2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 ignition

196 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 56).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Release the brake pedal.
Remove the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button from the starter switch
(
page 41).
Insert the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* into the starter switch.
Switch on the ignition.
Depress the brake pedal.
Shift the automatic transmission to
neutral positionN.
Release the brake pedal.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 56).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the
starter switch.
!Observe instructions

when taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor type car wash
(
page 405)

when towing the vehicle (page 513)
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason in neutral positionN can result in trans-
mission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Effect
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 65).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

203 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
For information on windshield wipers, see
“Windshield wipers” (
page 59).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The headlamps will automatically be
cleaned with a high-pressure water jet
when you have

switched on the headlamps
and

operated the windshield wipers with
windshield washer fluid five times
When you switch off headlamps, the
counter resets.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 362).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 48).
Interior rear view mirror, antiglare
position
1Lever
Tilt the mirror to the antiglare position
by moving lever1 towards the wind-
shield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.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
and

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

the automatic transmission is set to
positionR

the interior lighting is turned on

205 Controls in detail
Good visibility
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 39).Folding in
Briefly press button1.
Both exterior rear view mirrors fold in.
Folding out
Briefly press button1 again.
Both exterior rear view mirrors fold out.
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
iThe exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if
they are not folded out completely.
iIf you are driving at more than approximately
30 mph (47 km/h), you will not be able to fold
the exterior mirrors in.
!If an exterior rear view mirror housing is
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear) or
forcibly pushed rearward (hit from the front)
press button1 to fold mirrors in, then press
button1 again to fold mirrors out. Do not force
mirrors by hand as this may damage the adjust-
ment mechanism.
The mirror housing is then properly positioned
and you can adjust the mirror in the usual
manner.
Please make sure both rear view mirrors are
folded out before driving off.
Warning!G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.

207 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear 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.
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
defroster is automatically deactivated
after approximately 6 to 17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside
temperature.
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Activating
Press button1 on the climate
control panel (
page 210) or the
automatic climate control* panel
(
page 224).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press button1 once more.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
!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 sunshade could disen-
gage 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.
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 consumers are operating simul-
taneously and there is insufficient voltage in the
battery. The system responds automatically by
switching the rear window defroster off.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the
rear window defroster switches back on auto-
matically.

219 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air 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 210).
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 210) 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.
Activating
Switch off the ignition (page 39).
Press button9 (page 210).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
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 inte-
rior 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.
iHow 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, an interior tem-
perature is aimed at by 72°F (22°C) and the
blower runs on low speed to protect the vehicle
battery.

220 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
Press button9 (page 210) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Rear climate control*
The control panel is located on the rear of
the front center console.
Rear climate control panel
Activating rear climate control
Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.
iThe 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
iThe rear climate control panel is only avail-
able if your vehicle is equipped with seat heating
for the second-row seats* or Rear Audio
feature* (see separate COMAND System operat-
ing instructions).
1Rear climate control on
(automatic mode)
2Air distribution (directs air through
the center air vents)
3Rear air conditioning off
4Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and side air vents)
5Right rear center air vent, adjustable
6Left rear center air vent, adjustable
iThe climate control must be switched on
(
page 221).
iThe temperature is adjusted according to
the settings for the front passenger side made
on the front climate control panel (
page 213).

235 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Deactivating
Press button; (page 224) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
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.Activating
Switch off the ignition (page 39).
Press button9 (page 224).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press button9.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iIf you manually set the temperature, air
volume or air distribution for the passenger side
or the rear passenger compartment when the
MONO setting is active, the MONO setting will
be switched off.
iHow long the system will provide heating
depends on

the coolant temperature

the battery voltage
Regardless of the temperature and air volume
set on the automatic climate control panel, an
interior temperature is aimed at by 72°F (22°C)
and the blower runs on low speed to protect the
vehicle battery.
iThe 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

236 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Rear automatic climate control
(second row)
The control panel is located at the rear of
the front center console.
Rear automatic climate control panel
Activating rear automatic climate
control
Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The temperature, air
volume, and air distribution are ad-
justed automatically.
Deactivating rear automatic climate
control
Press button´.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.
1Increasing air volume
2Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)
3Air distribution (directs air through
the side air vents)
4Right rear center air vent, adjustable
5Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and side air vents)
6Rear automatic climate control
on/off
7Decreasing air volume
8Left rear center air vent, adjustable
9Indicator lamps for air volume
settings
aTemperature control
iThe stored values for the rear automatic
climate control are erased from memory after
the ignition has been switched off for more than
30 minutes. Once the front automatic climate
control is switched on again, the rear automatic
climate control operates in automatic mode at a
preset temperature of 72°F (22°C).
iThe automatic climate control must be
switched on (
page 226).
iSwitch off the rear automatic climate
control for improved cooling or heating output in
the front passenger compartment.
You can also switch off the rear automatic
climate control from the front passenger
compartment (
page 237).