brake MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2008 Repair Manual

Changing the bulbs
250
Changing the tail lamps X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the luggage compartment.
X Open the side trim panel (Y page 249).Bulb holder
X
Press retaining lugs 1simultaneously in
the direction of the arrow and pull the bulb
holder out. Bulb holder
1
Brake lamp
2 Reversing lamp
3 Turn signal lamp
4 Rear foglamp/tail lamp
X Lightly press the corresponding bulb into
the holder, turn it anti-clockwise and
remove it from the bulb holder.
X Insert the corresponding new bulb into the
bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
X Attach the bulb holder and press firmly.
The retaining lugs on the bulb holder
engages audibly.
X Close the side trim panel (Y page 249).Changing the bulbs in the licence plate
lamps
X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the tailgate.
X Using a screwdriver, loosen both sides of
licence plate lamp 1in the direction of the
arrow.
X Remove licence plate lamp 1.
X Replace the bulb.
X Insert licence plate lamp 1and press it in
until it engages. Practical advice
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Flat tyre
253Flat tyre
Flat tyre equipment variants
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 200)
R a "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel* (Y page 201)
R a spare wheel* (Y page 201)
R the MOExtended run-flat sys-
tem* (Y page 262) Preparing the vehicle
i Vehicle preparation is not necessary on
vehicles with MOE tyres*.
X Stop your vehicle as far away from traffic
as possible on solid, non-slippery, level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Apply the handbrake.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first or reverse gear. Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* X
Move the selector lever to P.
For all vehicles X
All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area whilst a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Get out of the vehicle.
X Close the driver’s door.
X Place the warning triangle (Y page 200) at
a suitable distance. Observe legal require-
ments. Using the TIREFIT kit
You can use the TIREFIT kit to seal small
punctures, particularly those in the tyre tread.
You can use TIREFIT in outdoor temperatures
down to -20 °C. G
Risk of accident
In the following situations, your safety is at
particular risk and tyre sealant is unable to
provide breakdown assistance:
R if there are cuts or punctures in the tyre
greater than 4 mm
R if the wheel rim is damaged
R if you have driven at very low tyre pres-
sures or on a flat tyre
Do not drive any further. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop which has the neces-
sary specialist knowledge and tools to carry
out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Practical advice
* optional
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Battery
2653
Negative terminal
4 Positive terminal Disconnecting the battery
G
Risk of accident
If the battery is disconnected:
R the brake boosting effect will not be avail-
able. Greater braking force will then be
required and the brake pedal travel will
be longer. If necessary, depress the
brake pedal with maximum force.
R you will no longer be able to turn the key
in the ignition lock.
R the selector lever is locked in position P
on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*. !
Always disconnect the battery in the
order described below. Never swap the ter-
minal clamps. You may otherwise damage
the vehicle electronics.
X Apply the handbrake and shift the selector
lever to position Pon vehicles with AUTO-
TRONIC*.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
X Remove the negative terminal clamp from
the battery.
X Remove the cover from the positive termi-
nal clamp.
X Remove the positive terminal clamp from
the battery.
X Disconnect the breather hose. Removing the battery
X Disconnect the battery ( Ypage 265).
X Loosen the bolt which holds the battery in
place.
X Remove the battery. Charging and fitting the battery
G
Risk of injury
Only charge the battery in a well-ventilated
area. As the battery is being charged, gases
can escape and generate minor explosions.
This may injure you and other persons or
cause damage to the paintwork or acid cor-
rosion on the vehicle.
You can obtain information about battery
chargers which allow the battery to be
charged when still installed from a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns during the
charging process due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over
the battery during the charging process. Practical advice
* optional
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Jump-starting
267G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-
starting a vehicle due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over
the battery while the engine is being jump-
started. G
Risk of explosion
Gases escaping from the battery during
jump-starting may cause minor explosions.
Avoid creating sparks. Keep naked flames
away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions and take
protective measures when handling batter-
ies. You will find these under "Battery" in
the index.
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Manual transmission: engage neutral.
X AUTOTRONIC*: move the DIRECT SELECT
selector lever to P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Open the bonnet (Y page 171). 1
Positive terminal of donor battery
2 Positive terminal on your vehicle
3 Negative terminal of donor battery
4 Negative terminal on your vehicle
X Open the battery cover (Y page 264).
X Connect positive terminal 2on your vehi-
cle to positive terminal 1of the donor bat-
tery using the jump lead, beginning with
your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and
run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal 3of the donor
battery to negative terminal 4of your
vehicle's battery using the jump lead, con-
necting the jump lead to the donor battery
first.
X Start the engine. X
Electrical consumers can be switched on
again. Do not, however, switch on the lights
as this places too heavy a load on the bat-
tery.
X Remove the jump lead from earth
point 4and negative terminal 3first,
then from positive terminals 1and 2,
each time disconnecting from the battery
on your own vehicle first.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Practical advice
* optional
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Towing and tow-starting
268 Towing and tow-starting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
If you have the vehicle towed, you must use
a rigid towing bar if:
R the engine is not running.
R there is a brake system malfunction.
R there is a malfunction in the voltage sup-
ply or the vehicle's electrical system.
The electric power steering and the brake
force booster do not work when the engine
is not running. Greater braking force will
then be required and brake pedal travel will
be longer. If necessary, depress the brake
pedal with full force.
