MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2006 W163 Owner's Manual

220 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*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 A/C mode is deactivated
(page 218).Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Press button´ (
page 218).
Reactivating

Press buttonU(
page 218).
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.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter 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.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iWhen the air conditioning is switched
off, the outside air supply and circula-
tion are also switched off. Only choose
this settings for a short time. Otherwise
the windows could fog up.iYou can also press button´ on the
climate control panel.
If you press button0 to reactivate
the climate control system, the defrost-
ing mode is activated.

221 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Rear air conditioning
You can switch on and off the rear air con-
ditioning with the climate control panel in
the front.
Deactivating
Press button> on the climate con-
trol panel (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button>
comes on. The rear air conditioning is
switched off. REAR OFF
appears in the
climate control display.
Activating

Press button> on the climate con-
trol panel (
page 218).The indicator lamp on button>
goes out. The rear air conditioning is
adjusted automatically.
REAR ON
ap-
pears in the climate control display.
For more information on rear air condition-
ing, see “Rear air conditioning”
(
page 227).
Setting the temperature
Use temperature control1 and9
(page 218) 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 the temperature control1
and/or9 slightly to the right.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn the temperature control1
and/or9 slightly to the left.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
iFor information on operating the rear
climate control panel from the rear
seats, see “Rear air conditioning”
(page 227).
iYou can switch on and off the rear air
conditioning by pressing the respective
button on the rear climate control pan-
el.

222 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls3,h,
orj for the left side, or7,b, orc
(page 218) for the right side to separate-
ly adjust the air distribution on each side of
the passenger compartment.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:Adjusting manually

Press the desired air distribution con-
trol.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out.
Adjusting automatically

Press buttonU (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on buttonU
comes on. The air distribution is
adjusted automatically.
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 55).

Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Adjusting air volume
Adjusting manually
Five blower speeds are available.
Press
to decrease orQ to in-
crease air volume to the desired level
(page 218).
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out. The selected blower speed is
shown in the display.
Adjusting automatically

Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
comes on. The air volume is adjusted
automatically.
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the windshield
and side air vents
a
Directs air through the center,
side and rear passenger com-
partment air vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
side air vents

223 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Maximum cooling MAX COOL
If the air distribution control as well as the
airflow volume control are set toU and
there is a high need for cooling, the display
“MAX COOL” appears in the front and rear
display.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* are closed).Defrosting
If the air volume is switched off or the air
recirculation mode is switched on, the
interior is not any longer ventilated and the
windows can get fogged on the inside.Activating

Press button0 (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button0
comes on.
The climate control switches automatically
to the following functions:


maximum blower and heating power


air flows onto the windshield and the
front side windows (side air vents must
be open)


The climatic compressor is switched on
at outside temperatures above approx-
imately 41°F (5°C) for air-drying
Deactivating

Press button0.
The yellow indicator lamp on the button
goes out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before a tunnel trav-
el). This setting cuts off the intake of out-
side air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
When the defrost setting has been se-
lected, only the rear window defroster
can be switched on. No other settings
are possible.
iTo switch off you can press also the
button´ orU.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility,
endangering 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 win-
dow fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 225) is activated, or
press button0.

224 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Activating
Press button: (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button:
comes on.
iPress and hold button: for approx.
two seconds. The side windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* will close. You can
release button: once the closing
procedure has begun. The windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* continue clos-
ing until they are fully closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the opening or
closing procedure.
In the event that the closing procedure
causes potential danger, the closing of the
side windows can be immediately halted by
pressing or pulling the respective window
switch. The closing of the tilt/sliding
sunroof* can be immediately halted by
moving the tilt/sliding sunroof* switch in
the overhead control panel in any direction.
The closing of the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof* can be reversed by
again pressing and holding the :button.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 225) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
iTo achieve the fastest possible cooling
of the interior, the automatic climate
control automatically switches to air
recirculation. The indicator lamp in the
button: is not illuminated when
the system automatically switches to
air recirculation.

225 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Deactivating
Press button: (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button:
goes out.
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26°C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air. A quantity of
outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
In addition the air conditioning dehumidi-
fies the interior air at outside temperatures
above than 41°F (5° C) and helps prevent
window fogging.
iPress and hold button: for approx.
two seconds. You can release
button: once the opening proce-
dure has begun. The windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* continue opening
until they have reached their previous
position.
A window or tilt/sliding sunroof* will
only return to its previous position if it
has not been moved to another posi-
tion using the respective window
switch or tilt/sliding sunroof* switch
after it was closed with button:. A
window or tilt/sliding sunroof* that
was moved will remain in its current po-
sition if button: is used to re-open
the remaining windows or tilt/sliding
sunroof*.
iThe air recirculation mode is
deactivated automatically

after five minutes if the outside
temperature is below
approximately 41°F (5°C)


after five minutes if the air condi-
tioning and air-drying is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside
temperature is above
approximately 41°F (5°C)
iCondensation 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 inte-
rior air is not dried. The windows can fog up
more quickly. Window fogging may impair
visibility and endanger you and others.

226 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press button2 (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button2
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 again.
The indicator lamp on button2
comes on.
The air conditioning system uses the refrig-
erant R-134a. This refrigerant is free of
CFCs which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
!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
Light Truck Center.
iHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the battery voltage.
Regardless of the temperature and air
volume set on the climate control panel
an interior temperature is aimed at by
72°F (22°C) and the blower runs for
the protection of the battery on low
stage.

227 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Activating
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 or1 (
page 34), or re-
move it from the starter switch.

Press buttonT (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on buttonT
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonT.
The indicator lamp on buttonT
goes out.
Rear air conditioning1Left rear center air vent, adjustable
2Right rear center air vent, adjustable
3Temperature control
4Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)
5Air distribution (directs air through
both center air vents)
6Air distribution (directs air through the
footwells and side air vents)
7Rear air conditioning on/off
8Decrease air volume
9Increase air volume
Activating rear air conditioning

Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
comes on. The temperature, air volume
and air distribution are adjusted
automatically.
iThe residual heat is automatically
turned off:

when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the coolant temperature is too
low


if the battery voltage drops

228 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Deactivating rear air conditioning
For an improved cooling or heating output
in the front passenger compartment, the
rear passenger compartment can be
switched off.
For information on switching on and off the
rear air conditioning from the climate con-
trol panel in the front, see “Rear air condi-
tioning” (
page 218).

Press button´.
The indicator lamp on button´
goes out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls5 or6
to adjust the air distribution for the rear
passenger compartment.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:
Adjusting manually

Press the desired air distribution con-
trol.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
goes out.Adjusting automatically

Press buttonU4.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
illuminates. The air distribution is ad-
justed automatically.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature control3 to separately
adjust the air temperature of the rear
passenger compartment. You should raise
or lower the temperature setting in small
increments, preferably starting at 72°F
(22°C).
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the center air
vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
the side air vents
iThe rear air conditioning will not cool
the air when A/C mode has been
selected on the front control panel.

229 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Increasing/decreasing the temperature
Turn the temperature control3 slight-
ly left or right until the desired temper-
ature is selected.
The rear air conditioning will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature for the rear passenger
compartment.
Adjusting air volume

Press
to decrease orQ to in-
crease air volume to the desired level.