2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C32AMG wheel

147 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired shift program appears in
the multifunction display (
page 113).
SelectCfor comfort driving:


The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.


The power transmission ratio for
gear selector lever positionR
changes depending on the program
mode selected (SorC).
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

155 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel
The storage compartment between the
front seats can be ventilated (
page 160).
Item
1
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
2
Left center air vent, adjustable
3
Right center air vent, adjustable
4
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
5
Air volume control for side air vent
6
Side air vent, adjustable
7
Side defroster vent, fixed
8
Climate control paneliFor draft-free ventilation, move the
sliders for the center air vents2, 3
and6 to the middle position.
Item
1
Air volume control
2
Left-side temperature control
3
Right-side temperature control
4
Air distribution control
5
Rear window defroster
6
AC cooling on/off (AC
OFF
)
7
Air distribution and air volume
(automatic mode)
8
Air recirculation
9
Defrosting

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.

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

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.

172 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*Rear passenger compartment adjustable air vents
1Left center air vent
2Thumbwheel for air volume control for
center air vents
3Right center air vent
4Closing center air vents
5Opening center air vents
6Switching on blowerAdjusting the air volume

Turn thumbwheel2.iFour blower speeds are available.
The temperature at the center air vents
for the rear passenger
compartment1 and3 is the same as
at the dashboard center air vents.

193 Controls in detail
Audio system
Repeat
The repeat function (RPT) repeats the cur-
rent track.
Switching on repeat:
Press the
RPT
key.
RPT
is highlighted in the display.
Switching off repeat:

Press the
RPT
key.
The highlighted RPT
in the display dis-
appears.Track and time display

Press the
T key.
The number of the track being played
and the elapsed playing time appear in
the display.

Press the
T key.
The total number of tracks and the total
playing time of the CD appear in the
display.
The CD main menu appears again after
eight seconds.
Telephone* operation
Various car telephone* functions and op-
erating steps for the car telephone can be
performed and displayed via the audio sys-
tem.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating
instructions for the multifunction steering
wheel, voice control* and the telephone*.
iThe Random play and Repeat function
cannot be used simultaneously.

206 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed
For information on the BAS, ABS and ESP
driving systems, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 72).
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 or resume
cruise control at 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.