display MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS 2012 Owner's Guide

R
Only use air-recirculation mode briefly, e.g.
if there are unpleasant outside odours or
when in a tunnel. The windows could oth-
erwise mist up as no fresh air is drawn into
the vehicle in air-recirculation mode.
R If you change the settings of the climate
control system, the climate status display
appears for three seconds at the bottom of
the screen in the COMAND display. See
also the separate COMAND Online operat-
ing instructions 9
. You will see the current
settings of the various climate control func-
tions.
ECO start/stop function During automatic engine switch-off, the cli-
mate

control only operates at a reduced capa-
city. If you require the full climate control out-
put, you can switch off the ECO start/stop
function by pressing the ECO button
(Y page 147).
9 Only for vehicles with "COMAND Online Multimedia System" optional equipment124
Overview of climate control systems
Climate control

Control panel for THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control (2-zone)
:
To set the temperature, left (Y page 128)
; To set climate control to automatic mode (Y page 128)
= To demist the windscreen (Y page 130)
? To increase the airflow ( Y page 129)
A To set the air distribution ( Y page 129)
B Display
C To activate/deactivate air-recirculation mode ( Y page 132)
D To switch climate control on/off (Y page 126)
E To set the temperature, right (Y page 128)
F To activate/deactivate the residual heat function ( Y page 133)
G To activate/deactivate cooling with air dehumidification (Y page 126)
H To reduce the airflow ( Y page 129)
I To switch the rear window heating on/off ( Y page 131)
J To switch the ZONE function on/off (Y page 129) Notes on using THERMOTRONIC auto-
matic climate control
Automatic climate control The following contains instructions and rec-
ommendations
to enable you to get the most
out of your THERMOTRONIC automatic cli-
mate control. R
Activate
climate control using the à and
¿ buttons. The indicator lamps in the
à and ¿ buttons light up.
R Set the temperature to 22 †.
R Only use the "windscreen demisting" func-
tion briefly until the windscreen is clear
again.
R Only use air-recirculation mode briefly, e.g.
if there are unpleasant outside odours or
when in a tunnel. The windows could oth- Overview of climate control systems
125
Climate control

Setting the air distribution
THERMATIC automatic climate control Air distribution settings
¯
Directs the airflow through the demis-
ter vents
P Directs the airflow through the centre
and side air vents
O Directs the airflow through the foot-
well air vents
i You can also activate several of the air
distribution settings simultaneously. In
order to do this, press several of the air
distribution buttons. The air is then routed
through different air vents.
Setting the air distribution
X Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X Press one or more of the P, O,
¯ buttons.
The corresponding indicator lamp comes
on.
THERMOTRONIC automatic climate
control Air distribution settings
¯
Directs the airflow through the demis-
ter vents
P Directs the airflow through the centre
and side air vents
O Directs the airflow through the foot-
well air vents
S Directs airflow through the centre and
side
air vents as well as the footwell air
vents 10
.
b Directs the airflow through the centre
and

side air vents as well as the demis-
ter vents 10
a Directs the airflow through the foot-
well and demister vents i
Regardless of the air distribution setting,
airflow is always directed through the side
air vents. The side air vents can only be
closed

if the adjusters are turned clockwise
until they engage.
Setting the air distribution
X Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X Press the É or Ë button until the
desired symbol appears in the display. Setting the airflow
THERMATIC automatic climate control X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X To increase/reduce: turn control A
clockwise or anti-clockwise (Y page 123).
THERMOTRONIC automatic climate
control X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock (Y page 143).
X To increase/reduce: press the K or
I button. Switching the ZONE function on/off
This function is only available with the
THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control.
X To activate: press the á button.
The
indicator lamp in the á button lights
up.
The temperature setting for the driver's
side is not adopted for the front-passenger
side.
X To deactivate: press the á button.
The
indicator lamp in the á button goes
out.
10 Only for certain countries. Operating the climate control system
129
Climate control

Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the centre console
button
Switching on the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation
The colours of the indicator lamps on the but-
ton have the following meanings:
Blue Auxiliary ventilation switched on
Red Auxiliary heating switched on
Yellow Departure time preselected
(Y page 224)
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in but-
ton : lights up.
Switching off the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in but-
ton : goes out.
Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the remote control Your vehicle comes with one remote control.
You may use two additional remote controls
for
your vehicle. For more information, please
contact a qualified specialist workshop.
The remote control has a maximum range of
approximately 300 metres. This range is
reduced by:
R sources of radio interference
R solid objects between the remote control
and the vehicle R
the remote control being in an unfavoura-
ble position in relation to the vehicle
R transmitting from an enclosed space
i The

optimum range can be achieved if you
hold the remote control vertically, pointing
upwards when you press one of the but-
tons.
i A battery symbol appears in the display
when the battery in the remote control is
low. Replace the remote control battery
(Y page 136).
Switching the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion on/off Remote control
:
Display
; . To check the status/set the depar-
ture time
= ^ To switch off the auxiliary heating/
ventilation
? u To switch on the auxiliary heating/
ventilation
A , To check the status/set the depar-
ture time
X To activate: press the u button.
ON is shown in the remote control display.
X To deactivate: press the ^ button.
OFF
is shown in the remote control display.
Checking the status of the auxiliary heat-
ing/ventilation
X Press the , or . button. Operating the climate control system
135
Climate control Z

The following messages may appear in the
display:
Display Meaning
The auxiliary heating/
ventilation is switched
off.
The auxiliary ventilation
is
switched on. The num-
ber in the display shows
the remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
ventilation. The auxiliary heating is
switched

on. The number
in the display shows the
remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
heating. A departure time has
been activated. The
departure time appears
in the display.
A departure time has
been activated. The aux-
iliary ventilation is cur-
rently activated. The
departure time appears
in the display.
A departure time has
been activated. The aux-
iliary heating is currently
activated. The departure
time appears in the dis-
play. Setting the departure time
X
Press the , or . button repeatedly
until
the time to be changed appears in the
display.
X Press the u and ^ buttons simulta-
neously.
The Î symbol in the remote control dis-
play flashes.
X Press the , or . button to set the
desired departure time.
i The longer you press the , or .
button, the faster the time changes.
X Press the u and ^ buttons simulta-
neously.
The new departure time is stored.
Activating the set departure time
X Press the , or . button repeatedly
until
the desired departure time appears in
the display.
X Press the u button.
The Í symbol and the departure time
appear in the display.
Deactivating a set departure time
X Press the , or . button.
The
status of the auxiliary heating is shown
in the display.
X Press the . button.
The first departure time stored appears in
the display.
X Press the ^ button.
OFF

is shown in the remote control display.
Replacing the remote control battery G
WARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan-
ces.
If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatal
injury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention
immediately. 136
Operating the climate control system
Climate control

Problems with the auxiliary heating/ventilation
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions$
FAIL The signal transmission between the transmitter and the vehicle
is faulty.
X
Change your position in relation to the vehicle, moving closer if
necessary.
X Make another attempt to switch the auxiliary heating on or off
using the remote control. ©
FAIL There is too little fuel in the fuel tank.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control. The auxiliary heating is faulty.
X
Have the auxiliary heating checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. FAIL The auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
The
auxiliary heating was started more than twice when the engine
was switched off.
X Switch on the engine and let it run for more than ten seconds.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control. The auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
The starter battery is not sufficiently charged.
X
Charge the starter battery.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control.138
Operating the climate control system
Climate control

