Wellness Atmosphere At The Touch Of A Button

Mercedes-Benz is enhancing the vario-roof of the SLK with innovative technology boasting entirely new features. As a result, a totally unique glass roof will be celebrating its world premiere in the new SLK next year: At the touch of a button, it can be made either transparent or darkened. In transparent mode it will offer an open-air experience during cold weather, while in darkened mode it will afford a haven of shade and prevent the interior from heating up in direct sunlight. Mercedes-Benz will be the first automotive manufacturer to offer the new glass roof - called the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL - as an optional extra in the new SLK next year. Thanks to this new development, the transparent glass roof can be darkened on demand in a matter of seconds. By affording shade and a unique ambience, it helps to ensure a pleasant wellness atmosphere in the vehicle interior. Since the innovative glass also shields against the sun's rays far more effectively than conventional thermal insulation glass or sunblinds, the occupants of the new SLK will also enjoy the highest level of climatic comfort at the same time.

The operating principle is based on the physics of a plate condenser: if the glass structure is subjected to an electrical voltage, particles in the structure position themselves so that light is able to pass through the glass. If the voltage remains switched off, however, the particles position themselves randomly. This partially blocks the light, and the glass remains dark. The control unit and converter are integrated into the front section of the roof, and the switch is in the overhead control console. In addition to the unique panoramic effect and transparency at the touch of a button, MAGIC SKYCONTROL also provides a top-class wellness atmosphere. Measurements using a device called a star pyranometer revealed why this was the case. This device measures the intensity of exposure to sunlight. With an open roof, the load from the sun in the heat of Death Valley reached 1000 to 1100 W per square metre. With the transparent glass roof it dropped to 200 W, and when the roof was switched to darkened mode with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, it dropped to 40 to 50 W - one 20th of the original value. But MAGIC SKY CONTROL not only benefits passengers. Some of the strain is also taken off the air-conditioning system, thereby in turn saving on CO2 emissions. The panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL will be available to order as an option.

This is the "underside" of the switch box. There are 6 torx head screws that you need to remove, as indicated in the following picture. These are small, so if you have a tray or even a small plastic sandwich bag you should put them in a safe place. Would hate to lose one of these buggers! With the screws removed, gently pull-up on the the back-cover and put aside. You'll find as you separate the back from the main assembly that there is a rubber gasket layer sandwiched in there (covering the circuit board) - you'll notice it in the area where my thumb is in the following pic. Place the back cover aside. In this picture, you can see what you've exposed is a single circuit board. Now pull-up gently on the circuit board, separating it from the main assembly. Do so carefully, as in the picture below you'll find that there is a spring in the center -- don't lose that! Red arrow indicates a small spring in the center of the assembly.

Have something handy, like a small bowl or plastic bag, to put the small bits in. Place the circuit board to the side. The first observation about this is that given the space under the dummy switch covers (effectively they are hollow) it is very possible that an aftermarket / custom switch assembly can be added. More on that later. On one side you see the standard green board with some chips and other bits visible. You can pull that off - there isn't anything holding it in place that you need to worry about. The small metal discs correspond to the switch contact points, which in turn are mapped to the corresponding circuits for controlling specific features / functions of the car. This is all via CAN-BUS and programming, so if you were expecting to be able to tap into specific wiring for a switch you are out of luck! The rubber gasket is effectively protecting the circuit board and contacts from any moisture, such as when someone might spill or drip beverages onto the center console.