WIS 80.45 Convenience Feature (CF) / Convenience Locking System
Description - – Convenience Feature (CF) / Convenience Locking System
The Convenience Feature (CF) / Convenience Locking System is also commonly known as the Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature.
On a really hot day as you walk up to your parked car, point the tip of the Remote Key at the small plastic square which is the Infrared (IR) Receiver in either Front Door Handle and press and hold the Open Button.
IR Receiver in W220 Front Door Handles
The Radio Frequency signal emitted by the Key will unlock the car. The IR signal emitted by the tip of the Key will initiate the Summer Opening Feature which does the following:
- All Windows will open,
- The Tilting/Sliding Sun Roof will slide open, and
- The Front Driver’s Seat Ventilation will turn on.
This immediately allows any build up of hot air inside the car to be dissipated.
Once underway you can close the sliding sunroof and side windows using the Convenience Closing Feature. Press and Hold the Recirculate button on the Automatic Climate Control (ACC).
Recirculate Button
Like wise when leaving your car parked, if you wish to close all of your windows and sunroof by a single command, point the tip of the Remote Key at the IR receiver in the Driver's or Passenger's Door Handle, and push and hold the Lock Button.
Issues – Convenience Feature (CF) / Convenience Locking System
Issue 1 - Does not work properly
The Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature does not work properly or at all.
Solution 1- Does Not Work Properly
The windows and sliding tilting sunroof must be synchronized using the Global Synchronization technique for the Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature to work properly.
Global Synchronization is explained in the Benz World Encyclopedia. W220 S-CLASS ENCYCLOPEDIA - START HERE. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220-s-class/
Issue 2 - Faulty IR Receivers
A very common issue is that the Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature stops working due to cracked solder joints on the IR receivers in the door handles.
Weak Solder Joints in Door Handle IR Receiver Module on Far Left
This is presumably due to vibrations caused by the constant opening and closing of the doors.
It is surprising to find many owners who do not realise that their M-B has the Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature due to this issue.
Solution 2 - Faulty IR Receivers
Fortunately with a small amount of technical expertise faulty IR Receivers are easily fixed with a DIY repair.
Note it looks like M-B changed the design for securing the IR Receiver in the door handle from roll pins to a clip sometime around 2004.
The next link to article by Benz World Member, ricebubbles, refers to a 2003 update W220 S500L which uses mounting clips to secure the IR receiver. Refer to BenzWorld Publication Version 01 posted 2012-02-02:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220-s-class/1620660-convenience-opening-closing-feature.html
The next link to a You Tube video by mugs132 refers to a 2004 W204 C230 which uses roll pins to secure the IR receiver.
Testing - Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature
A BenzWorld Member with a 2003 E320 and an intermittant summer convenience feature, was told by an independent garage that he needed to order a new IR receiver for the door and as this is a security item it can only come from a dealer @ $450 AUD + Labor to fit.
He tried a little experiment. He got a C-Class door handle that had an IR Receiver, connected it to his car and then tried using his own key. The Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature worked fine. This confirmed that the IR receiver was faulty. He didn't say whether he was able to transfer the C-Class IR receiver into his door handle or make the DIY repair to the cracked solder joints.