2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 climate control

253 Controls in detail
Panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
Opening and closing the panorama roof
with power tilt/sliding panel
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Warning!G
When opening or closing the tilt/sliding
panel, make sure that there is no danger of
anyone being harmed by the opening or
closing procedure.
The opening procedure of the tilt/sliding
panel can be immediately halted by releas-
ing the switch or, if the switch was moved
past the resistance point and released, by
moving the switch in any direction.
The closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
panel can be immediately halted by releas-
ing the switch.
The panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel is made out of glass. In the event of
an accident, the glass may shatter. This may
result in an opening in the roof.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening. Such an
opening also presents a potential for injury
for occupants wearing their seat belts
properly as entire body parts or portions of
them may protrude from the passenger
compartment.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!To avoid damaging the seals, do not trans-
port any objects with sharp edges which can
stick out of the tilt/sliding panel.
Do not open the tilt/sliding panel if there is
snow or ice on the roof, as this could result in
malfunctions.
!Please keep in mind that weather conditions
can sometimes change rapidly. Make sure to
close the tilt/sliding panel when leaving the
vehicle. If water enters the vehicle interior,
vehicle electronics could be damaged which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iWhen the tilt/sliding panel is open,
resonance noises may result in addition to the
usual wind noises. They are caused by minimal
pressure changes in the passenger compart-
ment. To reduce or eliminate theses noises,
change the position of the tilt/sliding panel or
open a door window slightly.
iYou can also open or close the tilt/sliding
panel using the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*
function, see “Summer opening feature”
(
page 244) and “Convenience closing
feature” (
page 245).
iThe tilt/sliding panel may also open when
using the air recirculation button: on the
control panel of the climate control
(
page 210) or automatic climate control*
(
page 224).

307 Controls in detail
Useful features
Rear storage compartment
A storage compartment is located in front
of the second-row seats.Third-row storage compartment
Storage compartments are located on the
side trims of the third-row seats.
1Storage compartmentParcel nets
iDepending on vehicle equipment, the upper
storage compartment may be replaced by a
control panel, for example in vehicles with rear
climate control* (
page 220) or rear automatic
climate control* (
page 236).
iIf your vehicle is equipped with a
3-zone automatic climate control*, the storage
compartment is replaced by an adjustable air
vent (
page 240).
Warning!G
Do not place objects with a combined
weight of more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg) into the
parcel net on the back of the front passen-
ger seat. Otherwise, the Occupant
Classification System OCS (
page 77) may
not be able to properly approximate the
occupant weight category.
Parcel nets are intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could
be thrown around inside the vehicle and
cause injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.

392 Operation
Tires and wheels
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

405 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied
to the engine compartment after every
engine cleaning. Before applying, all con-
trol linkage bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control system (
page 208) or
the automatic climate control system*
(
page 222) to air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately
3 ft (approximately 1 m), the vehicle could be
inadvertently locked or unlocked.
!Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 60). Otherwise, the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.

545 Index
A
ABS 99
Indicator lamp 414, 415
Messages in the multifunction
display 429
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 197
Accessory weight 393
Accident 63
Active head restraint 86, 133, 477
Air bags 72
Children 73, 89
Front, Driver 75
Front, Passenger 75
Messages in the multifunction
display 438–441
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 77
Safety guidelines 74
Side impact 76
Window curtain 76
Air conditioning, Cooling 219, 233
Air conditioning refrigerant 538Air conditioning system see
Climate control or Automatic climate
control (3-zone)*
Air distribution 213, 228
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air pressure, Tires 393
Air pump, Electric 499
Air recirculation mode 216, 231
Air vents, Front 208, 214, 222, 228
Air vents, Rear 220, 236, 239, 240
Air volume 214, 229
AIRMATIC* 276
Messages in the multifunction
display 464, 465
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 467, 497
All-wheel drive see Permanent four-wheel
drive 281
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 541, 544
Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 203
Antiglare, Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors* 203Anti-theft systems 106
Anti-theft alarm system 106
Immobilizer 106
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Arm rests, Second-row 137
Armrest storage compartments
Front 306
Rear* 306
Telephone* tray 306
Ashtrays 311
Aspect ratio 393
ATF 360
AUDIO menu 165
CD operation 167
Radio operation 166
Satellite radio* operation 166
Audio search function 182
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 203
Automatic antiglare for rear view
mirrors* 203
Automatic central locking, Control
system 183