Do not tow the vehicle if the key cannot be
turned in the ignition lock. If this is the case,
the steering is locked and the vehicle can-
not be steered.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed. When towing, observe the legal requirements
in all countries concerned.
!
When towing, pull away slowly and with-
out jerking. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
With towing distances over 50 km, the
entire vehicle needs to be lifted up and
transported.
! Only secure the tow cable or towing bar
to the towing eyes. You may otherwise
damage the vehicle.
R Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC* must not be
tow-started.
R If the engine does not start, try jump-start-
ing it (Y page 266).
R If it is not possible to jump-start the vehicle,
have it towed to the nearest qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. R
The selector lever must be in position N
when towing a vehicle with AUTO-
TRONIC*.
R If you are towing the vehicle over a consid-
erable distance, this must only be done
with the front axle raised.
R The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the front/rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
R Before towing the vehicle, make sure that
the battery is connected and charged. Oth-
erwise:
-you cannot switch on the ignition
- you cannot move the selector lever
to N(on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*)
- you have no support when braking
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 111).
You could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Practical advice
* optional
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Towing and tow-starting
269Fitting the towing eye
Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if you
intend to use the vehicle for towing, fit the ball
coupling (Y page 186) and connect the tow-
bar to this.
Opening the front cover The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are in the bumpers. They are located at the
front and rear behind covers on the right-hand
side of the vehicle when viewed in the direc-
tion of travel.
1
Cover
X Press cover 1back in the direction of the
arrow.
X Take cover 1off the opening. Opening the rear cover
1
Cover
X Press cover 1back in the direction of the
arrow.
X Take cover 1off the opening.
Securing the towing eye X
Take the towing eye and the wheel wrench
from the vehicle tool kit ( Ypage 200).
X Screw in the towing eye clockwise to the
stop.
X Insert the wheel wrench handle into the
towing eye and tighten it. Towing the vehicle
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
With towing distances over 50 km, the
entire vehicle needs to be lifted up and
transported.
! The engine must be switched off (key in
ignition lock in position 0or position 1) if
the vehicle is being towed with the front
axle raised or if the parking brake is being
tested on a dynamometer. Intervention by
ESP ®
could otherwise damage the brake
system.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Turn the key to position 2(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral. Practical advice
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Trailer coupling*
291Trailer loads
A 150
A 150
BlueEfficiency A 170
A 170
BlueEfficiency A 200
A 200 TURBO A 160 CDI A 180 CDI
A 200 CDI
Permissible trailer load, braked
46 1,000 kg 1,300 kg 1,500 kg 1,000 kg 1,500 kg
Permissible trailer load, unbraked
595 kg 595 kg 595 kg 645 kg 645 kg
Maximum drawbar noseweight
47 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg
46
At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12 % from a standstill.
47 The drawbar noseweight is not included in the trailer load. Techni
cal data
* optional
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Service products and capacities
292 Service products and capacities
Notes on service products and capaci-
ties
Service products are:
R fuels (e.g. petrol, diesel)
R lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R coolant
R brake fluid
R windscreen washer fluid
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use those products which have been tested
and specially approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle and are listed in the Mercedes-
Benz Owner's Manual in the relevant chapter
since:
R parts and service products are matched
R damage caused by the use of non-approved
service products is not covered by the war-
ranty
You can recognise service products approved
by Mercedes-Benz by the following inscrip-
tion on the containers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approval (e.g. MB Approval 229.51) Other designations or recommendations that
relate to a level of quality or a specification in
accordance with an MB Approval have not
necessarily been approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
You can obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
When handling, storing and disposing of
any service products, please observe the
relevant regulations, as you could other-
wise endanger yourself and others.
Keep service products away from children.
To protect your health, do not allow service
products to come into contact with your
eyes or open wounds. See a doctor imme-
diately if any service product is swallowed. H
Environmental note
Dispose of service products in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner. Fuels
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Before refuelling, always turn off the
engine. G
Risk of injury
Do not allow fuel to come into contact with
skin or clothing.
Allowing fuels to come into direct contact
with your skin or inhaling fuel vapours is
damaging to your health.
Tank capacity Total capacity 54 l
Of which reserve
fuel
Approximately 6 l
!
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Never mix
diesel with petrol. Even small amounts of
the wrong fuel result in damage to the
injection system. Damage resulting from Technical data
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Service products and capacities
300 Brake fluid
Over a period of time, the brake fluid absorbs
moisture from the air; this lowers its boiling
point. G
Risk of accident
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too
low, vapour pockets may form in the brake
system when the brakes are applied hard
(e.g. when driving downhill). This would
impair braking efficiency.
Have the brake fluid renewed every two
years with a brake fluid that has been
approved by Mercedes-Benz and have this
confirmed in the Service Booklet.
i There is usually a notice in the engine
compartment to remind you when the next
brake fluid change is due. Windscreen washer system
G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washer
concentrate is being handled.
The washer fluid reservoir holds approxi-
mately 4.5 litres.
The headlamp cleaning system* and the
windscreen washer system are both supplied
from the washer fluid reservoir.
Further information on windshield washer
fluid and the mixing ratio can be found on
(Y page 175). Technical data
* optional
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