automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2018 User Guide

Use
the DIRECT SELECT le verto shift the trans‐
mission position. The cur rent transmission posi‐
tion is displ ayed in the multifunction displa y.j
Park position
k Reversege ar
i Neut ral
h Drive position En
gaging reve rsege ar R #
Depress the brake pedal and push the
DIRECT SELECT le ver upwards past thefirst
point of resis tance.
The transmission position displ aysho wsk
in the multifunction displa y.
Engaging neut ral N #
Depress the brake pedal and push the
DIRECT SELECT le ver up or down tothefirst
point of resis tance.
The transmission position displ aysho wsi
in the multifunction displa y.
Subsequently releasing the brake pedal will
allow youto mo vetheve hicle freel y,e.g. topush
it or tow it away.
Proceed as follo ws ifyo uwa ntthe automatic
transmission toremain in neutral i
i eve n if
th e ignition is switched off: #
start theve hicle. #
depress the brake pedal and engage neutral
i. #
release the brake pedal. #
switch off the ignition. %
Ifyo uth en exitth eve hicle leaving theke y in
th eve hicle, the automatic transmission
re mains in neutral i.
Engaging park position P #
Obser vethe no tes on parking theve hicle
(→ page 175). #
Dep ress the brake pedal until theve hicle is
st ationar y. #
When theve hicle is stationar y,press button
j.
Pa rk position is only engaged when the trans‐
mission position display jis shown in the
multifunction displa y.If no transmission posi‐
tion display jappears, secure theve hicle
to preve nt it from rolling away.
Pa rk position jis engaged automatically if one
of thefo llowing conditions is me t:
R you swit choff the ignition when theve hicle
is stationary and the transmission is in posi‐
tion hork.
R you open the driver's door when theve hicle
is stationary or when driving at a very low Driving and parking
16 5

speed and
the transmission is in position h
or k.
% Tomanoeuvre with an open driver's door,
open the driver's door while stationary and
engage transmission position hork
again.
% Atvery low outside temp eratures from
appr ox. -20°C you may not be able toshift
th e transmission from jtoano ther trans‐
mission position when the engine is
switched off. If this is the case, only change
th e transmission position while the engine is
ru nning.
En gaging drive position D #
Depress the brake pedal and push the
DIRECT SELECT le ver down past thefirst
point of resis tance.
The transmission position displ aysho wsh
in the multifunction displa y.
When the automatic transmission is in transmis‐
sion position h, it shiftsthege ars automati‐
call y.This depends on thefo llowing factors:
R the selected drive prog ram R
the position of the accelera tor pedal
R the driving speed Manual
gearshifting &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. When
the automatic transmission is shif tedto
position h,you can manually shift it with the
st eering wheel gearshift paddle. If permit ted, the
automatic transmission shifts tothe next gear
up or down depending on thesteering wheel
ge arshift paddle being pulled.
Yo u ha vetwo options tomanually shift the auto‐
matic transmission:
R temp orary setting
R permanent setting
The gears shift automatically when manual gear‐
shifting is deactivated. 16 6
Driving and pa rking

#
Toactivate: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1or2.
Manual gearshifting is activated for a short
time. The cur rent gear is displa yed in the
multifunction displa y.
% How long the manual gearshifting stay s acti‐
va ted is dependant on the driving style. #
Toshift up: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2. #
Toshift down: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1.
If yo u pull and hold thesteering wheel gear‐
shift paddle 1,the transmission shifts to
th e lo west possible gear. #
Todeactivate: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2and hold it in place.
The transmission position happears in the
multifunction displa y.
% Ifyo u select theManual drive setting in
drive prog ram =, manual gearshifting is
permanent lyactivated. Gea
rshift recommendation The
gearshift recommendation assists you in
adopting an economical driving style. #
Ifge arshift recommendation message 1is
shown on the multifunction displa y,shift to
th ere commended gear. Using kickd
own #
Maximum acceleration: depressthe accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point. The automatic transmission shifts up
tothe next
ge ar when the maximum engine speed is
re ached toprotect the engine from overrev ving. Glide mode function
Wi
th an anticipatory driving style, Glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
th e driv etra in and the engine continues to
ru n in idle.
R the transmission position his displa yed in
green in the multifunction displa y.
Glide mode is activated if thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
R drive program ;is selected.
R the speed is within a suitable range.
R thero ad's course is suitable, e.g. no steep
uphill or downhill inclines or tight bends.
R there is no trailer coupled tothe trailer hitch,
and no bicycle rack fitted. Driving and pa
rking 167

