Page 133 of 458

131 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Left reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lamps on/off
3Right reading lamp on/off
4Rocker switch for automatic
control on/offAutomatic control
Activating
Press rocker switch 4 to the center
position.
The interior lighting switches on in
darkness when you:
unlock the vehicle
remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
open a door
open the trunk
The interior lighting switches off automati-
cally following an adjustable time delay.
For more information, see “Setting interior
lighting delayed shut-off” (
page 161).Deactivating
Press the ñ symbol on rocker
switch 4.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you:
unlock the vehicle
remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
open a door
open the trunk
iLeaving an interior light switch in the
ON position for extended periods of
time with the engine turned off could
result in a discharged battery.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lighting switches off automatically after
approximately five minutes.
Page 137 of 458

135 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248° F (120°C),
i.e. close to the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248° F
(120°C), i.e. in the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display.
If it is not displayed, press the è or
ÿ button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears (
page 137).
Press and hold reset buttonJ in the
instrument cluster (
page 134) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
iExcessive coolant temperature triggers
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 345).
Page 138 of 458

136 Controls in detailInstrument clusterTachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
CL 55 AMG and CL 65 AMG
The tachometer of the CL 55 AMG and
CL 65 AMG does not have a red marking
denoting excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the instrument cluster (
page 24). For in-
formation on how to select the unit of the
displayed temperature, i.e. degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F),
see “Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 157).
The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Clock
The time is indicated in the instrument
cluster in the tachometer display.
You can adjust the clock using the
COMAND system. Refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Page 143 of 458
141 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1
Standard dis-
play
Menu2
AUDIO
Menu3
Telephone*
Menu4
NAVI
Menu5
Distronic*
Menu6
Trip computer
Menu7
Vehicle status
message memory
Menu8
Settings
(page 142)
(page 142)
(page 147)
(page 149)
(page 150)
(page 151)
(page 153)
(page 154)
Commands/submenusCall up mainte-
nance service
display
Select radio
station
Load phone
book
Activate
route guid-
ance
Call up set-
tings
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
after start
Call up vehicle mal-
function, warning
and system status
messages stored in
memory
Reset to fac-
tory settings
Check tire in-
flation pres-
sure*
Select satellite
radio station*
(USA only)
Search for
name in
phone book
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
since the last
reset
Instrument
cluster
submenu
Check engine
oil level
Select CD
track
Select
number last
dialed
Call up range
Lighting
submenu
Digital speed-
ometer
Select MP3-CD
track
Vehicle
submenuConvenience
submenu
Page 144 of 458

142 Controls in detailControl system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with buttonj
ork.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press the j or k button repeat-
edly until you see the digital speedom-
eter appear in the multifunction
display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
is shown in the
multifunction display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up maintenance service
display
316
Check tire inflation pres-
sure*
294
Check engine oil level
275
Call up digital speedometer
142
Function
Page
Select radio station
143
Select satellite radio* station
(USA only)
143
Select CD track
144
Select MP3-CD track
144
Page 149 of 458

147 Controls in detail
Control system
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND.
Press buttonè orÿ on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL
menu in the multifunction dis-
play.Which messages will appear in the multi-
function display field depends on whether
your telephone is switched on or off:
If the telephone is off, the message in
the multifunction display is:
TEL OFF
.
If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the multi-
function display reads
NO SERVICE
.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network,
READY
is indicated in the mul-
tifunction display.
The standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can op-
erate it using the control system.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving. For your safety and the
safety of others, we recommend that you
pull over to a safe location and stop before
making or taking a telephone call. If you
choose to use the telephone while driving,
please use the hands-free device and only
use the telephone when weather, road and
traffic conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.
Page 153 of 458

151 Controls in detail
Control system
Trip computer menu
Use the trip computer menu to call up sta-
tistical data on your vehicle. The following
information is available:Fuel consumption statistics after start
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the multi-
function display:
AFTER START
.
1Distance driven since start
2Time elapsed since start
3Average fuel consumption since start
4Average speed since startIncorporating statistics from the previ-
ous journey in the consumption statis-
tics
When you restart the engine, the
AFTER START
display flashes for:
a distance of approximately 1.25 miles
(two kilometers)
or
a duration of two minutes
During this period, the data from the previ-
ous journey can be incorporated as fol-
lows:
Press the reset buttonJ in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 134).
The statistics will be incorporated.
Function
Page
Fuel consumption statistics after
start
151
Fuel consumption statistics
since last reset
152
Resetting fuel consumption sta-
tistics
152
Call up range (distance to empty)
152
iEach time you call up the trip comput-
er, the last function used appears as
the first display.
iIf you do not press the reset buttonJ,
the consumption statistics will be reset
to
0.
Page 161 of 458

159 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
LIGHT-
ING
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the multi-
function display:
LIGHTING CIRCUIT
HEADLAMP MODE.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Pressæ orç to select manual
or daytime running lamp (constant)
mode. This function is not available in
countries where daytime running
lamps are mandatory.
With daytime running lamp mode selected
and the exterior lamp switch at position0,
the following lamps will come on automat-
ically when the engine is turned on:
Parking lamps and low beam head-
lamps
License plate lamps (in low ambient
light conditions)
iThis function is not available in coun-
tries where the daytime running lamp
mode is mandatory and therefore in a
constant mode.
iIf you turn the exterior lamp switch to
another position, the corresponding
lamp(s) will switch on.
For safety reasons, resetting the LIGHTING
submenu to factory settings
(
page 155) while driving will not re-
set the daytime running lamp mode.
In the multifunction display you will
then see the message:
LIGHTING –
CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RESET TO FAC-
TORY SETTINGS WHILE DRIVING
.