Climate Control

phatchink · 07-25-2007

So I didn't get the climate control when I got my SLK and now I deeply regret it becaus even a civic's got a digital climate control now, I'm driving a Merc and to be honest sometimes I feel as if I'm no more than a civic when it comes to technologies.

Question is, can I retrofit a climate control in the SLK or does it have to be done at the dealer, I havn't gotten a quotation from them yet but I'm guessing it will cost me. Will this be a plug and play?

DansSlk · 07-25-2007

You can retrofit the control unit yourself to give you the digital display but you wont gain any of the extra features that come with the unit from factory.

They cannot be retrofitted.

mtiede · 07-25-2007

I don't really like the climate control unit. I'm not even sure it works. I find I am constantly having to fiddle with it. I find it is blowing cold air when the outside temperature is 70 and the setting is for 75. I don't know why it is blowing cold. And it isn't just the outside air blowing, it is COLD.

And then when it is HOT out, like 95 degrees, and the top is down, it won't blow the air at the max when it is in Auto. And even when manually set to the max, it isn't as high a volume as when the top is up. Go figure.

And I find I have to sometimes be pressing the A/C button on and then off and then on, because it isn't cold enough with it off and too cold when it is on.

I thought this was supposed to be a climate control. Set the temperature you want and you don't have to touch it again. My old Reatta worked better. I think the SLK 320 worked better too.

So you may or may not want to switch units. The digital one does look better and I think looks better with the other buttons and knobs.

DansSlk · 07-25-2007

Yeah function wise its not great.

Works more like modern BMW's it has a very wide temp range, its blowing cold air into the car because the temperature at the climate control unit face is above whats set and it will cool it down a few degrees before heating it up again and repeating the process.

Bubba · 07-26-2007

Do I have to press the ac button to cool the car as it seems that I have to and this would not be classed climate control??????

**Duo-Art** · 07-26-2007

I have the automatic climate control but I would prefer the manual system in a roadster.

DansSlk · 07-26-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubba

Do I have to press the ac button to cool the car as it seems that I have to and this would not be classed climate control??????

If you have the digital climate control then leave the AC on all the time, its an enable button so when you press it your just telling the computer its OK to use the AC when it needs to.

So its not always running even when the light is lit.

**webslinger** · 07-26-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by DansSlk

If you have the digital climate control then leave the AC on all the time, its an enable button so when you press it your just telling the computer its OK to use the AC when it needs to.

So its not always running even when the light is lit.

...unless you want your most spirited and don't want the A/C sapping HP when on, yes?

Bubba · 07-26-2007

I dont have the digital one I have the one with dials on. If you set the temp to say 20 does the ac cut in when it needs to? I find the merc system very confusing

DansSlk · 07-26-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by webslinger

...unless you want your most spirited and don't want the A/C sapping HP when on, yes?

As i said Doug mate its not always active so the light is meaningless really its just telling you that the AC might be running so pressing the button to turn it off is not really doing that because it might not be running in the first place.

If the LED is out then the AC is disabled at all times to leave it like that is bad drills because the gas contains its own lubricant and disabling it especially in warm climates will cause the seals to fail rapidly and the gas to escape.

Better to leave it active so the light is on (off for 05's) then the computer can control it engaging the clutch as needed.

Under full-throttle acceleration the clutch is dis-engaged so you have no parasitic drag but even with the compressor running drag on a 5.5ltr engine is minimal maybe a few horsepower taken up by all the drives on the belt.

DansSlk · 07-26-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubba

I dont have the digital one I have the one with dials on. If you set the temp to say 20 does the ac cut in when it needs to? I find the merc system very confusing

Ah OK then the system is running when you have the light on, not a bad thing as i explained in my above post as it keeps the system lubricated.

**webslinger** · 07-26-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by DansSlk

...Better to leave it active so the light is on (off for 05's) then the computer can control it engaging the clutch as needed.

Under full-throttle acceleration the clutch is dis-engaged so you have no parasitic drag but even with the compressor running drag on a 5.5ltr engine is minimal maybe a few horsepower taken up by all the drives on the belt.

One can hope their car gets this smart- I'm impressed it does that.

DansSlk · 07-27-2007

One cool thing about Germans mate,

They have a knack of thinking way outside the box and coming up with little easter eggs that not many others can match.

The cars engine control unit alone has more processing power than a space shuttle (granted its older technology but still)

**webslinger** · 07-27-2007

apparently so!

DansSlk · 07-27-2007

Trust me mate you will get used to finding out stuff like this when it comes to your car.

About the only things it cant do are make you a coffee and wipe your arse.

And i am sure both problems are being worked on

phatchink · 07-28-2007

i still can't get over the fact that this is a 60k car and the air con unit is manuel, that is just disgraceful, omho, it should really come standard. The "added" features should really be something significant like vario roof module or something.

Germans, what are they thinking!?

nappy · 07-28-2007

I have the digital climate control, does anybody know why when I parked my car and close the top, the A/C start to blast?

I'm sure it's a feature, but not exactly sure why, other than it feels nice on a hot day... (actually it doesn't do that when it's not hot)

Yes, I agree to the detail in design MB puts into the cars...

DansSlk · 07-28-2007

The AC has 2 modes top-up and top-down because of different airflow patterns in the 2 situations.

When the top is closing the system switches to top-up mode and the sensors tell it the interior temp is above/below the tolerance for that particular mode so on a hot day the AC will go to full cooling to reduce the interior temperature.

If you have HK audio you will also notice a blip in the audio as it changes DSP for top-up mode.

VitaminT · 07-28-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatchink

i still can't get over the fact that this is a 60k car and the air con unit is manuel, that is just disgraceful, omho, it should really come standard. The "added" features should really be something significant like vario roof module or something.

Germans, what are they thinking!?

This may not be in your case but when I first got my used 55 and it didn't have auto climate I was thinking the same thing. But after putting some thought to it I kind of like having it separate. Same with th bi-xenons. If those had been standard options on the slk then the original owner might now have been able to afford my car originally and I might not have been able to afford it used. So while my car has good ole manual climate control and some yellow headlights, I do drive a slk55 instead of a 4 year old M3 with those options.

Hope that makes sense and like I said probably doesn't appy to all people but for me the slk55 was at the limit for what I wanted to spend on my next car.

Now lets talk about some rain sensing wipers that come standard on a c230 but not on a slk55. Hey at least it an easy upgrade/fix.

BrianS · 08-23-2007

This is a great thread. I just picked up my car about two weeks ago and I couldn't figure out the manual A/C button either. Now I understand that even though the A/C light is on the actual interior tempature determines whether or not the A/C compressor is activated. I have the manual system, so with the dual tempature controls the A/C can be active on one side and not the other? Thanks.

07-25-2007	#1 (permalink)
phatchink Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 123 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Climate Control So I didn't get the climate control when I got my SLK and now I deeply regret it becaus even a civic's got a digital climate control now, I'm driving a Merc and to be honest sometimes I feel as if I'm no more than a civic when it comes to technologies. Question is, can I retrofit a climate control in the SLK or does it have to be done at the dealer, I havn't gotten a quotation from them yet but I'm guessing it will cost me. Will this be a plug and play?

07-25-2007	#2 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	You can retrofit the control unit yourself to give you the digital display but you wont gain any of the extra features that come with the unit from factory. They cannot be retrofitted. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-25-2007	#4 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	Yeah function wise its not great. Works more like modern BMW's it has a very wide temp range, its blowing cold air into the car because the temperature at the climate control unit face is above whats set and it will cool it down a few degrees before heating it up again and repeating the process. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-27-2007	#13 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	One cool thing about Germans mate, They have a knack of thinking way outside the box and coming up with little easter eggs that not many others can match. The cars engine control unit alone has more processing power than a space shuttle (granted its older technology but still) __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-27-2007	#15 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	Trust me mate you will get used to finding out stuff like this when it comes to your car. About the only things it cant do are make you a coffee and wipe your arse. And i am sure both problems are being worked on __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-25-2007	#3 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 101 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	I don't really like the climate control unit. I'm not even sure it works. I find I am constantly having to fiddle with it. I find it is blowing cold air when the outside temperature is 70 and the setting is for 75. I don't know why it is blowing cold. And it isn't just the outside air blowing, it is COLD. And then when it is HOT out, like 95 degrees, and the top is down, it won't blow the air at the max when it is in Auto. And even when manually set to the max, it isn't as high a volume as when the top is up. Go figure. And I find I have to sometimes be pressing the A/C button on and then off and then on, because it isn't cold enough with it off and too cold when it is on. I thought this was supposed to be a climate control. Set the temperature you want and you don't have to touch it again. My old Reatta worked better. I think the SLK 320 worked better too. So you may or may not want to switch units. The digital one does look better and I think looks better with the other buttons and knobs.

07-26-2007	#5 (permalink)
Bubba SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bucks Vehicle: 06 280 Posts: 41 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Do I have to press the ac button to cool the car as it seems that I have to and this would not be classed climate control??????

07-26-2007	#6 (permalink)
Duo-Art Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 544 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 14 Posts	I have the automatic climate control but I would prefer the manual system in a roadster.

07-26-2007	#9 (permalink)
Bubba SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bucks Vehicle: 06 280 Posts: 41 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I dont have the digital one I have the one with dials on. If you set the temp to say 20 does the ac cut in when it needs to? I find the merc system very confusing

07-27-2007	#14 (permalink)
webslinger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Vehicle: '07 SLK55 AMG Other Toys: Honda motorcycle Posts: 549 Country: Thanks: 22 Thanked 22 Times in 14 Posts	apparently so!

07-28-2007	#16 (permalink)
phatchink Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 123 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	i still can't get over the fact that this is a 60k car and the air con unit is manuel, that is just disgraceful, omho, it should really come standard. The "added" features should really be something significant like vario roof module or something. Germans, what are they thinking!?

07-28-2007	#17 (permalink)
nappy SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: S.F. Bay Area Vehicle: SLK350 MT AMG PKG Posts: 36 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	AC turned on at full blast when closing top? I have the digital climate control, does anybody know why when I parked my car and close the top, the A/C start to blast? I'm sure it's a feature, but not exactly sure why, other than it feels nice on a hot day... (actually it doesn't do that when it's not hot) Yes, I agree to the detail in design MB puts into the cars...

07-28-2007	#18 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	The AC has 2 modes top-up and top-down because of different airflow patterns in the 2 situations. When the top is closing the system switches to top-up mode and the sensors tell it the interior temp is above/below the tolerance for that particular mode so on a hot day the AC will go to full cooling to reduce the interior temperature. If you have HK audio you will also notice a blip in the audio as it changes DSP for top-up mode. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

08-23-2007	#20 (permalink)
BrianS SLK World Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 26 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This is a great thread. I just picked up my car about two weeks ago and I couldn't figure out the manual A/C button either. Now I understand that even though the A/C light is on the actual interior tempature determines whether or not the A/C compressor is activated. I have the manual system, so with the dual tempature controls the A/C can be active on one side and not the other? Thanks.

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