headlamp MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2008 User Guide

Lights
80
Main-beam headlamps X
Turn the ignition key to position 2in the
ignition lock or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to BorU 9
.
X To switch on: press the combination
switch in the direction of arrow 1.
The A main-beam indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch off: move the combination
switch back to its normal position.
The A main-beam indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Headlamp flasher X
To switch on: briefly pull the combination
switch in the direction of arrow =. Hazard warning lamps
The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. They switch on auto-
matically if an airbag is deployed or if you
brake sharply and bring the vehicle to a halt
from a speed of more than 70 km/h.
X
To switch on: press button1.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on
a turn signal using the combination switch
(Y page 79), only the turn signal lamp on
the corresponding side of the vehicle will
flash.
X To switch off: press button1. Adjusting the headlamp range (halo-
gen headlamps)
The headlamp range control allows you to
adjust the cone of light from the headlamps
to suit the vehicle load.
You can only adjust the headlamp range while
the engine is running. Position Load
0
Driver's seat and front-
passenger seat occupied
1
Driver's seat, front-
passenger seat and rear
seats occupied
9
In the Uposition, the main-beam headlamps are only switched on when it is dark. Controls
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Lights
81Position Load
2
Driver's seat, front passenger
seat and rear seats occupied,
luggage compartment laden
3
Not required
X
Turn headlamp range control 1to the
position which corresponds to the load in
your vehicle. Headlamp cleaning system*
The headlamps are cleaned automatically if
the "Wipe with windscreen washer fluid" func-
tion is operated five times while the lights are
on and the engine is running. When you
switch off the ignition, the automatic head-
lamp cleaning system is reset and counting is
resumed from 0. Cornering light function* (bi-xenon
headlamps*)
Specially designed headlamps light up the
area into which you are driving when turning
corners.
If you are driving at speeds below 40 km/h,
the cornering light function is activated either
by the turn signals or when the steering wheel
is turned. If you are driving at speeds above
40 km/h the cornering light function is deac-
tivated.
Activating X
Start the engine.
X Switch on the dipped-beam headlamps.
X Switch off the foglamps*.
X Switch on the turn signal.
The cornering lamp on the same side as the
turn signal comes on, even if you turn the
steering wheel in the opposite direction
after indicating.
or
X Turn the steering wheel in the desired
direction.
When in a forwards gear: the cornering
lamp on the inside of the bend comes on. When in reverse gear: the cornering lamp
on the outside of the bend comes on.
Deactivating X
Turn the steering wheel back to the straight
ahead position.
The turn signal goes off. The cornering lamp
may remain lit for a short time.
or
X Switch off the turn signal.
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a
short time.
The cornering light will go out after a maxi-
mum of three minutes. Controls
* optional
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On-board computer
106
The direction of travel
1appears in the multi-
function display.
Route guidance active The multi-function display shows navigation
instructions, for example: Message memory menu
Previous display messages can be called up
in the Message memory menu. TheMes-
sage memory menu is visible only when
there is a display message.
i Please refer to the menu overview
(Y page 101). G
Risk of accident
The on-board computer only records and
displays messages and warnings from cer-
tain systems. For this reason, you should
always make sure that your vehicle is safe
to drive. You could otherwise cause an acci-
dent by driving an unsafe vehicle.
i All possible display messages are
explained in the "Practical advice" section
(Y page 202).
Switching off the ignition clears all display
messages except for the highest priority dis-
play messages. When the causes of the high-
priority display messages are rectified, these
display messages will be erased.
Displaying messages Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.X
Press the èor· button repeatedly
until either the original menu or the Mes-
sage memory menu appears.
When there are display messages, 2 mes-
sages appears in the multi-function dis-
play, for example.
X Use the jork button to scroll
through the display messages. Settings menu
In the Settings menu, you will find the Set-
tings To reset Press reset button for
3 seconds function, with which you can
restore most settings to the factory settings.
You will also find submenus with which you
can make individual settings for your vehicle.
i Please refer to the menu overview
(Y page 101).
Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.
Resetting to factory settings For safety reasons, not all functions will be
reset: permanent Speedtronic* can only be
set in the
Vehiclesubmenu. The Settings
Headlamps function in the Lightingsub- Controls
* optional
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On-board computer
108 Lighting submenu
R
Constant headlamp mode (daytime driv-
ing lights) (Y page 109)
R Surround lighting* (Y page 110)
R Exterior lighting delayed switch-off*
(Y page 110)
R Interior lighting delayed switch-off
(Y page 110) Vehicle submenu
R
Permanent Speedtronic* (Y page 120)
R Radio station selection *( Ypage 111)
R Automatic locking feature (Y page 111)Convenience submenu*
R
Fold the exterior mirrors in when locking
the vehicle* (Y page 111) Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to:
R
the total distance recorder and the trip
meter
R the trip computer
R the digital speedometer 15
R the navigation instruction in the Naviga-
tion* menu
R Speedtronic*
X Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Display
unit Speed/odom.
