warning MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2018 Owners Manual

&
WARNING Risk ofexplosion from a fro‐
zen battery
A dischar ged battery may freeze at temp era‐
tures slightly abo veor below freezing point.
During starting assis tance or battery charg‐
ing, bat tery gas may be released. #
Alw aysth aw a frozen bat tery out first
before charging it or per form ing start‐
ing assis tance. If
th e indicator/warning lamps in the instrument
clus ter do not light up at low temp eratures, it is
ve ry likely that the dischar ged battery has fro‐
zen. In this case you may neither jump-s tart the
ve hicle nor charge the batter y.
The service life of a battery that has been
th awe d may be dramatically shor tened. The
st arting characteristics may be impaired, espe‐
cially at low temp eratures.
It is recommended that you ha veathaw ed bat‐
te ry checked at a qualified specialist workshop. *
NO
TEDama gecaused bynumerous or
ex tended attem ptsto start the engine Nume
rous or extended attem ptsto start the
engine may damage the catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel. #
Avoid numerous and extended attem pts
to start the engine. Obser
vethefo llowing points during starting
assis tance and when charging the battery:
R Only use undamaged jump lead/charging
cables with a suf ficient cross-section and
insula tedte rm inal clamps.
R Non- insulated parts of thete rm inal clamps
must not come into con tact wi thother me tal
parts while the jump lead/charging cable is
connected tothe battery/jump-s tart connec‐
tion point.
R The jump lead/charging cable must not
come into contact wi thany parts which may
mo vewhen the engine is running.
R Alw ays make sure that nei ther you nor the
battery is elect rostatically charge d. R
Keep away from fire and naked flames.
R Do not lean overth e batter y.
Obser vethe additional following points when
ch arging the battery:
R Only use battery charge rs tested and
appr oved for Mercedes-Benz.
R Read the battery charge r's operating instruc‐
tions before charging the batter y.
Obser vethe additional following points during
st arting assis tance:
R Starting assis tance may only be pr ovided
using batteries with a nominal voltage of 12
V.
R The vehicles must not touch.
R Petrol engine: only acceptstarting assis‐
ta nce if the engine and exhaust sy stem are
cold. Breakdown assis
tance 447

each time with
the conta cts onyour own
ve hicle firs t. #
Afterre moving the jump lead/charging
cable, close co ver1 of positive clamp 2.
Fu rther information can be obtained at a quali‐
fi ed specialist workshop. Re
placing the 12V battery #
Obser vethe no tes on the12 V battery
(→ page 444).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you ha vethe
12 V battery replaced at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes if youwa ntto
re place the battery yourself:
R Alw aysre place a faulty bat tery with a battery
which meets the specific vehicle require‐
ments.
The vehicle is equipped with an AGMtech nol‐
ogy battery (Absorbent Glass Mat). Fullve hi‐ cle functionality is only guaranteed with an
AG M batter y.Fo r saf etyre asons, Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you on lyuse bat ter‐
ies which have been tested and appr ovedfor
yo ur vehicle byMercedes-Benz.
R Carryover de tach able parts, such as vent
hoses, elbow fittings or term inal co vers, from
th e battery being replaced.
R Make sure that theve nt hose is al ways con‐
nected tothe original opening on the side of
th e batter y.
Fit any existing or supplied cell caps.
Otherwise, gases or battery acid could
escape.
R Make sure that de tach able parts are recon‐
nected in the same way. To
w- starting or towing away Pe
rm itted towing me thods Mercedes-Benz
recommends transporting your
ve hicle in the case of a breakdown, rath er than
to wing it away. Fo
rto wing, use a tow rope or tow bar with bo th
axles on the ground. Do not use tow bar sys‐
te ms. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
with steering wheel lock
Yo u will no lon ger be able tosteer theve hicle
if th esteering wheel lock is engaged. #
Alw ays switch on the ignition when tow‐
ing theve hicle with a tow cable or a tow
bar. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due to tow‐
ing away incor rectly #
Obser vethe instructions and no tes on
to wing away. Breakdown assis
tance 449

