2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 Ambient

29 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Rear interior lighting
on/off
139
2
Automatic interior lighting
139
3
Front interior lighting
on/off
139
4
Temperature sensor
5
Right reading lamp on/off
139
6
Tilt/sliding sunroof* or
tilt/sliding panel*
223,
226
Item
Page
7
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
271
8
Rear view mirror
186
9
Reading lamps
139
a
Garage door opener
279
b
Tow-away alarm button
95
c
Ambient lighting
165
d
Interior lighting
e
Left reading lamp on/off
139

42 Getting startedAdjustingFor more information, see “Activating exte-
rior rear view mirror parking position”
(page 187).For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 186).
!If an exterior rear view mirror was forc-
ibly pushed forward (hit from the rear)
or forcibly pushed rearward (hit from
the front), reposition it by applying firm
pressure until it snaps into place. The
mirror housing is now properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror
normally.iThe memory function (
page 130) lets
you store the setting for the seat posi-
tion together with the setting for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.
At low ambient temperatures, the mir-
rors will be heated automatically.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exte-
rior rear view mirrors will be heated au-
tomatically.

134 Controls in detailLightingManual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion U.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button once, only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps, the tail and parking lamps, the
license plate lamps, and the side marker
lamps will switch on and off automatically.
Daytime running lamp mode

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on.
In low ambient light conditions the
parking lamps will also switch on:

Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.

136 Controls in detailLightingLocator lighting and night security illu-
mination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the “Control sys-
tem” section, see (
page 163) and
(
page 164).
Fog lampsFront fog lamps

Switch on the low beam headlamps
(page 50).

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(page 133).

Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
Warning!
G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position U to B with
the vehicle at a standstill. Switching from
U to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps
on. Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding permis-
sible lamp operation.iFog lamps cannot be switched on with
the exterior lamp switch in
positionU. For switching on the fog
lamps, turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.

139 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
1Left front reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lighting on/off
3Automatic control on/off
4Front interior lighting on/off
5Right front reading lamp on/off
6Ambient lighting
7Interior lighting
8Front reading lampThe controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
Automatic control
Activating

Press automatic control switch3.
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 165).
Deactivating

Press automatic control switch3
again.
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
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes.

141 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the rear
The overhead control panel is located
above the rear seat bench.
1Ambient lighting switch, to brighten
2Rear reading lamp
3Rear reading lamp on/off
4Rear interior lamp
5Ambient lighting
6Ambient lighting switch, to dimRear reading lamps

Press desired rear reading lamp
switch3 to switch on the correspond-
ing rear reading lamp.

Press respective rear reading lamp
switch3 again to switch off the corre-
sponding rear reading lamp.
Ambient lighting

Press ambient lighting switch1or6
repeatedly until ambient lighting5
has reached the desired intensity.
You can switch the ambient lighting on and
off, using the Control system
(
page 165).
Trunk lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk lid
is opened.
If the trunk lid remains open, the trunk
lighting switches off automatically after ap-
proximately ten minutes.

142 Controls in detailInstrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 24).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


turn on the ignition


press the reset button (
page 24)


switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 157).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset button (
page 24) to adjust
the illumination brightness for the instru-
ment cluster.
To brighten illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster clockwise (
page 24).
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.To dim illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster counterclockwise (
page 24).
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.

144 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.
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 Cel-
sius (°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. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison 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.
!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.