201 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
USA only
Canada only
Item
1Left side air vent, adjustable
2Thumbwheel for air volume control
for center air vents
3Right side air vent, adjustable
4Automatic climate control panel
5Right center air vent, adjustable
6Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right side center air vent
7Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left side center air vent
8Left center air vent, adjustable
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the sliders
for the center air vents and side air vents to the
middle position.
Item
1Left side air distribution control
2Front defroster
3Temperature control, left, raising
4Display
5Air volume control, raising
6Temperature control, right, raising
7Rear window defroster
8Right side air distribution control
9Charcoal filter
aAC cooling on/off
Residual heat/ventilation
(Canada only)
bTemperature control, right, lowering
cAir volume control, lowering
dTemperature control, left, lowering
eAir recirculation
fAutomatic climate control on/off
(complete system)
gAir distribution and air volume
(automatic mode)
Item
202 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the automatic climate control sys-
tem in either the automatic or manual
mode. The system cools or heats the inte-
rior depending on the selected interior
temperature and the current outside
temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if theA/C mode is deactivated
(
page 210).
Warning!G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 201) to
direct the air to air vents in the vehicle inte-
rior that are not in the immediate area of un-
protected skin.
Warning!G
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 and the
windows could fog up, impairing visibility
and endangering you and others. Have a
clogged filter replaced as soon as possible
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iKeep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing objects on the
air flow-through exhaust slots below the rear
window.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the in-
terior before driving off, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 253). The automatic climate
control will then adjust the interior temperature
to the set value much faster.
203 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating the automatic climate
control system
Deactivating
Press button´ (page 201).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Reactivating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
Press button´ (page 201).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The previous settings are once
again in effect.Operating the automatic climate con-
trol system in automatic mode
Activating
Press buttonU (page 201) while
the engine is running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.1Temperature, left
2Blower speed
3Temperature, right
Use temperature controls3
anddor6 and b (
page 201) to
separately adjust the air temperature
on each side of the passenger compart-
ment.
The temperature of the vehicle interior
is adjusted automatically.
Deactivating
Press buttonU (page 201) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic operation of air vol-
ume and air distribution switches off.
Warning!G
When the automatic climate control is
switched off, the outside air supply and cir-
culation are also switched off. Only choose
this setting for a short time. Otherwise the
windows could fog up, impairing visibility
and endangering you and others.
iWhen operating the climate control system
in automatic mode, you will only rarely need to
adjust the temperature, air volume and air
distribution.
In automatic mode, the dehumidify function is
switched on when the system is cooling. If nec-
essary, this function can be switched off by
pushing the button2or9 (
page 201).
iYou can switch the automatic climate con-
trol system on and off for each side of the
passenger compartment as desired.
206 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Adjusting air volume
Use buttonU (
page 201) for auto-
matic mode or air volume controls
orQ (
page 201) to adjust air volume
manually.
Seven blower speeds are available.
Press button to decrease
orQ (
page 201) to increase air
volume to the desired level.
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out.
The automatic air distribution remains
switched on.
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 buttonP or0
(
page 201).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:
cooling on to dehumidify
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched offDeactivating
Press buttonP or0
(
page 201) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 56).
If the automatic mode of the automatic cli-
mate control is switched off:
Turn air distribution control1 or8
toa orY (
page 201).
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are clear again.
iIf you have switched on the defrost function
using thePor0 button, you cannot
make any other settings.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
207 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 201) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* or soft top are
closed).
Air 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 201).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button, (page 201).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.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 210) is activated, or
press buttonP or 0.
iThe 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 automatically
switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after approxi-
mately 30 minutes.
iThe air recirculation mode is deactivated au-
tomatically:
after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5 °C)
after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off
after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5 °C)
210 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Air conditioning
The cooling function, only operational
when the engine is running, cools the vehi-
cle interior down to the selected tempera-
ture. The cooling function also
dehumidifies the air in the vehicle interior,
thus preventing the windows from fogging
up.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the
vehicle will then no longer be cooled or
dehumidified.
Press button2or9
(
page 201).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air
conditioning.
Press button2or9
(
page 201) 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.
iCondensation 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
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. 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
itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
216 Controls in detail
Audio system
Button and soft key operation
In these instructions, the alphanumeric
keypad (right side of radio panel) and the
function buttons (left side of radio panel)
are referred to as “buttons”. The four keys
below the display panel are referred to as
“soft keys”.
Operation
Switching the unit on/off
Switching on
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position 1 or 2.
If the audio system was on as you
removed the SmartKey from the starter
switch, the audio system will
automatically come back on as you
turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2.
or
Press M button.
Switching off
Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
or
Press M button.
Adjusting the volume
Turn rotary control of N button.
The volume will increase or decrease
depending on the direction turned.Adjusting sound functions
The bass and treble functions are called up
by pressing the O button.
Settings for bass and treble are stored
separately for the AM and FM wavebands,
weather band, CD mode and telephone
mode.
Bass
Press O button repeatedly until
BASS appears in the display.
!Do not press directly in the display face.
Otherwise, the display will be damaged.
iIf the radio is switched on without the key in
the starter switch, it will automatically switch off
again after approximately 30 minutes.
If your vehicle is equipped with a telephone, the
display may prompt you to enter your PIN (GSM
network) or code (TDMA or CDMA network).
iShould excessively high temperatures occur
while the audio system is being operated, the
display will dim. If temperatures continue to rise,
HIGH TEMP will appear in the display, after which
the audio system will be switched off for a
cooling-down period.
iIf your vehicle equipment includes a Mer-
cedes-Benz specified mobile phone*, you can
adjust its volume separately from the volume of
the audio system while the telephone is being
used.
328 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level,
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
the coolant temperature must be be-
low 158°F (70°C)
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine
compartment.
1Coolant expansion tank
2Cap
Using a rag, turn cap 2 slowly
approximately one half turn counter-
clockwise to release any excess
pressure.
Continue turning the cap 2 counter-
clockwise and remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level
for cold coolant: reaches the marking
(plastic bridge) inside the reservoir
for warm coolant: is approximately
0.6 in (1.5 cm) higher
Add coolant as required.
Replace and tighten cap 2.
More information on coolant can be found
in the “Technical data” section
(
page 494).
Warning!G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:
Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature indicator
indicates that the coolant is overheated.
Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if the coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow the coolant
to cool down before removing cap.
The coolant reservoir contains hot fluid
and is under pressure.
Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately 1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.