light MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2015 Owners Manual

R
the vehicle is skidding
R you activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS off
DISTRONIC PLUS off message in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and there
are no vehicles detected in front, one or two
segments ;in the set speed range light up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front, segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front =and stored speed :light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
In the Assistance menu (Y page 247) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance graphic. Assistance graphic
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
X Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 248).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate
DISTRONIC PLUS. Assistance graphic
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated) 202
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD function is deactivated when you depress theaccelerator pedal to pull away. Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD
function is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Y page 205).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
R the transmission is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
X Press button :once.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT
AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :again to switch off indica-
tor lamp ;.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT
AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. 4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the differential.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground. 4MATIC, together with ESP
®
, improves the
traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC 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 staying in lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow chains if necessary. Suspension with Adaptive Damping
System
General notes A suspension with the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem provides improved driving comfort and
continuously controls the calibration of the
dampers. The damping characteristics adapt
to the current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface conditions
R the drive program selected
R the vehicle level setting
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT button (Y page 166).
Selecting Comfort mode In the
Comfort drive program, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com- fortable. Therefore, select this drive program
if you prefer a more comfortable driving style. 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

:
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 332).
Range Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays :
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi- cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up. 210
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

The gear lever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission and
the direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Manual transmission: Gear lever posi-
tion Warning display
Forward gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
or
the vehicle is rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission:
Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance. Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock. Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the
indicator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deactivated.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 332).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention and brake application
can assist you during parking and when exit-
ing a parking space. You may also use
PARKTRONIC (Y page 209).
i The active braking application is only
available on vehicles with automatic trans-
mission.
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you. Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the manoeuvring range.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at a
sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 210 )warning messages during the
parking procedure
R you can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Active Parking
Assist will then be cancelled
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are fitted
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces
that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel.
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on
the pavement
For vehicles with the trailer tow hitch folded
out, the minimum length for parking spaces is slightly longer.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connection is established between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area.
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
R Active Park Assist may steer too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Active Parking
Assist.
For further information on the detection
range (Y page 209).
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces at right angles to the direc-
tion of travel if:
R two parking spaces are located directly
next to one another
R the parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low kerb
R you forward park
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces that are parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerb
R the system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
manoeuvre into
R the parking space is bordered by an obsta-
cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

X
Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
stop, at the latest when PARKTRONIC
sounds the continuous warning tone.
Once you have exited the parking space com- pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and
the Park Assist switched off Park Assist switched off message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available. You
can take over the steering before the vehicle has exited the parking space completely. This
is useful, for example, when you recognise
that it is already possible to pull out of the
parking space.
Cancelling Active Parking Assist X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button
(Y page 211).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately cancelled.
The Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automati-
cally if:
R the electric parking brake is applied
R transmission position Pis selected in vehi-
cles with automatic transmission
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster. A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer and brake again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator pedal again. Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is an optical parking
and manoeuvring aid. It uses guide lines to
show the area behind your vehicle in the
Audio/COMAND display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
i The text shown in the Audio/COMAND
display depends on the language setting.
The following are examples of reversing
camera displays in the Audio/COMAND
display.
See the notes on cleaning (Y page 333).
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 333)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R
Activation by R
gear
gear function is selected in Audio 20/ COMAND Online; see the Digital Owner's
Manual.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown with
guide lines in the Audio 20/COMAND
Online display.
The image from the reversing camera is
available throughout the manoeuvring
process.
X To change the function mode for vehi-
cles with trailer tow hitch: using the
Audio 20/COMAND controller, select sym- bol :for the "Reverse parking" function or
symbol ;for "Coupling up a trailer".
The symbol of the selected function is high- lighted.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the Audio 20/COMAND dis-
play The reversing camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles or show them incorrectly or
not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the
reversing camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bot-
tom-most guideline. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

:
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
; White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres
will take at the current steering wheel
angle (dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 mfrom the rear of the vehicle
B Vehicle centre axis (locating aid)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.30 mfrom the rear of the vehicle :
Front warning display
; Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: when
PARKTRONIC is operational (Y page 210),
additional measurement operational readi-
ness indicator ;appears in the Audio 20/
COMAND Online display. If the PARKTRONIC warning displays are active or light up, warn-
ing displays :and =are also active or light
up correspondingly in the Audio 20/
COMAND Online display.
"Reverse parking" function Reversing straight into a parking space
without turning the steering wheel
:
White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
; Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic) Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z