MERCEDES-BENZ CL55AMG 2003 C215 Owner's Manual

111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Switching on high beams
Turn exterior lamp switch to
position
B
(page 108).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam symbol
A
is illumi-
nated on the instrument cluster.High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be activat-
ed with the ignition switched on or off. It is
activated automatically when an airbag is
deployed.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press the hazard warning flasher
switch.
All turn signals will blink.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signal will op-
erate when the key in the starter switch
is in position 1 or 2.iIf the hazard warning flasher was acti-
vated automatically, press switch1
twice.

112 Controls in detailLightingInterior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Left front reading lamp
2Rear interior lights
3Right front reading lamp
4Rocker switch for automatic control
systemAutomatic control
Activating

Press the rocker switch to the center
position 4.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness, when

the vehicle is unlocked


a door is opened


the key is removed from the starter
switch
The interior lamps are switched off after a
set time (page 138).Deactivating

Press the
ñ
symbol on rocker
switch 4.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you


unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the key from the starter
switch
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes.

113 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching lamps on
Press the
ð
symbol on rocker
switch 4.
The front interior lighting switches on.
Switching lamps off

Press the
ñ
symbol on rocker
switch 4.
The interior lighting switches off. The
automatic control function is switched
on.
Switching rear interior lights on

Press switch2.
The rear compartment lighting is
switched on.Switching rear interior lights off

Press switch2.
The rear compartment lighting is
switched off.
Front reading lamps
Switching on

Press switch 1 or 3.
The corresponding reading lamp is
switched on.
Switching off

Press switch 1 or 3.
The corresponding reading lamp is
switched off.
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door entry lamps


the driver and passenger footwells
With key in starter switch position1:


the door entry lamps


the center consoleiIf you turn the key in the starter switch
to position0 and switch off the exterior
headlamps, the door entry lamps will
remain lit for approximately five min-
utes.

114 Controls in detailInstrument cluster
Instrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 22).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


turn on the ignition


press the reset button
J
(page 22)


switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
Seite 134).
Instrument cluster illumination
1Knob for adjusting instrument cluster
illumination
Use knob1 to adjust the illumination
brightness for the instrument cluster.

Press the knob1.
The knob will pop out.
To brighten illumination

Turn the knob1 clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the knob1 in the instrument clus-
ter counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.

115 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248° F (120°C),
i.e. close to the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge.The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248° F
(120°C), i.e. in the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display.

Press button
è
or
ÿ
on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the trip odometer appears if it is
not displayed (
page 117).

Press and hold the reset button
J

(
page 22) in the instrument cluster
until the trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
CL 55 AMG
The tachometer of the CL 55 AMG does
not have a red marking denoting excessive
engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the engine hood. Stay away
f r o m t h e e n g i n e i f y o u s e e o r h e a r s t e a m
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 278).
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

116 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicatorThe temperature sensor is located on the
lower left-hand side of the instrument clus-
ter (
page 22). Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

117 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the key in the starter switch is turned to
position1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his / her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.

118 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeç
down / to decrease
æ
up / to increase
3
Telephone*í
to take a call
ì
to end a call
4
Menu systemsè
for next menu
ÿ
for previous menu
5
Moving within a menuj
for next display
k
for previous display

119 Controls in detail
Control system
Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.


If you press button
è
or
ÿ

repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.


If you press button
k
or
j

repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
SETTINGS
menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
the “Settings menu” section (
page 131).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
The menus are described on the following
pages.

120 Controls in detailControl systemMenusThis is what you will see when you scroll
through the menus.The table on the next page provides an
overview of the individual menus.