2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R350 ESP

209 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gearR is engaged


the interior light is turned on
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, when transporting cargo
which covers the rear window.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In case of an accident liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

210 Controls in detailGood visibilityActivating exterior rear view mirror
parking position*
Follow these steps to activate the exterior
rear view mirror parking position, so that
the passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror will be turned downward to the stored
position.
Make sure that you have stored a park-
ing position for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror (
page 146).

Make sure the
Mirror adjustment
parking aid function in the
Convenience
submenu of the control
system is set to
on (page 190).

Start the engine (
page 53).1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button

Set the automatic transmission in
reverse gear R.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror turns downward to the stored
position (
page 146) if the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror is se-
lected.
The indicator lamp in button 2 should
come on when you select reverse
gearR.

If the passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is not selected, press button 2.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previous stored driving position:


when you switch off the ignition


10 seconds after you have put the
automatic transmission out of reverse
gear R
Approximately 15 seconds later, the
indicator lamp in button 2 goes out.


immediately once your vehicle exceeds
a speed of approximately
6mph(10km/h)


immediately when you press button 1
for driver’s side exterior rear view
mirror
iWith the automatic transmission in re-
verse gear R, the previously selected
rear view mirror is activated. The indi-
cator lamp in the respective button
comes on.
iWith the automatic transmission in re-
verse gear R, you can deactivate the
exterior rear mirror parking position by
pressing button 1 or activate it by
pressing button 2. The indicator lamp
of the selected button is on.

211 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Power folding exterior rear view mirrors*
Folding the exterior rear view mirrors
in and out automatically
When the corresponding function in the
control system is activated (
page 191):


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold in as soon as the vehicle is
locked from the outside.


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold out as soon as the vehicle is
unlocked and the driver’s or front pas-
senger door are subsequently opened.Synchronizing exterior rear view
mirrors
The power folding rear view mirrors may
have to be synchronized after the vehicle
battery has been disconnected or dis-
charged. If the exterior rear view mirrors
do not fold properly upon locking or un-
locking the vehicle although the corre-
sponding function in the control system is
activated (
page 191), do the following:

Fold each exterior rear view mirror in
completely (
page 212).

Fold each exterior rear view mirror out
completely (
page 212).
When the exterior rear view mirrors fold
properly upon locking the vehicle, the exte-
rior mirrors are synchronized. Otherwise
repeat the above steps.Folding the exterior rear view mirrors
in and out manually
The button is located on the door control
panel.
1Button for folding exterior rear view
mirrors in and out

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
!Before you drive the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, fold the exterior
rear view mirrors in. Otherwise they
may get damaged.
iThe exterior rear view mirrors can vi-
brate if they are not folded out com-
pletely.

214 Controls in detailGood visibilityRear door window sunshade*
1Holder
2Tab
To raise sunshade, pull on tab 2 and
engage it in holder 1.

To lower sunshade, disengage tab 2
from holder 1 and guide retraction.
Third-row sunshade*
1Clip
2Mounting
Insert clips 1 into mountings 2.

Press on clips 1 to engage in mount-
ings 2.
!Always guide the sunshade. Do not let
it snap back abruptly, as the retractor
could be damaged.!With the sunshade raised and the
respective door window open, the sun-
shade could disengage and snap back
when driving at high vehicle speeds,
e.g. on highways, and damage the
retractor. You should therefore always
either close the door window or lower
the sunshade when driving at high
speed.

215 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside tem-
perature.
Activating
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).

Press button1 on the climate con-
trol panel (
page 218) or the automat-
ic climate control* panel (
page 232).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button3 again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.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, too many electrical con-
sumers are operating simultaneously
and there is insufficient voltage in the
battery. The system responds automat-
ically by switching the rear window de-
froster off.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
switches back on automatically.

220 Controls in detailClimate controlDeactivating the climate control system
Deactivating
Press button´ (
page 218).
Reactivating

Press buttonU (
page 218).Deactivating rear climate control
You can switch on and off the rear climate
control using the climate control panel in
the front.
Deactivating

Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Reactivating

Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The rear climate control is adjust-
ed automatically.For more information on rear climate con-
trol, see “Rear climate control”
(
page 228).
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.iYou can also press button´
(page 218) on the climate control
panel.
If you press button0 (
page 218)
to reactivate the climate control sys-
tem, the defrosting mode is activated.
iYou can also switch on and off the rear
climate control by pressing the respec-
tive button on the rear climate control
panel (
page 229).

222 Controls in detailClimate controlSetting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and7
(page 218) 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
7 (
page 218) slightly clockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn temperature control1 and/or
7 (
page 218) slightly counterclock-
wise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution
Press air distribution button5,9, ora
(page 218) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
buttons:

Press the desired air distribution
button5,9, ora (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out.
Adjusting air volume
Five blower speeds are available.
Press button
to decrease or
buttonQ to increase air volume
(page 218) to the desired level.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
(page 218) goes out. The automatic
operation of air volume switches off.
The selected blower speed is shown in
the air volume display
b(page 218).
Adjusting air volume for the center and
side air vents
Opening the center air vents

Turn thumbwheels 5 and 6
(page 216) upward.
The corresponding center air vents on
the left and right are open.
Symbol
Function
a
Directs air through the center
and side air vents
Z
Directs air to the windshield
and side air vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
side air vents

223 Controls in detail
Climate control
Closing the center air vents
Turn thumbwheels 5 and 6
(page 216) downward.
The corresponding center air vents on
the left and right are closed.
Opening the side air vents

Turn thumbwheels 2 and 7
(page 216) upward.
The corresponding side air vents on the
left and right are open.
Closing the side air vents

Turn thumbwheels 2 and 7
(page 216) downward.
The corresponding side air vents on the
left and right are closed.
Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up. You
can also use it to defog the windshield and
side windows.
Activating
Press button0 (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.The climate control switches to the follow-
ing functions automatically:


maximum blower speed and heating
power


air flows onto the windshield and the
front side windows (side air vents must
be open)


the air conditioning compressor
switches on at outside temperatures
above approximately 41°F (5°C) for
air-drying
Deactivating

Press button0 (
page 218) once
more.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are in effect
again. The air conditioning compressor
remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
iTo switch off, you can also press
button´ orU (
page 218).