*
NO
TEDama gedue to to wing away at
exc essively high speeds or over long dis‐
ta nces The driv
etra in could be damaged when tow‐
ing at excessively high speeds or over long
dis tances. #
Atowing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exc eeded. #
Atowing dis tance of 50 km must not be
exc eeded. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
a ve hicle which is too heavy
If th eve hicle being tow- star ted or towed
aw ay is heavier than the permissible gross
mass, thefo llowing situations can occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R the car/t railer combination may swer ve
or eve nove rturn. #
If ano ther vehicle is tow- star ted or
to we daw ay, its weight must not exceed th
e permissible gross mass of your own
ve hicle. If a
vehicle must be tow star ted or towe daw ay,
its permissible gross mass must not exceed the
permissible gross mass of theto wing vehicle. #
Information on the permissible gross mass of
th eve hicle can be found on theve hicle iden‐
tification plate (→ page 483). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission: do
not open the driver's door or front passenger
door, otherwise the automatic transmission
automatically shifts toposition j. #
Fittheto wing eye (→ page 453). #
Fasten theto w bar.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion #
Only connect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes. #
Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism
(→ page 73). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate tow- aw ay protection (→ page 86). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assi st (→page 196). #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission toposition
i. #
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral i. #
Release the electric parking brake. #
Switch on the ignition, otherwise thesteering
wheel lock may engage. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d saf ety-re lated functions during the
to wing process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon‐
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R the ignition is switched off.
R the brake sy stem or po werst eering sys‐
te m is malfunctioning. Breakdown assi
stance 451

#
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow- star ted. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow- star ted.
Ve hicles with manual transmission #
Obser vethe no tes on towing away
( → page 450). #
If necessar y,allow the engine and exhaust
sy stem tocool down. #
Switch the ignition on. #
Enga gesecond gear. #
Release the electric parking brake. #
Tow- start theve hicle while the clutch pedal
is fully depressed. #
Slowly release the clutch pedal. #
Immediately shift toneutral if the engine
st arts. #
Pull over and stop theve hicle, paying atten‐
tion toroad and traf fic conditions. #
Remo vetheto w bar. #
Remo vetheto wing eye. #
Have theve hicle checked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. Electrical fuses
Note
s on electrical fuses &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due to ov erloaded lines
If yo u manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
yo ure place it with a fuse with a higher
amperage, the electric line could be overloa‐
ded.
This could result in a fire. #
Alw aysre place faulty fuses with speci‐
fi ed new fuses conta iningthe cor rect
amperage. *
NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect fuses Electrical components or sy
stems may be
damaged byincor rect fuses, or their func‐
tionality may be significant lyimpaired. #
Only use fuses that ha vebeen appr oved
by Mercedes-Benz and which ha vethe
cor rect fuse rating. Blown fuses mu
stbe replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognise bythe col‐
our and fuse rating. The fuse ratings and fu rther
information tobe obser ved are lis ted in the fuse
assignment diagram.
Fu se assignment diag ram: onthe fuse box in
th e engine compartment (→ page 455).
* NO
TEDama geor malfunctions caused
by moisture Moisture may cause dama
getothe electrical
sy stem or cause it tomalfunction. #
When the fuse box is open, make sure
th at no moisture can enter the fuse
box. #
When closing the fuse box, make sure
th at the seal of the lid is positioned cor‐
re ctly on the fuse box. 454
Breakdown assis tance

