BF_JC230

Hi,

To anyone that has installed PARKTRONIC and did NOT have a dash vent grille thumbwheel stock…When you added in the PARKTRONIC dash display that had a thumbwheel – did your HVAC system have a flapper door there that now works? Or does the new PARKTRONIC thumbwheel do nothing because the HVAC system is closed under that grille work? I do not want to add a thumbwheel that does nothing (I will if I have to) – but WILL gladly add it if it will open up some more ventilation flapper doors in the HVAC system. My car was built stock with manual climate control that has turn dials and no LCD display, please let me know what HVAC server you had or have stock.

Please let me know what you know.

Thank you,
Jake

acr2001

It's not "manual climate control" its just as automatic as the digital one, the differences are that you have knobs instead of buttons, no sun sensor, no charcoal filter, and 1 fan instead of 2 separate ones, and no center console cooling vents (this is the only thing that I miss - funny thing is the ducts to the back of the car still run along the walls of the center console, so if you drilled a couple small holes in there you would pretty much regain that feature). It otherwise performs exactly the same, fully automatic.

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question.

MJ50

with the scrollwheel, u can turn on/off the vent...
nice when u don't want air blowing on ur face...

slammer111

Can you explain this feature? Where are these holes on Climatronic cars?

BF_JC230

Thanks Guys!

MJ50 - You are always helpful - Did you have a scroll wheel before? Or did adding the wheel with the Parktronic display open up that feature? I have a Parktronic display sitting on my desk right now WITH the scroll wheel option - and in the garage is my car with NO scroll wheel...If I install the Parktronic display WITH the scroll wheel - could that give me more ventilation and HVAC options?

ACR2001 - Thanks...I guess I just call it "manual" and "automatic" to keep it simple for me - Instead of THERMATIC and THERMOTRONIC...even though they also both have an automatic setting...This is another question I have and have not been getting any answers on...may just have to try it. I have Part Number 203-830-19-85 and want to try it...I know I don’t have all of the features (like you mentioned) but I also read I have 8 stepper motors and flapper doors and THERMOTRONIC has 10 - so if I install this HVAC head unit - will anything get "screwed up?" I want this system to ADD in REST and have the interior aesthetic match better between the radio and the HVAC unit...I suppose I could try to get a THERMATIC unit with REST - I have seen that...The next small issue is my car stock has the switch with [A/C] the THERMOTRONIC head unit I bought has [AC off]...will that do anything weird to the compressor cycle and operation?

Thanks all!
Jake

acr2001

Unless you have a car built at a specific time during a specific model year (I dont remember the year) then you wont be able to get REST working without further modification. (I could be wrong, but that's what I read somewhere around here).

As far as the unit working or not - from what I've read it's luck of the draw - on some vehicles they work, sometimes they don't. Naturally if it does work certain features will be missing.

acr2001

I'm not sure if all climatronic cars have it, but I know the C230, C240 don't have it. The C320 does, the E class does, and I'm sure some of the other vehicles have it also. Basically when you open up the center console there is a vent inside of it which looks similar to the vents on the dash. You can turn it on or off and when the A/C is on cool air blows through it cooling whatever is in the center console.

On the C230 and C240 without the vent in the center console the air ducts still run along the sides of the center console to bring air to the rear vents. What I was saying is that it seems if you drilled a few holes inside the console in the right place you would be able to divert some of the air going to the rear vents and have it go into the console.

If you feel the side walls of the center console (from the inside) after the A/C is on a few minutes you'll notice that they get pretty cold.

slammer111

Even those who do NOT have climatronic ALSO have REST mode. It's not in the manual, but next time you have the engine off, hit the ACOff button. They just renamed the button, but it does the exact same thing as EC/REST for those who have 2002 modules. Found this one by accident on my 2003

My 2003 coupe ALSO has that centre console vent (with damper) built in already. Maybe the sedans are different?

