MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2008 Manual Online

Lights
78$
a
Left-hand parking lamp
% g
Right-hand parking lamp 8
& M
Lights off/constant headlamp mode
( U
Automatic headlamp mode/con-
stant headlamp mode
) C
Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment lighting
* B
Dipped-beam headlamps or main-
beam headlamps
, ¥
foglamps*
. †
Rear foglamp
i The exterior lighting (except for side
lamps and parking lamps) automatically
switches off when you remove the key from
the ignition lock or open the driver's door while the ignition is switched off (ignition
key in position
0).
! Switch off the side lamps and parking
lamp when you leave the vehicle. This pre-
vents the battery from discharging.
Dipped-beam headlamps X
Turn the ignition key to position 2in the
ignition lock or start the engine.
X To switch on: turn the light switch to
B.
Constant headlamp mode In countries in which constant headlamp
mode is not a legal requirement, you can
make this a setting using the on-board com-
puter.
You can activate or deactivate "constant
headlamp mode" using the on-board com-
puter (Y
page 109).
X To switch on: turn the light switch to
M orU.
The dipped-beam headlamps are switched
on when the engine is running. i
When you turn the light switch to any
position other than MorU, the cor-
responding light goes on.
Automatic headlamp mode G
Risk of accident
When the light switch is set to U, the
lights are not switched on automatically in
foggy conditions. This could endanger you
and others. Therefore, turn the light switch
to B in darkness and fog.
Automatic headlamp mode is only a driving
aid. You are responsible for the vehicle
lighting at all times. G
Risk of accident
When it is dark or foggy, turn the light
switch from UtoB in good time.
Otherwise, the headlamps could switch off
temporarily and you could cause an acci-
dent.
X To switch on: turn the light switch to
U.
Key in position 1in the ignition lock: the
side lamp is switched on or off automati-
cally, depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
8 You must turn the light switch beyond its resistance point when turning it from the Mposition to the gposition. Controls
* optional
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Lights
79
Starting the engine: the dipped-beam head-
lamps are also switched on or off automat-
ically, depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
When the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on, the Bindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
Front foglamps*/Rear foglamp G
Risk of accident
If you suspect that driving conditions will be
foggy, turn the light switch to Bbefore
you start your journey. Otherwise, your
vehicle may not be visible and you could
endanger yourself and others.
When the light switch is set to Uyou can-
not switch on the front *or rear foglamps.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X To switch on the front foglamps*: turn
the light switch to the BorC posi-
tion.
X Pull the light switch out to the first detent.
The ¥ green indicator lamp next to the
light switch lights up. X
To switch on the rear foglamp: turn the
light switch to BorC.
X On vehicles with front foglamps*, pull the
light switch out to the second detent.
On vehicles without front foglamps*, pull
the light switch out to the detent.
The † yellow indicator lamp next to the
light switch lights up.
X To switch off the front foglamps*/rear
foglamp: push in the light switch to the
stop.
The corresponding indicator lamp goes out. Combination switch (turn signals,
main-beam headlamps and headlamp
flasher)
Turn signal lamp
X
To switch on: press the combination
switch in the direction of arrow 2or?.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lamp K orL in the instrument clus-
ter flashes.
i If you only wish to indicate a minor change
of direction, press the combination switch
briefly in the appropriate direction. The cor-
responding turn signal flashes three times. Controls
* optional
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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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Lights
82 Interior lighting
Front overhead control panel (vehicles with a
rocker switch)
1 ð To switch the interior lighting on
2 To switch the automatic interior lighting
control on
3 ¥ To switch the interior lighting/auto-
matic interior lighting control off
4 X To switch the reading lamp on/off Front overhead control panel (vehicles with but-
tons*)
1
£ To switch the rear interior lighting
on/off
2 ¥ To switch the automatic interior
lighting control on/off
3 X To switch the right-hand reading
lamp on/off
4 X To switch the left-hand reading lamp
on/off
5 ð To switch the front interior lighting
on/off Rear-compartment overhead control panel
1
To switch the reading lamp* off
2 To switch the reading lamp* on
Automatic interior lighting control X
To switch on (vehicles with a rocker
switch): set the rocker switch to centre
position 2.
X To switch on (vehicles with buttons*):
press the ¥button.
X To switch off (vehicles with a rocker
switch): set the rocker switch to
the ¥ position.
X To switch off (vehicles with buttons*):
press the ¥button.
The interior lighting automatically switches
on when it is dark, when you unlock the vehi- Controls
* optional
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Windscreen wipers
83
cle, open a door or remove the key from the
ignition lock.
The interior lighting switches off after a delay.
You can set the delayed switch-off using the
on-board computer (Y page 110). If the door
is left open, the interior lighting goes out after
approximately five minutes.
Emergency accident lighting If the interior lighting is set to automatic, the
interior lighting is activated automatically if
the vehicle is involved in an accident.
X To deactivate: press the hazard warning
lamp button (Y page 80).
or
X Lock and then unlock the vehicle using the
key. Windscreen wipers
Switching the windscreen wipers on/
off
Combination switch
1 To switch on the windscreen wipers
2 Single wipe/to wipe the windscreen using
washer fluid
Settings: 0
Windscreen wipers off
I
Intermittent wipe
II
Continuous wipe, slow
III
Continuous wipe, fast
!