X Press æorç to select km(kilome-
tres) or milesas the unit of measurement
for distance.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display. Selecting the language X
Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Lan-
guage .
X Press the æorç button to select the
desired language.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Selecting the status line display Vehicles for the United Kingdom: this func-
tion is not available.
X
Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Instr. cluster submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Status
line display.
15 Vehicles for the United Kingdom: the digital speedometer always displays km/h. Controls
* optional
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On-board computer
109
X
Press the æorç button to select the
status line display: outside temperature
(Outside temp. ) or speed (Speed).
The selected display now appears con-
stantly in the lower multi-function display.
When you scroll through the Operation
menu (Y page 102), you will see the display
you have not selected.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting the date and time Your vehicle may be equipped with one of the
following audio systems*:
A:
Audio 5* or Audio 20*
B: Audio 50 APS*
C: COMAND APS*
X You can see which audio system *is fitted
in your vehicle by referring to the separate
operating instructions.
Depending on the audio system*, the time
and date are received from GPS satellites and
cannot be set using the on-board computer
(see the following table). A B C
Set using the on-board com-
puter X
Automatic GPS satellite recep-
tion X X
X
Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Time/Date submenu.
Setting the time
X Press the jbutton to select Time
Hours (orTime Minutes).
X Press the æorç button to set a
value. Setting the date
X
Press the jbutton to select Date Set
day (orDate Set month orDate Set
year ).
X Press the æorç button to set the
date.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting constant headlamp mode (day-
time driving lights) When you activate constant headlamp mode
and the light switch is set to
MorU,
the parking lamps, dipped-beam headlamps
and licence plate lighting are switched on
automatically when the engine is running.
Turning the light switch to a different position
switches on the corresponding lights. Turn
the light switch to BorU first if you
wish to switch off constant headlamp mode
while driving in the dark.
In countries in which constant headlamp
mode is a legal requirement, Constantis the
factory setting.
X Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus. Controls
* optional
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On-board computer
110
X
Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Headlamp
mode.
X Press the æorç button to set the
switch-on mode for the headlamps to Man-
ual orConstant (constant headlamp
mode).
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Switching the surround lighting*on/off If the surround lighting is switched on, the
following lights will be switched on automat-
ically in the dark after you have unlocked the
vehicle using the key:
R the side lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps*
The surround lighting switches off automati-
cally after 40 seconds or when the driver's
door is opened.
X Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus. X
Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Surround
lighting.
X Press the æorç button to switch
the Surround lighting on or off.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Activating or deactivating the exterior
lighting delayed switch-off* When you activate the
Headl. delayed
switch-off function, the exterior lighting
remains on for another 15 seconds after clos-
ing the doors when it is dark. If the engine is
switched off and then none of the doors are
opened, or if an open door is not closed, the
exterior lighting goes out after 60 seconds.
If you have activated the delayed switch-off
function and switched off the engine, the fol-
lowing remain lit:
R the side lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps* X
Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the jbutton to select submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Headl.
delayed switch-off .
X Press the æorç button to activate
or deactivate the Headl. delayed
switch-off function.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
To temporarily deactivate the switch-off
delay:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock and back to position 0.
Delayed switch-off is deactivated.
When you start the engine again, the switch-
off delay is reactivated.
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off If you remove the key from the ignition lock
while the
Interior lighting delayed Controls
* optional
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Engine compartment
175H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to
spill any. Oil must not be allowed to escape
into the soil or waterways. You would oth-
erwise be damaging the environment.
For further information on engine oil
(Y page 296). Coolant
G
Risk of injury
The cooling system is pressurised. There-
fore, only unscrew the cap once the engine
has cooled down. The coolant temperature
gauge must display less than 70 °C. You
could otherwise be scalded by escaping hot
coolant.
Coolant consists of water and antifreeze/cor-
rosion inhibitor. Only check the coolant level
when the vehicle is on a level surface and the
engine has cooled down. Checking the coolant level The coolant expansion tank is located in the
engine compartment on the right when
viewed in the direction of travel.
1
Cap
2 Coolant expansion tank
3 Marker bar
X Slowly turn cap 1half a turn anti-clock-
wise to allow excess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap 1further anti-clockwise and
remove it.