546 Index
Automatic climate control (3-zone)* 222
Air conditioning, Cooling 233
Air conditioning refrigerant 538
Air distribution 228
Air recirculation mode 231
Air vents, Front 222, 228
Air vents, Rear 236, 239, 240
Air volume 229
Control panel, Front 224
Control panel, Rear 236
Deactivating system 226
Defogging 230
Defrosting 229
Maximum cooling, MAXCOOL 231
Rear passenger compartment 236
Residual heat utilization (REST) 235
Automatic headlamp mode 144
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 151
Automatic locking when driving 126
Automatic shift program 200Automatic transmission 190
Accelerator position 197
Automatic shift program 200
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode) 202
Gear ranges 199
Gear selector lever 53, 190
Gear shifting malfunctions 202
Hill start assist system 198
Kickdown 197
Program mode selector switch 200
Shifting procedure 193
Starting the engine 53
Steering wheel gearshift control 201
Transmission fluid level 360
Transmission positions 194
Automatic transmission fluid see ATF
AUX-socket 304B
Backrest
Seat 44
Seat, Lumbar support 132
Seat, Multicontour* 132
Backup lamps
Messages in the multifunction
display 455–460
Replacing bulbs 480
Bar 394
BAS 101
Lamps in instrument cluster 414
Messages in the multifunction
display 429
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 110, 113
Checking battery condition 118
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Checking battery condition 118
Battery, Vehicle 503
Charging 510
Disconnecting and connecting 505
Jump starting 511
Removing and installing 505
Bead 394
Beverage holder see Cup holder

548 Index
Climate control 208
Air conditioning, Cooling 219
Air conditioning refrigerant 538
Air distribution 213
Air recirculation mode 216
Air vents, Front 208, 214
Air vents, Rear 220
Air volume 214
Control panel, Front 210
Control panel, Rear 220
Deactivating system 212
Defogging 216
Defrosting 214
Rear passenger compartment 220
Residual heat utilization (REST) 219
Clock 26, 176
Cockpit 24
Cold tire inflation pressure 394
Collapsible tire 471, 532
Collapsible wheel chock 471
Combination switch 58, 59, 61, 147
Compass 334
Control system 180Control and operation of radio
transmitters 348
Control system 157
Multifunction display 157
Multifunction steering wheel 158
Resetting to factory default 171
Control system menus 160
AIRMATIC*/Compass 168
AUDIO 165
Distance warning function* 185
Distronic* (Canada only) 168
NAV* 167
Settings 170
Standard display 164
TEL* 187
Trip computer 185
Vehicle status message memory 169
Control system submenus 161, 163
Comfort* 183
Instrument cluster 174
Lighting 177
Time/Date 176
Vehicle 180Coolant 360, 537, 541
Anticorrosion/antifreeze mixing ratio
and quantity 541
Capacities 537
Checking coolant level 360
Messages in the multifunction
display 448–450
Temperature 350
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 148
Messages in the multifunction
display 456
Replacing bulbs 480, 481
Cruise control 257
Activating 258
Messages in the multifunction
display 430
Cup holders 308
Front center console 308
Rear center console* 310
Curb weight 394
Customer Assistance Center see CAC

553 Index
H
Halogen headlamps see Headlamps
Hands-free microphone 33
Hard plastic trim items, cleaning 411
Hazard warning flasher 150
Head restraints
Active head restraint 86, 133
Front seats 45
Rear seats 135, 136
Headlamp cleaning system* 203, 362
Reservoir capacity 538
Headlamp shut-off delay see Delayed
shut-off, Exterior lamps
Headlamps
Automatic headlamp mode 144
Bi-Xenon* 481
Cleaning lenses 407
Cleaning system* 203, 362
Halogen 481
Light sensor, Messages in the
multifunction display 455
Manual headlamp mode 144
Messages in the multifunction
display 455–460
Replacing bulbs 480, 481
Switch 58, 143Headliner, Cleaning 411
Heated seats see Seats
Heated steering wheel* 318
High beam flasher 58, 148
High beam headlamps
Indicator lamp 29
Messages in the multifunction
display 456
Replacing 480
Switching on 58, 147
High mounted brake lamp 481
Hinged quarter windows* see
Power windows
Hood 356
Messages in the multifunction
display 452
Opening 356
Hooks
Loading 291
Horn 25
HVAC see Climate control or
Automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Hydroplaning 344I
Identification label see Labels
Ignition 40, 53, 66
Immobilizer 106
Indicator lamps see Lamps, Indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems see
Children in the vehicle
Inflation pressure see Tires, Inflation
pressure
Information button see Tele Aid*
Infrared reflecting windshield* 336
Inside door handle 118
Instrument cluster 26, 154
Illumination brightness 154
Lamps 414
Messages in the multifunction
display 427–466
Multifunction display 157
Selecting language 174