So I've had my B-Class for about a month and I really do like the car. I have noticed a bunch of interesting hidden features on the car that don't seem to be described in the owners manual and I thought I would share them with everyone. I'm curious if there are other features that I haven't noticed yet. Here is my list:
1) Windshield Wipers: When the windshield wipers are on and you put the car into reverse, the rear wiper wipes the window once so that you can see out the back better. Another feature is that the wipers slow down when you stop the car at a light, and then speed up when you start rolling again (this is listed in the owners manual).
2) Starting the car: I have noticed that you don't have to turn the key and hold it when you want to start the car. All you have to do is turn the key a tiny bit forward and then let go...and the car then starts itself. This is a very subtle thing but it indicates that the starting process is completely controlled by one of the car's computers, and the ignition/key switch is really just a button that tells the computer to start the car. Try it and you'll see what I mean.
3) In the cargo compartment on the left side there is a round thing that you can press and it pops out. It can be used as a hook to hold plastic grocery bags. If you tilt the floor of the rear compartment upwards (to get at the spare tire), you can pop out the grocery hook and it can be used to hold the floor up in the raised position. There is even a little plastic piece on the bottom edge of the floor that is designed to cup this hook.
4) Most people know this one because its in the manual. You can point your key at the driver's side door hand, hold down the unlock button and all the windows go down. Holding down the lock button makes all the windows go up (and open/closes the sunroof).
5) For those people who didn't read the manual....the battery and the fuse box is located in a compartment under the floor mat of the front passenger seat. You can probably hide stuff in there.
6) A few people have mentioned the hidden compartment(s) behind the rear seats. My car (2007 Canadian version) only has a one of these compartments on the left side and it contains the jack, etc. I don't have anything on the other side but some versions of the car seems to have a second compartment.
7) Umbrella holders: Located between the front doors and the seats on the floor beside the seat adjustment lever. The car didn't come with any umbrellas but I just purchased two black 12" folding umbrellas at a local department store and they fit perfectly.
8) The car's CVT transmission works a bit differently than a regular auto transmission. I don't have the turbo model and I've been a bit annoyed that the CVT doesn't do a good job of down shifting when when you press your foot hard on the gas pedal to pass on the highway. Last week I finally figured out the solution. Once you have pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, try press a bit harder and you will feel a switch go "click". Tripping this switch tells the CVT to raise the engines revs by about 2000 rpm and then the car really takes off. This mimics the way a traditional auto transmission "gears down". So the moral of the story is....down be afraid to press the gas hard to the floor because you need to trip this switch to engage a pseudo "passing gear".
Anyone notice any other cool things about the car?
1. I thought something is wrong at the beginning. The rear wiper points to off and it still wipe. After a few weeks I realize that if the front wiper is at auto rain sensing mode while at R gear, the rear wiper wipes automatically. After shifting back to D, the rear wiper stop wiping until you turn it on.
2. I didn't know about that. I always turn and hold until the engine start. Will it cost any damage to the engine and the starter like the way you do it? Doing your way might cost a false start?? I thought turning and holding is the correct way to start the engine..
3. Don't know about it. Have yet to look it up.
4. It is in the manual and I know about that.
5. Know about that. Have yet to open it up. Is there spare space in there to hold other small things other than the battery? I don't think so.
6. I know about the jack compartment, but not the other one that kevin mentioned in another thread.
7. I use it as an umbrella holder too.
8. I never floor the gas pedal so I can't comment on it. Doing so means the car is going very fast. I notice the "click" gear shift up when accelerating uphill and down (slow down/engine breaking?) when going downhill if I step on the brake long enough.
a nice article, well done, have not looked under the floor where the battery is yet. and mine does not have the other compartment opposite where the jack is.
just as a point of interest, I do think the speed limiter is a very good idea, all cars should have one.
So I've had my B-Class for about a month and I really do like the car. I have noticed a bunch of interesting hidden features on the car that don't seem to be described in the owners manual and I thought I would share them with everyone. I'm curious if there are other features that I haven't noticed yet. Here is my list:
1) Windshield Wipers: When the windshield wipers are on and you put the car into reverse, the rear wiper wipes the window once so that you can see out the back better. Another feature is that the wipers slow down when you stop the car at a light, and then speed up when you start rolling again (this is listed in the owners manual).
2) Starting the car: I have noticed that you don't have to turn the key and hold it when you want to start the car. All you have to do is turn the key a tiny bit forward and then let go...and the car then starts itself. This is a very subtle thing but it indicates that the starting process is completely controlled by one of the car's computers, and the ignition/key switch is really just a button that tells the computer to start the car. Try it and you'll see what I mean.
3) In the cargo compartment on the left side there is a round thing that you can press and it pops out. It can be used as a hook to hold plastic grocery bags. If you tilt the floor of the rear compartment upwards (to get at the spare tire), you can pop out the grocery hook and it can be used to hold the floor up in the raised position. There is even a little plastic piece on the bottom edge of the floor that is designed to cup this hook.
4) Most people know this one because its in the manual. You can point your key at the driver's side door hand, hold down the unlock button and all the windows go down. Holding down the lock button makes all the windows go up (and open/closes the sunroof).
