service MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2008 User Guide

Occupant safety
42
Windowbags*
The purpose of the windowbags is to enhance
the level of protection for the head (but not
chest or arms) of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame On 5-door vehicles, they are
located between the front door (A-pillar) and
the rear door (C-pillar). On 3-door vehicles,
they are located between the front door (A-
pillar) and the rear inner wing (C-pillar).
i If you have specified windowbags* as
optional equipment, the front seats of the
vehicle will be equipped with sidebags
instead of head/thorax airbags. 1
Windowbag Windowbags
1are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
lateral direction
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R independently of the front airbags
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied Active head restraints
The active head restraints are designed to
increase protection to the driver's and front-
passenger's head and neck. In the event of a
rear-end collision the force exerted by the
driver's or front-passenger's chest causes
the head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats to be moved forwards. This
provides better head support. G
Risk of injury
Do not secure any objects (e.g. coat hang-
ers) on the head restraint rods. Otherwise,
the active head restraints may not function
correctly and could fail to provide the inten-
ded protection in the event of an accident. Children in the vehicle
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size and age of the child
and recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. You should fit the restraint system to a
suitable rear seat. Make sure that the child is
secured in a child restraint system through-
out the trip.
You can obtain information about the correct
child restraint system from any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
Information about this can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. Children could injure
themselves on parts of the vehicle. They
could also be seriously or even fatally
injured by prolonged exposure to extreme
heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
44 approved for use in Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles.
Vehicles with a through-loading feature* in
the rear seat backrest: do not fit a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
centre rear seat.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning on the front-passenger sun visor Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
G
Risk of injury
If the front-passenger front airbag is not
disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be
seriously and even fatally injured by the
front-passenger front airbag deploying.
This is especially a risk if the child is in
the immediate vicinity of the front-
passenger front airbag when it deploys.
R a child must never be secured on the
front-passenger seat in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. Only secure a rearward-facing child restraint system on
a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition in the front-passenger seat*
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat* if
there is no child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition fitted to
the front-passenger seat.
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat* if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp is not lit.
To draw attention to this danger, there is an
appropriate warning sticker on the dash-
board as well as on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
50Vehicles with a luggage compartment
cover*: make sure you do not route the belt
across luggage compartment cover 3.
X Vehicles with a luggage compartment
cover*: swing back rear seat backrest 2
until it engages.
The red lock verification indicator is no lon-
ger visible (Y page 151). G
Risk of injury
Make sure that the rear seat backrest is
fully locked. The red lock verification indi-
cators on the left and right should no longer
be visible. If they are, the rear seat backr-
ests are not locked. If this is the case, occu-
pants could be injured in the event of an
accident, e.g. by objects being thrown for-
wards from the luggage compartment.
X All: move head restraints 1slightly down
again if necessary (Y page 66). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct
routing of TopTether belt* 6.
X Install the ISOFIX child restraint system
with TopTether*. Comply with the manu-
facturer's installation instructions. Integrated child seat* The child seats are integrated into the right
and left-hand sides of the seats of the rear
bench seat. They comply with the legal
requirements of ECE Regulation 44.03.
Mercedes-Benz recommends the integrated
child seat for children from approximately
two to twelve years of age or with a body
weight of 12.5 kg to 36 kg.
For children between approximately two and
four years of age or weighing between
approximately 12.5 kg and 22 kg, you must
also use a padded table* which has been spe-
cially approved for the integrated child seat
(Y
page 51). G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R Do not modify the integrated child seat.
R When the child seat is occupied, adjust
the head restraint to a position at which
the back of the child's head is supported
by the centre of the head restraint at
about eye level. R
Replace an integrated child seat that has
been damaged or subjected to a heavy
load as the result of an accident.
R Be aware that children under two years
of age require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R The rear seat backrest in the vehicle
must be securely locked in position.
Folding out the child seat 1
Release catch
2 Hook Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
51
X
Press release catch 1.
The child seat folds upwards.
X Push the child seat back to the stop so that
it engages.
Fastening a child's seat belt G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R The shoulder belt section of the seat belt
must be routed across the middle of the
child's shoulder – never across the
child's neck – and be pulled tight against
the child's chest. The lap section of the
seat belt must be routed across the
child's pelvis – not across the abdomen
– and be pulled tight against the child's
body; retighten the belt strap if neces-
sary.
R Never secure more than one child at a
time in the child restraint system.
