MERCEDES-BENZ C55AMG 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

170 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Activating exterior rear view mirror
parking position
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the passenger-
side exterior rear view mirror will be turned
downward to the stored position.
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button
Make sure you have stored a parking
position for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 113).
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at
sensors 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, if the rear window
sunshade* is in raised position.
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.

171 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Make sure the Mirror set. parking
aid
function in the Convenience
submenu of the control system is
switched to
On (page 149).
Switch on the ignition (page 33).
Press button2 for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror.
Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gearR.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror will be turned downward to the
stored position.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:

10 seconds after you shifted out of re-
verse gearR

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

immediately when you press button1
for the driver’s side mirror
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.1Mounting
2Mirror cover
3Mirror lamp
4Sun visor
Swing sun visor4 down when you
experience glare.
To use illuminated mirror, lift up mirror
cover2.
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.
i
If sun visor4 is disengaged from
mounting1 with mirror cover2
open, mirror lamp3 will switch off.
i
If sunlight enters through a side
window, close mirror cover2
(if open), disengage sun visor4 from
mounting1 and pivot to the side.

172 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window sunshade*
The switch is located in the center console.
1Rear window sunshade switch
Switch on the ignition (page 33).
Always raise the sunshade fully for its
support against the window frame.
Raising or lowering the sunshade
Press switch1 briefly.
The sunshade is raised or lowered com-
pletely.
Stopping the raising or lowering
procedure
Press switch1 again.
The sunshade stops.
Warning!G
When operating the rear window sunshade,
make sure there is no danger of anyone be-
ing harmed by the raising or lowering proce-
dure.
The raising or lowering procedure can be
immediately halted by briefly pressing the
switch.
Briefly press switch again to raise or lower
the rear window sunshade completely.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey 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. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!
Make sure the movement of the rear
window sunshade is not restricted by
objects on the rear window shelf. Oth-
erwise, the sunshade or the objects
could be damaged.

173 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the 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 op-
eration depending on the outside tempera-
ture.
Switch on the ignition (page 33).Activating
Press buttonF or 1 in the
climate control panel (
page 175) or
automatic climate control panel*
(
page 185).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press buttonF or 1 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
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and others.
!
If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is
insufficient voltage in the battery. The
system responds automatically by
deactivating the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
automatically turns itself back on.

174 Controls in detail
Climate control

175 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel (USA only)
Climate control panel (Canada only)
Item
1Left side defroster vent, fixed
2Left side air vent, adjustable
3Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left side air vent
4Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
5Left center air vent, adjustable
6Right center air vent, adjustable
7Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
8Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right side air vent
9Right side air vent, adjustable
aRight side defroster vent, fixed
bClimate control panel
i
For draft-free ventilation, move the
sliders for the air vents2,5,6
and9 to the middle position.
Item
1Air volume control
2Left side temperature control
3Right side temperature control
4Air distribution control
5Rear window defroster
6AC cooling on/off
7Air distribution and air volume
(automatic mode)
8Air recirculation
9Front defroster

176 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. You can oper-
ate the climate control system in either the
automatic or manual mode. The system
cools or heats the interior depending on
the selected interior temperature and the
current outside temperature.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 mode A/C is deactivated
(
page 182).
Warning!G
When operating the 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 frostbite on unpro-
tected skin in the immediate area of the air
vents. Always keep sufficient distance be-
tween unprotected parts of the body and the
air vents. If necessary, use the air distribu-
tion control (
page 178) to direct the air to
air vents in the vehicle interior that are not
in the immediate area of unprotected skin.
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 feature”
(
page 241). The climate control will
then adjust the interior temperature to
the set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing
objects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.

177 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Set air volume control1 (page 175)
to position0.
Reactivating
Set air volume control1 (page 175)
to any speed.Operating the climate control system
in automatic mode
Activating
Press buttonU (page 175) while
the engine is running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.
Use temperature controls2 and3
(
page 175) to separately adjust the
air temperature on each side of the
passenger compartment.
The temperature of the vehicle interior
is adjusted automatically.
Deactivating
Press buttonU (page 175) 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 climate control is switched off, the
outside air supply and circulation 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.
i
When operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.
In automatic mode, cooling with dehu-
midify is switched on. This function can
be switched off if necessary.

178 Controls in detail
Climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls2 and3
(
page 175) 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 control2 and/or
3 (
page 175) slightly clockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.Decreasing
Turn temperature control2 and/or
3 (
page 175) slightly counterclock-
wise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution and volume
Use air distribution control4
(
page 175) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are located on the
controls:
Press buttonU (page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic air distribution is
switched off. The air distribution is
controlled according to the selected
control setting.i
If you turn the temperature control
clockwise until it stops for one side of
the vehicle, you increase the tempera-
ture for the other side at the same
time.
i
If you turn the temperature control
counterclockwise until it stops for one
side of the vehicle, you decrease the
temperature for the other side at the
same time.
SymbolFunction
aDirects air through the center,
side and rear passenger
compartment air vents
ZDirects air to the windshield
and the side defroster vents
bDirects air into the entire
vehicle interior
YDirects air to the footwells

179 Controls in detail
Climate control
Turn air distribution control 4
(
page 175) to the desired symbol.
Opening center and side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 3, 4, 7 and 8
(
page 175) upward.
The center air vents 5 and 6 and side
air vents 2 and 9 are open.
Closing center and side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 3, 4, 7 and 8
(
page 175) downward.
The center air vents 5 and 6 and side
air vents 2 and 9 are closed.
Adjusting air volume
Six blower speeds are available.
Press buttonU (page 175).
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out. The automatic air volume control
is switched off. The air volume is
adjusted according to the currently
selected setting.
Use the air volume control4
(
page 175) to adjust the air volume.
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 175).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:

maximum blowing and heating
power

air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows

the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press buttonP or0
(
page 175) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
i
The cooling remains switched on.