#
Unscr ew and close disposable hose 1and
Ad Blue ®
re fill canis ter2 inreve rse order. #
Replace theAd Blue ®
fuel filler cap and turn it
clockwise. #
Close the fuel filler flap. #
Swit chon the ignition for at least 60 sec‐
onds.
% Ifth eve hicle could not be star ted as the
Ad Blue ®
tan kwa s em pty, it can take up to
60 seconds forth ere fill to be de tected. #
Start theve hicle.
% Avoid storing AdBlue ®
re fill con tainers per‐
manently in theve hicle. Pa
rking Pa
rking theve hicle &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
caused byan insuf ficiently secu redve hi‐
cle rolling away.
If th eve hicle is not securely par ked suf fi‐
ciently, it can rollaw ay in an uncont rolled
wa yev en at a slight downhill gradient. #
Ensure that the par kedve hicle is alw ays
properly secured against rolling away as
fo llo ws:
R on uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels so that theve hicle
ro lls towa rdsth eke rb if it starts
moving.
R apply the parking brake.
R vehicles with automatic transmis‐
sion: shift the transmission toposi‐
tion j.
R vehicles with manual transmission:
engage firs t1 orreve rsege ar k. &
WARNING Risk offire caused byhot
ex haust sy stem parts
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th hot parts of theex haust sy stem or
ex haust gasflow. #
Park theve hicle so that no flammable
material can come into con tact wi thhot
ve hicle components. #
In particular, do not park on dry grass‐
land or har vested grain fields. &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If yo u lea vechildren unat tended in theve hi‐
cle, they may be able toset theve hicle in
motion, forex ample by:
R releasing the parking brake. Driving and parking
175

R
shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position jor shifting manual trans‐
mission into idle position.
R starting the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip‐
ment and become trapped. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due toit
ro lling away #
Alw ays secure theve hicle against roll‐
ing away. #
Bring theve hicle toast andstill byapplying
th e brake pedal. #
On uphill or downhill gradients, turn the front
wheels so that theve hicle rolls towa rdsthe
ke rb if it starts moving. #
App lythe electric parking brake. #
Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage firs t1 orreve rsege ar k. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
engage transmission position jin a station‐
ary vehicle with the brake pedal applied
(→ page 165). #
Switch off the engine and the ignition by
pressing the1 button. #
Release the service brake slowl y. #
Get out of theve hicle and lock it.
% When you park theve hicle, you can still
opera tethe side windo wsand the panoramic
sliding sunroof for appro ximately five
minutes if the driver's door is closed. Garage door opener
Prog
ramming buttons for the garage door
opener &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injuries due to
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and can lead topoisoning. 176
Driving and pa rking