R The belt must be routed through the
hook.
R The belt strap must not be trapped or
twisted, nor rub against any sharp edges. X
Pull the belt smoothly from the inertia reel.
X Guide the lower lap section of the belt
through hook 2.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
X Make sure that the belt:
R
is routed as low as possible across the
pelvic area, in front of the hips
R is tightened across the lap by pulling
upwards on the child's shoulder belt
R is tight and is routed across the middle
of the child's shoulder
R is not twisted and does not pass across
the child's neck or under the child's arm
X Adjust the head restraint (Y page 66)Folding in the child seat 1
Release catch
X Press release catch 1.
X Push the child seat back into the seat until
it engages.
Padded table*for the integrated child
seat* For children between approximately two and
four years of age or weighing between
approximately 12.5 kg and 22 kg, you must
also use a padded table which has been spe-
cially approved for the integrated child seat.
You can obtain the approved padded table
with ECE approval number 03301101 from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre under the
order number B6 687 0096. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
52
You must not use the integrated child seat
with padded table directly attached to a baby
car seat on which a body weight of up to
10 kg is permitted. G
Risk of injury
If the padded table is not installed and used
correctly on the integrated child seat, it
cannot provide the intended protection. It
would then not be possible to restrain the
child in the event of an accident, sudden
braking or abrupt change in direction and
this could result in serious or even fatal
injury to the child. For this reason, observe
the following description when fitting the
padded table:
The padded table is only suitable for use
together with the folded-out integrated
child seat.
On the rear seats, only use the padded table
which is recommended for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles.
An incorrectly fitted padded table could
come loose and seriously or even fatally
injure the child or other vehicle occupants.
Fit the padded table and ensure that it is
correctly secured. G
Risk of injury
If the padded table is damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident, it cannot provide
the intended protection. It would then not
be possible to restrain the child in the event
of an accident, sudden braking or abrupt
change in direction and this could result in
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
You must therefore have padded tables
that are damaged or have been subjected
to a heavy load in an accident checked
immediately along with their mountings at
a qualified specialist workshop and
replaced if necessary. G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R observe the following description when
fitting the padded table.
R do not modify the padded table.
R When the child seat is occupied, adjust
the head restraint to a position at which
the back of the child's head is supported
by the centre of the head restraint at
about eye level. R
replace a damaged padded table or one
that has been subjected to a load in an
accident.
R be aware that children under two years
of age or children weighing less than
12.5 kg require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not modify the padded table, integrated
child seat or seat belts. The padded table
must not be used without a cover. The
cover must not be removed from the pad-
ded table or replaced with a cover from
another manufacturer. Otherwise, the offi-
cial approval becomes invalid and its pro-
tective function could be restricted.
Do not subject the padded table to unnec-
essary heat nor expose it to direct sunlight.
Parts of the padded table could heat up and
the child could be burnt by the hot parts. Safety
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Seats
63Seats
Points to remember
You can find information about enlarging the
luggage compartment (folding forwards/
removing the rear seats) on (Y page 150).
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
seats can be adjusted either manually or elec-
trically. G
Risk of injury
The seats can be adjusted when the key is
removed and the door is open. For this rea-
son, children should never be left unsuper-
vised in the vehicle. They could become
trapped when adjusting a seat. G
Risk of accident
Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehi-
cle is stationary. You will otherwise be dis-
tracted from the road and traffic conditions
and you could lose control of the vehicle as
a result of the seat moving. This could
cause an accident. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped when you adjust the seat. Observe the notes concerning the airbag
system.
Secure children as recommended; see
"Children in the vehicle" section.
! When you move the seats, make sure that
there are no objects in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise, you could
damage the seats and the objects.
i The front seats are fitted with active head
restraints (Y page 42). For this reason, it is
not possible to remove the head restraints
from the front seats.
The rear-compartment head restraints can
be removed (Y page 66).
Please contact a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for more information. Adjusting the seat manually
1
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
2 Seat cushion angle*
3 Seat height
4 Backrest angle
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment X
Lift handle 1and slide the seat forwards
or backwards.
X Release handle 1again.
Make sure that you hear the seat engage
into position. Controls
* optional
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Seat belts
74 intended level of protection. Under certain
circumstances this could cause severe or
even fatal injuries.
