air conditioning MERCEDES-BENZ C55AMG 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

Contents
Automatic transmission ..................... 155
Gear selector lever position ......... 157
Driving tips ................................... 158
Gear ranges ................................. 160
Automatic shift program .............. 161
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 162
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting ................. 163
Manual shift program ................... 165
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 168
Good visibility .................................... 169
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 169
Rear view mirrors ......................... 169
Sun visors .................................... 171
Rear window sunshade* .............. 172
Rear window defroster ................. 173
Climate control .................................. 174
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 177
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode ........... 177
Setting the temperature ............... 178
Adjusting air distribution and
volume ......................................... 178Adjusting air volume ..................... 179
Front defroster.............................. 179
Air recirculation mode .................. 180
Air conditioning............................. 182
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 183
Automatic climate control*
(Canada only) ..................................... 184
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 187
Operating the automatic climate
control system in automatic mode 187
Setting the temperature................ 188
Adjusting air distribution............... 189
Adjusting air volume ..................... 190
Front defroster.............................. 190
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 191
Air recirculation mode .................. 191
Charcoal filter ............................... 193
Air conditioning............................. 194
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 195
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 196Audio system...................................... 197
Audio and telephone, operation .... 197
Operating safety ........................... 197
Operating and display elements ... 198
Button and soft key operation ...... 200
Operation...................................... 200
Radio operation ............................ 205
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) ..................................... 209
CD mode....................................... 214
GSM network phones ................... 223
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 229
Emergency calls “911” ................. 235
Power windows .................................. 238
Opening and closing the windows 238
Synchronizing power windows ...... 240
Summer opening feature .............. 241
Convenience closing feature......... 241
Power tilt/sliding sunroof .................. 242
Opening and closing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 242
Synchronizing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 244
Driving systems .................................. 245
Cruise control ............................... 245

Contents
Technical data.................................. 423
Parts service ...................................... 424
Warranty coverage ............................. 425
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet...................... 425
Identification labels............................ 426
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 427
Engine ................................................ 428
Rims and Tires ................................... 429
Same size tires ............................. 431
Mixed size tires ............................ 432
Spare wheel (collapsible tire) ....... 433
Electrical system................................ 434
Main dimensions and weights ............ 435
Main dimensions .......................... 435
Weights ........................................ 435Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 436
Capacities .................................... 436
Engine oils.................................... 437
Engine oil additives ...................... 437
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 437
Brake fluid .................................... 437
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 438
Gasoline additives ........................ 438
Fuel requirements ........................ 439
Coolants....................................... 439
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system* ......................... 442Technical terms............................... 443
Index................................................. 449

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.

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.

180 Controls in detail
Climate control
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 50).
Press buttonU (page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Air distribution and air vol-
ume are adjusted automatically.
If the automatic mode of the climate con-
trol is switched off:
Turn air distribution control4
toaorY (
page 175).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating
Press button, (page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
Warning!G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 182) is activated, or
press buttonP or 0.
i
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
The indicator lamp on button, is
not lit when the air recirculation mode
is automatically switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.
Warning!G
Never operate the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the closing pro-
cedure.

182 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air conditioning
The cooling function, only operational
when the engine is running, cools the vehi-
cle interior down to the selected tempera-
ture. The cooling function also
dehumidifies the air in the vehicle interior,
thus preventing the windows from fogging
up.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 button2 (page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
Press button2 (page 175).
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.
i
Condensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
Warning!G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. 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 itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

183 Controls in detail
Climate control
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents
The air conditioning for the rear passenger
compartment is controlled via the climate
control panel (
page 174).The air vents for the rear passenger
compartment are located in the rear
center console.
1Left center air vent
2Thumbwheel for air volume control for
center air vents
3Right center air ventAdjusting air distribution
Push the slide for the left center
vent1 or right center vent3 to the
left, right, up or down.
The air flow is directed in the corre-
sponding direction.
Adjusting air volume
Turn thumbwheel2 up or down.
The air volume is increased or
decreased.
i
The temperature at the center air vents
for the rear passenger
compartment1 and3 is the same as
at the dashboard center air vents.i
For draft-free ventilation, push
slides1 and3 upward.

186 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control* (Canada only)
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the automatic climate control sys-
tem in either the automatic or manual
mode. The system cools or heats the inte-
rior depending on the selected interior
temperature and the current outside tem-
perature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the modeA/C is deactivated
(
page 194).
Warning!G
When operating the automatic 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 frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution control (
page 189) 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
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. 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 automatic climate
control will then adjust the interior
temperature to the set value much fast-
er.
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.

190 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control* (Canada only)
Adjusting air volume
Use buttonU (
page 185) for auto-
matic mode or air volume controls

orQ (
page 185) to adjust air volume
manually.
Seven blower speeds are available.
Press button
to decrease
orQ (
page 185) to increase air
volume to the desired level.
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out.
The automatic air distribution remains
switched on.
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(page 185).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:

cooling on to dehumidify

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 (page 185) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
i
The cooling remains switched on.

191 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control* (Canada only)
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 50).
If the automatic mode of the automatic cli-
mate control is switched off:
Turn air distribution control1 or8
toa orY (
page 185).
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 185) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof are closed).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating
Press button, (page 185).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
Warning!G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 185) is activated, or
press buttonP.
i
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
The indicator lamp on the button,
is not lit when the air recirculation
mode is automatically switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.