JAM

Take a look at all of the European options that are available for W203.... Also note the Parktronic switch on the upper console!

truelove

okay, so i see a bunch of buttons. what do they all do?

JAM

Parktronic on the top row...

In the shifter console... Heated Seats (L & R). Two way radio, TAXI sign illumination, government control, and some other stuff...

truelove

...headlamp missles, oil slick, smoke screen, bullet proof barrier, cigarette lighter welding torch...

bagwell

great - yeah I wish I had a taxi light (switch)

CRB

Potshots like that are not fare. Clearly, you don't know what in the hail you are talking about.

taylor192

Me too, then I'd have a switch for my neon underglow kit. just kiddin.

JAM

Ahh, go ahead and laugh now, but wait 'till you see the before and after pics of with and without the extra switches....

What will they all do?!?! Well, I'll probably add air-ride, one of those "La-kook-a-racha" horns, strobes in the corners, and other tastefull accessories.
Nothing more obnoxious than a riced out Benz!

Actually, I was just talking with someone in europe and was surprised to hear that they are able to get options for a C-Class--that's what made me post the pic-- that are restricted to the S-Class here, like ABC or ADS. On a C32, what a ride that would be with ABC!

Now back to the TAXI conversion project... I'm going to bid on a used fare meter on eBay!

JAM

Also, one of the switches is for Distronic Cruis Control....

davidasman

no they aren't... heated seat controls are where the hazard light switch is - to the far left and far right. and we can get that option in the US, it's part of the cold weather package maybe? i'm not sure... it comes in the package with the headlight washer sprayer things...

tberry

the only significant loses we dont get here i think is parktronic (for you old folks ) and SMG (i dont know what MB call it but there's some kinda 6spd sequential manual transmission). The rest is crap to fill up space.

amdeutsch

You can get those separately in the US.

What I think is funny is that he talks about the switches being next to the shifter but yet shows them in the diagram up top under the vent. I wonder if he ever did real research to find out what consumers get for options instead of specially built business vehicles, aka Taxis, etc.

JAM

Yes I did my research, nothing worse than worthless posts or misinformation.

I think you're just bitter because you don't have a TAXI light on your Benz.

And, I can say with 100% cetainty that with some European options, the seat heaters are in the SHIFT console, not in the upper console below the dash vents.

'Lovin my new C (Cheap) Class....

davidasman

You say "...with 100% cetainty that...the seat heaters are in the SHIFT console, not in the upper console below the dash vents." Reading that in its literal sense one might be quite perplexed as to why the seat heaters are not in the seats themselves. That said, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you meant that you can say "...with 100% certainty that...[the switches used to operate] the seat heaters are in the SHIFT console..."

I live in the US and my car is of US spec... However, I find it quite hard to believe that the European version of a car with precisely the same options as my US car would have buttons or switches in completely different locations. I'm not at all trying to pick any sort of online forum fight, it just doesn't make any sense to me at all. Why would a company go to the added expense of designing and implementing two more sets of electronic controls, a different aluminum console to accomadate the 2 new sets of electronic controls, and the wiring run to the 2 new sets of electronic controls when there are potentially unused switches in just as convenient a location for the user? Especially when they have already designed and implemented a system that makes use of the otherwise unused switches, works just as well and requires no additional expense. I'm certainly no business major, but if you are correct, and Mercedes is in fact doing this... that's just dumb!

Not to mention that in the picture you posted, you can SEE the buttons that are used to operate the heated seats. I'm not really one to believe in coincidences so to say that they are "coincidentally" in the same location in the picture (presumably drawn to show a European C-Class) as they are in the US spec car doesn't really fly for me. Just like in the picture you can make out the towing switch and the door locks switch. Are those not in the same position on your car???

I am in no way mocking you or being sarcastic, so I hope it doesn't come off that way at all. If you can share with us what makes you so certain or post more clear pictures of a European car with the seat heaters, I'll be the first to apologize and admit that I made an incorrect assumption.

Perhaps someone from Europe can reply and let us North Americans know where the switches are located.

Of course, this is quite a silly thing to fight over, and as I've said, I'm in no way trying to start a fight about this - I just don't want to be misinformed, nor do I think anyone else does.

levelr123g

why wouldnt the same car you have , have the switches in different locations. euro cars have their steering wheel on the right where we have it on the left, but they are the same car with controls in different locations. the location of switches, and other controls may be mandated by their government to be in a particular place. if this is the case then yes a manufacturer would have to design differnt sets of sensors, switches, control modules, etc.

amdeutsch

I think you better edit that remark.

The only cars in EUROPE that have the steering wheel on the right are mostly made for UK requirements. The only countries, excluding the various colonies maybe, in EUROPE I'm familiar with that drive on the opposite side are Malta and the UK.

I did check the website for Germany and found that the buttons next to the shifter are for taxi 2 way radios for example. Extrapolating that to the picture it would seem that some of those are for right hand drive speciality vehicles.

Now with that in mind I agree with davidasman and not with JAM. Based on that I will agree that these buttons in the console are for specialty vehicles and not regular consumer vehicles.

The pic he posted is nice and informative. But lets get the link for that pic and we all can find out what those code numbers represent.

vadim

With taxi use in mind, it's quite possible that some of these buttons, indeed, control seat heaters - but perhaps rear, not front?

How likely? Here is an example - my Volvo S70 is a special edition built with heated rear seats, although no such option has ever been available in the US. It has an extra button next to the rear ligher outlet. I bought it used, and it looks like it was built for Boston Coach - a big limo company in Boston.

vadim

Here is one more nice feature not offered to the mortals. Note, this is a US-spec W203.

JAM

Yikes, sensative are we? I'm not here to make things up

The diagram that I posted is an options diagram. If you really want, let me know and I'll email you a hi-res version of the diagram that I postes and you'll definately see the seat heater switches.

I don't think they're for rear seat heaters, but perhaps MB feels that maybe, in some parts of the world, it would be more important to have another function on the top row and thus demote the seat heaters to the shift console.

I'll see if I can get a close up photo of the center console, with the clearly labeled seat heaters.

You folks in the W203 forum are definatley more passionate (purposely putting it gently) Than the folks in the W140 forum...

JAM

BTW, for the reord, I would not post any information that was misinformation. I too very much rely on the information on MBWorld.

amdeutsch

Pics are fine but have limitations. What is the link to a site that has this pic posted? What do the code numbers represent?
I checked the German site and posted what I found (see the pic and under properties you'll find where I got it). Am we asking too much for you to do the same?
Thanx for being gentle. (j/k)

JAM

The diagram was emailed to me from EuroParts and I had to bump down the res. to get it posted. Let me see what I can do.... stay tuned.

breastroker

Barbus takes these options and makes them look COOL

breastroker

One more with a cool climate control

JAM

this comes from Benz's Austrailian page. If you read the list options (many of which we cannot get) AND this is for passenger cars, not special purpose vehicles, one function for the shifter console switches is to control the powre fold in mirrors. Tough to make out in this pic, but you can see that the switches in the shifter console are standard issue....