For this reason, check regularly that the
seat belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat
belts that have been subjected to a load in
an accident replaced at a qualified special-
ist workshop. Choose a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary special-
ist knowledge and tools for the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle. 3-door vehicle
1
Belt sash guide
2 Belt tongue
3 Buckle
4 Release button
5 Swivelling belt guide 5-door vehicle
1
Belt sash guide
2 Belt tongue
3 Buckle
4 Release button
Routing the belt X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 63).
X Pull the belt smoothly through belt sash
guide 1. Controls
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Lights
77
Make sure that:
R
you are as far away from the driver's front
airbag as possible
R you are sitting in a normal upright posi-
tion
R you can fasten the seat belt properly
R you have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position
R you have set the seat angle so that your
thighs are gently supported
R you can depress the pedals properly
R you have adjusted the head restraint so
that the back of your head is supported
at eye level by the central area of the
head restraint
X Check whether steering wheel 1is adjus-
ted properly (Y page 70).
Make sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly
X Check whether you have fastened seat belt
2 properly (Y page 73). It should:
R
fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints Lights
Light switch
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you drive with the lights switched
on even during the daytime. In some coun-
tries, daytime operation of headlamps varies
due to legal and voluntary requirements. In
these countries, the constant headlamp
mode is automatically switched on when the
engine is started.
i If you drive in countries in which traffic
drives on the opposite side of the road to
the country where the vehicle is registered,
oncoming traffic may be dazzled by the
asymmetrical dipped-beam headlamps.
Have the headlamps changed to symmet-
rical dipped beam when driving in these
countries. You can obtain information
about this from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Controls
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Instrument cluster
97Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 26). G
Risk of accident
No further messages can be displayed if the
instrument cluster and/or the multi-func-
tion display fails.
This means that you will not see information
about the driving situation, such as the
speed, outside temperature, warning/indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system
failures. The vehicle's handling character-
istics may be affected. Adjust your driving
style and speed accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary special-
ist knowledge and tools to carry out the
work required. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose. In particu-
lar, work relevant to safety or on safety-
related systems must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Activating the multi-function display
X Switch on the ignition. The multi-function display is also activated
when you:
R
switch on the lights
R press reset button 1
R open the driver's door Adjusting the instrument cluster
ligh
ting
X Brighter or dimmer: briefly turn reset but-
ton 1clockwise or anti-clockwise to the
stop and release.
The brightness of the instrument cluster
lighting changes by one level. There are
several possible levels. Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the left-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †. The coolant tem-
perature may rise to the top end of the scale
at high outside temperatures and on long
uphill stretches. Controls
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On-board computer
102 Function
1
Operation
menu (Ypage 102)
R trip meter and total distance
recorder (standard display)
(Y page 103)
R tyre pressure loss warning
(Y page 179)
R digital speedometer or outside tem-
perature (Y page 103)
R ASSYST PLUS service interval dis-
play (Y page 191)
R Engine oil level* (Y page 173)2
Audio*/DVD*menu (Y
page 103)
R radio station (Y page 103)
R CD player* (Y page 104)
R audio drive or
media* ( Ypage 104)
R DVD video* (Y page 105) 3
Navigation* menu (NAV)
(Y
page 105) Function
4
Message memory
10
menu (Display
messages) ( Ypage 106) 5
Settings
menu (Ypage 106)
R resetting to factory settings
(Y page 106)
R selecting submenus (Y page 107) 6
Trip computer
menu (Ypage 112)
R consumption statistics
(Y page 112)
R range (Y page 113) 7
Telephone* menu (Y
page 113) The number of menus shown depends on the
optional equipment in the vehicle.
The generic terms in the table overview are
intended to help you navigate through the
menus. The terms themselves are not always
displayed in the multi-function display.
For the Audio 5*, the on-board computer dis-
plays the
Audio* and Telephone* menus in
English. The language for these menus is not
dependent on the language selected for the
multi-function display. Audio 20*, Audio 50 APS* and COMAND
APS*:
Depending on the audio system* fitted, the
Audio*, Navigation* and Telephone*
menus are slightly different. The examples
given in this Owner's Manual apply to vehicles
equipped with COMAND APS*. Operation menu
i Please refer to the menu overview
(Y page 101).
Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.
X Press the èor· button to select the
standard display.
You can select the following functions in the
Operation menu by pressing the jor
k button:
R trip meter and total distance recorder
(standard display)
R tyre pressure loss warning (Y page 179)
R digital speedometer or outside tempera-
ture
10 The menu is only visible when there is a display message. Controls
* optional
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