wheel MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2015 Workshop Manual

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
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:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
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
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed
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 Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop vehicle Shift to P Stop vehicle Shift to P
Leave engine running
Leave engine running display message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. oil Trans. oil
overheated Drive on with care
overheated Drive on with care display
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
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 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. 174
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
it is only possible
to use kickdown in the automatic drive pro-
grams and in temporary manual drive pro-
gram M. When manual drive program Mis
selected permanently, kickdown is not pos-
sible.
For further information on kickdown in man-
ual drive program M(Y page 179).
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all mod-
els. For further information, see
(Y page 231).
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 189), even
if cruise control, DISTRONIC PLUS, or
SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program
Cis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle delivers comfortable, economi-
cal driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven in the low
engine speed range and the wheels are less
likely to spin. Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program
Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later. as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points, the fuel con-
sumption possibly being higher.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program Ithe following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension (vehicles with damping sys-
tem or AMG RIDE CONTROL)
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion
R the climate control
Information about configuring drive program I
with COMAND Online or Audio 20 can be
found in the Digital Owner's Manual.
i To permanently select the gears in drive
program Iusing the steering wheel pad-
dles, select the M(manual) setting for the
drive.
Drive program E (Economy)
Drive program Eis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being Automatic transmission
175Driving and parking Z

driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is activated automatically
when engine-internal conditions are fulfil-
led and the accelerator is not depressed. At
the same time the transmission’s clutch
opens and the vehicle rolls freely using its
kinetic energy. As a result great distances
can be completed without the engine brake and fuel consumption reduced.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program
Ithe following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine management)
R the transmission management
R the suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL)
R ESP ®
Information about configuring drive program I
with COMAND Online or Audio 20 can be
found in the Digital Owner's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle delivers comfortable, economi-
cal driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven in the low
engine speed range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is available.
R the ECO start/stop function is available. Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program
Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits sporty driving charac-
teristics
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later. as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points, the fuel con-
sumption possibly being higher.
R the suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-
ing characteristics.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos- sibly being higher.
R the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles
with AIR RIDE CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
RIDE CONTROL)
Drive program RACEis characterised by the
following:
R the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
R all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later. 176
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

R
as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher.
R the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles
with AIR RIDE CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble. Manual gearshifting
General notes You can change gear yourself using the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission
must be in position D.
Depending on which gearshift paddle is
pulled, the automatic transmission immedi-
ately shifts into the next gear up or down, if
permitted.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: to use manual
shifting, you have two options:
R temporary setting
R permanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the mul-
tifunction display will show the current gear
instead of transmission position D.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the
gears will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting X
To activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever
to position D.
X Pull steering wheel gearshift paddle :
or ;.
Temporary setting will be active for a certain
amount of time. Under certain conditions the
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during an
overrun phase or when driving on steep ter-
rain.
X To deactivate: pull steering wheel gear-
shift paddle ;and hold it in place.
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to shift the
transmission position.
or X All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to
change the drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram.
Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) X
To activate: shift the selector lever to posi-
tion D.
X Press button :.
X To deactivate: press button:.
or X If position D (automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro- Automatic transmission
177Driving and parking Z

gram
I: shift to drive program Iwith the
DYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears !
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the rev counter. There is otherwise a risk of engine damage. X
To shift up: pull steering wheel gearshift
paddle ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the next gear.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): if the maximum engine speed on
the currently engaged gear is reached and
you continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
X To shift down: pull steering wheel gear-
shift paddle :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic downshifting occurs when
coasting.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine dam-
age by not shifting down. Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles) !
The automatic transmission does not shift
up automatically even when the engine lim-
iting speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine from overrevving. Always make sure that
the engine speed does not reach the red
area of the rev counter. There is otherwisea risk of engine damage. Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Shift to recommended gear :when mes-
sage ;is shown in the multifunction dis-
play. 178
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Kickdown
X
For maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears
using the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible
to use kickdown in temporary manual drive
program M. When manual drive program Mis
selected permanently, kickdown is not pos-
sible. Automatic trans
mission
179Driving an d parking Z

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 safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage 1st 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-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either 1st gear or reverse gear R.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 157).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "key removed".
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): shift the transmission to posi-
tion P. 184
ParkingDriving and parking

economical driving. A higher level indicates a
more economical driving style. If the three
outer areas are completely filled at the same
time, the driver has adopted the most eco-
nomical driving style for the selected settings and prevailing conditions. The ECO display
border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. The additionally achieved
range displayed under Bonus fr. start
Bonus fr. start
does not indicate a fixed consumption reduc- tion.
In addition to driving style, the actual con-
sumption is affected by other factors, such
as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in drive program Cor E
(vehicles with DYNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on
the motorway, only the outer area for "con-
stant" will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in the outer areas at the start of a journey. Dur-
ing a prolonged driving time, these changes
are smaller. For more marked changes, per-
form a manual reset (Y page 243).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 242). Brakes
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 activate
manual gearshifting (Y page 177).
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, SPEEDTRONIC or DISTRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
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. Driving tips
189Driving and parking
Z

Driving on flooded roads
!
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans- mission.
If you must drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water
level must be no higher than the lower edge
of the vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking
pace Winter driving
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. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified specialist workshop at the onset of winter. You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres. Do
not use cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
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.
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 con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
Further information on driving with snow
chains (Y page 361).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 360).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 360). Driving systems
Cruise control
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 tohave selected manual shift drive program M
(Y page 177). By doing so, you will make use Driving syste
ms
191Driving an d parking Z

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 are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed stored.
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
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. Cruise control lever :
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
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
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Selecting cruise control 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. 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking