2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 4MATIC WAGON heating

95 Controls in detail
Seats
Multicontour seat*
This multicontour seat has a movable seat
cushion and inflatable air cushions built
into the backrest to provide additional
lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the right
side of the seat after starting the engine.
1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest bottom
3Backrest center
4Backrest side bolster adjustment

Start the engine.
Seat cushion depth

Adjust the seat cushion depth to the
length of your upper leg using
switch1.
Backrest contour

Adjust the contour of the backrest to
the desired position using switches2
and3.
Backrest side bolsters

Adjust the backrest side bolsters so
that they provide good lateral support
using switch4.
Heated seats*
Both switches for the front seats are
located in the center console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.

96 Controls in detailSeatsSwitching on seat heating
Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press upper switch position1 again.Switching on rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
Both red indicator lamps on switch
come on.Switching off rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2 again.
iThe seat heater will be automatically
switched off after approximately
30 minutes.
iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately five
minutes. Only one indicator lamp
remains lit.
!If one or both of the indicator lamps on
the seat heater switch are flashing,
there is insufficient voltage available
since too many electrical consumers
are turned on. The seat heater switches
off automatically.
The seat heater will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.

157 Controls in detail
Climate control
Opening the air vent
Raise lever1.
Closing the air vent

Lower lever1.Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents
1Left center air vent
2Thumbwheel for air volume control for
center air vents
3Right center air ventTo open center air vents:

Turn thumbwheel2 upward.
iThe compartment can get very warm
due to its confined space. When storing
heat sensitive objects in the compart-
ment, close the air vent while heating
the passenger compartment.!Do not obstruct the air vent in the
storage compartment.
iThe temperature at the center air vents
for the rear passenger
compartment1 and3 i s t h e s a m e a s
at the dashboard center air vents.

160 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 theAC
OFF
mode is selected
(
page 166).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold
(depending on the set temperature). This
may cause burns or frostbite on unprotected
skin in the immediate area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between
unprotected parts of the body and the foot-
well air vents. If necessary, change the air
flow using the air distribution controls to
direct the air away from the footwell air
vents (
page 162).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.

167 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
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 SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 or0, or remove it from
the starter switch.

Press button° (
page 159).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button° (
page 159).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the battery voltage drops
iHow long the system will provide
heating depends on the coolant
temperature and the temperature set
by the operator. The blower will run at
speed setting1 regardless of the air
distribution control setting.

218 Controls in detailUseful featuresArmrest storage spaces
1Handle
2Armrest
3Button
Opening storage compartment
Pull handle1 and lift armrest.
Closing storage compartment

Press armrest down until it engages
into place.Opening telephone compartment

Press button3 on driver’s or
passenger side and lift armrest.
Closing telephone compartment

Press armrest down until it engages
into place.
Changing inclination of armrest

Pull up on armrest.
Lowering armrest

Pull handle1 to lower armrest.
iVehicles with climate control:
The storage compartment can be
heated or cooled.
The compartment can get very warm
due to its confined space. When storing
heat sensitive objects in the compart-
ment, close the air vent (
page 156)
while heating the passenger compart-
ment.
!Vehicles with climate control:
Do not obstruct the air vent in the
storage compartment.

220 Controls in detailUseful featuresRear seat ashtray
Opening ashtray
Pull at top of cover1 to open ashtray.
Removing ashtray insert

Press latch2 to disengage ashtray
insert and remove it.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Install ashtray insert.

Close the ashtray.
Cigarette lighter
The cigarette lighter is located in the
center console compartment in front of the
armrest.
1Cigarette lighter
2Cover
Turn SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or2.

Slide cover2 rearward.

Push in cigarette lighter1.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when hot.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and lock
your vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe lighter socket can be used to
accommodate electrical accessories
up to a maximum 85 W.

240 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only
subjected to moderate loads, you should
occasionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument
cluster stays on, the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is too low.Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the
reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 75).
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.