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsThe auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
There is too little fuel in the fuel tank.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control. The auxiliary heating cannot be switched on or has switched itself
off.
The auxiliary heating is faulty.
X
Have the auxiliary heating checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Adjusting the air vents
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air
vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in
the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain a sufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the air vents into the vehicle interior,
please observe the following notes:
R keep the air inlet between the windscreen
and the bonnet free of blockages, such as
ice, snow or leaves.
R never cover the vents or ventilation grilles
in the vehicle interior.
i Move the adjusters for the air vents ver-
tically or horizontally, to set the direction of
the airflow.
i Optimal climate control function is ach-
ieved by opening the air vents fully and set-
ting the adjusters to the middle position. Setting the centre air vents
X
To open the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster in one of centre air vents : anti-
clockwise.
X To close the centre air vent: turn the
adjuster
in one of centre air vents : clock-
wise until it engages. Adjusting the air vents
139
Climate control Z

Manual transmission
X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift to neutral N.
i You can only start the engine when the
clutch pedal is fully depressed.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
Transmission position display P is shown in
the multifunction display.
i When the transmission is in position N,
you

can also start the engine with the brake
pedal depressed.
Starting procedure X
To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3 in the ignition lock
(Y page 143) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2 in the ignition lock
(Y page 143).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the % preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position
3(Y

page 143) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
i You
can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm. Pulling away
Manual transmission !
Change
gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the vehicle. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Release the electric parking brake
(Y page 163).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal.
i Follow the shift recommendations in the
multifunction display for an economical
driving style ( Y page 151).
i The

vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature ( Y page 223).
Automatic transmission i
It
is only possible to shift the transmission
from position P to the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then can
the parking lock be deactivated. If you do
not depress the brake pedal, the DIRECT
SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
i At transmission fluid temperatures below
Ò20 †, you can only shift out of position P
into another transmission position when
the engine is running.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position D or R.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
The electric parking brake (Y page 163) is
automatically released.
The red ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out. 144
Driving
Driving and parking

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically.
The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes :
ECO start/stop display
If the ¤ symbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display, the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off automati-
cally if the vehicle stops moving.
The

stop/start function is automatically acti-
vated each time you start the engine with the
ignition key.
If the ECO start/stop function has been man-
ually deactivated ( Y page 147) or a malfunc-
tion has caused the system to be deactivated,
the ¤ symbol is not displayed.
AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive program C.
Automatic engine switch-off General notes
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the
¤ symbol is displayed in green in
the multifunction display, if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R the

outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system R
the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature
R the

set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled, the ¤ symbol is
shown in yellow.
i All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is switched off automati-
cally.
i The engine can be switched off automat-
ically a maximum of four times (initial stop,
then three subsequent stops) in succes-
sion. The ¤ symbol is shown in yellow
in the multifunction display after the engine
has been started automatically for the
fourth time. When the ¤ symbol is
shown in green in the multifunction display,
automatic engine switch-off is again possi-
ble.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds. X
Brake the vehicle.
X Engage neutral N(Y page 151) (follow
gearshift instruction : to engage neutral
N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.146
Driving
Driving and parking

Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in
D or
N, the ECO start/stop function switches off
the engine automatically.
i The
HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic
stop phase. When you depress the accel-
erator pedal, the engine starts automati-
cally and the braking effect of the HOLD
function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start General notes
The engine is started automatically if:
R
you

switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R you engage reverse gear R
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
R the driver's seat belt is released or the driv-
er's door is opened
Vehicles with manual transmission
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed.
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal fully
R depress the accelerator pedal Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if you:
R
release the brake pedal when HOLD is not
activated and the transmission is in posi-
tion D or N
R depress the accelerator pedal
R move the transmission out of position P
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine.
i If you shift the transmission from R to D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the ¤ symbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function ECO button
X
To switch off: press button :.
Indicator lamp ; and the ¤ symbol in
the multifunction display go out.
X To switch on: press button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off ( Y page 146) are met, the ¤
symbol is shown in green in the multifunc-
tion display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off ( Y page 146) are met, the ¤
symbol

is shown in yellow in the multifunc-
tion display. If this is the case, the ECO
start/stop function is not available. Driving
147
Driving and parking Z