If
th e newly inser ted fuse also blo ws, ha vethe
cause traced and rectified at a qualified special‐
ist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
Ensure thefo llowing before replacing a fuse:
R The vehicle is secured against rolling away.
R All electrical consumers are switched off.
R The ignition is switched off.
The electrical fuses are located in various fuse
bo xes:
R Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of theve hicle, when vie wed in
th e direction of tr avel (→ page 455)
R Fuse box in the front passenger foot we ll
(→ page 456)
R Fuse box in the cent reofthe load compart‐
ment (→ page 457) Opening and closing
the fuse box in the
engine compa rtment Requ
irements:
R You need a dry clo thand a sc rewdriver. Obser
vethe no tes on electrical fuses
(→ page 454).
Opening &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom using the
windscreen wipers while the engine bon‐
net is open
When the engine bonn etis open, and the
windscreen wipers are set in motion, you can
be trapped bythe wiper linkage. #
Alw ays switch off the windscreen wip‐
ers and ignition before opening the
engine bonn et. #
Open the bonn et. #
Remo veany existing moisture from the fuse
box using a dry clo th. #
Loosen scr ews1. #
Press clamps 2and lift the fuse box lid up
and out.
The fuse assignment diagram is in a recess on
th e side of the fuse box. Breakdown assis
tance 455

Note
s on noise or unusual handling charac‐
te rist ics
While driving, pay attention tovibrations, noises
and unusual handling characteristics, e.g. pulling
to one side. This may indicate that the wheels or
tyres are damaged. If you suspect that a tyre is
defective, reduce your speed immediatel y.Stop
th eve hicle as soon as possible tocheck the
wheels and tyres for dama ge. Hidden tyre dam‐
age could also be causing the unusual handling
ch aracteristics. If youfind no signs of damage,
ha ve the tyres and wheels checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Note
s onregular lyinspecting wheels and
tyres &
WARNING Risk of accident from dam‐
aged tyres
Dama ged tyres can cause tyre pressure loss.
As a result, you could lose cont rol of your
ve hicle. #
Check the tyres regularly for signs of
dama geand replace any damaged tyres
immediatel y. Car
ryout thefo llowing checks on all wheels reg‐
ularly, at least once a month or as requ ired, e.g.
prior toa long journey or driving off- road:
R Check the tyre pressure (→ page 459).
R Visually inspect tyres and wheels for dam‐
age.
R Check theva lve caps.
The valves must be pr otected against mois‐
ture and dirt bytheva lve caps appr oved
especially foryo ur vehicle byMercedes-Benz.
R Visual check of the tyre tread dep thand the
tyre contact su rface across the entire width.
The minimum tread dep thfor summer tyres
is 3 mm and for winter tyres 4 mm. Note
s on snow chains &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct snow chain fitting
If yo ufit snow chains tothere ar wheels, the
snow chains may grind against theve hicle
body or chassis components.
This could cause damage totheve hicle or
th e tyres. #
Neverfit snow chains tothere ar
wheels. #
Alw aysfit snow chains tothe front
wheels in pairs. *
NO
TEDama getothe wheel trim from fit‐
te d snow chains If sn
ow ch ains are fitted tosteel wheels, the
wheel trims can be damaged. #
Remo vethe wheel trims of steel wheels
before fitting snow chains. 458
Wheels and tyres

