MERCEDES-BENZ S550 4MATIC 2008 W221 Owner's Manual

470 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
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.
It can only function optimally when you are
driving with the windows and the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof/panorama sunroof* closed.
It is possible to completely deactivate the
climate control system (
page 471). Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.The following automatic climate control
functions can be operated via COMAND:
iIf you have the air distribution and air vol-
ume automatically controlled, you can adjust the
temperature, footwell temperature and air flow.
The following basic settings are recommended:

Automatic air distribution control
(
page 469)

Temperature: 72°F (22°C) (page 472)

Footwell temperature: 0 (page 255)

Air flow: focused (page 256)
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pages
and in the “COMAND automatic climate
control” section (
page 251). Otherwise
the windows could fog up, impairing visibili-
ty and endangering you and others.
iSevere 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 fea-
ture” (
page 385). The automatic climate con-
trol will then adjust the interior temperature to
the set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow, leaves, sticks, and any other
debris.
Do not obstruct air volume by placing objects on
the air volume-through exhaust slots below the
rear window.
FunctionPage
Temperature252
Air distribution253
Air volume253
Switching off cooling (“ACOFF”)254
Central climate control (“Mono”)255
Footwell temperature255
Air flow from air vents256
Rear climate control*257

471 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating climate control system
Deactivating: Press button´
(
page 469) up or down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. You will see “Climate Con-
trol OFF” in the COMAND display.
Reactivating: Press button´
(
page 469) up or down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. You will see the previous settings
in the COMAND display.Operating climate control system in
automatic mode
Air distribution and air volume is adjusted
automatically by the automatic climate
control system. You can also adjust the
settings for air distribution and air volume
manually.
Activating
Press buttonU (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press buttonU (page 469) up or
down.
or
Adjust air distribution (page 253).
or
Adjust air volume (page 472).
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out. The automatic function is
switched off.
You can adjust the air distribution
(
page 253) or air volume
(
page 472) manually.
Warning!G
When the automatic climate control is
switched off, the outside air supply and cir-
culation 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.
iIn automatic mode, cooling with dehumidify
is switched on. This function can be switched off
if necessary (
page 254).

472 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Setting temperature
Use temperature controls %$
2anda (
page 469) in the center con-
sole or COMAND (
page 252) to sepa-
rately adjust the air temperature on each
side of the passenger compartment. You
should raise or lower the temperature set-
ting in small increments, preferably start-
ing at 72°F (22°C). The automatic climate
control will adjust to the set temperature
as fast as possible.
Press temperature control %$
2and/ora (
page 469) upward or
downward.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air volume
Use buttonsQ (
page 469) in the cen-
ter console or COMAND to separately ad-
just the air volume on each side of the
passenger compartment.
Press buttonQ up to increase or
down to decrease air volume.
The indicator lamps on buttonsU
(
page 469) goes out.
The automatic function is switched off.
The air volume is adjusted correspond-
ing to the set blower speed.
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 door
windows.Activating
Press button; (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches to the follow-
ing functions automatically:

most efficient blower speed and heat-
ing power, depending on outside tem-
perature

air flows onto the windshield and the
front door windows

the air conditioning compressor
switches on at outside temperatures
above approximately 41°F (5°C) for
air-drying

the air recirculation mode is switched
off
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.

473 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Adjustments
Depending on vehicle production date, you
can adjust the air volume and the temper-
ature when the front defroster is switched
on. The air flow will remain on the wind-
shield and door windows.
Press buttonQ up or down to in-
crease or decrease air volume to the
desired level.
The air volume increases/decreases to
the next higher/lower blower speed
and heating switches to the tempera-
ture that was set before the front de-
froster was switched on.
The indicator lamp on button;
goes out.
or
Press temperature control %$
2and/ora (
page 469) upward or
downward.
Heating switches to the temperature
that was set before the front defroster
was switched on.The indicator lamp on button; goes
out.
Deactivating
Press button; (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect, except air recirculation mode
stays off.
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 381).
Press buttonU (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Rear window defroster
Activating
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
Press button< (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press button< (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iThe air conditioning compressor remains on
even with the indicator lamp on button;
goes out. This helps to prevent windshield from
fogging.
!The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to a min-
imum, switch off the defroster as soon as the
rear window is clear.
iThe defroster is automatically deactivated
after some time of operation depending on the
outside temperature.

474 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL (USA only)
If U is selected on both the left and
right side and there is a high demand for
cooling, the display “MAXCOOL” appears
in the COMAND display.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof or tilt/sliding panel*
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 in a
tunnel). This setting cuts off the intake of
outside air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment.
Activating: Press button,
(
page 469) up or down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating: Press button,
(
page 469) up or down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.
iIf the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp goes out, this indi-
cates that too many electrical consumers are op-
erating simultaneously and the load on the
battery is reducing available voltage. The system
responds automatically by deactivating the rear
window defroster.
iMaximum cooling MAXCOOL is only avail-
able when the engine is running.
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 254) is activated, or
press button;.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically at high outside temperatures.
The indicator lamp on button, is not lit when
the air recirculation mode is automatically acti-
vated.
A quantity of outside air is added when the cool-
ing demand is not at maximum.
If the air conditioning has been turned off
(
page 254) or the outside temperature is be-
low 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will
not switch on automatically.