BF_JC230

Thanks...Next time I shut the car off with normal engine heat - I will press my [A/C] button to see if it has the REST feature.

My car is fitted with the two things WIS specifies as being needed so the only retro fit should be the HVAC head unit and STAR programming...

Back to the Parktronik Thumb or Scroll Wheel...
Last night I looked hard at my stock dash grille and I could not see into it - there is a black felt like liner under the metal screen. I could faintly make out a open section in the front, a round area in the middle, and a square shape furthest from the glass. This is the same order of shapes that my new parktronic grille has with the front open section being the display house.

Does anyone know if adding in the thumb / scroll wheel will give me access to a flapper door that is CURRENTLY shut off in my car?

Thanks,
Jake

Car was built 11/04 in Sindelfingen!

acr2001

I think after 2002 or 2003 they removed the center console vent just to give people another reason to spend more $ on the next model up.

About the REST feature being included - this is only true on the 2002 and maybe 2003 model years from what I remember.

acr2001

If you have a 2005 REST won't work by holding the A/C button.

MJ50

jake, i didn't have the scroll from factory...
when steve installed full PTS, he put the front PTS display with the scroll...
nothing major but it's good to have it!

crazeazn

Can I purchase the digital LED/auto climate control for my 06 C55? I'm guessing all the face lift C classes that have the digital are interchangable between w203s (a la 240/320 etc) ? at least on the ones it works on ?

BF_JC230

Hi MJ50 - Thanks...Does the scroll wheel do anything now? I too do not have it stock - but the PTS display grille I have on my bench has the scroll wheel - I will gladly add it to the car if I can gain the feature of operating that flapper door. If your scroll wheel is NOT doing anything right now – can you please let me know! If it is I will keep my PTS display with scroll wheel, if yours is not doing anything – I will continue on a path to try and find a unit without the scroll wheel…I am not too crazy about the look of the wheel…But if it will do something once installed – I will definitely add it in!

Thanks all,
Jake

This is the only picture I have found of what is under the grlle work...Thanks original poster!

(Adding a digital HVAC unit that will work is hit or miss…from what I read – no one either has a correct answer – or does not want to share it…)

MJ50

yes, the scroll will open/close that flapper...
don't use it often but good to have it...

BF_JC230

Thanks MJ50! I will look forward to installing the system and adding in the vent wheel this summer!

Thanks all!
(Anyone else want to chime in or double confirm this info - please do so!)
Jake

BF_JC230

Still trying to get a FACELIFTED fresh air vent - the tray under the PTS dash grille...I was at the dealer today (They are VERY helpful at MBoB) and the part that was received was again the 2001-2004.5 scroll wheel. They also informed me that the HVAC unit will not open up with this wheel added as the heater box is different...I am hoping that it will work and that Mercedes-Benz did not retool the HVAC Heater Box...

My "Digital Readout" HVAC Controller with [REST] is working great - and [REST] works too!

Thanks all for any and all information! I reall want a FACELIFTED scroll wheel tray / vent!
Jake

RW C55

Sorry if i missed it.. but how did u get the REST to work?

BF_JC230

This is the part that was ordered through MBoB for me…

203 830 08 54 7225 (Fresh air vent)

It is PRE-face lift…If anyone has information on the POST face lift part number – that would be great!

[REST] is working by having the correct HVAC controller in the car according to build date – All I can say would be that I read all I could before I bought the PN on the controller, and it is working – A dash of luck is in there too!

Thanks,
Jake

BF_JC230

Forgot I had this part...
Had fun with my now 8 year old daughter on the install!

Lots of modifications...the OEM tray wouldn’t hold my H/K speaker...maybe old Bose or something...so, into the mill went the OEM one to opened up the closed USA flap locations.

Swapped wheel and flap and done.

I chose to unclip this grille starting from underneath- I was not down with ( especially on a 15 year old dash) prying from the top. These clips are tight!