lights MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS 2012 Workshop Manual

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

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

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

cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.Selector lever in AMG vehicles
AMG vehicles:
X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Press P button :.
X Turn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position R or D, the automatic
transmission shifts to N automatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in N even if a
door is opened. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by,
for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting an automatic transmission out of
parking position P
R shifting

a manual transmission into neutral
R starting the engine
They could also operate vehicle equipment.
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. i
The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off. Noises that
occur are normal.
Engaging/releasing manually Engaging
X
Push handle :.
When
the electric parking brake is applied,
the ! red indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed. Parking
163
Driving and parking Z

Releasing
X
Pull handle :.
The red ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i You can only release the electric parking
brake when the key is in position 1 or 2 in
the ignition lock.
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is applied auto-
matically:
R
if DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill (vehicles with automatic trans-
mission) or
R if
the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary.
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened
R there is a system malfunction
R the power supply is insufficient
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red ! indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake is not automat-
ically applied if the engine is switched off
by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically i
The electric parking brake can only be
released automatically in vehicles with
automatic transmission.
The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
released

automatically when all of the follow-
ing conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position D or R.
R the seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal. If the transmission is in position
R,
the tailgate
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of transmission posi-
tion P or you have previously driven faster
than 3 km/h.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency using the electric parking brake.
X
While driving, push handle :
of the electric
parking brake ( Y page 163).
i The vehicle is braked for as long as han-
dle : of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle : is depressed, the greater
the braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release parking brake message
appears
R the red ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes
When

the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is engaged. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than

four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. 164
Parking
Driving and parking

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

SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEED-
TRONIC 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 stay-
ing in the lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
General notes You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R
variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 172)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With

the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC. The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever

indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC

PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;
is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected.
X Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not
depressed beyond the pressure point. Driving systems
171
Driving and parking Z

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

Other vehicles changing lane
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance

to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles

or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an

obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are

crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite
being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away. Driving systems
179
Driving and parking Z

Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp : lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Towing a trailer !
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle

from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
185
Driving and parking Z