475 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Air recirculation mode with conve-
nience closing or opening feature
Vehicles with tilt/sliding sunroof
Convenience closing: Press
button
, for approximately
2 seconds.
The door windows and/or tilt/sliding
sunroof will close. You can release
button
, once the closing proce-
iThe manually selected air recirculation
mode is deactivated automatically:

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

after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off

after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)
Warning!G
Never operate the door windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof or tilt/sliding panel* if
there is the possibility of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
Vehicles with tilt/sliding sunroof:
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the door win-
dows can be immediately halted by pressing
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.
Vehicles with panorama roof*:
When using the air recirculation mode with
convenience closing feature, should the up-
ward movement of a window be blocked by
some obstruction including, but not limited
to arms, hands, fingers, etc., the automatic
reversal feature will not operate.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the door win-
dows or the tilt/sliding panel can be
immediately halted by releasing
button,.
The closing of the door windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof or tilt/sliding panel* can
be reversed by again pressing and holding
button,.


476 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
dure has begun. The windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof continue closing
until they are fully closed. The indicator
lamp on the button comes on. The air
recirculation mode is activated.
Convenience opening: Press
button
, for approximately
2 seconds.
The door windows and/or tilt/sliding
sunroof will return to their previous po-
sition. You can release button
,
once the opening procedure has be-
gun. The windows and tilt/sliding sun-
roof continue opening until they have
reached their previous positions. The
indicator lamp on the button goes out.
The air recirculation mode is deactivat-
ed.Vehicles with panorama roof*
Convenience closing: Press and hold
button
, until the door windows and
the tilt/sliding panel are closed or have
reached the desired position. The indi-
cator lamp on the button comes on.
The air recirculation mode is activated.
Convenience opening: Press and hold
button
, until the door windows and
the tilt/sliding panel are opened or
have reached the desired position.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The air recirculation mode is deac-
tivated.
Residual engine heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior.
This feature makes use of the residual heat
produced by the engine.
iA window or tilt/sliding sunroof will only re-
turn to its previous position if it has not been
moved to another position using the respective
window switch or tilt/sliding sunroof switch af-
ter it was closed with button,.
A window or tilt/sliding sunroof that has been
moved will remain in its current position if
button, is used to reopen the remaining
windows or tilt/sliding sunroof.
iIf you switch on the residual heat function
when outside temperatures are high, only the
ventilation will be switched on.


477 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Activating
Switch off the ignition (page 344).
Press buttonT (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press buttonT (page 469) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Rear passenger compartment climate
control*
Automatic climate control panel, rear
iRegardless of the selected air volume, the
blower operates at low speed when heating. In
case of ventilation the blower operates at higher
speed.
iHow long the system will provide heating de-
pends on

the coolant temperature

the temperature set by the operator
iThe residual heat is automatically turned off:

when the ignition is switched on

after approximately 30 minutes

if the battery voltage drops

if the coolant temperature is too low
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling as given in the instructions
for the front climate control (
page 469).
Otherwise the windows could fog up, impair-
ing visibility for the driver and endangering
you and others.
Item
1Temperature control, left
2Air distribution, left
(automatic, manual)
3Air volume (automatic, manual)
4Mode selector
5Air distribution, right
(automatic, manual)
6Temperature control, right

478 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Switching on automatic mode: Press
button 4 (
page 477) up or down re-
peatedly until “AUTO” mode is selected
in display.
Switching off rear climate control:
Press button 4 (
page 477) up or
down repeatedly until “OFF” mode is
selected in display.
Switching off automatic mode: Press
button 4 (
page 477) up or down re-
peatedly until “MAN” mode is selected
in display.
Setting temperature: Use tempera-
ture controls 1and6 (
page 477)
to separately adjust the air tempera-
ture on each side of the rear passenger
compartment.
Increasing/decreasing: Press
temperature control 1 or 6 up or
down.
The climate control system will cor-
respondingly adjust the interior air
temperature.
Adjusting air distribution: Press but-
ton 2 or 5 (
page 477) up or down
repeatedly until desired air distribution
is set.
The direction of the arrows represent
the air distribution. “MAN” appears in
the display over the button for the func-
tion mode.
Adjusting air volume: Press air vol-
ume control 3 (
page 477) up or
down.
The air volume is increased or de-
creased. “MAN” appears in the display
over the button for the function mode.
iAt low outside temperatures or if you have
switched off the cooling function, you cannot
cool the rear passenger compartment.
iIf the climate control system in the rear pas-
senger compartment is adjusted using COMAND
(
page 257), the) symbol appears in the
display of the rear control unit. The rear climate
control system can no longer be adjusted using
the rear control unit.

479 Controls in detail
Trunk
Trunk
Opening trunk
You can open the trunk if the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
A minimum height clearance of 6.0 ft
(1.8 m) is required to open the trunk lid.Opening trunk from outside
1Trunk lid handle
Press and hold button Š on the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* until trunk unlocks and
begins to open.
or
Pull on handle1.
In vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The
vehicle must be unlocked.Opening trunk from inside
Vehicles without trunk opening/closing
system*
1Remote trunk opening switch
Press switch1 until the trunk begins
to open.
The trunk opens. The indicator lamp in
switch1 comes on and remains lit un-
til the trunk closed.
Warning!G
Make sure the trunk is closed when the en-
gine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers exhaust fumes may enter the
vehicle interior. These fumes are damaging
to your health.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
iIf the trunk does not open, it is still locked
separately (
page 484).
!Vehicles with trunk opening/closing sys-
tem*: To stop the opening procedure, press
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.