Vehicles with a rain sensor*: If the windscreen becomes dirty in dry
weather conditions, the windscreen wipers
may be activated inadvertently. This could
then damage the windscreen wiper blades
or scratch the windscreen.
For this reason, you should always switch
off the windscreen wipers in dry weather.
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the combination switch to the corre-
sponding position. Rear window wiper
Combination switch
1
Switch
% To wipe with washer fluid Controls
* optional
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Side windows
84
&
To switch on intermittent wiping
( To switch off intermittent wiping
) To wipe with washer fluid
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the combination switch to the corre-
sponding position.
When the rear window wiper is switched on
the icon appears in the instrument cluster. Side windows
Opening/closing the side windows
G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped between the side window and the door
frame when a side window is opened. Do
not touch or lean against the side window
during the opening procedure. You could
become trapped between the side window
and the door frame as the side window
moves down. If there is a risk of becoming
trapped, release the switch or pull the
switch upwards to close the side window
again. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped when closing the side windows. If there
is a risk of becoming trapped, release the
switch or push the switch again to reopen
the side window. G
Risk of injury
Children may injure themselves if they
operate the side windows.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the key with you when leaving the vehicle, even if you are only
leaving it for a short time.
G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:
R be seriously or even fatally injured on
parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or even fatally injured by
prolonged exposure to extremely high or
extremely low temperatures
If children open a door, they could:
R seriously or even fatally injure other peo-
ple
R get out of the vehicle, thereby injuring
themselves or be seriously or even fatally
injured by a passing vehicle
Activate the child-proof locks if children are
travelling in the vehicle. They could other-
wise open doors or windows while the vehi-
cle is in motion and thereby injure them-
selves or others. Controls
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Side windows
85
i
Related topics:
R convenience opening (Y page 86)
R convenience closing (Y page 86)
R override controls in the rear compart-
ment (Y page 54)
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window. 1
Front left
2 Front right
3 Rear right
4 Rear left X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
i You can still operate the side windows
when the key is in the 0position or when
the key has been removed. However, this
is only possible for a maximum of five
minutes afterwards, or until the driver's or
front-passenger door is opened.
X To open: press the corresponding switch.
X To close: pull the corresponding switch.
i If you operate the switch beyond its pres-
sure point, it will trigger automatic opera-
tion in the corresponding direction. You can
stop automatic operation by pressing
again.
Closing with increased force and with-
out the anti-entrapment feature G
Risk of injury
Closing the side windows with increased
force or without the anti-entrapment fea-
ture could lead to serious or even fatal
injury. Make sure that nobody can become
trapped when closing the side windows. If a side window blocks during closing and
reopens slightly:
X
Immediately after the window blocks, pull
on the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed with increased
force.
If a side window blocks again during closing
and reopens slightly:
X Immediately after the window blocks, pull
on the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed without the anti-
entrapment feature. Resetting the side windows
You must reset each side window if:
R the battery has been disconnected or has
become discharged.
R the side window no longer opens or closes
fully.
R the side windows open again slightly after
being closed fully. Controls
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Side windows
86
X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Pull the corresponding switch until the side
window is closed.
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly:
X Pull the corresponding switch again imme-
diately and hold it for approx. one second. Convenience opening*
You can ventilate the vehicle before a journey.
To do this, you can use the key to simultane-
ously:
R open the side windows
R open the panorama louvred sliding sun-
roof* or move it to the ventilation position
i The "Convenience opening" feature can
only be operated using the key. X
Point the tip of the key at the driver's door
handle.
X Unlock the vehicle by pressing the k
button.
X Keep the kbutton pressed until the
side windows are in the desired position.
The panorama louvred sliding sunroof*
stops in the ventilation position.
X To open the panorama louvred sliding
sunroof*: press and hold the kbutton
again until the panorama louvred sliding
sunroof has reached the desired position. Convenience closing*
When you lock the vehicle, you can simulta-
neously:
R close the side windows
R close the panorama louvred sliding sun-
roof* G
Risk of injury
When using the convenience closing fea-
ture, make sure that nobody can become
trapped. Proceed as follows if there is a risk
of entrapment:
R release the jbutton.
R press and hold the kbutton until the
side windows and the panorama louvred
sliding sunroof* open again. Controls
* optional
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Driving and pa
rking 87
X
Point the tip of the key at the driver's door
handle.
X Lock the vehicle with the jbutton.
X Press and hold the jbutton until the
side windows and the panorama louvred
sliding sunroof* are fully closed.
X Make sure that all the side windows and the
panorama louvred sliding sunroof* are
closed. Driving and parking
Starting the engine
G
Risk of accident
Do not keep any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that they are
correctly secured and that there is suffi-
cient clearance for the pedals.
Objects could otherwise get between the
pedals in the event of sudden braking or
acceleration. You may then no longer be
able to brake, change gear or accelerate as
intended. This may result in an accident and
injury. G
Risk of poisoning
Never leave the engine running in enclosed
spaces. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide. Inhaling exhaust fumes consti-
tutes a health hazard and could lead to loss
of consciousness or even death.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine. i
If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel will be unusually long
and there will be less pedal resistance.
Manual transmission Vehicles without ECO Start-Stop-Function
*(5-
speed manual transmission) Controls
* optional
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