MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2003 Owners Manual

101 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Mirror cover

Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.

Push mirror cover1 to the side, as
required.
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.

102 Controls in detailClimate control
Climate control

103 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. The system cools
or heats the interior depending on the se-
lected interior temperature and the cur-
rent 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.
Item
1
Windshield air vent
2
Side window defroster vent,
adjustable
3
Air volume control for side air vents
4
Side air vent, adjustable
5
Temperature selectors, right and
left side passenger compartment
6
Air distribution control switch
7
Residual heat/air recirculation
8
AC cooling on/off (AC
OFF
)
9
Air volume control switch
10
Rear window defroster
11
Center air vents, adjustable
12
Air volume control for center air
vents
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.
iThe selected temperature is reached as
quickly as possible.
Severe 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.

104 Controls in detailClimate controlSetting the temperature
Use temperature selectors5
(page 102) 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).
Increasing

Turn the selector5 slightly upwards.
A red marking will be visible.
Decreasing

Turn the selector5 slightly downwards.
A blue marking will be visible.
Adjusting air volume
Use air volume control switch9
(page 102) to adjust the air volume. The
following symbols are found on the con-
trol:
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control switch6
(page 102) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
control switch:
iIf you use the standard settings for
heating or cooling the passenger com-
partment (
page 108), you will rarely
need to change the temperature, air
volume or air distribution.
Symbol
Function
0
No ventilation
between 0
and
Q
Ventilation without a
blower, depending on the
speed driven
between 1
and 5
Ventilation with blower
Symbol
Function
cP
Directs air to the windows
b
Directs air into the pas-
senger compartment
d
Directs air to the footwells
a
Directs air to the upper
torso

105 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
Ð
button
comes on.Deactivating

Press button
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
Ð
button
goes out.
The air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically:


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


after five minutes if the air conditioning
is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside temper-
ature is above approximately 41°F
(5 °C)
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.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter a maximum of 12 minutes.
Activating
Switch on the ignition.

Press button
F
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
F
(page 102) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside temper-
tures.

106 Controls in detailClimate control
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.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 buttonAC
OFF
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on the
AC
OFF
button lights up.
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.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
Warning!
G
While driving, deactivate the air conditioning
only temporarily to prevent window fogging.

107 Controls in detail
Climate control
Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
PressAC
OFF
again (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on
theAC
OFF
button goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat
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.
Activating
Turn the key in the steering lock to
position1 or remove it from the steer-
ing lock.

Press button
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on button
Ð

comes on.
Deactivating

Press button
Ð
(page 102).
The indicator lamp on button
Ð

goes out.The residual heat is automatically turned
off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the battery voltage dropsiHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the temperature set by the
operator. The blower will run at speed
setting 1 regardless of the air distribu-
tion control setting.

108 Controls in detailClimate controlBasic settings
Heater
Select temperature for each side of the
passenger compartment with tempera-
ture selectors1.

Select air volume with control switch2,
set at least to position 2 to prevent
window fogging.

Set air distribution control switch3 to
position shown above.

Turn side window defroster vents to the
detent position.

Open center air vents as desired.Air conditioning

Select temperature for each side of the
passenger compartment with tempera-
ture selectors1.

Select air volume with control switch2,
set at least to position 1 to start the air
conditioning.

Set air distribution control switch3 to
position
a
.

Open center air vents.

Open left and right side air vents.
Special settings
Defrosting
Set temperature selectors1, air vol-
ume control switch2 and air distribu-
tion control switch3 to position
P
.

Close center air vents.

Open left and right side air vents.

Turn side window defroster vents to the
detent position.iUse special settings only for a short
duration.

109 Controls in detail
Climate control
Defogging windows
Windows fogged up on inside
Press buttonAC
OFF
t o s w i t c h o n t h e a i r
conditioning.
The indicator lamp on buttonAC
OFF

goes out.

Press button
Ð
to switch off the air
recirculation.
The indicator lamp on button
Ð

goes out.

Increase air volume with air volume
control switch2 .

Set air distribution control switch3 to
position
c
.

Close center air vents.

Close left and right side air vents.

Turn side window defroster vents to the
detent position.Windshield fogged up on outside

Switch on the windshield wipers
(page 44).

Set air distribution control switch3 to
position
d
or
a
.

110 Controls in detailClimate controlDeactivating the climate control system
Deactivating
Set air volume control switch2 to
position0.
The fresh air supply to the passenger
compartment is shut off.
Reactivating

Set air volume control switch2 to any
speed.
The fresh air supply to the passenger
compartment is switched on.
Warning!
G
While driving, deactivate the climate control
only temporarily to prevent window fogging.