5) For those people who didn't read the manual....the battery and the fuse box is located in a compartment under the floor mat of the front passenger seat. You can probably hide stuff in there.
6) A few people have mentioned the hidden compartment(s) behind the rear seats. My car (2007 Canadian version) only has a one of these compartments on the left side and it contains the jack, etc. I don't have anything on the other side but some versions of the car seems to have a second compartment.
7) Umbrella holders: Located between the front doors and the seats on the floor beside the seat adjustment lever. The car didn't come with any umbrellas but I just purchased two black 12" folding umbrellas at a local department store and they fit perfectly.
8) The car's CVT transmission works a bit differently than a regular auto transmission. I don't have the turbo model and I've been a bit annoyed that the CVT doesn't do a good job of down shifting when when you press your foot hard on the gas pedal to pass on the highway. Last week I finally figured out the solution. Once you have pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, try press a bit harder and you will feel a switch go "click". Tripping this switch tells the CVT to raise the engines revs by about 2000 rpm and then the car really takes off. This mimics the way a traditional auto transmission "gears down". So the moral of the story is....down be afraid to press the gas hard to the floor because you need to trip this switch to engage a pseudo "passing gear".
Anyone notice any other cool things about the car?
Jordan.
Jordan,
Nice post, knew most of it but didn't know about the "kickdown". As yet not needed to do it, but you never know when you may need that extra kick. It would be nice to have a road, without speed cameras, to try it out on.
I use the, drivers side, "umbrella" holder for as a "maglight" torch holder. Always useful in the dark and can be used in an emergency to break the glass in the window to get out of a wrecked car.
Ross.
__________________ Any luxury car can make you look like your going places, but with a Mercedes Benz you have already arrived.
This article has brought up many good points. I also thought something was wrong with the rear wiper at first. This hidden feature can be a problem at times. In very cold weather, ice and snow always accumulate on our cars, and we always free up our front wipers before driving and not have them locked in ice as is often the case. If you engage reverse, you can do damage if you have forgotten the rear wiper. I also have attachments for my kayaks using the towing hooks front and rear. The front wipers are far from the front straps but the rear straps actually pass through the wiper arm and the glass. If it's raining, I must remember to swing the rear arm up and let it rotate freely in the air or the arm would jam on the strap. So far so good. Cheers, Derek (note: in the little picture the front & rear straps are not showing)
Last edited by Derek Lecours : 07-30-2007 at 09:13 AM.
- date in cluster
- tyre pressure warning icon
- volume in tank
- time in AM/PM
- tunnel mode on heater control unit (hold down recirculate and all windows close / open)
- use replacement lamp if stop lamp blown
- key dependance (his / hers settings by driver key)
- memory / search for radio
- fog lamps on cornering = turning lamps
etc
__________________
Modz ... enjoy the difference. www.benzmodz.com
1: If you are using the car alone most of the times, you cand enable an option by which when you unlock the car, only the driver's door and the fuel door are being unlocked, the others remaining in their lock position. If you have passengers, all you need to do is to press the remote unlock button once again, and all the doors will unlock.
(To activate the option, press both lock and unlock keys on the remote, and wait until the remote led flashes twice. Now you have the option turned on. For reverse, repeat the operation)
I am using this since I found out about it, I find it a wastage to have all the lock systems of doors locking and unlocking all the time, since I am travelling about 70% alone. Also, from the computer menu, I disabled the option by which the doors are locking when leaving (in this case, only the driver's door and fuel cap will lock). Also by wastage purposes.
2: Sometimes, when it's raining and you have the wipers running, and it's also night and you have the low beam turned ON (I mean the meeting beam - middle phase - don't know the english expression), when you turn off the lights they will remain turned on for some seconds, proving that the lighting systems is ordered by a computer. Don't know why but it is.
3: When you arrive and turn the engine off, you may close the front windows at any time, even if you take out the key, ONLY IF nobody opened his door. If the driver door, or any other door is opened, you will not be able to make the windows go up, you'll have to switch the ignition again to make them go up.
I believe that the trick with opening the windows by remote key depends on the 4 automatic windows option. I tried several times to open/close the windows by remote keys and they won't react. Probably because I have the rear windows manually controlled so they did not fit this aditional system - recognition of key only for two automatic windows. Correct mw if I am wrong.
Also, I believe I tried sometime to switch the key only for a second and see if the engine starts (I saw this at my friend's E Class) and I remember it did not work. I'll check tomorrow once again.
I would find it very very useful to see what quantity of tank content I have at a certain moment. On the linked forum I saw a picture featuring this tank content display. Does anyone now how could I activate it?
(At present time, I reset the "After reset" counter every time I refill the tank and i have to calculate in mind all the time in order to find out what tank content do I have)
Later edit: Regarding this tank content - what capacity does our tank has? In the identity document it says that the car has a tank of 54 liters, but on the Benz site I remember seing something about 6 liters of reserve. Should we calculate 54+6(reserve) = 60!? What is this 6 liters reserve? I am always full-refilling the tank, but I could never fit into it more than 50,x liters. Never 51. Anyway, it's a pity they did not made it large of at least 70 or 80 liters. For autonomy purposes I mean.
Last edited by StGermain : 07-30-2007 at 11:14 AM.
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