MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 2003 C215 Owner's Manual

151 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
Information on the windshield wipers
(page 47) and for setting the rear view
mirrors (
page 38) is found in the “Get-
ting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirror
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the inside rear view mirror will respond au-
tomatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the inside rear view mir-
ror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.
The inside rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun-
shade is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low 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.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
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 in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

152 Controls in detailGood visibilityActivating exterior rear view mirror
parking position
The buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror will be
turned downward to the stored position.
Make sure you have stored a parking
position for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 107).

Make sure that the
MIRROR SETTING
WHEN PARKING
function in the
CONVENIENCE
submenu in the control
system, is switched to
ON (page 142).

Switch on ignition (if not already on).

Press button2 for passenger-side ex-
terior rear view mirror.

Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gear R.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror will be turned downward in the
stored position.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:


10 seconds after you put the gear se-
lector lever out of position R


immediately once you exceed a vehicle
speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)


immediately when you press button1
for driver’s side exterior rear view
mirrorElectrically folding exterior rear view
mirrors
Folding the exterior rear view mirrors in
and out automatically
When the corresponding function in the
control system is activated (
page 142):


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold in as soon as the vehicle is
locked from the outside.


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold out as soon as the vehicle is
unlocked and the driver’s or passenger
door are subsequently opened.

153 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Folding the exterior rear view mirrors in
and out manually
The exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if
they are not completely folded out.
The buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1Folds the exterior mirrors out
2Folds the exterior mirrors in
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
should light up.Folding in

Briefly press button 2.
The mirrors fold in.
Folding out

Briefly press button 1.
The mirrors fold out.!Before you drive the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, fold the exterior
mirrors in, otherwise they may get
damaged.iIf you are driving at more than 9 mph
(15 km/h), you will not be able to fold
the exterior mirrors in.
!If an exterior mirror housing is forcibly
pushed forward (hit from the rear), re-
position it manually by applying firm
pressure until it snaps back into place.
If an exterior mirror is forcibly pushed
rearward (hit from the front) press
button2 to fold mirrors in, then press
button1 to fold mirrors out. Do not
force mirror by hand as it may damage
the adjustment mechanism.
The mirror housing is now properly po-
sitioned and you can adjust the mirror
normally.

154 Controls in detailGood visibilityWindshield wipers
Information on the windshield wipers is
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 47).
A rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers depending on how wet
the windshield is.

Switch on ignition.

Set the wiper switch to position I
(page 47).
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor which monitors the wetness of
the windshield.
Headlamp cleaning system
The switch is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer switch
Switch on ignition.

Press switch1.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.
!To prevent the windshield wipers from
being damaged, do not leave the wiper
switch in intermittent setting when the
vehicle is taken to an automatic car
wash or when cleaning the windshield.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield. iIf intermittent wiping is on and you turn
the key in the steering lock from posi-
tion 1 to position 2 (
page 31) and
keep the key in that position longer
than 2 seconds, the wipe interval will
be set to approx. 5 seconds.

155 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.1Mounting
2Mirror cover
3Mirror lamp
4Document holder

To use mirror, lift up cover2.
Mirror lamp3 lights up.
If sunlight enters through a side window:

Disengage sun visor from mounting1.

Pivot sun visor to the side.Document holder
You can use the plastic tab of the docu-
ment holder to hold admission tickets,
parking passes or similar items in place.
Adjusting the vanity mirror

Slide the mirror to the left or to the
right.
Images in the mirror appear in normal
size or larger, depending on the posi-
tion of the mirror.
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.
iIf you disengage the sun visor from
mounting1, mirror lamp3 will switch
off.

156 Controls in detailGood visibilityRear window sunshade
The switch is located in the center console.
Turn the key to starter switch position
1 or 2. Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
press the start / stop button once or
twice.

Press the switch briefly at 1 to raise the
sunshade.

Press the switch briefly at 1 to lower
the sunshade.
Always raise the sunshade fully for its sup-
port against the window frame.
Warning!
G
When operating the rear window sunshade,
ma ke s ur e th at t h ere is no dan ge r o f an y on e
being harmed by the raising or lowering pro-
cedure.
The raising or lowering procedure can be im-
mediately reversed by pressing switch1.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from starter switch, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and / or seri-
ous personal injury.

157 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control

158 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control
Item
1
Center air vent, left, adjustable
2
Fixed air vent, left
3
Air volume control for left center air
vent
4
Air temperature control for center
air vents
5
Air volume control for right center
air vent
6
Fixed air vent, right
7
Center air vent, right, adjustable
8
Side defroster vent, left and right,
fixed
9
Side air vent, left and right, adjust-
able
10
Air volume control for side air vents
11
Door air vent, left and right
12
Automatic climate control panel
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burn or frostbite to unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary, change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 161).
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the slid-
ers for the center air vents to the mid-
dle position.

159 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing 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 AC
OFF
mode is selected
(
page 166).
Item
1
Windshield defroster
2
Rear window defroster
3
Display
4
Residual engine heat utilization
5
Automatic climate control on / off
6
Air distribution, right
7
AC cooling on / off
8
Temperature control, right
9
Air volume (automatic, manual)
10
Temperature control, left
11
Air recirculation
12
Air distribution, left
13
Activated charcoal filter
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.

160 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls (
page 159)
10for the left side or8 for the right side to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing / decreasing

Press button 10 or 8 repeatedly up or
down until the display shows the de-
sired temperature.
The automatic climate control system
will accordingly adjust the interior air
temperature.Adjusting the temperature for center
air vents
When outside temperatures are low, you
can manually raise the air temperature for
the center and side air vents. The
thumbwheel4 is located between the cen-
ter air vents (
page 157).
Automatic temperature control

Turn thumbwheel 4 to A.
The indicator lamp above the thumb-
wheel lights up. The temperature is au-
tomatically adjusted to the set value.
Turning on warm air

Turn thumbwheel4 in the direction of
the white marking.
Warm air will enter from the center air
vent.
iThe current climate control settings
(ON / OFF, temperature, air volume, ac-
tivated charcoal filter, etc.) are stored
for each electronic key before it is re-
moved from the starter switch or when
the vehicle is locked using the
KEYLESS-GO* card (
page 105).
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow, leaves, sticks
and any other debris.
Do not obstruct air volume by placing
objects on the air volume-through ex-
haust slots below the rear window.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.