2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 Owner's Manual

200 Controls in detailGood visibility
Make sure the sun visor is properly en-
gaged in the mounting.

Lift the mirror cover2 to access the
mirror.
Mirror lamp3 switches on.
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
after approximately 6 to 17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside tem-
perature.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.

201 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Activating
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Press button1 on the climate con-
trol panel (
page 204) or the automat-
ic climate control* panel (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press button1 again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

202 Controls in detailClimate control

203 Controls in detail
Climate control
Rear climate control panel
1
Door air vent, fixed
2
Side air vent, adjustable
3
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for side air vent
4
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
5
Left center air vent, adjustable
6
Right center air vent, adjustable
7
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
8
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for side air vent
9
Side air vent, adjustable
a
Door air vent, fixed
b
Climate control paneliFor draft-free ventilation, move the
sliders for the center vents5 and6
to the middle position.
1
Left rear center air vent, adjustable
2
Right rear center air vent, adjustable
3
Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)
4
Air distribution (directs air through
the center air vents)
5
Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and both center air
vents)
6
Rear air conditioning on/off

204 Controls in detailClimate control1
Temperature control, left
2
Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)
3
Defrosting
4
Increase air volume
5
Air distribution (directs air through
the windshield and side air vents)
6
Rear air conditioning on/off
7
Temperature control, right
8
AC cooling on/off (A/C)
Residual heat/ventilation (REST)
9
Air distribution (directs air through
center and side air vents)
a
Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and side vents)
b
Indicator lamps for air volume
settings
c
Decrease air volume
d
Rear window defroster
e
Air recirculation
f
Interior temperature sensor
g
Climate control on/off

205 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 A/C mode is deactivated
(
page 211).
Warning!
G
When operating the 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 frost-
bite to unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the footwell air vents. If necessary
change the air flow using the air distribution
controls (
page 204) 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.

206 Controls in detailClimate controlDeactivating the climate control system
Deactivating
Press button´ (
page 204).
Reactivating

Press buttonU (
page 204).
Rear air conditioning
You can switch on and off the rear air con-
ditioning using the climate control panel in
the front.
Deactivating
Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on button:
comes on. The rear air conditioning is
switched off.
Activating

Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on button:
goes out. The rear air conditioning is
adjusted automatically.For more information on rear air condition-
ing, see “Rear air conditioning”
(
page 213).
iWhen the air conditioning is switched
off, the outside air supply and circula-
tion are also switched off. Only choose
this settings for a short time. Otherwise
the windows could fog up.iYou can also press button´ on the
climate control panel.
If you press button0 to reactivate
the climate control system, the defrost-
ing mode is activated.
iYou can also switch on and off the rear
air conditioning by pressing the respec-
tive button on the rear climate control
panel.

207 Controls in detail
Climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and7
(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 the temperature control1
and/or7 slightly to the right.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn the temperature control1
and/or7 slightly to the left.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control5,9, ora
(page 204) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:
Adjusting manually

Press the desired air distribution con-
trol.
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out.
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the windshield
and side air vents
a
Directs air through the center
and side air vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
side air vents