2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 Page 16

213 Controls in detail
Climate control
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 208).
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 208) 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.
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 61).

Press button0(
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The climate control switches automatically
to the following functions:


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
If the automatic air distribution is switched
off:

Press air distribution button9 ora
(page 208).
i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are clear again.
When the defrost setting has been selected, only
the rear window defroster can be switched on.
No other settings are possible.
i
To switch off, you can also press
button´ orU (
page 208).
i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.

214 Controls in detailClimate controlAir recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating

Press button: (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button:.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility,
endangering 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 win-
dow fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 208) is activated, or
press button0.
i
The air recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically at high outside temperatures.
The indicator lamp on button: is not lit when
the air recirculation mode is switched on auto-
matically.
A quantity outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.
If you have turned off the air conditioning
(
page 216) or the outside temperature is
below 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will
not switch on automatically.
i
To cool the interior as fast as possible, the
climate control automatically switches to air
recirculation. The indicator lamp on button:
is not lit when the air recirculation mode has
been switched on automatically.
i
The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically


after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5°C)


after 5 minutes if the air conditioning and
air-drying is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)

216 Controls in detailClimate controlAir conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
In addition, the air conditioning dehumidi-
fies the interior air at outside temperatures
above 41°F (5° C) and helps prevent
window fogging.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.

Press button9 (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press button9 (
page 208) again.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation
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.
i
Condensation may drip out from underneath
the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication
of a malfunction.Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
interior air is not dried. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and
others.
!
If the air conditioning cannot be turned on
again, this indicates that the air conditioning is
losing refrigerant. The compressor has turned
off.
Have the air conditioning checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
i
How long the system will provide heating
depends on


the coolant temperature


the battery voltage
Regardless of the temperature and air volume
set on the climate control panel, the interior tem-
perature is set to 72°F (22°C) and the blower
runs on low speed to protect the vehicle battery.

217 Controls in detail
Climate control
Activating
Switch off the ignition (
page 40).

Press button9 (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press button9 (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Rear climate control*
The control panel for the rear climate
control is only available if your vehicle is
equipped with seat heating* for the rear
seats.
The control panel is located on the rear of
the front center console.Rear climate control panel
i
The residual heat is automatically turned off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the coolant temperature is too low


if the battery voltage drops
1
Left rear center air vent, adjustable
2
Right rear center air vent, adjustable
3
Rear climate control on
(automatic mode)
4
Air distribution (directs air through
the center air vents)
5
Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and side air vents)
6
Rear air conditioning off

218 Controls in detailClimate controlActivating rear climate control
Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.Deactivating rear climate control

Press button´.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Operating from the front
Deactivating

Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Reactivating

Press button: on the front climate
control panel (
page 208).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The rear climate control is adjust-
ed automatically.
i
The climate control must be switched on
(
page 218).
i
The temperature is adjusted according to
the settings for the front passenger side made
on the front climate control panel (
page 211).
i
Switch off the rear climate control for im-
proved cooling or heating output in the front pas-
senger compartment.
You can also switch off the rear climate control
from the front passenger compartment
(
page 218).

219 Controls in detail
Climate control
Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls4 or5
to adjust the air distribution for the rear
passenger compartment.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:
Adjusting manually
Press the desired air distribution
control4 or5.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
goes out.Adjusting automatically

Press buttonU (
page 217).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air distribution is adjust-
ed automatically.
Adjusting air volume
The air volume for the rear zone corre-
sponds to the air volume settings for the
front passenger side. You can switch off
the air supply for the rear zone.
You can switch off the supplied amount of
air volume.

Press button´ (
page 217).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the center air
vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
the side air vents

223 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
The automatic climate control is a 3-zone
intelligent automatic climate control sys-
tem. Your vehicle interior is divided into
3 zones.With the help of a sun sensor, the automat-
ic climate control determines the relation
of the sun to the vehicle and automatically
adjusts the inside temperature for every
individual zone.
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. It cools
the vehicle’s interior according to the an-
gle and intensity of the sun’s rays, the out-
side temperature and the selected
temperature. You can operate the auto-
matic climate control in either the auto-
matic or manual mode.
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 222).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
to unprotected skin in the immediate area of
the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the air
vents. If necessary, use the air distribution
controls (
page 222) to direct the air to air
vents in the vehicle interior that are not in
the immediate area of unprotected skin.

224 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*
Deactivating the automatic climate control system
Deactivating
Press button´ (
page 222) until
the displaye (
page 222) is cleared.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Reactivating

Press buttonU(
page 222).
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.i
Severe 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 “Summer opening fea-
ture” (page 239). The automatic climate con-
trol will then adjust the interior temperature to
the set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
Warning!
G
When the automatic climate control system
is switched off, the outside air supply and
circulation are also switched off. Only
choose this settings for a short time. Other-
wise the windows could fog up, impairing
visibility and endangering you and others.
i
You can also press button´
(
page 222) on the automatic climate control
panel.
If you press button0 (
page 222) to reacti-
vate the automatic climate control system, the
defrosting mode is activated.