display MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS 2012 Workshop Manual

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsThe fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The key battery is discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 75).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element
(Y page 75). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle
components. In particular, do not park on dry
grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift

the automatic transmission out of park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. !
Always secure the vehicle correctly
against

rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in position P and
the transmission position display must
show P in the multifunction display.
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral
position N when you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of
an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-162
Parking
Driving and parking

Driving tips
General notes
G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with
limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailing conditions. Con-
sumption can be significantly influenced by
your driving style. Example: ECO display
The ECO display consists of three bars:
R
Acceleration
R Constant
R Coasting
The

percentage count is the mean value of the
three bar values. The three bars and the mean
value begin at the value of 50%. A higher per-
centage count indicates a more economical
driving style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption and a fixed percentage
count in the ECO display does not indicate a
fixed consumption figure. In addition to driving style, the consumption
is affected by many other factors, such as:
R
load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These

factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style takes the
following three categories into consideration:
R Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- The bar empties: sporty acceleration
R Constant (assessment of driving behav-
iour at all times):
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R Coasting (assessment of all deceleration
processes):
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes
- The bar empties: frequent braking
i An economical driving style involves driv-
ing at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration and Constant:
R observe the gearshift recommendation.
R drive the vehicle in drive program E (vehi-
cles with automatic transmission).
i On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the motorway, only the bar for Con‐
stant will change.
i The ECO display summarises the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey
to its completion. Therefore, there are Driving tips
165
Driving and parking Z

dynamic changes in the bars at the start of
a
journey. During a prolonged driving time,
these changes are smaller. For more
dynamic changes, perform a manual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see ( Y page 212). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This

increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and

steep downhill gradients. Take particular
note of this when driving a laden vehicle and
when towing a trailer. For vehicles with auto-
matic transmission, you need to have selec-
ted manual drive program M(Y page 156).
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to prevent the
vehicle from gaining speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
i Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal
on downhill gradients while the manual
drive program M is temporarily activated
(vehicles with automatic transmission): the
automatic transmission may switch back to
the last active automatic drive program E
or S. The automatic transmission may shift to a higher gear. This can reduce the
engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This

increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for
a short while. This allows the airflow to cool
the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed, paying attention to traffic con-
ditions. This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without

braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion. 166
Driving tips
Driving and parking

Cruise control lever
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever
indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
In the multifunction display, the segments
between

the stored speed and the maximum
speed light up.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h. R
ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in position D.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, a
gear must be engaged.
R cruise control must be selected.
X To select cruise control: check whether
LIM indicator lamp ; is on or off.
If

it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM

indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h

.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed.
i Cruise
control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically braking the vehicle.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time. Driving systems
169
Driving and parking Z

Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until
the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up : for a
higher

speed or down ? for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : or down ? to the pressure
point.
The

last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments:

press the cruise control lever
briefly up : or down ? beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments. i
Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to

the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator

lamp ; in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than

30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position N while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. 170
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
The current speed is stored. For five sec-
onds, the multifunction display shows the
stored speed, e.g. Limit 100 km/h.
The segments in the speedometer light up
from

the start of the scale up to the stored
speed.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates.

If you do not know the stored speed, the
vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : to the pressure point for a
higher

speed, or down ? for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set.

Press the cruise control lever up : for
a higher speed or down ? for a lower
speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol

lever up : past the pressure point for a higher speed, or down
? for a lower
speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond

the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ? for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
There

are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM

indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), but only if
your

current speed does not differ by more
than 20 km/h from the stored speed. You
will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, if
you shift to a higher gear and as a result,
the engine speed is too low.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160

km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed ( Y page 223).172
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even
if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary

obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking

force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident. In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If

DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You
are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired by:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to
the speed stored. Driving systems
173
Driving and parking Z

?
To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp = is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM

indicator lamp = in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS; storing,
maintaining and calling up a speed Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing

activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from P to D or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and the rear
doors must be closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS function must be
selected with the cruise control lever
(Y page 175). Activating
To

activate while driving: you can only acti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS at speeds below
20 km/h if the vehicle in front is detected and
shown in the multifunction display. If the vehi-
cle in front is no longer detected and dis-
played, DISTRONIC PLUS switches off and
you will hear a tone.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ? or press it up : or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down A until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your

vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can
only activate DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehi-
cle in front has been detected and is shown
in the multifunction display. If the vehicle in
front is no longer detected and displayed,
DISTRONIC PLUS switches off and you will
hear a tone.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS inactive
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal. Displaying DISTRONIC PLUS in the speedometer Driving systems
175
Driving and parking Z

When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two
segments ; in the set speed range light
up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ; between speed of the vehicle in
front : and stored speed = light up.Assistance graphic in vehicles with a colour multi-
function display
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
In the Assistance menu (Y page 217) of the
on-board
computer, you can select the assis-
tance graphic.
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 217).
i You
will see the stored speed for approx-
imately five seconds when you activate
DISTRONIC PLUS.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 174) towards you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored.

Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until

the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To store the current speed or a lower
speed
X Press the cruise control lever up : for a
higher

speed or down ; for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The

new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored. 176
Driving systems
Driving and parking

X
To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : or down ; to the pressure
point.
The
last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments:

press the cruise control lever
briefly up : or down ; beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i DISTRONIC
PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for

DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 175).
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. X
To increase: turn control = in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC

PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control = in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC

PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator

lamp ; in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in

the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal. Driving systems
177
Driving and parking Z