E-Class (W211) 2003-2009

Anyway of pulling outside air inside the cabin without turning on HVAC?

Old Sep 26, 2022 | 05:45 PM
  #1  
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20' RCF, 18' NX, 09' E350, 07' Solara, 05' STi, 01' Ranger
Arrow Anyway of pulling outside air inside the cabin without turning on HVAC?

Dumb question but I figured I'd ask, and it really only popped up in my mind when I drove the w211 up to my mom's house in PA which is a 4 hour highway drive.

On ALL other cars we own. You can set the recirculating button to outside air but NOT have the hvac controls in the on position. So no fan speed, nothing on. And you will feel outside air coming into the cabin. If you have the dial set to a temp it will heat that air or cool it depending on what it's set up. All of our japanese vehicles do this and I love it. Sometimes I simply don't want the HVAC running to be pulling air inside the cabin.

On the MB, I noticed that unless the HVAC is ON no air is being pulled from the outside. There are many fall days where I simply want the nice cooler air in without having everything else on, (I don't want windows or sun roof open that creates noise) if that makes sense. It's nice to be driving and it doesn't feel stuffy in the car and just get a very light air flow inside the cabin.

Is there a setting in STAR to enable this so that air can come into the cabin without turning the blower/fans on...etc? I've noticed that with the MB if the HVAC is off, no air is moving at all inside the cabin.

I will note that if I push the recirculating button on all the other cars that we own that do this natively when switching to cabin only, all outside air stops when moving down the road, and you don't get outside air unless you push it again to get outside air flow.

-Nigel

Last edited by NewShockerGuy; Sep 26, 2022 at 05:50 PM.
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Old Sep 27, 2022 | 10:22 AM
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1998 E320 Wagon, 2003 W211 E500, 2003 W211 E500, 1999 W210 E55 AMG
There should be a button. A button on the AC console. Labeled "AC off". Try that.
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Old Sep 27, 2022 | 12:31 PM
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20' RCF, 18' NX, 09' E350, 07' Solara, 05' STi, 01' Ranger
Yea I've done that. What I'm saying is I want the unit to be off without any fans on but have the outside air come into the cabin. Apparently in another thread, MB deemed this not to be the case which is really strange to me. I don't want to have to turn the fan on in order to get outside air into the cabin. Especially on fall days or nice days I don't care or need the blower to be on. I simply want air to come into the cabin from the outside.

Shame, since all of our other cars do it and I'm so used to it now...lol There is never a point that you feel stuffy in the car, unlike the MB when there is zero air flow on except when you turn the fan/blower on.

-Nigel
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Old Sep 27, 2022 | 12:55 PM
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This place is a joke.
I don't think it's possible. The German mindset would be "why would you ever need to do this?"
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Old Sep 27, 2022 | 12:55 PM
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Not possible. Set temp to min, AC off and desired register position. It gives you what you want.
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Old Sep 29, 2022 | 11:52 PM
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With the fan on the slowest speed, AC off, temperature set to minimum the HVAC is inaudible at speed and will supply the air you seek with pretty much zero impact on fuel efficiency. Is your blower squeaky?
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