184 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) (E 55 AMG only) appear in the mul-
tifunction display.An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:
limiting the gear range
changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!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 R or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
201 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Roller sunblind* in the rear doors
Pull the roller sunblind out using the
hooks.
Attach the hooks at the top.
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 button1 (
page 204) or
(
page 216) orF (
page 217) on
the respective climate control panel.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press buttonF or1 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.
206 Controls in detailDual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)Deactivating the climate control system
Deactivating
Press button ´ (
page 204).
Reactivating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
Press button ´ (
page 204) again.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.Operating the climate control system
in automatic modeActivating
Press buttonU (
page 204) while
the engine is running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.
Use temperature controls1 and6
(page 204) to separately adjust the
air temperature on each side of the
passenger compartment.
The temperature of the vehicle interior
is adjusted automatically.
iWhen the climate control system is de-
activated, the outside air supply and
circulation are also deactivated. Only
choose this setting for a short time.
Otherwise the windows could fog up.iTo switch the system on, you can also
press another button, with the excep-
tion of 1.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.
In automatic mode, cooling with dehu-
midify is switched on. This function can
be switched off if necessary.
207 Controls in detail
Dual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)
Deactivating
Press button orQ
(page 204).
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out. The automatic operation of
air volume switches off. The selected
blower speed is shown in the air
volume displaya (
page 204).
or
Press air distribution button4
(page 204).
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out. The automatic operation of
air distribution switches off. The select-
ed air distribution is shown in the air
distribution display8 (
page 204).
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and6
(page 204) 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).
The climate control will adjust to the set
temperature as fast as possible.
Increasing
Turn temperature control1 and/or
6 (
page 204) slightly clockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.Decreasing
Turn temperature control1 and/or
6 (
page 204) slightly counterclock-
wise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
208 Controls in detailDual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control4
(page 204) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are located on the
air distribution display8 (
page 204):
Use air distribution control4
(page 204) until the desired symbol
appears in the display 8
(page 204).
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out.
Opening the cockpit air vent and center
air vents
Turn thumbwheels 1 and 5
(page 202) upward.
The cockpit air vent 3 and the center
air vents 2 and 4 are open.Closing the cockpit air vent and center
air vents
Turn thumbwheels 1 and 5
(page 202) downward.
The cockpit air vent 3 and the center
air vents 2 and 4 are closed.
Opening the side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 8 and a
(page 202) upward.
The side air vents 7 and b are open.
Closing the side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 8 and a
(page 202) downward.
The side air vents 7 and b are
closed.
Symbol
Function
a
Directs air through the cock-
pit, center, side and rear pas-
senger compartment air vents
Z
Directs air to the windows
X
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
Y
Directs air to the footwells
iYou can also turn the air distribution
control to a position between two sym-
bols.
209 Controls in detail
Dual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)
Adjusting air volume
Nine blower speeds are available.
Press button to decrease
orQ to increase air volume
(page 204) to the desired level.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
(page 204) goes out. The automatic
operation of air volume switches off.
The selected blower speed is shown in
the air volume displaya
(page 204).
Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up.
You can also defog the windshield and the
side windows.Activating
Press button0 (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following func-
tions:
cooling on to dehumidify
maximum blowing and heating
power (depends on cooling
temperature)
air flows onto the windshield
and the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press button0 (
page 204) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 56).
Close the cockpit air vent.
Press buttonU (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.
If the automatic air distribution is switched
off:
Turn air distribution control4 to a
or Y (
page 204).
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
iThe cooling remains switched on.iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
210 Controls in detailDual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before a driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating
Briefly press button,
(page 204).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 212) is activated, or
press button
0
.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
The indicator lamp on button, is
not lit when the air recirculation mode
is automatically switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 212) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
Warning!
G
Never operate the windows and tilt/sliding
sunroof* or tilt/sliding panel* if there is the
possibility of anyone being harmed by the
opening or closing procedure.
In case the procedure causes potential dan-
ger:
Vehicles with or without tilt/sliding sunroof:
The closing of the side windows can be im-
mediately halted by pressing or pulling the
respective window switch. The closing of the
tilt/sliding sunroof can be immediately halt-
ed by moving the switch for the tilt/sliding
sunroof in any direction.
The closing of the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof can be reversed by again
pressing and holding the, button.
Vehicles with panorama roof: The closing of
the side windows and tilt/sliding panel can
be immediately halted by releasing the,
button.
211 Controls in detail
Dual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)
Deactivating
Press button, (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iPress and hold button, for approx-
imately 2 seconds. The side windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* will close. You
can release button, once the clos-
ing procedure has begun. The windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* continue clos-
ing until they are fully closed.
Vehicles with panorama roof:
Press and hold button, until the
side windows and the tilt/sliding panel
are closed or have reached the desired
position.
iThe air recirculation mode is
deactivated automatically:
after 5 minutes if the outside tem-
perature is below approximately
41°F (5°C)
after 5 minutes if the air condition-
ing is turned off
after 30 minutes if the outside tem-
perature is above approximately
41°F (5°C)
iPress and hold button, for
approximately 2 seconds. The side
windows and tilt/sliding sunroof* or
tilt/sliding panel* will return to their
previous position.You can release
button, once the opening proce-
dure has begun. The windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* or tilt/sliding pan-
el* continue opening until they have
reached their previous position.
A window or tilt/sliding sunroof* (or
tilt/sliding panel*) will only return to its
previous position if it has not been
moved to another position using the re-
spective window switch or tilt/sliding
sunroof* (or tilt/sliding panel*) switch
after it was closed with button,.
A window or tilt/sliding sunroof* (or
tilt/sliding panel*) that has been
moved will remain in its current posi-
tion if button, is used to reopen
the remaining windows or tilt/sliding
sunroof* (or tilt/sliding panel*).