2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 climate control

158 Controls in detailClimate controlDefrosting
Activating
Press buttonP (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
or

Switch off air recirculation, if selected.
Press buttonO (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Close center air vents (
page 155).

Open left and right side air vents
(page 155) and adjust side air vents
upwards.Deactivating

Press buttonP (
page 155).
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 buttonO (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
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 buttonO pressed the
side windows and sliding/pop-up roof*
will close.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 procedure.
In the event that the closing procedure
causes potential danger, the closing of the
side windows can be immediately halted by
pressing or pulling the respective window
switch. The closing of the sliding/pop-up
roof* can be immediately halted by moving
the sliding/pop-up roof* switch in the
overhead control panel in any direction.

159 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
Press buttonO (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically:


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


after five minutes if the air conditioning
is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside
temperature 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.
Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Set air volume control1 (
page 155)
to position0.
Reactivating

Set air volume control1 (
page 155)
to any speed.
The closing of the side windows and
sliding/pop-up roof* can be reversed by
again pressing and holding theO button.iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
If you have turned off the air condi-
tioning (
page 160) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
iIf you keep buttonO pressed the
side windows and sliding/pop-up roof*
will return to their previous position.

160 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 button± (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press button± (
page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button 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
climate 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
conditioning is losing refrigerant. The
compressor 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.

161 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.

162 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*
Automatic climate control*

163 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Automatic climate control panel
Item
1
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
2
Left center air vent, adjustable
3
Thumbwheel for adding outside air
4
Right center air vent, adjustable
5
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
6
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for side air vent
7
Side air vent, adjustable
8
Side defroster vent, fixed
9
Automatic climate control paneliFor draft-free ventilation, move the
sliders for the center air vents2, 4
and7 to the middle position.
Item
1
Temperature control, left, raising
2
Left-side air distribution control
(automatic or manual mode)
3
Activated charcoal filter
4
Display
5
Right-side air distribution control
(automatic or manual mode)
6
Temperature control, right, raising
7
Temperature control, right,
lowering
8
Rear window defroster
9
AC cooling on/off (AC
OFF
)
Residual heat/ventilation
a
Air volume control
b
Automatic climate control on/off
(complete system)
c
Air recirculation
d
Defrosting
e
Temperature control, left, lowering

164 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 170).
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 166).
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.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 ande for
the left side or6 and7 for the right side
(page 163) 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

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

Push temperature control7
and/ore.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Adding outside air

Turn thumbwheel3 in dashboard
(page 163) to increase airflow of
outside air through air vents for center,
left and right sides and rear passenger
compartment.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air
pollution) may require replacement of
the filter 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.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing
objects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.