2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 temperature

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Manual shift program E 55 AMG
In the manual shift program mode you can
change the gears manually (
page 162)
on the steering wheel or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 159).
Allow engine to warm up under low load
use. Do not place full load on the engine
until the operating temperature has been
reached. Shift into reverse gear only when
the vehicle is stopped.Program mode selector switch
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
S Sport For standard driving
C Comfort For comfort driving
M Manual For manual gear shifting
The selected shift program (
C/S/M) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 129).Activating manual shift program

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for
manual shift program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program mode switches to manual
program modeM. Automatic shifting is
switched off. The gear range is not
limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected shift program (
C/S/M) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 129).
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drive train which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

173 Controls in detail
Good visibility
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 approximately 6 to 17 minutes of oper-
ation depending on the outside
temperature.
Activating
Press buttonFon the climate con-
trol panel (
page 173) or the automat-
ic climate control panel (
page 176).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press buttonF again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
!Always guide the sunblind by hand. Do
not let it snap back, as the retractor
could be damaged.
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 flashing, 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.

176 Controls in detailClimate control
Item
1
Left-side temperature control
2
Windshield defroster
3
Increase air volume
4
Air distribution
5
Rear window defroster
6
Right-side temperature control
Item
7
Residual heat / ventilation
8
AC cooling on / off (AC
OFF
)
9
Air distribution display
a
Climate control on / off
b
Air volume display
c
Decrease air volume
Item
d
Air recirculation
e
Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)

177 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. You can operate
the climate control system in either the au-
tomatic or manual mode. 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.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the AC
OFF
mode is selected
(
page 182).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite to unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary change the air flow
using the air distribution controls
(page 176) to direct the air away from the
footwell 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.
iSevere 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.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing ob-
jects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.

178 Controls in detailClimate controlSetting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and6 to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing
Turn the temperature control1 or6
slightly to the right.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.Decreasing

Turn the temperature control1 or6
slightly to the left.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution
Adjusting manually
Use air distribution control4
(page 176) to adjust the air distribution.

Press the Ubutton.
The indicator lamp on the Ubutton
goes out.

Press air distribution rocker switch4
(page 176) until the display shows
the desired setting.
The current air distribution appears in
the air distribution display9.
Adjusting automatically

Press the Ubutton.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air distribution and vol-
ume is adjusted automatically.
Symbol
Function
a
Directs air through the center,
side and rear passenger com-
partment air vents
Z
Directs air to the windows
X
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
Y
Directs air to the footwells

179 Controls in detail
Climate control
Adjusting center air vents:
The thumbwheels for left2 and right6
center air vents are automatically posi-
tioned for optimum interior airflow. In this
position, center air vent4 and adjustable
left and right center vents3 and5 are
fully opened.
Heating:
Only in manual mode is it possible to lower
the temperature in the headroom by regu-
lating the cold-airflow using
thumbwheel7 (
page 174).Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 48).

Press the Ubutton.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Adjusting air volume
Adjusting manually
Five blower speeds are available.
Press
to decrease orQ to in-
crease air volume to the desired level.
The
Auto
display disappears and the
automatic mode is switched off. The
selected blower speed is shown in the
display.Adjusting automatically

Press the U button.
The air volume is adjusted automatical-
ly.
Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
or

Switch off air recirculation, if selected.
Press buttonO.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.


180 Controls in detailClimate control
Close center air vents.

Open left and right side air vents and
adjust side air vents upwards.
Deactivating

Press buttonP.
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.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
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 tempera-
tures.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 182) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.


181 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
Press buttonO.
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.
Deactivating the climate control sys-
tem
Deactivating
Press button M (
page 176).
Reactivating

Press button M again(
page 176).
or

Press any button on the climate control
panel (
page 176).
Warning!
G
Never operate the windows and
sliding / pop-up roof* or panorama
sliding / pop-up roof* if there is the possibil-
ity of anyone being harmed by the opening
or closing procedure.
In case the procedure causes potential dan-
ger:
Vehicles with sliding/pop-up roof: The pro-
cedure for the windows can be immediately
halted by pressing or pulling the respective
window switch. The procedure for the slid-
ing/pop-up roof can be immediately halted
by moving the switch for the sliding/pop-up
roof in any direction.
The closing of the side windows and the slid-
ing/pop-up roof can be reversed by again
pressing and holding theO button.
Vehicles with panorama sliding/pop-up
roof: The procedure for the windows and
panorama sliding/pop-up roof can be imme-
diately halted by releasing theO button.
iIf you keep buttonO pressed, the
side windows and sliding / pop-up
roof* or panorama sliding / pop-up
roof* will return to their previous posi-
tion.