There is sufficient coolant in expansion
tank 2if the coolant is level with marker
bar 3in the filler neck when cold or
approximately 1.5 cm higher when hot. X
Top up the coolant if necessary.
X Replace cap 1and tighten all the way to
the stop.
For further information on coolant see
(Y page 297) . Windscreen washer system/head-
lamp cleaning system*
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment on the left-hand side of
the vehicle when viewed in the direction of
travel. The headlamp cleaning system is also
supplied from the washer fluid reservoir. 1
Cap
X Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
washer fluid all year round. Operation
* optional
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Driving ab
road 185Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes. Otherwise,
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission. Driving abroad
Points to remember
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. The
Service Hotline's current telephone numbers
for use when you are abroad are to be found
in the "Service24h" chapter of the Service
Booklet.
Only low-octane fuel is available in certain
countries.
You can find further information about fuel
grades on (Y page 168). Symmetrical dipped beam
If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles are driven on sides of the road oppo-
site to the country in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, your headlamps must be switched to
symmetrical dipped beam or be partially
masked. Oncoming traffic will be dazzled
less.
X Vehicles with halogen headlamps: mask
the headlamps with special masking tape.
i You can obtain this masking tape from a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. !
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use genuine Mercedes-Benz masking
tape. Your headlamps could otherwise be
damaged.
Remove the masking tape when you are
once again driving on the same side of the
road as in the country in which your vehicle
is registered.
X Vehicles with projection and bi-xenon
headlamps*: have the headlamps
switched over at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you are driv-
ing in a country in which traffic drives on
the same side of the road as in the country
in which your vehicle was registered. Oth-
erwise, you may dazzle the oncoming traffic
and could cause an accident. Operation
* optional
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Care
194Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R
tyres
R door joint
R electrical components
R Battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to failures or leaks.
Cleaning the wiper blades and the out-
side of the windscreen G
Risk of injury
Before cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, turn the key in the ignition to 0.
Otherwise, the windscreen wipers may
move and injure you. X
Turn the key to position 1(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Set the windscreen wipers to position
I(Y page 83) on the combination switch.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) or
remove it when the wiper arms are vertical.
! Only fold the windscreen wipers away
from the windscreen when vertical, other-
wise you will damage the bonnet.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen.
X Wipe the windscreen and wiper blades with
a damp, lint-free cloth (e.g. a microfibre
cloth) and cleaning agent.
X Fold the wiper arms back on to the wind-
screen before the ignition is switched on.
! Do not clean the wiper blades too often
as this will result in damage to the surface
coating, leading to wiper noise.
Cleaning the windows !
Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Clean the insides of the windows with a
damp cloth or commercially-available glass cleaner. Avoid touching the inside of the
rear windscreen and the side windows with
hard objects, e.g. ice scrapers or rings. You
could otherwise cause damage to the win-
dows, rear window heating or aerial on the
rear window.
i Anti-glare film retrofitted to the insides of
the windows could interfere with radio or
mobile phone reception, especially if it is
conductive or metal-coated film. Informa-
tion about anti-glare film can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Cleaning the headlamps X
Clean the plastic lenses of the headlamps
with a damp sponge.
! Only use washer fluid which is suitable for
plastic lamp lenses. Unsuitable washer
fluid could damage the plastic lamp lenses
of the headlamps.
Therefore, do not use:
R dry cloths
R abrasive products
R solvents
R cleaning products containing solvents Operation
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Display
messages 216 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
. Cornering light
left
or
Cornering light
right The left-hand or right-hand cornering
light* is fa
ulty. X
Change the bulb (Y page 245).. Dipped-beam left
or
Dipped-beam right Vehicles with the light and visibility pack-
age*: the left-hand or right-hand dipped-
beam headlamp is faulty. X
Halogen headlamp: replace the bulbs
(Y page 245).
X Bi-xenon headlamp*: visit a qualified special-
ist workshop. . AUTO lights inop-
erative The light sensor is faulty. The constant
headlamp mode (daytime driving lights) is
switched on. X
Switch the lights to manual control in the on-
board computer (Y page 109).
X Switch the lights on and off using the light
switch. . Trailer turn sig-
nal left
or
Trailer turn sig-
nal right The left-hand or right-hand trailer turn sig-
nal lamp is faulty. X
Change the bulb. . Trailer tail lamp
left
or
Trailer tail lamp
right The left-hand or right-hand trailer tail light
is faulty. X
Change the bulb. Practical advice
* optional
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