192 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)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
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the modeAC
OFF
is activated or
mode AC is deactivated (page 198).
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 194).
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.
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, see
“Opening (Summer opening feature)”
(page 243).
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.
193 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Deactivating the automatic climate control system
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the automatic
climate control system.
Press button´ (
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button´
comes on.
The automatic climate control system
is deactivated.Reactivating
Press button´ (
page 191) again.
The indicator lamp on the button´
goes out.
The automatic climate control system
is reactivated.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls3 andd for
the left side or6 andb for the right side
(page 191) 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).
Display1Temperature, left
2Blower speed
3Temperature, right
Increasing
Push temperature control3
and/or6 (
page 191).
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Decreasing
Push temperature controlb
and/ord (
page 191).
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
iWhen the air conditioning is switched
off, the outside air supply and circula-
tion are also switched off. Only choose
this setting for a short time. Otherwise
the windows could fog up.
iWhen operating the automatic climate
control system in automatic mode, you
will only rarely need to adjust the
temperature, air volume and air
distribution.
195 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Adjusting automatically
Press buttonU (
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air volume is controlled automati-
cally for the entire vehicle, and the air
distribution is controlled automatically
for each separate half of the vehicle.
Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP or0
(page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches automatical-
ly to the following functions:
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press buttonP or0
(page 191) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 191) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and soft top are closed).
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.
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.
Window fogging may impair visibility and
endanger you and others.
196 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)Activating
Press button, (
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button, (
page 191).
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)
iIf you keep button, pressed, the
side windows will close.Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows 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
releasing the, button or by pressing or
pulling the respective window switch.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically:
at high outside temperatures
if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel (charcoal filter must be
activated for the air recirculation
mode to be activated automatically)
The indicator lamp on the, button
is not lit when the air recirculation
mode is automatically switched on.
After approx. 30 minutes, outside air is
added to the air inside the vehicle.
If you have turned off the air
conditioning (
page 198) or the out-
side temperature is below 41°F (5°C),
the air recirculation mode will not
switch on automatically.
iIf you keep button, pressed, the
side windows will return to their previ-
ous position.
198 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)Air 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 automatic
climate control system. The air in the
vehicle will then no longer be cooled or
dehumidified.
Automatic climate control panel
design A
Press button° (
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.
Automatic climate control panel
design B
Press button2(
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condi-
tioning.
Automatic climate control panel
design A
Press button°(
page 191) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function is switched on.
Automatic climate control panel
design B
Press button2(
page 191)
again.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The cooling function is switched on.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and
others.
199 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Residual heat and ventilation*
(available on Automatic climate control panel design A only)
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
Switch off the ignition (
page 36).
Press button°(
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button°(
page 191).
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
!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.
iHow long the system will provide
heating depends on
the coolant temperature
the temperature set by the operator
The blower will run at speed setting 1
regardless of the air distribution
control setting.
200 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)Rear passenger compartment adjustable air vents
The air conditioning for the rear passenger
compartment is controlled via the auto-
matic climate control panel (
page 191).The air vents for the rear passenger
compartment are located in the rear
center console.
1Thumbwheel for air volume control for
center air vents
2Left center air vent
3Right center air ventAdjusting air distribution
Push the slide for the left center
vent2 or right center vent3 to the
left, right, up or down.
The air flow is directed in the corre-
sponding direction.
Adjusting air volume
Turn thumbwheel1 t o t he l e f t o r r i g h t .
The air volume is increased or de-
creased.
iThe temperature at the center air vents
for the rear passenger
compartment2 and3 i s t h e s a m e a s
at the dashboard center air vents.
iFor draft-free ventilation, push
slides2 and3 upward.
336 OperationTires and wheelsBar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
GVW (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
installed accessories, passengers and
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue
load. The GWV must never exceed the
GWVR indicated on the certification label
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.GVWR (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
This is the maximum permissible vehicle
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight of
the vehicle including all options, passen-
gers, fuel, and cargo and, if applicable,
trailer tongue load). It is indicated on
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa)
The metric unit for air pressure. There are
6.9 kPa to one psi; another metric unit for
air pressure is bars. There are
100 kilopascals (kPa) to one bar.