tow MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2012 Owner's Manual

Useful information
............................142
Running-in notes ............................... 142
Driving ............................................... 142
Manual transmission ........................150
Automatic transmission ...................151
Refuelling ........................................... 159
Parking ............................................... 162
Driving tips ........................................ 165
Driving systems ................................ 168
Towing a trailer ................................. 201 141Driving and parking

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 24). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
New brake pads/linings and discs that have
been replaced only achieve optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometres of
driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. The first 1500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds. Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/ hfor
the first 1,500 km.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
i You should also observe these notes on
running-in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicle have been replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. 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 142
DrivingDriving and parking

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be on and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 288). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting to
5thand 6thgear, you
must press the shift lever to the right. Oth- erwise, you could shift unintentionally into
3rd or4th gear and damage the engine or
transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear
1, 2or3in
good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. Gear lever
k
Reverse gear
1 to6
Forward gears 150
Manual transmissionDriving and parking

A Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
When you switch off the engine, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts into neutral N.7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi- vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 155)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi- cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): the
Stop
Stop vehicle vehicle Shift
Shiftto
toP
PLeave
Leave engine
engine
running
running display message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. You will only be able to
continue your journey once the clutch has
cooled down and the display message in the
multifunction display has disappeared.
AMG vehicles: theTrans. oil overhea‐ Trans. oil overhea‐
ted Drive on with care
ted Drive on with care display message
appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator
pedal. Instead, only ever hold the vehicle sta- tionary on uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown AMG vehicles:
it is only possible to use kick-
down in temporary manual drive program M.
For further information on the manual drive
program M, see (Y page 156).
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up. 154
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Towing a trailer
Trailer towing is not permissible on the fol-
lowing models:
R
A 45 AMG 4MATIC
R Vehicles with the AMG Sports package
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, select a lower gear (Y page 166), even
if cruise control, DISTRONIC PLUS, or
SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Program selector button
General notes The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with differ-
ent driving characteristics. Example: program selector button
E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
X
Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 156).
AMG vehicles C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
X
Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 156). Automatic transmission
155Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The 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 Por 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 Pand
the transmission position display must
show Pin 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 Nwhen 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
ParkingDriving and parking

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(Ypage 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 Mis temporarily activated
(vehicles with automatic transmission): the
automatic transmission may switch back to the last active automatic drive program Eor
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 orafter 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 tipsDriving and parking

Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 320).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 320).
Slippery road surfaces 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.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 321). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use cruise control:
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.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to have selected manual drive program
M(Y page 156). 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h. 168
Driving systemsDriving 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 Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. 170
Driving systemsDriving 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 1,2or 3in 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/hw hile
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
171Driving and parking Z