light MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2012 Manual Online

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 (Ypage 224)
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button :
lights up.
Switching off the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation
X Press button :.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button :
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, pleasecontact 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 theubutton.
ON
ON is shown in the remote control display.
X To deactivate: press the^button.
OFF 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
135Climate 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 Pis 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 3in the ignition lock (Y page 143)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in 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 Pto 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 Dor 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.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down. 144
DrivingDriving and parking

Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor 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 Dor 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
Rto 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
147Driving and parking Z

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

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 0in 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 Pbutton :.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
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 Neven 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
163Driving 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 1or 2in
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 Dor 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 Por you have previously driven faster
than 3km/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 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
ParkingDriving an
d 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

Cruise control lever
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
In the multifunction display, the segments
between the stored speed and the maximum speed light up.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening. R
on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in position D.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, a
gear must be engaged.
R cruise control must be selected.
X To select cruise control: check whether
LIM indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically braking the vehicle.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time. Driving systems
169Driving and parking Z

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