Obser
vethefo llowing no tes when using snow
ch ains:
R Snow ch ains are on ly permissible for cer tain
wheel/tyre combinations. You can obtain
information about this from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Cent re.
R For saf etyre asons, on lyuse sn ow chainsthat
ha ve been specifically appr ovedfo ryo ur
ve hicle byMercedes-Benz, or snow chains
with the same quality standard.
R If sn ow ch ains are fitted, the maximum per‐
missible speed is 50 km/h.
R Vehicles with Active Park ing Assis t:do
not use Active Parking Assist when snow
ch ains are fitted.
% You can permanently limit the maximum
ve hicle speed for driving with winter tyres
(→ page 200).
% You can deactivate ESP ®
to pull away
( → page 189). This allo ws the wheels to
spin, achieving an increased driving forc e. Ty
re pressure Note
s on tyre pressure &
WARNING Risk of accident due toinsuf‐
fi cient or excessive tyre pressure
Underinfla ted or overinfla ted tyres pose the
fo llowing risks:
R The tyres may bur st, especially as the
load and vehicle speed increase.
R The tyres may wearexc essively and/or
une venly, which may greatlyimpair tyre
traction.
R The driving characteristics, as well as
st eering and braking, may be greatly
impaired. #
Comply with there commended tyre
pressure and check the tyre pressure of
all tyres including the spare wheel regu‐
larly:
R at least once a month
R when the load changes R
before embarking on a lon ger journey
R if operating conditions change, e.g. off-
ro ad driving #
Adjust the tyre pressure as necessar y. Driving wi
thtyre pressu rethat is too high or too
low can:
R Sho rten the service life of the tyres.
R Cause increased tyre damage.
R Adversely af fect driving characteristics and
th us driving saf ety, e.g. due toaquaplaning. &
WARNING Risk of accident from repea‐
te d tyre pressure drop
If th e tyre pressure drops repeatedl y,the
wheel, valve or tyre may be damaged.
Insuf ficient tyre pressure can cause the tyres
to bur st. #
Inspect the tyre for signs of fore ign
objects. Wheels and tyres
459

If
th e preceding tyre sizes are complemented by
th e+ symbol, the tyre pressure information
fo llowing sho wsalternative tyre pressures.
These tyre pressures may impr oveyour vehicle's
ri de comfort. Fuel consum ption may then
increase slightl y.
The load conditions "partially laden" and "fully
laden" are defined in theta ble for dif fere nt num‐
be rs of passengers and amounts of luggage. The
actual number of seats may dif fer from this.
Be sure toalso obse rveth efo llowing fur ther
re lated subjects:
R Notes on tyre pressure (→ page 459)Ty
re pressure moni toring sy stem Fu
nction of the ty repressure moni toring sys‐
tem
The sy stem checks the tyre pressure and the
tyre temp erature of the tyres fitted totheve hicle
by means of a tyre pressu resensor.
New tyre pressure sensors, e.g. in winter tyres,
are automatically taught-in during thefirs t jour‐
ney they are used. The tyre pressure and
the tyre temp erature
appear in the multifunction display
(→ page 461).
If th ere is a subs tantial pressure loss or if the
tyre temp erature is excessive, you will be
wa rned in thefo llowing ways:
R via display messa ges (→ page 528)
R viatheh warning lamp in the instrument
clus ter (→ page 559)
The tyre pressu remonitoring sy stem is only an
aid. It is the driver's responsibility toset the tyre
pressure tothere commended cold tyre pressure
suitable forth e operating situation. Set the tyre
pressure for cold tyres using a tyre pressu re
ga uge. Notethat the cor rect tyre pressure for
th e cur rent operating situation mu stfirs t be
tau ght-in tothe tyre pressure monitoring sys‐
te m.
In most cases, the tyre pressure monitoring sys‐
te m will auto matically update the new refere nce
va lues af teryo u ha vechanged the tyre pressure.
Yo u can, ho wever,also update there fere nce val‐
ues byrestarting the tyre pressure monitoring
sy stem manually (→ page 462). Sy
stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R ifth e tyre pressure is set incor rectly
R ifth ere is a sudden pressure loss caused, for
ex ample, byafo re ign object penetrating the
tyre
R ifth ere is a malfunction caused byano ther
ra dio signal source
Make sure toobser vethefo llowing fur ther rela‐
te d subjec t:
R notes on tyre pressure (→ page 459)
Checking the ty repressure with the tyre
pressure moni toring sy stem
Requ irements:
R The ignition is switched on.
On-board computer: , Service .
Tyres
One of thefo llowing displa ysappears:
R Cur rent tyre pressure and tyre temp erature
of the individual wheels: Wheels and tyres
461

