S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

how does your air work?

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Old Sep 20, 2008 | 12:30 AM
  #1  
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2007 S 600 / '06 911 Porsche C4S cab
how does your air work?

On the W220's there was an air filter button that you hit when you get behind a diesel bus or when there were bad smells. I understood that you had to change the filter once a year or so.
On the new S's there is no such button. But if we go through a smelly area or get behind a diesel bus, you can really smell it and there is no filtration like there was on the older models. What's up with that??
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Old Sep 23, 2008 | 06:00 PM
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'25 740i; '15 targa4s; '24 cayenne
it's still there -- it's the button immediately to the left of the "off" button
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Old Sep 24, 2008 | 01:26 AM
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Originally Posted by ajm0623
it's still there -- it's the button immediately to the left of the "off" button
Not exactly, this is air recirculation which does prevent bad smell coming from outside as it prevents any air coming from outside.

I believe carsnob was after the active charcoal filter button, on older cars one could switch the air flow through a specific filter (the car might have done it automatically too with a sensor) but this is replaced with a combination filter these days. The air now always flows through an active charcoal filter but the filter isn't as strong as the specific one used to be.
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Old Sep 26, 2008 | 09:45 PM
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2007 S 600 / '06 911 Porsche C4S cab
thanks Diesel Benz. I guess that filter's not as strong as the old one since you never used to be able to smell a diesel bus when you were behind one.
Oh well, I'll still take the improvements overall in the new model...
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Old Sep 26, 2008 | 10:18 PM
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I do remember having this button on earlier models, but all along I wondered why have this button? Why would you not want it on all the time? Is there a time that you'd want to smell a skunk?
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Old Sep 27, 2008 | 02:30 AM
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Originally Posted by trumpet1
I do remember having this button on earlier models, but all along I wondered why have this button? Why would you not want it on all the time? Is there a time that you'd want to smell a skunk?
The specific active carbon filters on earlier models (it was on the 4-zone AC W211 too) reduced the air flow quite significantly, the system actually automatically increased the blower speed to compensate that. But the compensation obviously only works at lower fan speeds. This should be the reason the old system did not always use the carbon filters. I guess there is a risk that some dust left from the first filter would clog the carbon filter if all air always passed it.
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Old Sep 27, 2008 | 01:37 PM
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2010 CL65
Good to see this forum has a bunch of odor elitists....

Have never understood how anyone who is an odor elitist could drive a convertible top-down; drive w/roof or windows open; have any food/drink/pets, etc in car....

Haven't noticed air filtration issues w/newer CLs in CA....and when visiting Manhattan, one is continually assaulted by the nasty odors of Manhattan streets such that one doesn't easily perceive negative air quality in back of a dumpy S550, no matter how much diesel exhaust is present or how bad the driver smells...humans are adaptive creatures....
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