Electric pa
rking brake Electric parking brake function (app
lying
automatically) &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If yo u lea vechildren unat tended in theve hi‐
cle, they may be able toset theve hicle in
motion, forex ample by:
R releasing the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position jor shifting manual trans‐
mission into idle position.
R starting the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip‐
ment and become trapped. #
Never lea vechildren and animals unat‐
te nded in theve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle.
This also applies tothe digital vehicle ke
y if the "Digital Vehicle Key" function
is activated via Mercedes me connect. Ve
hicles with manual transmission:
When theve hicle comes toast andstill, the elec‐
tric parking brake is applied if one of thefo llow‐
ing conditions is fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off.
R The driver's door is opened.
The elect ric pa rking brake is also applied while
th eve hicle is kept stationary bythe HOLD func‐
tion if one of thefo llowing conditions is fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off.
R The seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
R There is a sy stem malfunction.
R The po wer supp lyis insuf ficient.
R The vehicle is stationary for a lengt hyperiod.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the
re d! indicator lamp appears in the instru‐
ment clus ter. If
th e electric parking brake is not applied when
th e driver's door is opened, theRisk of vehicle
rolling away Apply parking brake See Owner's
Manual message appears.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off bythe ECO
st art/ stop function.
% Toprev ent application: pull the handle of the
electric parking brake.
Ve hicles with automatic transmission:
The electric parking brake is applied if the trans‐
mission is in position jand one of thefo llow‐
ing conditions is fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off.
R The seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
% Toprev ent application: pull the handle of the
electric parking brake.
In thefo llowing situations, the electric parking
brake is also applied:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is bringing
th eve hicle toast andstill. Driving and parking
181

R
The HOLD function is keeping theve hicle sta‐
tionar y.
R Active Parking Assist is keeping theve hicle
st ationar y.
This is the case if one of thefo llowing conditions
is also fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off.
R The seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
R There is a sy stem malfunction.
R The po wer supp lyis insuf ficient.
R The vehicle is stationary for a lengt hyperiod.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the
re d! indicator lamp appears in the instru‐
ment clus ter.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off bythe ECO
st art/ stop function.
Electric parking brake function (releasing
automatically)
Ve hicles with manual transmission: The electric parking brake is
released when the
fo llowing conditions are fulfilled:
R The driver's door is closed.
R The engine is running.
R Age ar has been selec ted, youre lease the
clutch pedal and dep ress the accelera tor
pedal.
or R You apply the brakes and shift from neutral
i into reve rsege ar k or a forw ard gear
(1 -6) when on le velground.
% Inreve rsege ar k, theta ilgate must also be
closed.
When the electric parking brake is released, the
re d! indicator lamp in the instrument clus‐
te r goes out.
Ve hicles with automatic transmission:
The electric parking brake is released when the
fo llowing conditions are fulfilled:
R The engine is running.
R The seat belt tongue is inser ted into the seat
belt buckle of the driver's seat. R
The transmission is in position hork and
yo u depress the accelera tor pedal or you
shift from transmission position jtoh or
k.
R Ifth e transmission is in position k,theta il‐
gate must be closed.
If th e seat belt tongue is not inser ted into the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat, thefo llow‐
ing conditions must be fulfilled:
R The driver's door is closed.
R You mo vethe transmission out of transmis‐
sion position joryou ha veprev iously
driven fasterthan 3 km/h.
R Ifth e transmission is in position k,theta il‐
gate must be closed.
When the electric parking brake is released, the
re d! indicator lamp in the instrument clus‐
te r goes out. 18 2
Driving and pa rking

During
the transition from the active topassive
st atus, symbol 3is shown as enlar ged and
fl ashes yello w. Once the sy stem is passive, sym‐
bol 1is shown as gr eyinthe multifunction dis‐
pla y. Hill
Start Assist Hill
Start Assist holds theve hicle for a short
time when pulling away on a hill under thefo l‐
lowing conditions:
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
transmission is in position hork.
R The electric pa rking brake is released.
This gives you enough time tomo veyour foot
from the brake pedal tothe accelera tor pedal
and depress it before theve hicle begins toroll
aw ay. &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due totheve hicle rolling away
Af ter a short time, Hill Start Assist no lon ger
holds theve hicle and it can rollaw ay. #
Therefore, swiftly mo veyour foot from
th e brake pedal tothe accelerator
pedal. Ne ver attem pttolea vetheve hi‐
cle if it is being held byHill Start Assist. HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holds
theve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. while waiting in traf fic.
Sy stem limitations
The HOLD function is only intended toprov ide
assis tance when driving and is not a su fficient
means of safeguarding theve hicle against rolling
aw ay when stationar y.
R The incline must not be greater than 30%. Ac
tivating/deactivating the HOLD function &
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being activated when you
lea vetheve hicle
If yo u lea vetheve hicle while only the HOLD
function is braking theve hicle, theve hicle
can rollaw ay inthefo llowing situations:
R Ifth ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supply.
R Ifth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant. #
Alw ays deactivate the HOLD function
and secure theve hicle against rolling
aw ay before leaving theve hicle. 212
Driving and pa rking