R
Tyre pressures will be displayed after a few
minutes of driving
R Tyre pressure monitor active: thete ach-in
process of the sy stem is not yet compl ete.
The tyre pressures are already being moni‐
to re d. #
Compare the tyre pressure with there com‐
mended tyre pressure forth e cur rent operat‐
ing condition (→ page 460). Obse rvethe
no tes on tyre temp erature (→ page 459).
% The values displa yed in the multifunction dis‐
play may deviate from those of the tyre pres‐
sure gauge as they referto sea le vel.At high
altitudes, the tyre pressure values indicated by
a pressure gauge are higher than those
shown bythe on-board computer. In this
case, do not reduce the tyre pressure.
Make sure toobser vethefo llowing fur ther rela‐
te d subjec t:
R Notes on tyre pressure (→ page 459)
Rest arting the ty repressure moni toring sys‐
tem
Requ irements:
R The recommended tyre pressure is cor rectly
set forth ere spective operating status on
each of thefo ur wheels (→ page 459).
Re start the tyre pressure monitoring sy stem in
th efo llowing situations:
R The tyre pressure has changed.
R The wheels or tyres ha vebeen changed or
newly fitted. On-boa
rdcompu ter:
, Service .
Tyres #
Swipe down wards on Touch Control on the
left-hand side of thesteering wheel.
The Use current pressures as new reference
values? message is shown in the multifunc‐
tion displa y. #
Tobegin restart, press Touch Control on the
left-hand side of thesteering wheel.
The Tyre press. monitor restarted message is
shown in the multifunction displa y.
Cur rent wa rning messages are dele ted and
th eye llow h warning lamp goes out.
Af teryo u ha vebeen driving for a few
minutes, the sy stem checks whe ther the cur‐
re nt tyre pressures are wi thin the specified
ra nge. The cur rent tyre pressures are then
accep ted as refere nce values and monitored.
Make sure toobser vethefo llowing fur ther rela‐
te d subjec t:
R Notes on tyre pressure (→ page 459)462
Wheels and tyres

Ty
re pressure loss warning sy stem Fu
nction of the ty repressure loss warning
sy stem
The tyre pressure loss warning sy stem warnsthe
driver bymeans of display messa ges when there
is a se vere tyre pressu reloss.
Af ter a change in tyre pressure, a wheel rotation
or a tyre change, or if you ha verefitted wheels
or tyres, the tyre pressure loss warning sy stem
has tobe restar ted (→ page 467).
The tyre pressure loss warning sy stem does not
re place the need toregular lych eck the tyre
pressures.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R ifth e tyre pressure is set incor rectly
R ifth ere is a sudden pressure loss caused, for
ex ample, byafo re ign object penetrating the
tyre
R ifth e pressure loss in se veral tyres decrea‐
ses at the same rate The sy
stem has a limited or dela yed function:
R when thero ad sur face is poo r,e.g. snow or
gra vel
R when driving with sn ow chains
R when driving in a very sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or sudden accel‐
eration
R when driving with a high load
Be sure toalso obse rveth efo llowing fur ther
re lated subjects:
R Notes on tyre pressure (→ page 459)
R Display messages about the tyres
(→ page 528)
Re starting the ty repressure loss warning
sy stem
Requ irements:
R The recommended tyre pressure is cor rectly
set forth ere spective operating status on
each of thefo ur wheels (→ page 459). Re
start the tyre pressure loss warning sy stem in
th efo llowing situations:
R The tyre pressure has changed.
R The wheels or tyres ha vebeen changed or
newly fitted.
On-boa rdcompu ter:
, Service .
Tyres #
Swipe down wards on Touch Control on the
left-hand side of thesteering wheel.
The Run Flat Indicator activeRestart message
is shown in the multifunction displa y.
Re start the tyre pressure loss warning sy stem in
th efo llowing situations:
R The tyre pressure has changed.
R The wheels or tyres ha vebeen changed or
newly fitted. #
Tobegin restart, press Touch Control on the
left-hand side of thesteering wheel.
The Tyre pressure now OK? message is
shown in the multifunction displa y. #
Select Yes. Wheels and tyres
467