls in detailClimate controlSetting the temperature
Use temperature selectors5
(page 102) to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing

Turn the selector5 slightly upwards.
A red marking will be visible.
Decreasing

Turn the selector5 slightly downwards.
A blue marking will be visible.
Adjusting air volume
Use air volume control switch9
(page 102) to adjust the air volume. The
following symbols are found on the con-
trol:
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control switch6
(page 102) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
control switch:
iIf you use the standard settings for
heating or cooling the passenger com-
partment (
page 108), you will rarely
need to change the temperature, air
volume or air distribution.
Symbol
Function
0
No ventilation
between 0
and
Q
Ventilation without a
blower, depending on the
speed driven
between 1
and 5
Ventilation with blower
Symbol
Function
cP
Directs air to the windows
b
Directs air into the pas-
senger compartment
d
Directs air to the footwells
a
Directs air to the upper
torso

105 Controls in detail
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
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
Ð
button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
Ð
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.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter a maximum of 12 minutes.
Activating
Switch on the ignition.

Press button
F
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
F
(page 102) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
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.iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside temper-
tures.

106 Controls in detailClimate 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 climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.

Press buttonAC
OFF
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
AC
OFF
button lights up.
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.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
Warning!
G
While driving, deactivate the air conditioning
only temporarily to prevent window fogging.