*
NO
TEDama gefrom auto matic braking If one of
thefo llowing functions is switched
on, theve hicle brakes automatically in cer‐
ta in situations:
R Active Brake Assi st
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R HOLD function
R Active Parking Assist
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations: #
During towing #
In a car wash Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R The driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
R The engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function. R
The electric parking brake is released.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
R The transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function #
Dep ress the brake pedal and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y. #
Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function #
Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or #
Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
The HOLD function is deactivated in thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
R The transmission is switched toposition j.R
The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
th e transmission position jorby the electric
parking brake:
R The seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
R The drive sy stem is switched off.
R There is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supp lyis insuf ficient. St
art-off assi st Fu
nction of thest art-off assi st
The start-off assist enables optimal vehicle
acceleration from a standstill. Forth is, a suitably
high-grip road sur face is requ ired, the tyres and
ve hicle must also be in good condition.
Do not activate thest art-off assist on public
ro ads.
Be sure toobser vethe saf ety no tes and informa‐
tion on ESP ®
. Driving and parking
213

Opening
the camera co ver of the reve rsing
camera
Multimedia sy stem:
, © .
Settings .
Assis-
tance .
Camera & parking #
Select Open camera cover.
% The camera co ver closes auto maticallyafter
some time or af ter an ignition cycle.
Setting the camera as a favo urite
Yo u can call up the camera view directly in the
multimedia sy stem bysetting it as a favo urite. #
Press theò button on theto uchpad.
The main functions are displ ayed. #
Navigate down wards twice.
The Favourites menu appears. #
Select New favourite. #
Select Vehicle . #
Select Camera. Ac
tive Parking Assist Fu
nction of Active Parking Assist
Ac tive Parking Assist is an elect ronic pa rking
assis tance sy stem which uses ultrasound and is
automatically activated during forw ard tra vel.
The sy stem is operational at speeds below
appr oximately 35 km/h.
When all the conditions are fulfilled, thefo llow‐
ing symbol appears in the multifunction display
in the instrument clus ter: The sy
stem then independently locates and
measures parallel and perpendicular parking
spaces on bo thsides of theve hicle.
When Active Parking Assist has de tected pa rking
spaces, thefo llowing symbol appears in the mul‐
tifunction display in the instrument clus ter: The ar
rows show on which side of the car riage‐
wa y free parking spaces are located. They are
th en shown in the multimedia sy stem displa y.
The parking space and, if necessar y,the parking
direction can be selected as desired. Active
Pa rking Assist calculates a suitable vehicle path
and assists you in parking and exiting the park‐
ing space.
Ve hicles with automatic transmission: Active
Pa rking Assist supports with changing gear,
accelerating, braking and steering theve hicle.
Ve hicles with manual transmission: the active
brake application and automatic gear change are
on lyavailable on vehicles with automatic trans‐
mission. You must therefore brake theve hicle
and change gear yourself when parking or exit‐
ing a parking space.
Ac tive Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute foryo ur attention tothe sur roundings.
The responsibility for safe manoeuvring and
parking remains with you. Make sure that no
persons, animals or objects etc. are in the
manoeuvring range. Driving and pa
rking 225